[audioholic]

Successfully RaceChipped my Slavia

Originally Posted by audioholic

Racechip arrived, fitted today - But realised that the app has trouble linking itself with the device. It seems to have improved the engine response by a bit across the revv range and I can see higher boost pressures on average.

I have already mentioned the intention of getting this for the car. More than a performance increase, I was looking for reduced performance where it was not needed. The 1.5TSI is too powerful for traffic, and you need to really be easy on the throttle in city to avoid sudden braking. Hence, I went for the RaceChip ECU to be able to have switchable performance as I need it.

The Racechip ECU connects to three sensors in the car. A - Manifold Absolute pressure sensor, B - Boost pressure sensor, C - Crankshaft position sensor. It does not alter fuel injector pressure as in many diesel tuning boxes and the fuel pump will not be meddled with. They provide a wiring harness with A, B and C pairs of connectors and each of it is a T junction where one connector picks up signals from the sensor and sends it to the ECU, and the other connector plugs into the vehicle harness to send data to the car engine ECU.

Installation was done at night so I do not have detailed instructions but the connection A to the MAP was the toughest since its located deep inside the gap between the intake and the cylinder block. I needed to use a long screw driver to unlock the connector and then remove it with two of my fingers which reached till there. And to fit the Racechip harness to the sensor I could again use only those two fingers to slide it into locking position. The gap you see in this image is where the palm must go in above the alternator, and you only get to peep into the area from above

And to do this, I had to remove the vacuum pump off its mounting bolts to make space for the hand to be slid into the gap.

Connector B was relatively easier since it was easily accessible and connector C was cakewalk since the CKP sensor is right on top of the engine head cover below the plastic trim. Had to place the ECU near the battery and fusebox for now for easy removal. Will share some more pictures in the coming days when I get time to open up the engine bay in daylight.

The ECU receives its power from the power to these sensors and hence does not require any further wiring to the battery or any other component.

Like I explained earlier, after installation the ECU modes were supposed to be switched by mobile app only, since I opted for it. In the non-app version of the same product, there is an adjustment knob available which needs to be adjusted between six steps to change the performance modes from Economy till full fledged Race mode.

I was very angry about the app not working since there is a firewall that prevents Indian IPs from accessing their back end to fetch vehicle tuning data and update the ECU. When I contacted support, they gave a horrible response that the only way out was to use a VPN and they could not do anything about their backend and alter the firewall. Even after I tried using a paid VPN with Airtel internet, it didnt work and I requested a return(which was another challenge since I had to get it back to Germany first). I parked my car in my grandparents place with ACT fibernet and tried casually and the app was able to connect without issue.

Thats when it downloaded the maps specific to my car and flashed it into the ECU. After that I could set the performance modes. After this initial setup is done, there is no need to use VPN or internet unless an update to the maps is needed. So finally things got working the way it should.

Initial observations after around 100kms of use:

• ECU offers six maps and the mobile App offers three modes, to which you can assign any of the six maps.

• There is a warm up timer which can be configured to set the maps to trigger after vehicle start. Useful if you want to keep it in higher performance modes and trigger it only after engine warm up
• Economy mode or map 1 is what I always plan to use. It sobers down the turbo boost, eases throttle response and yet provides linear acceleration when needed.
• Speeds climb linearly and throttle is very easy to modulate however it does not become lazy or lethargic
• There is at least a 10% increase in FE and is evident on the display, as well as the DTE indicator not reducing even after some driving. Last week I drove 20kms to office and DTE came down by 5kms. But thats just an additional observation, not an absolute change.
• The Eco mode in my crysta for comparison only alters throttle response and the car just gets lethargic until the throttle is shoved hard. Whereas in the Racechip, it is more like driving a NA petrol with the turbo not present.
• Race mode is where you notice what has been missing in Economy mode. Throttle response gets sharp, and the car launches ahead the very moment you put the slightest pressure on the accelerator pedal. And as you push down the pedal, you will feel all the boost kicking in and thats when it gets scary, since speeds are building up in no time.
• Made use of empty weekend roads to test the race mode and its just putting a larger grin on my face, to the point that I am worried I will break the car. With ASR off and in manual mode, the wheels start spinning in first and second gear with the turbo hissing loud. Thats just surreal.
• I dont have the expertise to conduct acceleration runs and post the numbers, but between 1-6 there is a perceivable difference, that turns the linear and calm response to a violent rush once the turbo starts kicking in. The stock car also does this but the rush is even higher in race. Tried this back to back by switching off the ECU completely and then switching to Race mode and thats definitely different.
• I have however not used the other maps from 2-5 so far and hence cant comment whats the middle ground like. But the extremes are very good.
• Overall, if not for the horrible support from Racechip regarding the app, the product is pretty good and completely made and programmed in Germany. The harness is made using good parts and the connectors are VW parts. So I trust the Germans in their engineering talent and hence happy with the purchase.

