RogosMcgee

I have a new (September) 2021 S5 SB here in the Midwest. I really love the car but it's also made me, perhaps paradoxically, crave even more performance--reminds me of the old Pringles commercial tagline "once you pop, you can't stop" lol. Anyway, I'm seriously considering doing an ECU + TCU tune (stage 1) by EPL to get even more out of the car. I read through a whole 90-page Audizine thread on it here (https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...s-Thread/page1), which took a while but was very interesting to see the community there working to get the tunes just right and EPL's support looks amazing. I'm curious if users here have had experience, good, bad, or neutral with doing the EPL tune on their S5 or other tunes. The value proposition for doing it seems pretty clear: spend a few thousand $, bring your S5's performance into the realm of an RS5. I also like that the EPL tune is fairly conservative--they aren't claiming insane hp / torque gains suggesting extreme stress on the platform but they're doing enough to meaningfully improve the car. You can see me asking questions over in the last couple pages of that Audizine thread on things like reliability, risk of getting warranty flagged by the dealer, ability to still daily drive in a laidback manner, ability to stay with the stock intercooler, and everything I'm hearing seems pretty damn positive. But I'm really curious to hear thoughts of people here as a gut check in case this is too good to be true--I know Audizine leans more into the tuning / mod scene so maybe they're biased. Have you tuned? Would you? Is it everything it's cracked up to be? Not worth the hassle? Appreciate any thoughts.

HyperS4

Ive been using the JB4 on my past 2 cars(19 S4 and 17 A4) and it was great. No issues dealing with service either, just unplugged it when I went in. For my current car I decided on the EPL full tune. I always knew there was more to get out of the car with a dedicated tune. I dont really worry about getting flagged, my dealership is cool with mods. Also, its a lease so Im not worried about TD1 or longevity.

The difference between the JB4 and the EPL is negligible. Ultimate gains are relatively close(by the seat of the pants) but its the way the power is delivered that makes the difference. The EPL power is just there whenever I want it. I had to switch maps on the JB4 to decide how I wanted the power to come on(mid-range vs up high). It feels a bit smoother too all around in that you can tell its all integrated as opposed to a piggy-back that is tricking some sensors.

The download was really easy with the cable and customer service is awesome. As the weather is getting colder here in NJ it feels like it just keeps getting more power. I am not running an upgraded intercooler so all my feels are with OEM. Im sure I know you would get more with the upgrade.

S5SCMSB2021

So I'm also in a 2021 S5 and went ahead and tuned with EPL (tried both Stage 1 91 and 93 so far). Overall I've really liked the experience and the product. I wish they had a website or a better system for keeping people up to date... But that's a small annoyance for me really. I think it is worth it if you are willing to risk drive drain warranty for near RS5 performance. It is clear that you won't get TD1'd for non-powertrain things, but if they dig deep enough they can figure out you are tuned even if you flashed back to stock. This also applies to JB4 - they can look at the historical boost logs, etc. and see if things were running outside of spec. With that said, they seem to really need a good reason to go looking into your car's ECU that deep. It was a gamble I decided to take since it seems a powertrain issue is very unlikely with these cars inside the warranty period whether stock or tuned through EPL based on my extensive forum research of others' experience - take that for what it is worth.
Also 034 seems to have a good tune and good following. There are others in the tuning space for the S5, but those two seem to be the most highly rated. You'll get your fan boys on the forums and the FB groups touting which one is best, but honestly those two are so close I'm not sure there are any huge performance differences. It mostly comes down to features and if you like their customer support style.

Just my 2 cents on the matter! Let me know if you have any questions I can answer regarding the EPL tune on a 2021.

HyperS4

Yes, but keep in mind that 034 has yet to come out with a B9.5 tune. I was waiting for it initially but got tired of waiting and ended up with EPL. Not unhappy with my choice as Ive had it on my car since I got it in June. Just saying, its been almost 4 months since 034 said they would have one out and the clock is still ticking. I do like how they have a crackle tune for the B9 and I hope EPL comes out with something like it on the B9.5 tune(even though some hate it). My only issue with the EPL tune is I paid a hefty sum for it and then they come out with a light version for a few hundred less. Well, its the same tune I have now because the B9.5 tune doesnt have all the abilities you get in the B9 tune. All I can do is go from 91 to 93. I want the ability to change launch RPM and change maps on the fly instead of keeping my laptop/cable with me. So, if you dont care about all that stuff and just want a tune, go for the light version. If you want all the other adjustability, go for the full tune and hope they finally come out with the update.

