So we are stage 2 now. SUPER FUN! After IE has the stage 2 file 100% we will go back to the dyno. Also While not 100% needed, I think we are going to upgrade the spark plugs. IE recommends NGK R7437-9 at .024" gap. Those babies aren't cheap at ~ $40 each. :)
When I had my 6R flashed to Stage 2 (Unitronic), the tech said I should expect the car to get a little faster over the following month as the engine and ECU settle into the new tune. Have you heard this? I'd be curious what your dyno numbers are after about a month/1000+ miles.
Charles your hands down one of the best car RU-vidr’s in the business, your explanations, workmanship and videos are top notch!!! Always look forward to your videos 👍👌
Totally agree, best one out there. Tuned up cars when i was younger and now just getting back into it with my first build in years, working on stage one on my mk7r and your video have helped so much and a few laughs too
I always explain it like this - Stage 1 wakes the car up from stock, Stage 2 unlocks the usable potential, Stage 3 and beyond pushes the car to (or beyond) its limits.
From an owner perspective, Stage 1 is nearly always the way the car should come come the factory, but for the manufacturer, hitting those fuel economy and emissions targets are what matters. Stage 2 is the sweet spot for an enthusiast and stage 3 is rarely suitable for an everyday driver, you go to stage 3 for no other reason than, you can.
My typical answer to people when they ask "is this upgrade worth it?" is, if you're asking that question the answer is probably no. If you're not sure if spending 5k is worth the 100HP (or what ever) increase is worth it, its probably not to you. On the other hand its totally worth it if you want a car thats going to grab you by the pooper and give you a ride.
Charles don't just look at the peak numbers, the graph tells a great story in green. Your peak torque may be the same as stage 1 but look how much sooner it rises in green. Same for the horsepower, your powerband is stronger for a pretty wide RPM range. That's something you'll feel when you're driving daily rather than just full throttle. Good work!
Good video. To your point, Charles, about how important this piece is, it solved knock under load on a MK7 GTI Stage 1 and A3 8V Stage 1 as well - no other parts added. It improves flow at the turbocharger significantly.
Watching the premiere with you was awesome. I can’t wait to see the stage 2 driving videos. You should get a dragy so you can do some 0-60 and 1/4 mile runs.
The big difference between Stage 1 and 2 wasn't really the peak gains but how much power/torque was gained on the top end. Looking at your dyno charts it was a significant gain. Since I have a 6MT I probably won't go stage 2 until I need to replace my clutch. At that point tossing in a downpipe is hardly any extra work. Honestly I'll probably skip Stage 2 and go straight to Stage 3...
I went full APR Stage 2 on my 2016 Golf R manual in late 2017 after being on Stage 1 for nearly 2 years. According to the APR published numbers, I was at 354 crank HP and 379 crank TQ. With Stage 2, the numbers improved to 387 crank HP and 409 crank TQ. The improvement wasn't quite as dramatic as going from stock to Stage 1, but the difference was still considerable, meaning the car went from crazy fast to absolute bonkers. Definitely worth the cost!
you can mod the stock intake opening the right side , also changing the inlate hose. With the inlate pipe, turbo muffler delete and a KN sport filter in the factory box you have cooler air than with your setup. Also I wouldn't change the intercooler and downpipe, it isn't worth the money for something like 15-20 hp. After I would do the air mods i mentioned i would do a custom tuning at someone who really knows what he's doing, not that tuning from a distance crap and get the performance about half way your stage 1 and 2 , all under 1$(a little more with dsg tune). PS: in my country(Romania) a custon tuning is like 300-400Euros .
Great vid ! I have a Audi B5 RS4 with Wagner Intercoolers Milltek 3” full exhaust MRC remap Bosch 413 fuel pump Bilstein PSS9 coilovers H&R arbs ITG panel filter Running 490bhp and 517lbft torque. It’s a slippery slope modifying cars 😂 Love your golf R and the colour is wicked
We owned a beautiful Santorini Red B7 RS4 for 3 years until someone T-boned me at a junction. When I called my wife to tell her what had happened, and that I was in the ER but ok, she cried. - over the smashed up Audi HAHA. I'll tell you what though, that car was a frikken tank, and I'm glad I had that protection.
Love the videos, happy to have subscribed. I know this is taboo to ask because “if you’re worried about economy you shouldn’t be upgrading” well some do. Lol. I use my car as a commuter as well so my question is how much of a difference in economy have you noticed on highway driving? I’d love to get into some mods but with fuel prices sky rocketing where I’m from 110$ to fill this car adds up quick.
Seems to me that stage 1 is plenty for daily road use, while stage 2 is more for someone who wants to track and do serious spirited driving, thus requiring better throttle response, better heat management etc.
I would recommend anyone installing a stage 2, install a good catch can. Also another good upgrade is converting from the plastic sump to an alloy sump with cooling fins. They hold another 1.5QTS of oil, and drop the oil temp another 20F.
