Shoeguy

I didn't get the extended warranty. I bought the car on line from a GM dealer and picked it up in Denver, Col. What a rush.
I guess if it come to a warranty situation I'm just going to bite the bullet and pay for the repair myself. I've got almost 40K on it in thirteen months and will mile it out too fast.
Cheers

Regina_TTS

No extended warranty here either. I did go for Audi Care, and paint and fabric protection though. If you keep the car for the four years and plan to maintain it, the Audi Care package is the cheaper road for all of the maintenance. I did the paint and fabric just as a measure of insurance.

cmagg

Did you get your cars chipped? If so, which one and why? Have you heard of premature breakdown of engine, turbo, etc with the chip?

Regina_TTS

The TTS is chipped. If you click on the (red) link in my signature, you can get more of the details, but it was basically it was to give it more power. As a bonus (when I'm not unleashing the extra power) the car has become more fuel efficient. My 03 TT was also chipped and I've had no issues with either car.

cmagg

Why did you choose APR over the others i.e. Revo, etc. ? In addition to the added power, how does it drive with this mod. I have read that it reduces some of the lag. Do you notice less lag on starts?

By the way, thanks for all of the info you have been extremely helpful.

Regina_TTS

After a bit of research I decided that the software upgrades that most reputable companies offer all seem to do the same job, especially at "Stage 1." From there I think you just need to look at what other kind of upgrades you'd like to make and find the company that is best suited for it.

When I was wanting more power out of the 03 TT I was looking at the ECU upgrade and possibly an exhaust upgrade down the road. The APR software offered a decent power increase plus they had a really nice exhaust set up for my next purchase. When I was going to do the exhaust they would upgrade my software for free.

I also really liked the extra features that the APR software came with, without having to buy extra hardware. Their EMCS (Enhanced Modular Chipping System) allows you to switch between different programming and initaite other programs using the cruise control stalk. It was nice being able to disable the extra power when I had to take the car in for service.

For the TTS, APR seemed to be the first company to offer software with substantial gains (50+HP/TQ) without conflicting with the S Tronic (DSG) torque limiter. Other brands were running into issues and even suggesting you would need to have the DSG software upgraded.

The only downside that was discovered after sending my ECU to APR was that the physical memory in the car's computer wasn't big enough to include the EMCS controller software. Apparently Audi changed the size of the unit after some initial production, likely to discourage drivers from upgrading the software. APR offered to flash the ECU with one program (91 octane or 93 octane were recommended) and either discount the work or upgrade me for free when they have the software redeveloped with EMCS to work in the more limited space. Because 91 octane fuel is the best we have in most areas where I live, I opted for the 91 octane program and the free upgrade. On related note, I have since bought the APR downpipe and will need to take them up on that to upgrade to Stage 2.

The only other factor that might have influenced me differently is if there had been a local dealer for any reputable brand. Calgary is the closest city (for several brands, including APR), so rather than waste the time and put the miles on the car I pulled the ECU both times and sent it to APR in Alabama. Rumor has it though that an APR dealer is opening here so it's now advantageous for me to be running their software for future upgrades, etc.

The software upgrade made a very substantial difference in acceleration, reduced the lag and increased fuel efficiency. I haven't really pushed the upper limits of the car yet, but for the way I like to drive, this TTS is now a little monster. Even with the little bit of lag off the line with the stock set up, you should be pretty impressed with the acceleration off the line. After driving the TTS for 9-10 months and getting used to that feeling, the extra power and lag reduction has made the TTS feel like a whole new car.