APR 1.8 TSI/TFSI Gen3 ECU Upgrade for the MQB Platform
APR is pleased to present the ultimate engine control unit (ECU) upgrade for the 1.8T EA888 Gen 3 engine. APR’s ECU upgrade is available in octane-specific variations and is conveniently flashed to the vehicle’s factory ECU through the OBD-II port without any physical modification to the factory ECU.
The ECU’s Simos 12 engine management system is responsible for proper operation of the engine during constantly changing environmental and load conditions. With built in compensational data for environmental variables and varying load conditions, the factory ECU is far more complex and intelligent than units found in other vehicle makes and marques.
APR's Calibration Engineers spent months calibrating the engine management system, including many hours of chassis dyno development. With a thorough understanding of the ECU’s torque structure, APR’s Calibration Engineers properly increased engine load to produce more power and torque across the entire power band. APR’s ECU Upgrade increases boost pressure, optimizes ignition timing, cam timing, lambda and more to produce higher output!
APR’s ECU Upgrades provides an excellent leap in horsepower and torque while retaining OEM knock control sensitivity and other built in safety features. This results in an exciting and powerful upgrade, optimized for various fuel grades found around the world.
APR ECU Upgrades
APR’s ECU upgrades are one of the best value modifications for the new 1.8T engine. The APR Stage I ECU Upgrade is designed to work without requiring other changes to the vehicle’s hardware. With the ECU Upgrade alone, APR’s Calibration Experts measured higher peak figures of 298 ft-lbs of torque and 251 horsepower with 98 RONoctane fuel. Large gains were seen throughout the power band, including an additional 97 ft-lbs of torque and 81 horsepower.
The increase in power directly translates to an exceptionally quicker vehicle. Using advanced GPS measuring devices, APR’s engineers conducted several acceleration tests. During the 0-125 mph sprint, the APR Stage I equipped vehicle finished 22.048 seconds sooner than stock.
Acceleration Enhancements:
Beyond horsepower and torque enhancements, APR’s Calibration Engineers were able to increase the acceleration rate of the vehicle through other calibrations changes. Ignition delay is reduced resulting in a more responsive pedal without altering overall throttle sensitivity. Furthermore, throttle lag commonly noticed at slow speeds and while reapplying throttle has been reduced.
Increased Fuel Economy:
APR’s Calibration Engineers paid close attention to several parameters directly related to fuel economy, especially while cruising at highway speeds. Depending on driving style and fuel quality, better miles per gallon may be achieved.
Speed Limiter:
APR’s ECU upgrade increases the vehicle's top speed limiter for blistering sprints around the track or across the Autobahn without the speed limiter shutting down the fun.
Left Foot braking:
APR's Left Foot braking feature allows more control over the vehicle’s throttle. The factory equipped vehicle's throttle input is disabled while pressing the accelerator and brake at the same time. Left Foot braking, a common motorsport driving technique, allows the driver complete control over the vehicle’s throttle and braking system, which may give the vehicle the edge it needs at the track.
Torque Management:
Torque management plays a big role in how the vehicle feels and performs, especially during moments of low gear, rapid acceleration. Typically front wheel drive vehicles suffer from excessive wheel spin during these moments due to the massive amount of torque on tap from the ECU upgrade. APR’s ECU Upgrade uses advanced torque management routines to help reduce wheel spin and maximize forward acceleration so the driver can focus on enjoying the additional torque and power on tap.
- Stage I - 91 - Crank
- Stage I - 95 - Crank
- Stage I - 98 - Crank
- Stage I - 91 - Wheel
- Stage I - 95 - Wheel
- Stage I - 98 - Wheel
- Stage I - 91 - Gain
- Stage I - 95 - Gain
- Stage I - 98 - Gain
| Stock - 91RON As Reported by VAG |
Stock - 98 RON As Measured by APR |
APR Stage I 91 RON |
APR Stage I 95 RON |
APR Stage I 98 RON |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - Max increases are based on APR's actual measured stock values and not those reported by VW. | ||||||
| - Reported wheel figures measured using a Dynapack Dynamometer with a US Spec 2015 MK7 Golf Tiptronic, using SAEJ1349 correction and an average of multiple runs. Crank figures are estimated based on the measured wheel figures. Results may vary depending upon environmental conditions, vehicle, transmission, vehicle health, operating conditions, temperatures, fuel grade, dyno type, dyno setup, other variables and other modifications. | ||||||
| Speed Limit | Limited | Limited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Peak Horsepower (HP) | 170-180 HP | 175 HP | 234 HP | 242 HP | 251 HP | 256 HP |
| Peak Torque (FT-LBS) | 180 TQ | 203 TQ | 268 TQ | 282 TQ | 298 TQ | 304 TQ |
Max Horsepower |
+60 HP @ 4,500 RPM | +70 HP @ 4,500 RPM | +81 HP @ 4,400 RPM | +85 HP @ 4,350 RPM | ||
| Max FT-LBS of Torque Increase over Stock* |
+68 TQ @ 3,750 RPM | +82 TQ @ 4,300 RPM | +97 TQ @ 4,200 RPM | +103 TQ @ 4,250 RPM | ||
Acceleration Testing
Dyno testing is a great way to gauge power increases over the entire rev range but may not translate to real world performance. Through GPS based acceleration testing, APR’s Engineers were able to verify increases made on the dyno translated to a faster and quicker vehicle on the street. Please note the factory speed limiter was removed for the stock acceleration tests.
