silver surfer

so most people are telling me that the APR chip that i plan to get will void my warranty "officially" unless i have a rather "understanding" dealer. so buying the spare ECU and putting it back in before services sounds like another task on it own, can it be done by anyone???
also Clair audi in Boston, MA what's the general consensus on them? anyone in the MA area have experience???
thanks.

Bob W.

Actually, last time I did it, it probably took me less than a minute because I was running late that morning. All you need is an 8mm socket wrench and a flat screwdriver. I keep the tools in my trunk, along with the stock ECU, just in case the car breaks down on the road somewhere and has to be towed to the dealer. The spare ECU is a good thing.

larryV

Well, the first time you do it it might be a pain only because of that 5th ecu box screw all the way in the back for MY1999.5 and MY2000 which is difficult to get to. But after reading the FAQ and going throught it once, you'll know how to approach it in future swaps (if you even ever have to swap again.) It's quite easy and almost idiot proof once you go through the FAQ. I'm mechanically challenged and it only took me 20 mins tops the first time, granted I was a very determined individual. As far as having to swap ECU's for service visits - well put it this way: unless your dealer test-drives the car at every service visit, there is no way the dealer can tell even with any diagnostic tools that there is an APR chip in there (I'm not sure if this holds true for the other chips) The APR chip is "invisible" unless of course they actually take it out for a run. I got my APR v3.0 with spare ECU in december for $599 just for piece of mind but if it were me now in this group buy - I don't think it's worth it paying nearly $1200 for the spare ecu+chip. It sucks that all these tuners have to get their ECU's directly from Audi parts now.

Larry
99.5 1.8Tqts APR K&N

silver surfer

okay so i'm kinda hearing mixed opinions from larry V and Bob W.
thanks both of you, for your input.
so let me get this straight:
i'm definitely set on getting the APR chip regardless, so when they say chip+ECU the additional ECU is exactly the same as the stock ECU in my 2000 1.8tqs right now correct? why then would they ask to send me my original so it can get chipped for a day (or two) when all they have to do is send the chipped ECU altogether? or do i just have this all wrong? when i purchase just the chip i send in my ECU board, right? i'm pretty sure about that, but what i'm coufused about is when i purchase the chip+ECU. what are the procedures?
and lastly, how often does APR upgrade their versions? and if they do is it easy to get an upgrade?
thanks once again guys.

larryV

If you get JUST THE CHIP: you send your original ECU box to them... they reprogram the chip on that ECU box and send it back to you.

If you buy the SPARE ECU + CHIP: you get an entirely new ECU box with an APR reprogrammed chip inside it already so all you have to do is unplug your stock ECU box and plug in the ECU box APR sends you. So now you have a stock ECU box to keep, hang on your wall, use as a paper weight, etc.

APR is continually in development and with their pre-MY2K chips they've gone from v1.0 to v1.2, 1.3, 2.0, and finally 3.0. That's what I like about them - always busy but always around to help out their customers. They figured that they've pretty much perfected it with the v3.0 chip at least for the non-throttle by wire cars (pre MY2K) but they'll probably have some more tweaks for the MY2K models.

Larry
99.5 1.8Tqts APR K&N

Bob W.

...upgrading to the new versions entails putting your stock ECU back in the car, and sending your chipped ECU back to APR for reprogramming. When I upgraded to v3.0, I mailed it out on a Thursday and received it back the following Tuesday (I sent it fedex overnight to them, and they sent it back 2nd day air UPS).

Yes, if you order the chip+ECU, you should get a ECU with the APR chip ready to install...

Bob W.

My local dealer is what I would call "chip-friendly", but I wouldn't even consider taking the car in with a chip. If they do discover you have a chip, it will be noted on the work order and there's nothing you can do to change that. Don't forget, it would be very simple for them to remove your ECU, open it up and see the aftermarket chip. If you EVER have an engine problem, there's a chance (however slim) that they will throw the chip issue in your face.

The way I look at it, it's worth my 5 minute time investment to avoid any possibility of getting stuck with a $5K repair bill, even if the chance of that happening is miniscule. Even at $1200, I think the chip+ecu is worth it. Just my opinion...

Larry's right: the first time you install the ECU will be the most difficult. Although it can easily be installed w/o removing that 5th screw, I think you should do it the first time just to get a good look at how the ECU is hooked up. I've swapped mine back and forth maybe 10 times, and I can literally do it with my eyes closed now.

Have fun!

Bob W.