# What is the best tune for the 2.5?



## G I Jew (Oct 10, 2011)

Looking to get something here fairly soon. Nothing else is done yet but I plan on getting the apr CAI. and let the fan boy fights BEGIN :laugh::laugh:


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## Muad Dub (Feb 4, 2012)

None better than UM for 2.5's, or most NA motors for that matter


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## G I Jew (Oct 10, 2011)

I was leaning towards UM or C2 since with the C2 you can also get the tuner pretty cheap.


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## timmiller05 (Mar 26, 2010)

I have Unitronic and have been happy with it


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## PhAyzoN (Nov 29, 2010)

UM if you can get to a dealer or can have your car down a few days while you send the ECU out. If that's not feasible, C2 has the C2NER.


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## 38crazykid (Mar 23, 2011)

I have UM and I love it!


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## G I Jew (Oct 10, 2011)

PhAyzoN said:


> UM if you can get to a dealer or can have your car down a few days while you send the ECU out. If that's not feasible, C2 has the C2NER.


 This is my deal. I haven't really looked into if there is a UM dealer near where I live. I know there is an APR and a C2 dealer as well, but I'm not sure if they can also do UM stuff. Although this isn't something I need right now. I just wanted to ask.


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## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

G I Jew said:


> This is my deal. I haven't really looked into if there is a UM dealer near where I live. I know there is an APR and a C2 dealer as well, but I'm not sure if they can also do UM stuff. Although this isn't something I need right now. I just wanted to ask.


 UM has a loaner tool program for the earlier MAF cars. It's the MAFless cars you'd need to ship the ECU out for. C2's C2uner is also a fine choice too for your 08, and would make custom tuning via remote logging easier. I'd avoid unitronic or APR since they didn't really bring their A-game to this motor. 

If you're getting an SRI, get your tune from whoever makes the SRI. The maker would have the most dyno time with their own product. 

If you want E85, and IMHO if you track the car --you want an E85 tune, get the E85 FlexFuel tune and kit from BlueWater. Jeff from UM wrote the tune, and the kit includes the necessary injectors.


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## G I Jew (Oct 10, 2011)

Rabbid Rally Rabbit said:


> *UM has a loaner tool program for the earlier MAF cars*. It's the MAFless cars you'd need to ship the ECU out for. C2's C2uner is also a fine choice too for your 08, and would make custom tuning via remote logging easier. I'd avoid unitronic or APR since they didn't really bring their A-game to this motor.
> 
> If you're getting an SRI, get your tune from whoever makes the SRI. The maker would have the most dyno time with their own product.
> 
> If you want E85, and IMHO if you track the car --you want an E85 tune, get the E85 FlexFuel tune and kit from BlueWater. Jeff from UM wrote the tune, and the kit includes the necessary injectors.


 I did not know that. Damn you for making this difficult lol  I like the idea of having the C2ner so that I can change things as need be. I don't PLAN on getting a SRI, but who knows. Thanks for input.


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## MK5golf (Jun 30, 2012)

timmiller05 said:


> I have Unitronic and have been happy with it


 X2. Helps that their headquarters are a 10 minute drive from me  
Anyone have something to say about UM? I keep hearing their the "best" but I don't know why. If I can get a little more HP then I might just ship that ECU out.


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## G I Jew (Oct 10, 2011)

MK5golf said:


> X2. Helps that their headquarters are a 10 minute drive from me
> Anyone have something to say about UM? I keep hearing their the "best" but I don't know why. If I can get a little more HP then I might just ship that ECU out.


 thats what I would like to hear as well.


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## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

MK5golf said:


> X2. Helps that their headquarters are a 10 minute drive from me
> Anyone have something to say about UM? I keep hearing their the "best" but I don't know why. If I can get a little more HP then I might just ship that ECU out.


 C2 and UM are the best tunes for our motors, hands down. You cannot go wrong with either :thumbup:


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## G I Jew (Oct 10, 2011)

Rabbid Rally Rabbit said:


> C2 and UM are the best tunes for our motors, hands down. You cannot go wrong with either :thumbup:


 That's what I hear. I'm leaning towards these two over everything else, but I'm not sure what I want to do yet


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## vrsick147 (Jun 18, 2007)

United motorsport best tune ever the rest are a waste


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## MK5golf (Jun 30, 2012)

Rabbid Rally Rabbit said:


> C2 and UM are the best tunes for our motors, hands down. You cannot go wrong with either :thumbup:


 Why is this though? I have a 2009 and unitronic headquarters are 15 minutes from my house. In my shoes would you still go for the UM? Keep in mind that I am *already* chipped with Unitronic... 
Thankfully I am in a position where "money doesn't matter" so should I just send off the ECU and enjoy? And number difference (dynos) you can post to sway my decision? 
fwiw I really like the Uni tune, I can go an extra 50 kms per tank, I definitely feel a better "pull" but hey if i can do better right? 

