FROM TDI TO OMG! A simple software upgrade from APR can transform your TDI into the machine it was meant to be •• by Dan Leadbetter
Here’s the brains of your TDI. Fortunately, this doesn’t even need to be removed to install the APR Stage 1 ECU upgrade. Here’s the results (from the APR website) after installing the upgrade. While we didn’t have access to dyno to confirm these numbers, our seat-of-the-pants evaluation over 11,000 miles tells us they’re pretty spot-on!
NORTH AMERICAN ENGINES
W
hen we bought Project Showrunner, we were thinking it would be purely utilitarian. You know, loading it up, going to shows, going home. We really didn’t think about some of the slightly annoying things that diesel owners have to put up with. You know: turbo lag, a slight shudder when accelerating from a complete stop, and sluggishness when you drop the hammer. While we were at German Dreams in Bakersfield, California, getting Solo Werks coilovers put on the VW, we lamented some of our diesel annoyances. German Dreams suggested we do an APR Stage 1 software upgrade. We were concerned about having to remove the ECU, but they assured us this was a download through the OBDII port. With our fears alleviated, we said, “Let’s do it!” At an MSRP of just $399.99 (not including labor at an authorized installer), APR’s ECU Upgrade is one of the best dollar-tohorsepower changes you can make to ramp up your engine’s efficiency and performance. According to APR’s website, “We optimize everything to make your engine more powerful. We adjust air-fuel ratios, advance ignition, increase boost pressure, alter cam positions and lift profiles, and more, all depending on the type of engine and management system, of course! We don’t take shortcuts, and we don’t take risks. We do it the right way.” The installation took a little over an hour, and was super easy and headache-free. Several months after the upgrade, we took Showrunner on an 11,000-mile road trip, and here’s our findings: definitely more horsepower and torque. As in, this TDI now WANTS to run at 90 MPH, while getting mileage in the high 47’s to mid-50’s. (Yes, that’s 50 miles per gallon with a fully loaded-down car plus a not-so-small driver!) Throttle response is definitely better — I’ve unintentionally chirped the tires multiple times from a dead stop — and that shudder on acceleration is completely gone. Bottom line: Was it worth $399.99 plus installation cost? Absolutely 100%! If you’re a TDI owner, this is seriously one of the best things you can do for your ride. When you call, please let them know VW Trends sent you!
18 VW TRENDS • SUMMER SUMMER’23 ’23
HORSEPOWER GAIN
TORQUE GAIN
BHW 2.0 TDI PD EA188
+39
+49 ft/lbs
CBEA 2.0 CR EA189
+30
+35 ft/lbs
CJAA 2.0 CR EA189
+30
+35 ft/lbs
CKRA 2.0 CR EA189
+30
+35 ft/lbs
CRUA 2.0 CR EA288
+30
+54 ft/lbs
CVCA 2.0 CR EA288
+30
+54 ft/lbs
DEJA 2.0 CR EA288
+30
+54 ft/lbs
1. First thing is to do is make sure a battery tender is attached so there’s a constant 14.2 volts during the download. You have to have constant power or else it’s a no-go.
APR, Opelika, Alabama (800) 680-7921 www.goapr.com German Dreams, Bakersfield, California (661) 397-3961 facebook.com/germandreamsperformance