I believe this would be the first chiptuned Slavia in the country. But had I not got this option of buying it directly in Germany, I would not have definitely spent twice the money on buying the same here.

By the way, here are some stats from the AC after the VCDS mod - You can notice how the evaporator temperature is at 2.0 deg C and the vent temperature at 10 degs even when the engine is idle with Climate control set at 21.5, which is how I have chilled air being thrown from the AC

[Aditya]

Successfully RaceChipped my Skoda Slavia - Post moved to a new thread.

[OffRoadFun]

Interesting.
All the best for the tune.
If I am not wrong, this is a tuning box which manipulates the sensor (MAF and others) to generate desired (lower or higher). Boost.
Right?

I had bought one of these tuning boxes and had bad experience with Racechip tune box. Lots of errors(EPC) and at least I could not find any meaningful performance increase. Will be interested in seeing how it goes for you. I still have that box lying around.
My review:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...uning-box.html (Audi Q5: Why I picked an ECU remap over a tuning box)

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by OffRoadFun

If I am not wrong, this is a tuning box which manipulates the sensor (MAF and others) to generate desired (lower or higher). Boost.
Right?

I had bought one of these tuning boxes and had bad experience with Racechip tune box. Lots of errors(EPC) and at least I could not find any meaningful performance increase. Will be interested in seeing how it goes for you. I still have that box lying around.

Yes thats correct. It will manipulate boost pressure, manifold pressure and timing to fool the ECU to get the desired results. I guess if the ECU can detect there is some implausible data being received, it would definitely throw up EPC and even put the ECU into limp home mode. Initially I was apprehensive and what I did was to test it stage by stage. First I only had the harness plugged with the bypass connector only and not the racechip ECU. After running that for a day and verifying that the harness itself doesnt have issues, I connected the racechip ECU but without any app pairing. I am not sure what map it runs in this state but it was fine too.

Only after a day I got the app to work and setup the ECU the way it should run. After that I used it in ECO mode for quite a bit of time, like 10kms to verify everythings fine and only then started pushing on Race mode. So far so good. I believe the controller matters and also the amount of complexity in the stock ECU to detect such manipulations being made. What also matters is how much is the manipulation since ECUs will have bounds for each parameter and once its crossed it will throw up errors and upon continuous occurrences it will result in limp mode.

[dsr001]

Happy to see your mod has worked so well!

[Auto_guy_101]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Successfully RaceChipped my Slavia
[*]Made use of empty weekend roads to test the race mode and its just putting a larger grin on my face, to the point that I am worried I will break the car. With ASR off and in manual mode, the wheels start spinning in first and second gear with the turbo hissing loud. Thats just surreal.

This is a truly interesting tune. It makes up for the lack of drive modes in the VAG twins. I have a few questions (out of curiosity and with plans to implement this on a friends car)
1. How much did the entire tuning set you back by?
2. Do you have the DSG variant? If so, any idea on whether this voids warranty or stresses the gearbox?
3. Does the eco mode result in quicker upshifts on highways? Can you sort of hypermile with it?