I went from stock to stage 2; Got a lovely 100hp awakening. -Eurodyne stg.2 and DSG -Racing line intake, turbo inlet pipe, and hose -CTS turboback (de-cat), engine, trans. Mount -034 torque insert I must say that it has been so much fun driving a over 400hp (crank) car. Debating if I should get the intercooler since I don't track my car and I don't use all of that hp as frequent as I would like. Great video.
I would love to see how u react to driving the car without any upgrades! If for some reason all the upgrades went away would u still enjoy the car ? Or is it ruined?
@ HumbleMechanic stupid question for you.. Im in Canada and if I did anything that you've done to your brand new ride the dealership would void the warranty instantly... How does it work for you being in the States? I know you do all the work yourself but some times shit happens like a manufacturing defect like a bad rod or what have you.. Are you covered or are you really like me and shit outa luck? also may I ask that you maybe do a quick video on oil catch cans and how winter especially when you use one in -20/-30c and if you have any tricks to help slow down the way the can condenses the vapor from the PCV system.. Im emptying mine every week and the is a crap load of fuel in it and need to really monitor it on a weekly basis.. sorry I went off topic but you always answer questions and thats why I love your channel.. your down to earth and actually take the time to read what ppl have to say and to me I really respect that and also AGAIN another great video.. Keep up the great work man!!
The reason these cars are tuned down is because the engineering goal is to tune out turbo lag. It is about a specific driving experience of the brand, not maximizing engine's potential. My mk7 felt great on the stock tune, but I wanted left foot braking....so stage 1. Now turbo lag is very noticeable, and then it drops off quickly at the top end. Stage 2 will fix most of that, but the clutch....my parts are on order!
Great video Charles. Thanks for sharing all the details, and the price estimates. I’m hoping to get to the tuner here in the next couple of weeks to get all my parts installed and UM stage 2 tune for ECU and TCU. Doing the same IE IC and DP, but went MST for the intake and inlet. Hoping to get around 380 hp at the wheels.
First time on your channel, loved the video, I did have a question as to why your car was only running it’s front wheels on the dyno, you do have an R so I was expecting to see all 4 going. Just wondering!
At what RPM did does stage 2 really kick in? I hear it's 4.5 or 5k. So it makes the car feel slow daily driven unless your really open it up every time to feel the power. I like when it hits at 3-3.5 it makes the car more lively and fun to drive.
Hi. I would really appreciate if you find the way to install self parking assistant. It’s available in Europe as a paid option, but I never found it in US. Here is parts which I found, but I’m not sure they are proper one www.carsystems.eu/vw-golf-7-park-assist-pla-1t0919297a-upgrade,id667.html And here is manual for Jetta www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-do-yourself/183673-diy-install-park-assist-pla-2-0-self-park-auto-park-vw-jetta.html But as well I’m not sure it will fit golf R
Great vid, i did to IE stg 2 93 octane on gen2 CDNC Audi and my consumption is now 5l higher as with stock map, and i have tried EV regime of driving 80/100/130kmh... did u see/had any problems with IE stg2, my car runs ok and u see gains clearly but +5l is bit too much.... now is 15L/100km, before was 10-10,5L/100km...
My battery died in my 2016 Volkswagen Jetta 2016 last night. Can I just replace it myself or is it best to have a professional do it in case it really needs to have things reset? I don’t know if that’s just BS or the truth.
Charles, Why did you go Integrated Engineering vs the Unitronic which is sold with your co-hort Paul. It looks like the Integrated has more support for getting it right. Also, the Integrated seems more cost efficient. Your thoughts between the two systems? Owner/Manufacturer suppor?
@HumbleMechanic, got a question for you, on the IE website the stage 2 tune is advertised as 431 bhp and 466 btq for the 7.5R on 93 oct. fuel which should be around 380 whp and around 400 wtq which is imo kinda optimistic. Your numbers are a bit lower then the advertised so do you think your numbers are lower because of the beta file or is IE a little bit over advertising the numbers? I am asking because I am considering to go Stage 2 either with IE or Unitronic.
To be able to go stage 2 all that is truly required is the downpipe. Depending on your budget you can add everything else afterwards in the order you please
Definitely a lot of money compared to stage 1. Kinda making me think that I will just do stage 1 mods and then a pro-tune. Really get her dialed in along with the DSG tune which I will probably get from APR as there is a guy who tests all this shit on his GTI and a test bench he has set up for air flow related products and the APR DSG tune is apparently extremely good and superior to pretty much anything else he tested. It sounded as if Stratified may eventually have a better DSG tune, but I will have to reach out to them and see if it's finished.
not sure if you went into this question again in a later video.. was stage 2 beneficial? was it worth it in your opinion? I have a 2017 golf r stage 1, ready to go stage 2 on your call charles lol!
