# Audi Dealers noticing flashed ecu



## Panch (Aug 27, 2003)

Hi,

I've searched and found old (2008) threads regarding people getting their ecu's flashed. But I want to know of people taking in their car recently. Need to know if dealers can deteched if you have been flashed. I want to hear about real life experiences. No "if you set your setting to stock they shouldn't be able to detect". I would perfer to hear real life examples on 2014 or 2015 audi's. Even better if real life example are in the Chicagoland area :thumbup:

Thanks,

Frank


----------



## qtroCUB (Mar 22, 2005)

Google seach "Audi TD1" that will answer your questions.


----------



## araemo (Dec 9, 2012)

Panch said:


> Hi,
> 
> I've searched and found old (2008) threads regarding people getting their ecu's flashed. But I want to know of people taking in their car recently. Need to know if dealers can deteched if you have been flashed. I want to hear about real life experiences. No "if you set your setting to stock they shouldn't be able to detect". I would perfer to hear real life examples on 2014 or 2015 audi's. Even better if real life example are in the Chicagoland area :thumbup:
> 
> ...


It's pretty clear that if you only switch your tune back to the stock map, the dealer's equipment can detect it's not running the stock software. However, I haven't seen anything claiming that a full reflash back to stock has been detected as previously 'tampered with'. So, same as it's been for years, it seems.

Interesting point of note on the "TD1" stuff - dealers are instructed to manually flag cars as "TD1" if they see things like aftermarket intakes or exhausts as well. Whether any given dealer does that is up to the dealership.


----------



## Randle P. McMurphy (Jan 23, 2015)

Your best bet is to assume nothing is safe. There is even a _possibility_ that dealers will be able to tell you were running a piggyback system based on readings from the ECU, so flashing APR/REVO back to stock is even riskier. 

Pay to play


----------



## rabbitgtibbar (Apr 29, 2002)

Audi Hoffman Estates is an APR dealer. They'll give you a fair shake as it pertains to mods and warranty, including having an ECU flash (assuming it's an APR flash).


----------



## MO_VW (Oct 3, 2013)

rabbitgtibbar said:


> Audi Hoffman Estates is an APR dealer. They'll give you a fair shake as it pertains to mods and warranty, including having an ECU flash (assuming it's an APR flash).


I'll be taking my wife's car there tomorrow to get flashed. So, I'm assuming they will notice when I bring it back for servicing  Big question is whether my WIFE will notice  

I just took it out last night and got some stock times:

0 to 60 mph: 5.3 +- 0.66s
1/4 mile: 13.8 +- 0.64s, @99 mph
60-90 mph: 5.8 +- 0.65s

These represent average of three runs at about 800 ft. elevation and 30 deg F and pretty much match advertised numbers, I believe.


----------



## sgt_cr (Mar 18, 2015)

MO_VW said:


> I'll be taking my wife's car there tomorrow to get flashed. So, I'm assuming they will notice when I bring it back for servicing  Big question is whether my WIFE will notice
> 
> I just took it out last night and got some stock times:
> 
> ...


how did it go?


----------



## MO_VW (Oct 3, 2013)

MO_VW said:


> I'll be taking my wife's car there tomorrow to get flashed. So, I'm assuming they will notice when I bring it back for servicing  Big question is whether my WIFE will notice
> 
> I just took it out last night and got some stock times:
> 
> ...



Ok, got the Stage 1 flash from Hoffman Estate's Audi. Thanks to Scott, the APR contact there. Quick and painless (well, except for the small hole in my wallet  but it is as expected).

I tried to do the timing runs again, but I hope to redo in another day or so. I did the runs today in mid-afternoon and traffic was more of a factor for these runs. Also, I am not 100% certain, but I thought I maybe felt the clutch engagement was a split-second slower (using launch control) on today's runs compared to yesterday's runs. Could totally be my imagination, but just reporting what my butt-dyno thought. On ALL these runs, I relied totally on the "launch control". Anyway... today's numbers:

APR Stage 1 times:

0 to 60 mph: 4.8 +- 0.35s
1/4 mile: 13.3 +- 0.34s, @103 mph
60-90 mph: 5.0 +- 0.35s

It was same location but about 40 deg F today. This was the "middle" run of 3 runs today. I had another 4.8 run plus a 4.9 run, but the 4.9 run was in a little more traffic, and I think I hesitated a little more. Like I said, today's runs weren't under the best conditions so I hope to try again soon.

