A full tune, purchased through the ‘Tune Builder’ product in our webstore, is an iterative tune. This means that we’ll gradually increase the performance of your car through datalogging and retuning. The benefit of tuning this way is that we can determine the maximum amount of power your car can safely make. Using a Windows laptop and the provided VAG-COM cable, you’ll collect datalogs from your car while driving. These datalogs will serve as a basis to determine if your car is running properly, and later, responding to the increase in performance specified by tune appropriately.
The first tune that will be flashed to the ECU prior to shipment is a base tune. This base tune is a conservative starting point, designed to allow you to drive the car without fear of damaging a component, should there be a mechanical issue with your hardware. This base tune will allow you to drive the car to collect the first datalog, so that we can determine if your car is running properly.
After the purchase of a tune, you will be emailed a .zip file which contains the necessary instructions and files to setup your laptop for datalogging and flashing of new tunes. The datalogging and flashing software is compatible with Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11. If you have a Mac, you can use the program Parallels to run a virtual Windows machine.
Simply plug in the ECU, follow the setup instructions in the .zip file, and plug the VAG-COM cable into your computer and OBDII port, then you will be ready to collect a datalog. A laptop capable of running Windows is required to run the software for datalogging and flashing of the ECU. If you have a MAC you can use a virtual Windows machine using a program such as Parallels. The first datalog you collect will serve as a diagnostic overview of the car. We’ll look at all the sensors to make sure they are working properly, and also try to diagnose any air leaks or injector problems. For this first datalog please drive around as you normally would, no aggressive throttle is required. Please try to collect a datalog that is 20-30 minutes long and includes periods of idling.
If no problems are found in this first datalog then you will be sent a new tune with increased boost. Another 20 minute datalog is requested, with periods of full throttle. A full throttle run from 3000RPM to redline in 3rd gear is requested. This log will be reviewed and a new tune sent. This process continues until the car has been fully tuned.