Wishing you thousands more of happy miles on the Slavia!

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Auto_guy_101

1. How much did the entire tuning set you back by?
2. Do you have the DSG variant? If so, any idea on whether this voids warranty or stresses the gearbox?
3. Does the eco mode result in quicker upshifts on highways? Can you sort of hypermile with it?
!

Thank you. The tuning box costed me 279EUR for the box and 59EUR to enable app tuning totalling to 338EUR which must amount to around 30k rupees.

Yes mine is a DSG. I think yes, any mod like this might stress the gearbox and if you go into the service center with the box, of course that's an easy way to throw the warranty out of the window. However I plan to take out the box and wiring harness if I have to give the car for service. I have enough rapport with them to be okay with coding changes but not a tuning box

So like I mentioned earlier, this isn't a box that will dampen the throttle inputs to give you better FE. The Crysta does that. Hence, the DSG doesn't really upshift early but rather holds gears to enable two cylinder mode wherever possible and never upshifts unnecessarily no matter how light you press the throttle. The Eco mode cuts boost to a good extent and reduces fuel injection quantity. After a few days in Eco mode I now know the reduction in power very clearly. Even if the accelerator is pushed hard, the car continues to accelerate very linearly as if there was no turbo. All this has resulted in a consistent 10+ kmpl mileage whereas earlier it would be in the range of 8-11 in city in similar conditions.

If only throttle modulation is needed they have a simpler offering called Racechip. XLR which only connects to the accelerator pedal connector and alters the accelerator response. The box I have doesn't meddle with the throttle at all.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by audioholic

The Racechip ECU connects to three sensors in the car.[/b] A - Manifold Absolute pressure sensor, B - Boost pressure sensor, C - Crankshaft position sensor.

The race chip is a tuning box, not an ECU, right? Having the mobile app to switch modes is a cool thing. Enjoy the new modes and the added power!

Originally Posted by OffRoadFun

Interesting.
All the best for the tune.
If I am not wrong, this is a tuning box which manipulates the sensor (MAF and others) to generate desired (lower or higher). Boost.
Right?
I had bought one of these tuning boxes and had bad experience with Racechip tune box. Lots of errors(EPC) and at least I could not find any meaningful performance increase. Will be interested in seeing how it goes for you. I still have that box lying around.
My review:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...uning-box.html (Audi Q5: Why I picked an ECU remap over a tuning box)

Same thoughts. I would go for a proper ECU remap instead of a tuning box. Actually, I need an ECU remap with this mobile app to switch the maps! I know it is not possible straight from the ECU.

AFAIK, 1.5TSI ECU isn't yet unlocked by tuners, so the only option is to go for a tuning box at present.

[pratyushpks]

What was the model of Racechip that you used? Can you please share the link to the exact one.

[thirdmainroad]

Thank you mods for moving thread to its own - this does deserve to be a post of its own.

Audioholic - you are an inspiration and I must see how I can become your real life best friend!! :P

For VPN, use Windscribe. It’s free, offers 10gb VPN, will work on any network and device.

[true_sedan]

Originally Posted by audioholic

The tuning box costed me 279EUR for the box and 59EUR to enable app tuning totalling to 338EUR which must amount to around 30k rupees.

It’s great you’re trying out upgrades with a lot of risk involved. Rest of us VAG 2.0 owners can piggyback on your experience.

Even I’m planning to buy a Racechip. The website asks for the make and model of the car. And obviously as expected India-specific cars weren’t on the list. Mine is VW Virtus 1.5 DSG.

1) Should I select VW T-Roc with the 1.5 TSi from the drop-down? What did you select for your Slavia?
2) Now going back would you have skipped the App control feature?
3) Any specific reason for going with 6 tuning level variant instead of the top end 7?

How is the experience with Racechip so far?

Cheers

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by pratyushpks

What was the model of Racechip that you used? Can you please share the link to the exact one.

