DSG Tune tomorrow

[+robster+a7+tdi]

Ok
Any googling came up short for me. on exact setup or even for my gearbox code it seemed no one has written or put any youtube videos showing differences on a DL501
My car still has production line dated gearbox software and think there is 2 or 3 factory updates for this available but Audi dealer told me there was no update available when i booked it in for dsg service - dang liars ( i was willing to pay for said updates at the time)
So I am Taking the plunge and my car has been booked in for weeks and it goes in tomorrow morning!
Should be a drop off at 9am and pick up at lunch time and the place is only 10 mins from my house.
So by tomorrow afternoon it should have a TVS Stage2+ tune to compliment the engine Stage1
Its relatively expensive mod to get the dsg tuned but plan to keep the car a couple of years to the way i want it before passing it on to family, - maybey the missus!

Ill report back my thoughts on the whole experience by the end of the week.

 

[Eric_RS6]

Hi mate - exciting times!
what’s involved in a ‘stage2+ Tune’ on the DSG then?
I presume the quicker shifts/higher red line / launch etc would of been all encompassed in the initial DSG tune?

 

[+robster+a7+tdi]

DSG Software - TVS Engineering

tvsengineering.com

You can flick through the tabs on this link for a look whats included.
I have my days mixed up its actually tomorrow now (26th)
I just find my upshifts very slow to react for a comfortable seemless shift but i want it to go quicker and let me know its snapping into gear. Also torque hold back especially from standstill it holds back if you plant your foot at the green lights . Little things that occasionally make my gearbox feel held back .
Mid life crisis kinda thing probably

 

[OolongA7]

Thanks for the TVS link, interesting reading.

 

[+robster+a7+tdi]

Was busy today helping fix a family members car and dropping it off today... Due to staying in glasgow roads are shut for cop26 preperations. / Rush hour etc Not had a good chance to have a right good shot but have felt its difference the 30 mins blast i had.
Its much more eager especially from a standing start as i guess torque limiter is removed. It holds gear as you would do in a manual box thus not having to drop gear when cruising to accelerating. Better drivability and quicker sharper shifting is nice.
Not tried a launch and dont really intend to. But will try one soon with one of these draggy apps or something try get a ballpark figure..

 

[+robster+a7+tdi]

I may have had one of the A7 earliest software versions showing 2011 production line tcu software so i have really benefitted from this. in my opinion

Had some good use with it late on in the week and over weekend , i can keep it smooth slow shifting modulation for comfort in efficiency and even dynamic and manual modes if i dont go past half throttle so to speak. so its not all thrashing about high revs etc. you can keep it civilised as normal.

in dynamic and especially sport its snappy changing and it holds the revs in your gears power band if you have it in sport ready for accessing the rest of the power band instead of clumsy shifts . e.g kickdown used to drop a gear or 2 to hold a high rev for a second or 1.5 in a torque reduced state then shift back ( rather slowly ) up to where you started -- waste of time

My car was always pretty good on the motorway but the torque limiter removal ( or raise to above my engine output) squeezes out a bit more id say along with the higher revving before shifting. Also the original manual mode in any speed was a big disappointment and i wondered why people would want or need the manual with flappy paddles in the steering wheel as it was just garbage one second delay at least on the upshifts----where down shifts were pretty quick though.

Again i say standing start power availability without being held back from the torque limit is one of the best upgrades so I'm not hungry for launches. This makes the car utilise its quattro in the wet and really take away well from the traffic lights especially in the wet.

Kickdown - wow - it was an inconvenience before the tune, but after the tune i was cruising in sport on friday coming home at 40mph and tried it in the wet . went for kick down and it shifted down rapidly and the engine was revving through the gear almost instantly and my wheels were struggling for traction for half a second .

Hopefully the box will benefit in longer expected life at least for big spends to wearable parts due to better thermal management and raised clutch clamping pressure.
Defo not placebo .
Defo no Regrets.
I honestly still think its an expensive tune compared to an ecu tune where it is double or more the cost, but ive done it now and it drives like a different car.

Thats not bad for a diesel with upto 40+ mpg on a long conservative run and can take the family and luggage these are great all round cars.

 

[OolongA7]

Thanks for the write up. Glad your happy with the mod.
Had my A7 for a month now and still love getting behind the wheel.

 

[AndyB40]

Thanks for your review, very useful. I'm considering remapping the TCU at some point to complement my EUC remap. At the moment I've reached out to the following companies: MCR Tuning, JR Tuning, Unique Tuning and on Instagram Melen_tcu. All TCU remaps seem to offer the same "upgrades" albeit prices varying from £250 to £600. I don't know which ones are in-house maps or bought from somewhere else. What made you choose TVS? If there is one thing I'd like to fix, it's the "off the lights issue", ie slam foot down and nothing happens for what seems like an eternity.

 

[+robster+a7+tdi]

Why i chose tvs......
I seen other tuners tcu tunes mixed reviews But not a bad review for tvs. ....
If you look at tvs website these gearboxes are thier core business repairing, upgrading, conversions etc so they have heavily invested in this market.......
Generally speaking if the american tuning scene are happy to use a foreign company ( netherlands based) like this without bad reviews chances are its a safe bet....
My local tuner "ecotune" is ten mins from my house which is a bonus so any issues or If i did not think it was worth it then i could have went back in 14 days for a refund and reset......
Your software is uploaded to tvs headquarters then modified and sent back for download so think its a bespoke map and not a generic tune file

 

[AndyB40]

Why i chose tvs......
I seen other tuners tcu tunes mixed reviews But not a bad review for tvs. ....
If you look at tvs website these gearboxes are thier core business repairing, upgrading, conversions etc so they have heavily invested in this market.......
Generally speaking if the american tuning scene are happy to use a foreign company ( netherlands based) like this without bad reviews chances are its a safe bet....
My local tuner "ecotune" is ten mins from my house which is a bonus so any issues or If i did not think it was worth it then i could have went back in 14 days for a refund and reset......
Your software is uploaded to tvs headquarters then modified and sent back for download so think its a bespoke map and not a generic tune file

Appreciate the info! I'll look into whether they can provide just a TCU tune as don't need their ECU remap. The local dealer is 1 hour away from me, I've emailed them about possibility and price etc.