RogosMcgee

Interesting to hear everyone's experiences so far--it really does seem like this tune is a no-brainer.

In that massive Audizine EPL thread, Tony@EPL is indicating that the 2021 S5 TCU tune should be available soon--sounds like before EoY depending on how the beta testing goes. I suspect that they'd release the bells and whistles on the B9.5 ECU tunes (e.g., in-car map switching) around the same time. It sounds like it may have been a little harder for them to tune the 21 models for whatever reason--maybe changes in the transmission and engine control units vs. prior years for whatever reason.

RogosMcgee

A few questions:

1) Objectively, what sort of absolute performance gains have you seen in the car e.g., to 60, to 1/4 mile? Particularly interested for running the 93 map.
2) Subjectively, how does it feel when tuned? Like is there an immediate, obvious difference in the "butt dyno" department?
3) Like you, I'm thinking at least at first of just staying with the stock intercooler. Have you had any issues with heat soaking / diminished performance e.g., when you're on a long trip or with extended aggressive driving?


Same sort of questions

1) Have you done any hard numbers measuring to see how your performance changed from stock to tuned, e.g., to 60, for a 1/4 mile? Especially interested in numbers on the 93 map but anything is interesting.
2) Subjectively, how does the tune feel after you run it? Is it an obvious immediate power difference over stock or is it maybe more subtle, only noticeable in certain parts of the power band / rpm range?
3) Assuming you're still running a stock intercooler alongside the tune, any issues with heat soak / diminished performance over e.g., a long road trip or extended aggressive driving?

HyperS4

1) I dont have any "absolute" figures. Most of those can be found in that EPL thread, they are pretty consistent. Im only running 93 octane and have no plans for e85, e40, meth etc. Im good with the gains made on the stock map. Im still the fastest car in traffic lol.
2) It feels much better. My JB4 A4 was quicker than my stock 19 S4. It was sad. So I did the JB4 to that car and it woke up. Just like this car a tune is needed if you really want to feel some power. The EPL(or any ECU tune) feels much more integrated compared to the piggy-back. You feel it all the time and its really smooth. I definitely find myself hitting triple digits more often by accident when passing someone on the highway. So yes, butt dyno is immediately obvious.
3) There have been some days in the sweltering NJ July heat waves that the car felt a little sluggish but Im not really trying to push the car when its that hot out. Im not going to the track(drag or actual track) and Im not a street racer. So, for me, the power has been there whenever I needed it. Now that its been around 50 degrees it feels like it woke up more. I think it really depends on how you are going to drive it. If you are like me then you really wont need to upgrade the intercooler. If you want to run light to light or highway runs with everyone you come across, you definitely need the intercooler upgrade.

mhoran89

APR stage 1 93 octane for me. Car is still CPO until next July and frankly I have stage 1 tuned 4 different cars through APR (two have been my daily drivers) and one went stage 2 and it was diminishing returns. I don't think I would push the B9 platform more than a stage 1 tune and intercooler to be honest. Slippery slope for my needs. The S5 cabriolet in stock form is not slow and with stage 1 it's nearly as fast as my dad's 2021 911 base cabriolet for 1/2 the cost and I am happy with that.

Not saying a stage 1 ECU and TCU tune are not off the table down the road... just no interest right now. Note, these cars benefit from being driven hard more than anything, I have never had an issue with the B9 3.0T turbo lag....

S5SCMSB2021

1) I wish I could provide this, but I have not done any of that to date unfortunately.
2) I can definitely feel the difference, I am back to stock tune this week as I prepare to go into the dealership for a warranty repair (small, electrical item). Stock is certainly not bad, but I can definitely feel what is missing having pushed it on the stock MAP this week. The torque difference is the biggest noticeable part, after that it's how the top end pulls.
3) I am still on stock intercooler and have not noticed a huge problem with heat soak for my usage. But to be fair I'm in the northern midwest so heat is only really bad in the middle part of the summer. Getting into the cooler temps now there is maybe a slight difference on back to back pulls. It seems like the difference is low/hard to notice for me. I do plan though to go Stage 2 93 octane with a wagner intercooler and modified airbox in the next year or two. But that's as far as I am taking it. I don't want to get into E85 or anything more elaborate than that. I'm trying to balance solid performance gains without potentially sacrificing too much long term reliability.

FastS5coupe

Ok folks, after waiting for the 9.5 tune from 034 that I purchased back in July…I’m starting my research to consider the alternatives. I understand their “might” be issues with IE’s ability to flash a tune on the 9.5 as well. Makes me wonder how EPL (& others-?) is(are) successful. Any insights from this forum would be greatly appreciated.