*highest octane in my area is 91 btw, only one station carries 94 and that is something like 1.50 a litre (well over 5$ per us gallon  )


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## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

MK5golf said:


> Why is this though? I have a 2009 and unitronic headquarters are 15 minutes from my house. In my shoes would you still go for the UM? Keep in mind that I am *already* chipped with Unitronic...
> Thankfully I am in a position where "money doesn't matter" so should I just send off the ECU and enjoy? And number difference (dynos) you can post to sway my decision?
> fwiw I really like the Uni tune, I can go an extra 50 kms per tank, I definitely feel a better "pull" but hey if i can do better right?
> 
> *highest octane in my area is 91 btw, only one station carries 94 and that is something like 1.50 a litre (well over 5$ per us gallon  )


 
How's your rev hang? Jeff at UM and Chris at C2 are the only tuners I've seen get the shifts to feel natural whereas the unitronic and APR tunes still felt jerky. Mark Malone of Malone Tuning does a damn fine job on early 2.5s too, but last I talked with him he hasn't done any 2.5s with MED17.5 ECUs. 

I'm in a 90 e0 area myself, and I've been talking with several guys trying to get on a dyno and get my car set up for a remote custom tune using high comp internals, an SRI and meth. I wouldn't let anyone but Chris or Jeff do that on this car.


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## KandiKitsune (Jul 11, 2013)

*Curiosity*

I was thinking about doing some tuning too.....I don't know the first thing about cars so I would probably end up looking for a shop nearby but still good to know people's opinions. I don't have a C2 dealer near me according to their website and APR and Unitronic are the closest and it would be like an hour and a half to the closest UM. Decisions decisions.....


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## zevion (Oct 23, 2009)

KandiKitsune said:


> it would be like an hour and a half to the closest UM. Decisions decisions.....


The best hour and and half you could spend to get the best 2.5 tune available. :thumbup:


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## KandiKitsune (Jul 11, 2013)

The UM tune will completely override all stock though, thus definitely voiding my warranty.... I would like to at least have a chance at that not happening with APR, even if the stock mode doesn't necessarily prevent that, it depends on the dealer right?


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## zevion (Oct 23, 2009)

KandiKitsune said:


> The UM tune will completely override all stock though, thus definitely voiding my warranty.... I would like to at least have a chance at that not happening with APR, even if the stock mode doesn't necessarily prevent that, it depends on the dealer right?


I guess I don't worry about warranties. I haven't had a new car in the last 10 years where I didn't void the warranty within the first 1000 miles. Heck my latest new car I shipped straight from the dealer to the tuner with 43 miles on it to have the motor removed just a few weeks back.

Dunno if an APR tune will solve the problem though, and although my dealer has never let an ECU tune stop a warranty job I can't say that yours won't. Some dealers are dicks.

But your original question was asking for the best tune for the 2.5, not how to avoid dealer warranty issues. And the best tune IMO is UM.


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## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

KandiKitsune said:


> The UM tune will completely override all stock though, thus definitely voiding my warranty.... I would like to at least have a chance at that not happening with APR, even if the stock mode doesn't necessarily prevent that, it depends on the dealer right?


APR doesn't even have a 2.5L tune for MED17 ECUs.


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## KandiKitsune (Jul 11, 2013)

No? Oh that's too bad but yeah it still has the original warranty on it plus they gave me another 2 year warranty on top of it so I have a 5 year warranty........ I guess it really does depend on the dealer though.


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## Waterfan (Aug 9, 2012)

Neither a tune nor any other modification can invalidate your warranty.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/keeping-your-mods-warranty-intact.html


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## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

Waterfan said:


> Neither a tune nor any other modification can invalidate your warranty.
> 
> http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/keeping-your-mods-warranty-intact.html


It can void your warranty. It's unlawful for them to do so, but lawyers to make them stop ain't cheap.


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## KandiKitsune (Jul 11, 2013)

Well, that is certainly good to know, thanks! Now I just need to re-read my warranty and save up the money......lol Now, the only thing I am worried about is the fact that the address the UM website gives me comes up as a house on google maps....... :what:


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## C2Motorsports (Nov 25, 2003)

We are capable of tuning *ALL* 2.5 ECUs regardless of the year. 2005.5 - 2013 

Save on the popular features like:

-STREET and RACE software
-NA/CAM/Forced Induction Software

2012 Golf completely stock showing massive gains in the midrange in both hp and torque


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## RabbitHoleRacing (Mar 2, 2010)

We spoke with APR for years about getting software for our 09 MkV Rabbit. First they told us that they were developing a program and to be patient. Then we were told APR decided that there wasn't a big enough market and canceled the project. I'm not sure where they got that information but I assume it was a business decision.

Unitronic Chipped finally released their version and were the only tuner that was able to flash 09 models. At the beginning it required shipping the ECU to Canada but then became available with their distributors. Unfortunately the local shop we wanted to use decided to close shop and took the Unitronic Chipped proprietary cable with them. I also believe that various members of the staff left Unitronic (Lavi/etc) and it hasn't been the same.

After waiting for C2 Motorsports for quite sometime they came through. Followed by United Motorsport. We would definitely recommend REVO/United Motorsport/C2. Remember that not all software is the same! :beer:


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