lnferno

I want to get chipped, but not with my existing ECU. I'd like to get another ECU -- keep the stock one stock and buy another one so that I can switch them out (for obvious reasons). Who offers the best deals on stock ECUs? This would be for a 2006 A4 2.0T 6M.

TIA

parks853

Changing the ECU's out would be more obvious than just switching back to stock. With the new flash loading it is very easy to get the stock software flashed back onto the car. APR makes it possible to switch back to stock by only using the cruise control stock. And I am pretty sure if you were to switch ECU's you would have to reset the ECU. Maybe someone else can go more into detail about that. And I would hate to know what a new ECU would cost.

lnferno

Thanks for your feedback. I realize that there's "flashable" software, but my preference is to have a "backup" ECU. I used to have an 01 S4 which I took this approach with and it worked rather well. I believe I paid about $500 for a stock 2001 S4, so I imagine it would be around the same for a 2006 A4 2.0T 6MT ECU.
Please keep the feedback/comments coming.

LAS

having never to touch the ecu, physically.

snowbooch

i totally feel you on this topic. i don't care how "stock" the stock program is, if something really goes wrong, and the dealer wants to find out what you have done, they will.

is this still possible though? i remember APR (or someone) used to offer something to basically clone the settings for the immobilizer. i have also heard from some people that changing the ecu now also requires changing the instrument cluster or something like that.

post what you end up finding out, i would like to see what you find and how feasible it is to do this with the b7.

John Stahmann

But in the B6 the ECU was held in with a metal holder that had special one-time-use screws that had to be drilled out and then replaced with one-time-use screws that you had to get from the dealer. It was a real PITA. I would expect that it's probably similar in the B7.

It's not as easy as it used to be in the B5 to just swap out an ECU.

lowdef

that you swapped out your ECU. You're taking a risk either way. IMO the hassle and extra cost aren't worth it.

John Stahmann

Ever since the B5 there are multiple locations that data is constantly stored in your car. As far back as the B5, even if you replaced your ECU with a fresh stock one there are systems in the car that can be accessed that store information such as boost that would be a dead giveaway that you were running a chipped ECU in your car.

The tricky part is that dealers can't access the info using their VAG/VAS setup - you have to have special access cards in your VAG/VAS tools to access the data stores. IF Audi wanted to play hard ball with owners they could.

BTW, I'm not making this up, it came from an Audi Engineer.

In my opinion, the main benefit of having a stock program to switch to when you have a chip is so that when your car is driven by a dealership employee they don't feel this surge of power and know your car is chipped.

alex911s

like they have time for that, lol.. my cayenne turbo is flashed, dealer dont say crap...

lowdef

If something did happened to your engine I'm guessing they may have something to say. Just like my dealer would if something happened to mine.

I wonder how many people that have upgraded their ECU's ended up with problems that caused warranty issues. Would be interesting to hear those stories.