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And not everyone can do it! Chiptuning and its pitfalls ...

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Recently updated on January 3, 2018 at 02:40 am

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For almost a year now we had the tuning box from Autotechnik Saretz ASA Multi xC installed. The background was that the standard 105PS and the brutal torque of 250NM brought the heavy VW Golf 6 1.6tdi 4-Motion Variant up to speed with difficulty and we just wanted to know what is still possible with the small diesel and its 248.000km at that time. In my opinion, the main problem right from the start was the lack of torque, which unfortunately meant that you always had to climb some mountains in low gears with the short 6-speed gearbox. The tuning box brought the Golf to an alleged 128PS & 305NM torque as well as a V-Max of 205km / h (previously 189km / h). Unfortunately, we did not measure this, but that with the Vmax. even got there after 89 kilometers!

(Video: series status from 0-138 km / h in 24 seconds)

The additional horsepower was unfortunately not noticed either subjectively or objectively, as the before / after video captures amateurishly. The only plus point is the definitely increased torque which made it possible to drive one gear higher on identical inclines. Well better than nothing but for that 199€?

(Video: Autotechnik Saretz Tuning-Box ASA Multi xC 0-138 km / h in 23 seconds)

Well over 1 year later we decided to remove the box and use "real" chip tuning to simply get to know the often praised difference (if there is one). But the whole thing is as simple as it sounds with "our“Unfortunately not been golf. The car was not equipped with a Bosch engine control unit ex works, as is usual with many other models, but has a Continental control unit (MSG) installed for which very few tuners have the right answer ready. We therefore emailed a wide variety of tuners and asked for an offer to increase performance and deactivate the diesel particle filter (for test purposes). Of the 10 tuners we wrote to, we received a promising answer from three (the rest didn't even react). For one, there was the tuner ISM tuning from Bochum, the tuning company Vpt Sales GmbH from Gralla in Austria and our partner workshop Special-Concepts from Lauter in Saxony. After we informed the tuners that the car had installed a Continental engine control unit, we never heard from the first two again and only the short but surprising answer came from Special-Concepts "no issue - just make it"! Wow ... All the others say no or do not even react and all this should be possible at the tuner around the corner?

And not everyone can! Chiptuning and its quirks ...
our test vehicle

After 2 days we received a call - car ready - can be tested. Incidentally, we were asked beforehand about the desired configuration of the additional power, which we would like to use with a hint as possible schaltfaules driving replied (i.e. main focus on more torque). As already mentioned above, the DPF in the hardware was removed for test purposes and, of course, the whole thing was communicated to the control unit. Not to forget this is the unpopular Continental control unit, but it was not a problem for Special Concepts. DPF programmed - chip tuning software on it (including personal wishes) and off to a cordoned-off area. What can I say, after chip tuning I (we) don't think back to the tuning box for a second. The car drives so much better that you have to look twice to see if a 2.0tdi has been secretly installed! The significantly increased torque in particular causes our 4-Motion to drive the same inclines, sometimes 2 gears higher than before. Not that the car has become a "rocket", you mustn't forget that you are sitting in a small 1.6tdi, but the Golf can now be moved much more stress-free and spontaneous accelerations (e.g. when overtaking maneuvers) succeed in the twinkling of an eye and of course without any conspicuous ones Soot clouds!

(Video: Special Concepts Chiptuning 0-138 km / h in 18 seconds)

In numbers this means:

  • standard in 13,1 seconds from 0-100km / h and a good 24 seconds to 138 km / h)
  • with Autotechnik Saretz tuning box ASA Multi xC from 0-100 km / h in 13 seconds and a good 23 seconds to 138 km / h)
  • with chiptuning of Special Concepts of 0-100 km / h in 11 seconds and good 18 seconds on 138 km / h)

At 138km / h our Golf is 5 seconds faster at 5 degrees "more" outside temperature, which is a whole "world". Why exactly 138 km / h? Because our test site then ends at a fence 😀 We will run a test bench in a timely manner in order to have the facts on paper, we will also measure the whole thing again with a GPS drift box, but a rough clue is already given. Of course, we will also carry out a measurement after the car has had its DPF installed again and is back on public roads. We assume that the missing diesel particle filter also has a share in the existing additional power and can certainly soon tell you how much PS / NM that is exactly. Who can still remember knows that we are in this vehicle DTE pedal box we had only been able to report positive things so far. However, the box is currently removed due to the modifications, but the difference is hardly noticeable because the response of the vehicle has also improved significantly. Nevertheless, we will put the pedal box back into operation and also share our experiences here again. Today we include here And finally ...

Chiptuning on the VW Golf 1.6tdi can in our case only one -> Special Concepts! 

Ps. After a good 270.000km (in January 2016) we will also report here what Volkswagen will do with our vehicle because we have optimized the dramatic engine code EA189 for nitrogen oxide values ​​in the test bench run (NEDC) 😀

And not everyone can! Chiptuning and its quirks ...

 

About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

4 comments

  1. I also bought a chip tuning from Saretz in an Opel Corsa E 1,4 Turbo 74kW for € 269,90. Before "tuning" 0-100 approx. 11,0 seconds, after tuning 14 seconds. The only advantage of the now lame cart: Over 20.000 km, approx. 0,3 l less fuel consumption per 100 km. In addition installation instructions, despite various emails, very different to my engine, only a mechanic could install the thing…. all questions about possible changes in the parameters were either nonsensical or ultimately not answered at all.

  2. The company ISM Tuning supplies all workshops and even many tuners with their own software production. I am one of them. I can not imagine that they run away on a 1.6 TDI with a Continental Simos PCR2.1 control unit. HAHAHA. They were the first to program Continental. It is still the same today. If there is a new control unit on the market, get the software from there, which has already been developed and downloaded. That's how the business works

  3. Hello, does the car drive again after the diesel update? 🙂

    • Hi Viktor,

      currently he drives 313.000 km in Africa 😀 We shied away from the update and almost sold it before decommissioning. The background is that we have noticed the effects of long-term customer contact. The customer had bought a new VW Golf MK6 1.6tdi at that time and completed a proud 7 km in 270.000 years without any further problems. The update was then carried out on this vehicle and from there the problems began. Poor throttle response with stuttering in the lower speed range as well as increased consumption and other small things prompted our customers to sell the vehicle shortly after the update.

      Best Regards,
      Thomas Wachsmuth

      tuningblog.eu
      Breitenbrunner street 11
      08359 Breitenbrunn
      OT knight green

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