# Unitronic Stage 1+ ecu, Stage 1 TCU, and Uniconnect + review



## WhiteShadow89 (Mar 25, 2015)

Hello everyone,

I finally pulled the trigger on a tune for my 2015 S3. I did my homework, and also started a thread here at vw vortext to pick the communities collective brain. I ended up purchasing the Unitronic Uniconnect+, stage 1+ ecu, and stage 1 tcu tune from Modded Euro’s. There are so many tunes out there, so why did I decide on Unitronic? Simply put, I chose Unitronic for three reasons: Reliability, customer support, and convenience. Overall I am extremely happy with my tune so far, and considering there were only a handful of reviews on the 15+ S3's with Unitronic I figured I would write a review as well. 

Installation

The installation process for the Unitronic tune is about as easy as it gets. You will receive a card with your Uniconnect + cable that will lead you to a web page to install the necessary software program. Once installed you are ready to connect your OBD II Uniconnect + cable to your laptop, and go out to your car. Plug your Uniconnect cable into your OBD II port for the S3, and open up the Unitronic software on your laptop. Once plugged in upload the tune(s) you have purchased and follow the prompts on the screen. For me I uploaded the Stage 1+ ecu tune, and then the Stage 1 tcu tune. It really could not be any easier, and even the most novice of users will be able to accomplish this with ease. If for whatever reason you have doubts in your own abilities to do this, feel free to call Unitronic and they will walk you through it. 

Impressions
If I had to choose one word to sum up my impressions so far of the stage 1+ ecu and stage 1 tcu tune it would be “wow.” Even though I am still evaluating this tune, there are improvements across the board. My S3 is not only noticeably more powerful, it is also a smoother driving car. The nasty delay when starting from a dead stand still is now gone, and the throttle response is vastly improved. When driving on my work commute I find myself giving my S3 less gas to get going, and getting up to highway speeds. The car feels like a stock car, but with more smooth power. 
Under wide open throttle the car moves. I found myself laughing in pure joy at the added power. I no longer have to worry about using launch control to net a 0-60 time in the 4’s. Speaking of launch control, I tested it as well in a safe environment, and the improvement here is drastically felt here. The car feels like it would snap 0-60 in 4.0 flat to the high 3’s. Simply put there is more power throughout the rpm band, and you will certainly notice it.

The transmission received a welcome array of improvements. The updated shift maps are smoother, more practical, more intuitive, and it shifts quick in every mode. In “D” drive mode you will notice it now tells you the gear your car is in, no more tapping the paddle to see what gear you are in. In drive mode the shifts seem to be slightly quicker, but significantly smoother. The tuning map for drive mode seems to be more intuitive in regards to what you are doing behind the wheel. These same benefits are carried over in “S” sport/dynamic mode, but the improvement is highlighted more here. When stock, I could never just cruise around town in this mode because the car liked to hold onto 2nd and 3rd gear in a fashion similar to how Kate Winslet never wanted to let go of Leonardo DiCaprio’s hand in Titanic. I also wouldn’t want to forget how the shifts were rather jarring. This mode now can be driven around town. I found myself in 4th gear at 30 mph when previously I would still be in 2nd gear, and the shifts are also much smoother in this mode as well on the stage 1 Unitronic tune. Finally, manual mode. Manual mode was always good in my book in stock form, but it had its quirks. The most notable quirk in manual mode would be the delay when downshifting quickly. The car just seemed to be hunting either for the gear or the correct rpm throttle blip. Downshifts in manual mode are smoother, and quicker with the paddles and slap stick. 
I know someone will ask about MPG’s, and for good reason. No one wants to buy a tune and lose 2-3 mpg’s. I am still evaluating my MPG’s. I am waiting for at least two more tanks of gas, but for right now I have seen zero negative effects on my mpg’s. In fact, on the highway they have increased slightly. Keep in mind that I never drove like a man with his head on fire to begin with in regards to my S3. I would have fun, but nothing excessive as this isn’t the primary fun car. If you dip your foot into the throttle more with this tune your MPG’s will obviously go down some, but if you drive it similar to your S3 was stock then you won’t see a negative impact. The only negative thing I can say about this tune is that for whatever reason it blew out my home address under nav. I checked everything else in the MMI unit, my sound settings, radio presets, the remaining saved addresses and etc are all still there. I re-entered my house address and it has been saved since. I am just going to chalk this up as a glitch on what is otherwise a perfect tune for me.

There you have it. My impressions so far with the Unitronic Stage 1+ ecu, and stage 1 tcu tune. The tune has made my car drive significantly better in every aspect of my daily commute, and it is tons more fun to drive. For those of you who are on the fence about tuning your S3, get on the tune train now, you will not regret it. I apologize for the lengthy post, I tried to keep it as short as I could.

Cheers!


----------



## themikea (Jan 21, 2017)

Great review with all the detail.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## microman (Dec 20, 2000)

I also just pulled the trigger on Unitronic and Uniconnect. My 2 previous cars/tunes were APR. I was not happy with the tune on my 13 R. Power it had, but turbo fluttered a lot. Unitronic on my 17 S3 seems very linear. Did TCU at the same time. Shifting seemed hard and a little confused at first. Seems it has cleared up since adapting. I am extremely happy with this tune. Ive only tested launch control once since the tune. Still have my snow tires on, so traction sucks. Very pleased with John and crew. He had to put up with me being impatient. When I made the purchase, the file was not ready for my ECU revision and had to be prepared. This took a couple of weeks. I wish I could have gone 1+, but we have no 93 octane fuel anywhere in South Idaho.


