APR ECU Flash for 4.2L V8 engines ..is it worth it?
Thread Starter
Audi Forum - Posts like an A1
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3
From: Canada
APR ECU Flash for 4.2L V8 engines ..is it worth it?
Hi guys,
I am considering doing the APR ECU flash on my 2007 S4 (4.2L V8 ) which might give me extra 8hp and 10 lb-ft of TQ. Based just on the numbers, this will not give me significant power boost but since the upgrade is relatively cheap I am still thinking of doing it, if the benefits are noticeable.
Anybody with the same APR flash willing to share his opinion?
Do you feel any difference in power, torque delivery or anything else?
In your opinion, it this upgrade worth it?
Thanks,
D.
I am considering doing the APR ECU flash on my 2007 S4 (4.2L V8 ) which might give me extra 8hp and 10 lb-ft of TQ. Based just on the numbers, this will not give me significant power boost but since the upgrade is relatively cheap I am still thinking of doing it, if the benefits are noticeable.
Anybody with the same APR flash willing to share his opinion?
Do you feel any difference in power, torque delivery or anything else?
In your opinion, it this upgrade worth it?
Thanks,
D.
Last edited by denistu; Jul 21, 2012 at 09:08 PM.
Audi Forum - Posts like an A3
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 60
From: UK-->Ontario
Re: APR ECU Flash for 4.2L V8 engines ..is it worth it?
+1 for JHM. It's more of a PITA (remove ECU and send to California) but it's the only one proven time and again to actually make your car faster. Forget everything else.
Chips: Poll with customer review
Chips: Poll with customer review
Audi Forum - Posts like an S6
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,155
From: Oakville
Re: APR ECU Flash for 4.2L V8 engines ..is it worth it?
you can flash jhm as of like next week...no sending ecu. just need one of their cables. i have one if anyone needs to use it to get the tune loaded up.
Audi Forum - Posts like an S6
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,155
From: Oakville
Re: APR ECU Flash for 4.2L V8 engines ..is it worth it?
2. no you don't need to send the ECU to California. You can flash it over the internet by logging in to JHM's site or going to a JHM dealer (or borrowing someone's JHM cable like mine)
Since you have an S5, you may like this...
Audi Forum - Posts like an S6
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,155
From: Oakville
Re: APR ECU Flash for 4.2L V8 engines ..is it worth it?
...and here's what I posted on the topic of B67 S4 tuning a couple of years ago
While they're good at making easy power by upping boost requests on turbo Audis, most tuners have no idea what they're doing with naturally aspirated cars. They all showed this...many of the tunes made the cars no faster than stock...and in a couple of cases tuned cars dyno'd LESS than stock.
Same with the intakes - they're all worse than the stock S4 intake. So now that you know this, let's look at the performance formula for the 4.2 S4:
downpipes - either get yours 'piggied' (your stock downpipes with just the precats gutted, main cats left in tact), or get 2.5" catless downpipes. Otherwise don't touch them. Piggies are as good as or better than ALL of the catted aftermarket downpipes, whether they're 2.25 or 2.5.
catback exhaust - get a 2.5" catback with an x-pipe crossover. This leaves Fast Intentions and Magnaflow. MF is cheaper ($700 ish), Fast Intentions is higher quality ($1300 and maybe a better bet to buy a used one if you can). Your choice.
tune - there are about 10 tunes...and they're almost all the same: virtually no gains vs. stock. As I said without boost to play with most of the so-called tuners are at a loss for how to make power on this car. The JHM tune on the other hand was written by a guy who comes from the performance division of one of the largest automakers in the world, and a guy who used to race V8 cars in his spare time. He knows how to make power. The APR and GIAC tunes change 4-5 things - timing, rev limiter, speed limiter and throttle response. The JHM tune changes 135 things. Yes, 135. It's night and day here. Best part? The JHM tune is $500, gets updated periodically, and just recently was released with LAUNCH CONTROL built into it.
Here's a thread on audizine where people discuss the various 'chips' and what is best. Take note of the polll....the results are overwhelming.
