Finally took a road trip. Verdict: My 3.0T Autospeed 'Beast' is HORRIBLE.
12-05-2008, 09:53 AM
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Finally took a road trip. Verdict: My 3.0T Autospeed 'Beast' is HORRIBLE.
I'm posting this in way of warning others against doing what I did: Pay Mark Slazak at Autospeed over $50,000 to 'tune' the 2.7T allroad. While I held my tongue after the aborted 2007 delivery in hopes of him 'making good', I cannot, a second delivery and a year later, continue to do so. I have no more false hope to extend. First time: shame on them. Second time: shame on me.
You'd think giving ANYONE over $50,000 would be enough to get a return phone call within a month. It's not. Neither Mark Slazak nor anyone at Autospeed has returned any phone calls on this matter since the car arrived at my office in October. (it was delivered, inauspiciously, with three punctured tires, straight off the truck). I couldn't even pin it on the carrier, because ASP wouldn't return phone calls.
While there is a very long detailed version to this very disappointing saga, the shorter version is this: After an aborted delivery a year ago, the 3.0T conversion has been returned to me again, and it still burns one to two quarts of oil per tank of gas AND the 'tuning' is HORRIBLE.
Almost all of the problems I had on my FIRST 'aborted' delivery last Thanksgiving (yes, 2007) are still present now. How could any diligent `tuner' test the car for hundreds of miles and NOT KNOW that the car is consuming a quart or two of oil per tank of gas??? THEY COULDN'T. So then, what KIND of tuner would present the car as `ready' and `finished' in such condition - without disclosing it? Worse, they've returned it `finished' a SECOND time, almost another YEAR LATER, with the SAME hugely unacceptable problem.
Not only is the oil consumption is about as bad as it was a year ago, but the car still exhibits what for all the world seems like serious detonation. It still bucks and lurches on light to moderate throttle applications at highway cruising speeds, and ultimately stalls or goes into 'limp mode' with regularity when moderately accelerating at speeds above 60 mph. Under light to moderate throttle applications at those speeds, the check engine light starts flashing (it's always on) and/or all the dash lights go on as part of 'limp mode' where the engine will only go to about 2k rpm and the ECU only 'applies' what seems like 5% throttle in that condition, no matter how far the throttle is pressed. The 'lurching' is far faster and more violent than could be induced by snapping your foot on/off the throttle, in a way that only detonation could cause. The concurrent 'limp mode' and/or flashing 'check engine light' events would seem to indicate the same.
It pains me just to think of the internal wear and tear being done in the process. The forged rods are probably the only reason I don't have a hole in the block. Once in limp mode, to restore power, the ignition must be fully recycled, which kills most of the lights but still leaves the suspension warning light ablaze. Recycling the ignition a second or third time finally brings the suspension back to life. The check engine light, however, remains on. A few weeks ago the car backfired loudly and the check engine light went out for a few miles, only to come right back on. Even if the tuning problems were easily correctible, the oil consumption is not. There are no oil leaks. A friend, who knows nothing of this car, asked if it was a DIESEL.
I could be wrong, but my guess is all the detonation has done enough beating to the engine internals to cause/exacerbate the oil consumption. I haven't seen it blow as big a cloud of smoke on startup as it did the first delivery (valve guide blow-by, ASP supposedly replaced them) but it is consuming about the same amount of oil overall. The detonation may be due to excess oil in the mix (it's burning oil at about the same rate as my stinking 2 stroke leaf blower) but it's probably also related to inaccurate MAF readings (custom ASP MAF housing/setup), and the ECU is subsequently getting the fuel mixture wrong, causing the motor to detonate at light/moderate throttle, seemingly worse at higher elevations. (Starting at about 60 mph, generally in 5th or 6th gear, the throttle can be pressed lightly for a second or two, then the detonation starts as the tuning goes all wrong).
I plan to put together a web page with the full details, but on the advice of my attorney I'm abstaining from that project for the time being. Suffice to say the details are ugly, unforgivable, and prolific. They are also well-documented, with video, photos, email, witnesses and other documentation. Therein may lie clues to solutions for others with similar problems, and if not, at least ample evidence of why anyone considering tuning their Audi should consider spending their money elsewhere. For me, there is only one remaining solution: A full refund.
To anyone considering spending money with Autospeed: BUYER BEWARE.
Regrettably,
- Sarge
You'd think giving ANYONE over $50,000 would be enough to get a return phone call within a month. It's not. Neither Mark Slazak nor anyone at Autospeed has returned any phone calls on this matter since the car arrived at my office in October. (it was delivered, inauspiciously, with three punctured tires, straight off the truck). I couldn't even pin it on the carrier, because ASP wouldn't return phone calls.
While there is a very long detailed version to this very disappointing saga, the shorter version is this: After an aborted delivery a year ago, the 3.0T conversion has been returned to me again, and it still burns one to two quarts of oil per tank of gas AND the 'tuning' is HORRIBLE.
Almost all of the problems I had on my FIRST 'aborted' delivery last Thanksgiving (yes, 2007) are still present now. How could any diligent `tuner' test the car for hundreds of miles and NOT KNOW that the car is consuming a quart or two of oil per tank of gas??? THEY COULDN'T. So then, what KIND of tuner would present the car as `ready' and `finished' in such condition - without disclosing it? Worse, they've returned it `finished' a SECOND time, almost another YEAR LATER, with the SAME hugely unacceptable problem.