I have brought the RS Variant. Above this there is a GTS version. I had mentioned it in another post in the thread and that wasn't moved here.

Originally Posted by true_sedan

It’s great you’re trying out upgrades with a lot of risk involved. Rest of us VAG 2.0 owners can piggyback on your experience.

Even I’m planning to buy a Racechip. The website asks for the make and model of the car. And obviously as expected India-specific cars weren’t on the list. Mine is VW Virtus 1.5 DSG.

1) Should I select VW T-Roc with the 1.5 TSi from the drop-down? What did you select for your Slavia?
2) Now going back would you have skipped the App control feature?
3) Any specific reason for going with 6 tuning level variant instead of the top end 7?

How is the experience with Racechip so far?

Cheers

I have already played around enough with the car but fully knowing the risks involved. Some things need to be kept in mind when doing these things out of which a good rapport with the ASC is a must and in case of any issues and service visits better remove the box. One confidence I have is that these products like Racechip cater to worldwide markets including Germany so they will not sell substandard parts or dangerous modifications which can harm the car. Hence I took the plunge.

1. I had selected Skoda Scala 1.5TSI. Initially thought of T Roc or Karoq but felt the Scala is the closest you could get to Slavia hence the choice.
2. App control is definitely a must have in spite of this issue. It let's you shift modes on the fly and doesn't require you to stop the vehicle, access the engine bay and make changes. Shifting on the fly is the only way you can feel the subtle differences between the six maps. Else the major difference will be between 1 and 6 only.
3. I went for the RS with 6 maps because the extra cost for GTS was not justified with one extra map and same control strategy. However the S version to RS version is a bigger jump because S has only two control channels and lesser maps. Hence I chose the RS and didn't go higher up to GTS.

Overall the experience has been good. No issues nor teething troubles just like a well engineered product. App connect works without any connection issues and you can switch maps easily.

On the performance front, I am now sticking to Sport mode or Tune 4. I am getting around 15% increase in FE. Me being a pretty heavy footed driver, the economy modes didn't work in my favour even though I want to switch to it and practice lighter foot driving. The Eco mode(Tune 1 and 2) makes the vehicle very sedate and that will end up in me pushing the accelerator further which will negate the economy benefit. I think it will definitely benefit if one drives with a light foot.

Tune 3 and 4 are such that the low end and light throttle situations are very sedate and controlled and will wake up the car when pushed slightly harder, like 50% throttle and after that the car gets fast. So for me it works in the city well and the car is well controllable in light to medium traffic. Its the best improvisation of the stock vehicle behaviour.

Tune 5 I haven't tried but Tune 6 makes the car fast the moment it senses your foot on the accelerator pedal So that's something which will be almost useless in traffic scenarios and you will end up unnecessarily accelerating and braking. I haven't taken the car on the highway yet so for me Time 4 is pretty much the thing now.

Originally Posted by thirdmainroad

Thank you mods for moving thread to its own - this does deserve to be a post of its own.

Audioholic - you are an inspiration and I must see how I can become your real life best friend!! :P

For VPN, use Windscribe. It’s free, offers 10gb VPN, will work on any network and device.

Thank you for the suggestion and compliments The VPN somehow doesn't work with the app on my iPhone. Thats anyway something Racechip must sort out in the long run. For now there is no problem and I can use the app and switch modes or even turn off the box seamlessly.

[audioholic]

The curiosity bug bit me and I ended up driving to Harmonixx, Bangalore to do this:



In short, the Racechip ECU increases peak power and torque by a fair bit. The mid range is where the Racechip throws out better numbers but the peak power is rather consistent even across the modes. This supports my feel that even in Eco mode if the throttle is pressed hard, the power output still builds up without that initial eagerness. Will be posting the graphs in a bit since I am on the move currently.

Thanks a ton to Rahul@Harmonixx for the elaborate trials which included multiple runs in each mode so as to get reliable numbers and avoid any incidental variations.