Chips: Poll with customer review
Here's a list of the best quarter mile times for cars who were faster than stock (stock is about 13.8 @ 101 mph in the B6/7 S4 with manual transmission...and about 14.0 @ 99mph for a tiptronic car). Take note - there are almost no cars faster than stock from APR, GIAC, Unitronic etc. COMBINED. That's because they just flat don't perform. Get a look at the JHM cars on that list.
My car with piggies, JHM tune, Fast Intentions catback, JHM lightweight rotors and lightweight crank pulley went 13.21 @ 106-107 mph. That's FASTER than an RS4 who was at the dragstrip when I was there.
Later, I got 2.5" catless downpipes and went 12.9 @ 108 mph. My barely modded piggies time of 13.21 and 107 MPH is faster than all of the other tuned all motor cars.
My 2.5" catless time is faster than all of the non-JHM all motor S4s and 2 of the supercharged S4s. This is not a misprint. I'll repeat it. It is faster than all of the other non JHM tuned all motor cars, and 2 of the supercharged S4s.
Audi S4 (B7) in the 12s - Cayuga Dragstrip 1/4 mile 12.9 @ 107.8 - YouTube
Now, that's all I'll say on the subject unless asked more. The information is there and it is as obvious as it can get. Now it's up to you to decide what to do with it.
Post some pics of your car!
Same with the intakes - they're all worse than the stock S4 intake. So now that you know this, let's look at the performance formula for the 4.2 S4:
downpipes - either get yours 'piggied' (your stock downpipes with just the precats gutted, main cats left in tact), or get 2.5" catless downpipes. Otherwise don't touch them. Piggies are as good as or better than ALL of the catted aftermarket downpipes, whether they're 2.25 or 2.5.
catback exhaust - get a 2.5" catback with an x-pipe crossover. This leaves Fast Intentions and Magnaflow. MF is cheaper ($700 ish), Fast Intentions is higher quality ($1300 and maybe a better bet to buy a used one if you can). Your choice.
tune - there are about 10 tunes...and they're almost all the same: virtually no gains vs. stock. As I said without boost to play with most of the so-called tuners are at a loss for how to make power on this car. The JHM tune on the other hand was written by a guy who comes from the performance division of one of the largest automakers in the world, and a guy who used to race V8 cars in his spare time. He knows how to make power. The APR and GIAC tunes change 4-5 things - timing, rev limiter, speed limiter and throttle response. The JHM tune changes 135 things. Yes, 135. It's night and day here. Best part? The JHM tune is $500, gets updated periodically, and just recently was released with LAUNCH CONTROL built into it.
Here's a thread on audizine where people discuss the various 'chips' and what is best. Take note of the polll....the results are overwhelming.
Chips: Poll with customer review
Here's a list of the best quarter mile times for cars who were faster than stock (stock is about 13.8 @ 101 mph in the B6/7 S4 with manual transmission...and about 14.0 @ 99mph for a tiptronic car). Take note - there are almost no cars faster than stock from APR, GIAC, Unitronic etc. COMBINED. That's because they just flat don't perform. Get a look at the JHM cars on that list.
My car with piggies, JHM tune, Fast Intentions catback, JHM lightweight rotors and lightweight crank pulley went 13.21 @ 106-107 mph. That's FASTER than an RS4 who was at the dragstrip when I was there.
Later, I got 2.5" catless downpipes and went 12.9 @ 108 mph. My barely modded piggies time of 13.21 and 107 MPH is faster than all of the other tuned all motor cars.
My 2.5" catless time is faster than all of the non-JHM all motor S4s and 2 of the supercharged S4s. This is not a misprint. I'll repeat it. It is faster than all of the other non JHM tuned all motor cars, and 2 of the supercharged S4s.
Audi S4 (B7) in the 12s - Cayuga Dragstrip 1/4 mile 12.9 @ 107.8 - YouTube
Now, that's all I'll say on the subject unless asked more. The information is there and it is as obvious as it can get. Now it's up to you to decide what to do with it.
Post some pics of your car!