Not only is the oil consumption is about as bad as it was a year ago, but the car still exhibits what for all the world seems like serious detonation. It still bucks and lurches on light to moderate throttle applications at highway cruising speeds, and ultimately stalls or goes into 'limp mode' with regularity when moderately accelerating at speeds above 60 mph. Under light to moderate throttle applications at those speeds, the check engine light starts flashing (it's always on) and/or all the dash lights go on as part of 'limp mode' where the engine will only go to about 2k rpm and the ECU only 'applies' what seems like 5% throttle in that condition, no matter how far the throttle is pressed. The 'lurching' is far faster and more violent than could be induced by snapping your foot on/off the throttle, in a way that only detonation could cause. The concurrent 'limp mode' and/or flashing 'check engine light' events would seem to indicate the same.
It pains me just to think of the internal wear and tear being done in the process. The forged rods are probably the only reason I don't have a hole in the block. Once in limp mode, to restore power, the ignition must be fully recycled, which kills most of the lights but still leaves the suspension warning light ablaze. Recycling the ignition a second or third time finally brings the suspension back to life. The check engine light, however, remains on. A few weeks ago the car backfired loudly and the check engine light went out for a few miles, only to come right back on. Even if the tuning problems were easily correctible, the oil consumption is not. There are no oil leaks. A friend, who knows nothing of this car, asked if it was a DIESEL.
I could be wrong, but my guess is all the detonation has done enough beating to the engine internals to cause/exacerbate the oil consumption. I haven't seen it blow as big a cloud of smoke on startup as it did the first delivery (valve guide blow-by, ASP supposedly replaced them) but it is consuming about the same amount of oil overall. The detonation may be due to excess oil in the mix (it's burning oil at about the same rate as my stinking 2 stroke leaf blower) but it's probably also related to inaccurate MAF readings (custom ASP MAF housing/setup), and the ECU is subsequently getting the fuel mixture wrong, causing the motor to detonate at light/moderate throttle, seemingly worse at higher elevations. (Starting at about 60 mph, generally in 5th or 6th gear, the throttle can be pressed lightly for a second or two, then the detonation starts as the tuning goes all wrong).
I plan to put together a web page with the full details, but on the advice of my attorney I'm abstaining from that project for the time being. Suffice to say the details are ugly, unforgivable, and prolific. They are also well-documented, with video, photos, email, witnesses and other documentation. Therein may lie clues to solutions for others with similar problems, and if not, at least ample evidence of why anyone considering tuning their Audi should consider spending their money elsewhere. For me, there is only one remaining solution: A full refund.
To anyone considering spending money with Autospeed: BUYER BEWARE.
Regrettably,
- Sarge
12-05-2008, 10:18 AM
#4
Sorry to hear. When you lawyer up get ready for the rollercoaster, because it is very expensive and
very long. Trust me as I am suing a company too and we are on our second year. We have an overwhelming in-our-favor case. Their attorneys can and probably will drag this out for years. You have my deepest regards to your problems.
12-05-2008, 11:32 AM
#6
Ugh. That sounds terrible. Best of luck in the resolution....
I had hoped for you to have the sickest car pretty much ever. It sounded like you were building the equivalent of what would be a "9xxTT porsche"-esque wagon, in sheep's clothing, but I'm quite nonplussed to hear it's turned out so regrettably.
I hope at least something works out (including, as a possbile best case, the engine simply gets put together correctly).
Best,
Bob
I hope at least something works out (including, as a possbile best case, the engine simply gets put together correctly).
Best,
Bob
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12-05-2008, 12:49 PM
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Yes, I'm familiar with the process.
Suffice to say I'm well-advised, have my bases covered and am both resolved and prepared to go the distance if need be.
It's a shame to see it come to that, but all indications are pointing that direction.
We'll see. - Good luck with yours!
It's a shame to see it come to that, but all indications are pointing that direction.
We'll see. - Good luck with yours!
12-05-2008, 01:26 PM
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Sorry to hear =( Do you know what codes you have that are throwing the CEL?
"Some" of the problems you are experiencing could from something as simple as a bad coil pack, bad EGT, bad o2, etc... but without pulling the codes in the ECU it is hard to speculate what is going on.
And fwiw the different size MAF housing is scaled inside the ECU so that part of the programming should be fine.
I have ASP softare on my allroad and I am really pleased with it, so I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with yours.
And fwiw the different size MAF housing is scaled inside the ECU so that part of the programming should be fine.
I have ASP softare on my allroad and I am really pleased with it, so I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with yours.
12-05-2008, 01:43 PM
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Yes, it is terrible.
Unfortunately, after nearly two years of ASP supposedly trying, I doubt the tuning or oil consumption can be resolved with anything other than a complete 'do-over' - by someone who knows how to do it in the first place.
Even so, I'm not going to give anyone even more time or money to find out. What would that take? Two more years and another $50k+? That possibility doesn't exist on my time or my dime. My considerable patience, trust and understanding has been thoroughly abused and exhausted. It's 'game over', and unfortunately everyone loses; Even if recover my entire investment, the sad truth is I'll never get back the time I've lost in the process.
Even so, I'm not going to give anyone even more time or money to find out. What would that take? Two more years and another $50k+? That possibility doesn't exist on my time or my dime. My considerable patience, trust and understanding has been thoroughly abused and exhausted. It's 'game over', and unfortunately everyone loses; Even if recover my entire investment, the sad truth is I'll never get back the time I've lost in the process.