Stop.... tempting....me.....


Keep us updated on how this is working with you. What kind of milage do you have on the car?

I keep looking at these chips and want one. I am afraid of the turbos taking a big dump.

 

Ha, ha..

My car currently has just turned over 38k miles (bought an extended warranty because original is out due to years). Turbos going out prematurely has definitely been a big consideration in getting this upgrade, however, I have read the threads enough on properly maintaining the vehicle with this upgrade and I think I do a pretty good job.
I don't race around all day; my driving is usually fairly docile around town unless tempted - and I make sure to have a cooling down period before turning engine off. So I hope the life of the turbos will remain fairly decent.

 

I'm new, so what's DV's & TBB's? Help me out here. I just picked up an '02 Allroad and I'm currently driving an E46 M3. I like my CPO warranty, but like to go fast . . . so, what's first?

 

TBB - Throttle Body Boot
DV - Diverter Valve

Most people go with a chip first - best bang for the buck, but there are warranty issues if it causes turbo failure. You could go with an exhaust.

 

To each his own. For example, I'm sick of the fender gap. Now, I could buy the Eibach Pro kit for ~$300 but most people aren't happy with those so they end up doing coilovers anyway. As for the chip, it's amazing how much room forced induction engines have to play around with. I mean, from 250 hp/~255 ft. lbs of torque to 318 hp (93 octane program) and 398 FT. LBS OF TORQUE!!!

 

Has anyone with a chip installed actually run into any warranty problems or has had a failed turbo? I've read posts that say the dealerships can't even tell if you have a chip installed, but I was under the impression that they could plug in their diagnostics and find out a whole lot about HOW you have driven the car. If they can find out how you've driven the car, can't they determine that the engine has to be modded to achieve some high performance readings?

I'm considering a chip, but I'm concerned that the dealer will find out about it and use it as an excuse to void the warranty for damn near anything? "So how the hell did my chip modification affect the cup holders breaking down???!!!!"

By the way this is my virgin post...

 

Silv_2.7T,
Have you driven a 4.2L? How would you compare your new power to the V8?

 

i have a giac chip in my 2.7t. i also purchased a flashloader with the stock program. i was told the dealer cannot see the chip or program but in their diag. the can check boost pressure. i was also told that they would only decline to warranty something if it is a direct result of the chipping. so before i go in for warranty work or service i switch it back to stock mode.

 

Blk2.7t...When you say they can see it in the diag. Do you mean they can see it only if the chip is actually connected or they can see it from past driving record. A friend blew an engine on his Porsche and tried to get the dealership to cover it on the warranty, but they told him they wouldn't because he redlined the damn thing 6 times, which contributed to whatever problem he had. He said he certainly didn't tell them he redlined it, so they must have some kind of diagnostic tool that would show how the vehicle is driven. If that's the case, wouldn't they be able to show that the audi's boost was higher than stock, even if you replaced the ECU?

I called the Audi dealership in Seattle today, and they said they usually would not cover an item (factory warranty) if they could show that wear/tear was expedited due to the chip upgrade. He said an extended warranty company would definitely not cover anything even remotely tied to the chip. He said the first question the warranty companies ask is "Does the vehicle have any kind of modification?" If it does, then they try hard to correlate the modificiation as the cause for whatever problem you have. (obviously depends on the problem).

He told me to wait until the warranty period is over...Unfortunately, I have 2 years left on factory warranty and also purchased a 5 year extended warranty on top of that.[:@]

 

Steviep,
I have driven a 4.2 and they are extremely nice - I love the flared fenders and the 255's. I believe that performance is going to be comparable with the chipped 2.7TT. Upside with the 4.2 is the torque is always available and you are not taxing your turbos; downside for me was the lower gas mileage of the 4.2. The used ones I saw were very nice but still a bit out of my price range or higher mileage than I cared for.
Toddyfraz,
I have not had any warranty issues since the turbos seem to be doing well although I do notice a slight burning oil smell when pushing the car hard on a morning commute. I am planning on getting that checked out.
As far as concerns with dealerships noticing the chip, I believe I have some of the same features as blk2.7t. My APR chip actually has two programs that I can go back and forth between (stock vs. 93octane). I also have two additional features called a Fault code erase and a Throttle body adjuster. They work in tandem so once a month, I use my cruise control column to erase any fault codes the chip may be creating and it also helps to adjust the TB back to zero position in case it tried to compensate for any fault codes...

I am hopeful that this procedure causes the mod to go unnoticed at the dealership (at least that is what I was told).