----------



## WhiteShadow89 (Mar 25, 2015)

themikea said:


> Great review with all the detail.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Thank you! 



microman said:


> I also just pulled the trigger on Unitronic and Uniconnect. My 2 previous cars/tunes were APR. I was not happy with the tune on my 13 R. Power it had, but turbo fluttered a lot. Unitronic on my 17 S3 seems very linear. Did TCU at the same time. Shifting seemed hard and a little confused at first. Seems it has cleared up since adapting. I am extremely happy with this tune. Ive only tested launch control once since the tune. Still have my snow tires on, so traction sucks. Very pleased with John and crew. He had to put up with me being impatient. When I made the purchase, the file was not ready for my ECU revision and had to be prepared. This took a couple of weeks. I wish I could have gone 1+, but we have no 93 octane fuel anywhere in South Idaho.


Thanks. I am happy your Uni tune worked out well for you as well. I have read about more than a few people leaving APR and going with Uni to report a positive change. could imagine launch control sucking with snow tires lol. I personally am running some Conti DSW 06 All Season tires and they seem to handle the power well enough. There is some loss in traction from launch control, but it rights the ship quickly. Hopefully you can take those snow tires off soon and enjoy the added traction in better weather.


----------



## RyanA3 (May 11, 2005)

loving uni myself.

around 2000 miles stage one, but quickly upgraded.
13000 miles or so on stage two now
never one issue.
tune it, get some b16 coilovers, and the car is a dream.

nice review.


----------



## a4000 (Apr 23, 2009)

WhiteShadow89 said:


> Thank you!
> 
> 
> Thanks. I am happy your Uni tune worked out well for you as well. I have read about more than a few people leaving APR and going with Uni to report a positive change. could imagine launch control sucking with snow tires lol. I personally am running some Conti DSW 06 All Season tires and they seem to handle the power well enough. There is some loss in traction from launch control, but it rights the ship quickly. Hopefully you can take those snow tires off soon and enjoy the added traction in better weather.


Launch control video would be great


----------



## Google Bot (Aug 29, 2007)

```

```
anybody make a TCU that reverses the up and down of the shifter? Like an actual sequential gearbox'd car. My brothers old E46 had this on the SMG transmission, and it was so much more intuitive. 
I have a 17 S-Line w/out paddles. definitely interested in these tunes.

oh, and thanks for the review. def found it helpful


----------



## cfraz92 (Mar 10, 2020)

*Not impressed. Did I do something wrong?*

I just tuned my 2015 S3 about 2 weeks ago with the 1+ ECU and the stage 1 TCU. I have to say mildly amused is the best way to put my reaction. Sport mode shifts better but is otherwise not too much different. People commenting that they can drive around town in sport mode seems accurate. But I am not getting that "wow". Dynamic seems about the same. In stock, I was frustrated with my car staying in 6 without downshifting while I give it gas. That hasnt changed. I had it floored for a few seconds before it finally downshifted. I wasn't expecting to spin my wheels but I do not feel any difference in throttle response. I bought the uniconnect and did the flash myself. I am an amateur at best so I assume the fault is mine. ModdedEuros just tells me to call Unitronic. Previously, Unitronic rushed me off the phone and I couldn't get through to anyone a second time. I had other emails returned by them but so far nothing in response to disappointing performance. Maybe mildly amused is another man's wow. Maybe 83hp and 70tq is only slightly better acceleration and the gains are more on top speed. I don't know. I did accidentally turn of my car while I was doing the ECU and it had to start again, but it seemed to complete fine. Is it possible it didnt take? Did I do something wrong? Or did I get too caught up in hype and my expectations were too high?


----------



## fwrigley (Apr 16, 2012)

Appreciate the review. Think I am going Unitronic with my next vehicle.


----------



## Hondan (Feb 13, 2016)

I've got Uni stage 1 ECU/TCU. Otherwise stock 18 S3. Another poor sucker with only 91 available so I couldn't do 1+. I am happy with the part throttle improvements which were my main concern. I'm glad to now have the car react when I apply small throttle changes. Whereas before it seemed like the car had a dead spot between 20%-70% throttle. However, nothing else impresses me about the tunes. In fact it feels like power drops off in the higher RPMs. Perhaps it may be because there is more low end grunt, so it feels slower at the top of the rev range. While accelerating at full throttle through the gears it's as if the power curve now tappers off and then curls over before redline. I also have realistic expectations and don't expect to have RS3 power but I would like it to pull strong all the way through. As for the TCU, sure the gear indicator is nice but shifts actually feel slower and harsher than OEM. I tell myself it's just the sensation I feel because supposedly the clamping force is greater. I don't know but for $1,000, I'm not sure I would do it again. Maybe I need to upgrade the intake or TIP to gain back the top end. My friend with a Uni stg1 MK7R mentioned adding 1.5 gallons of E85 during my fill ups so I might try that. I researched and read post after post for a long time before deciding which brand to go with. I ended up with Uni due to the majority of good reviews and my buddy has had his MK7R equiped with stg1 for tens of thousands of miles. Safe running conditions to prevent damage is a big deal to me. Rather be on the safer side and give up a few ponies than risk damage.


----------



## S3n (Nov 22, 2015)

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/the-official-unofficial-e85-ethanol-thread.326358/

Everything about E85. The sweet spot seems e25-30. Ive used on my 2016 s3 since day one. There is a difference and it's cheap.


----------