The results were astounding. By simply adding the APR Stage I ECU upgrade, the 2015 Golf Tiptronic test vehicle completed every test quicker than the stock vehicle by a large margin and even bested our own stock MK7 GTI DSG results with ease. 0-60 MPH times were reduced by 1.101 seconds while the 62-124 MPH occurred in less than half the stock vehicle’s time at 16.758 seconds or 19.9 seconds sooner! Acceleration tests were conducted all the way to 125 MPH, which was completed in 23.637 seconds with APR stage 1 software and 45.685 seconds with the stock software.
| Vehicle | 0-60 MPH | 0-62 MPH | 0-100 KPH | 0-100 MPH | 60-120 MPH | 62-124 MPH | 100-200 KPH | 0-125 MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock | 7.124 | 7.488 | 7.513 | 17.763 | 30.478 | 36.658 | 37.137 | 45.685 |
| APR Stage I 98 | 6.023 | 6.275 | 6.284 | 13.451 | 14.897 | 16.758 | 16.878 | 23.637 |
The APR Development Difference
APR DirectPort Programming:
APR’s DirectPort Programming is now available! Any APR Dealer in the world, connected to the Internet, has direct access to APR’s latest ECU upgrades for loading directly over the vehicle's OBD-II port. This completely eliminates the need to remove and open the ECU for currently available files and can be uninstalled at any time without a trace!
APR ECU Explorer:
APR’s proprietary ECU Explorer gives APR’s Calibration Engineers unparalleled access to the vehicle’s entire engine management system. Typical commercially available data logging tools, used by most tuners, only allow logging up to 12 engine-operating variables at extremely low data rates. These tools are also limited to a small, specific list of variables. APR’s ECU Explorer is capable of logging every variable found within the ECU with far more variables logged at once, at very high data rates.
APR ECU Composer:
APR’s proprietary ECU Composer is used for altering the engine management system. With full access to every table, map and variable within the ECU, APR’s Calibration Engineers are not limited to a handful of maps as is common for most tuning companies.
APR ECU Assembly:
APR’s Electrical Engineers have the ability to alter the code structure of the ECU. Through code levels changes, APR's Engineers are able to add features to the ECU. Other changes allow higher torque limits than those achievable through only modifying calibration data or using piggyback devices as is the case for many tuners. This allows APR's engineers to often not require transmission software to meet or exceed advertised gains. On the highly modified end, this often allows APR to make turbo upgrades operate without the need for external manual controllers.
| Vehicle | Market | Engine | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audi A3 (MKIII) | All | 1.8 TFSI Gen 3 | All |
| Skoda Octavia (MKIII) | All | 1.8 TSI Gen 3 | All |
| Seat Leon (MKIII) | All | 1.8 TSI Gen 3 | All |
| Volkswagen Golf (MKVII) | All | 1.8 TSI Gen 3 | All |
| Stage | Minimum Requirements | Price Exc. VAT | Price Inc. VAT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - All stages may not be available for all vehicles. | ||||
| - Please note vehicle manufacturers issue many ECU part numbers and revisions throughout their vehicle lineup. As such, some ECUs may be temporarily unavailable as new parts and/or revisions are released. If the vehicle's ECU part number and revision is known, availability can be checked at any APR Dealer. | ||||
| APR Stage I ECU Upgrade | None | £483.33 | £580.00 | |
How to purchase
Please use the APR Dealer Locater Tool to locate an APR Dealer, confirm availability and schedule an appointment.
Please note vehicle manufacturers issue many ECU part numbers and revisions throughout their vehicle lineup. As such, some ECUs may be temporarily unavailable as new parts and/or revisions are released. If the vehicle’s ECU part number and revision is known, availability can be checked at any APR Dealer.
Security, Warranty and Money Back Guarantee
30 Day Money Back Guarantee:
All APR ECU Upgrades include a 30-day money back guarantee with no questions asked. If for any reason the owners is dissatisfied with the APR ECU Upgrade, they may return to the place of purchase for a full refund, provided they are within the 30 day period from the time of the initial purchase. Labor or shipping charges are not included in the guarantee and are at the discretion of the place of install.
Limited Lifetime Warranty:
All APR ECU Upgrades include a limited lifetime warranty against defects in the software, and to provide free updates and reflashes as they become available. Labor or shipping charges are not included in the warranty and are at the discretion of the place of install.