All-in-all, so far, I like the tune. I maybe was expecting a few more tenths off the times, I think, but my butt-dyno is happy! After 1 week of driving it, I think the normal "D" mode SUCKS! (wife didn't want Sport package  ) but still don't like "S" automatic mode. After I got the car back from the tuners, I stopped off and test-drove a manual GTI-PP and at this point still want a manual for myself... though I will be getting in a lot of practice with this DSG in manual mode over the next few months so I may change my mind before the 2016 order books are open!!! )))

Now... what to tell the wife about this...? :laugh: (also wondering if I should show her Launch Mode... lol)


----------



## FLtrooper (Jul 16, 2012)

MO_VW said:


> Ok, got the Stage 1 flash from Hoffman Estate's Audi. Thanks to Scott, the APR contact there. Quick and painless (well, except for the small hole in my wallet  but it is as expected).
> 
> I tried to do the timing runs again, but I hope to redo in another day or so. I did the runs today in mid-afternoon and traffic was more of a factor for these runs. Also, I am not 100% certain, but I thought I maybe felt the clutch engagement was a split-second slower (using launch control) on today's runs compared to yesterday's runs. Could totally be my imagination, but just reporting what my butt-dyno thought. On ALL these runs, I relied totally on the "launch control". Anyway... today's numbers:
> 
> ...


Great impressions.. I assume in better conditions you could get betters times. Wish my Audi dealer was still an APR dealer!


----------



## [email protected] (Oct 11, 2013)

Dealers will catch the ECU flash although some are APR/Unitronic approved so you can talk to them.

If not, and still want some more power check out the Neuspeed Power Module
http://www.moddedeuros.com/products/neuspeed-power-module-64-10-15

We did some dyno runs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8E-Q2_Ri-k

and our 0-60 in 3.9 seconds here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06V5wLUFccc


----------



## Arck k04 (Jan 27, 2010)

If a dealership flashes a car, does it still void the warranty? It doesn't make sense that they're selling a service and then voiding something they offer at the same time. :screwy:


----------



## FLtrooper (Jul 16, 2012)

Arck k04 said:


> If a dealership flashes a car, does it still void the warranty? It doesn't make sense that they're selling a service and then voiding something they offer at the same time. :screwy:


Yup..

When I had my othe VAG car flashed at local dealer, it clearly said on the receipt something along the lines that any damages resulting from the software would not be covered under warranty.. Knock on wood I never had an issue!


----------



## araemo (Dec 9, 2012)

Arck k04 said:


> If a dealership flashes a car, does it still void the warranty? It doesn't make sense that they're selling a service and then voiding something they offer at the same time. :screwy:


Well, technically the warranty is provided by Audi of America, and the flash is not, even if they're sold in the same store. That being said, the advantage you get for getting the flash through a dealer is (usually) that they won't just use the flash as an excuse, and will still troubleshoot issues to identify root cause under warranty, and only charge you if they determine it really was the flash that caused the issue. Less mod-friendly dealers might say 'we can't tell what is wrong since you modified it, so we can't be expected to pay for diagnostics' and 'well, of course the <random engine sensor> went bad, you modified the engine!'


----------



## rabbitgtibbar (Apr 29, 2002)

FLtrooper said:


> Yup..
> 
> When I had my othe VAG car flashed at local dealer, it clearly said on the receipt something along the lines that any damages resulting from the software would not be covered under warranty.. Knock on wood I never had an issue!


And that makes sense (and follows the law). The problem is a lot of dealers will say, "Oh, your radio won't work? Well, you have an aftermarket engine tune, so your warranty is void," which neither makes sense nor follows the law. Technically, they have the burden to prove that your modification caused the failure. So, even if you have an ECU tune, and you have engine issues, they can't just say, "The tune caused the problem. buhby."


----------



## Audimobile (Jan 5, 2015)

*Second ECU?*

Can you just purchase a second ECU to be flashed? Then you could retain the stock ECU, and swap the whole ECU box between stock and tuned as needed.

I previously had a 2004 R32 that I put an aftermarket turbo on. I only had the one ECU that came in the car, but twice sent it back to the tuner for updates. I was able to wrangle it out of the engine compartment, and overnight to the tuner. They would flash it with the update and send it back. Bit of a pain to get in and out, but definitely doable.

Can you get a spare ECU for the S3? Is it relatively accessible and able to swap it out? How much does an ECU cost?


----------



## araemo (Dec 9, 2012)

rabbitgtibbar said:


> And that makes sense (and follows the law). The problem is a lot of dealers will say, "Oh, your radio won't work? Well, you have an aftermarket engine tune, so your warranty is void," which neither makes sense nor follows the law. Technically, they have the burden to prove that your modification caused the failure. So, even if you have an ECU tune, and you have engine issues, they can't just say, "The tune caused the problem. buhby."


Legally, that's how it should be.. but realistically, if you only have one audi dealership in town, and they don't want to do due diligence to track if it is a part actually stressed by an increased engine load... you're likely SOL if they want to blame it on the tune, unless you lawyer up and get a competant third party mechanic who is willing to fight them on it... and even then you might be out a ton of diagnostic and legal money and still not get your warranty.


----------