Very cool! I happened to be watching the turbo inlet pipe video as this one popped up. Not considering cost, is it a good idea for the average person (someone without your expertise to fix the car) to go Stage 2 when still under warranty? Mine is only a year old, and I don't plan on going past Stage 1, but you never know what itch might pop up in the next couple of years. I've also considered waiting until the car feels "stale", which is about 3 years into ownership, and then doing something big to make it feel new again. Thoughts? As always, thanks for the super helpful videos!
The down pipe and intake are the biggest restrictions to flow since there small diameter and have bends in them that they will net you the biggest hp gain compared to just changing the rear of the exhaust
Great video, one question though is it necessary to install an AOS or catch can on turbo’d cars like this one to keep intake clean and power at it’s peak?
Definitely one of the best channels on RU-vid! Always informative, great video quality and audio quality, and just solid content! Solid numbers and I like that you compared them all. I haven't seen it or I missed it, but do you have a drugy or have you run at the drag strip to see your 0 to 60 and quarter mile time ?
You are the only person I could find with true Dyno graphs for stock, stage 1, and stage 2 overlayed on the same sheet. I was hesitant on going aftermarket DP, and was considering going straight to one of the new stock dp turbo upgrades from either APR or EQT. This has swayed me. Going stage 2 for a while first.
Awesome video! Thanks for outlining the total estimated cost. Really puts it all in perspective in regards to the financial burden of upgrading the power.
Is this where I go to ask you a question? Anyhow, do timing chains stretch when a car is tuned? I have a hybrid version of the MGT1752s and unexpectedly cranked out 408 hp. I’m happy with the power and then some dude said something about how he wishes he can stretch his timing chain 5 degrees to fit it. It’s not a buzzkill but now I’m curious what he could have possibly meant. ???
The United motor sport tune is fantastic. My clutch started slipping right away, but I put in a TTRS pressure plate w/ new OEM fly wheel and clutch disc. So great now
Do you think it would be bad for me to put a catless Downpipe before I tune the car? I also know that if I do I will be getting an engine light on. Do you think I should wait to tune the car first or should I put it on soon? I also want a louder sound
Questions : - Do you need HPFP and also 1 step colder sparkplugs for stage 2? - Don't you change the motor and transmission mounts in your stage 2? - Will I actually need to change the clutch of I don't WOT on 1st gear?! - Do you need to upgrade something with the radiator after changing the intercooler? - Are steel brake lines worth it, or stock ones are okay?
I have a complete stage 2 APR component set on my 2019 Golf R 7.5. The center counsel performance monitor power output display appears to be capped at 215 kW. Is there a way to increase the display cap to 300 kW?
Shouldn't that torque curve be a bit less bumpy? It makes more power but the curve doesn't look that smooth. Also would you consider taking about fuel quality and its impact on a time? I have first hand experience with running stage 2 Apr but with weird Canadian Fuel. I got a custom tune and gained 30+ BHP over apr
Yes. That’s one of the things they are still playing with in the tune. On the custom tune you almost always get more. The OTS tune is a little more generic and you can tweak a little more for the custom dyno type tune
*** this is an old video, IE tune files can be done in the convenience of your home!!**** I went IE, for a off the shelf Stage 1 tune is a very good upgrade. The powerband is smooth and consistent across the room range to 7k redline. It passed emissions in the central states. It is not the most powerful tune, but it is a reliable safe nice upgrade tune with no glitches. It gave my car a few pop and bangs on the lower range of the rpm map. I already have a catted downpipe for stage 2 and will have to add a DSG tune to it, highly recommended by IE. With IE you can do the update at home, NO need to go to a performance shop.
2:57 I drive a 3rd gen RX-7 and use the Golf R as a daily driver. I spend so much time working on the FD that my ears heard you say "A lot of them RX-7s". 😵💫
Inlet on IS20 turbo... is it same size as IS38 turbo? I have IS20 and wanna leave IS38 for last buy and dont wanna over spend on buying to size turbo inlet.
I had a similar interpretation of my 2019 Mini JCW. I had a stage 1 and then went to stage 2. Stage 1 (ecu tune only) is how the car should have been from the factory where the engine pulled pretty stout and strong. Stage 2 (High flow 200 cel downpipe, uprated inter-cooler and stage 2 ECU tune), ok, now it's showing a hint of gnarly beast in there some where. I can see why the factory wouldn't necessarily need to sell it this way.
I just looked at my car before doing this and my T30 screw mentioned at 2:49 is missing! Someone who owned the car before me must have lost it. Anyone know where I can buy a replacement? I'm assuming one won't come with my new inlet pipe
Question -- I have a problem. I went to install inlet pipe and now I have a stripped screw and a stripped bracket. I can possibly tap the bracket, but how can I get a replacement bolt? Is this something that can be ordered? I noticed the at the turbo end it’s just a hole, can I use a socket head cap screw that is the same length and thread?
Hi Charles, I recently completed this mod and noticed some weird scoring or scratches in the mouth of the turbocharger inlet. At 5:14 in your video, you can see the same issue in your turbo. Any idea what that is and why it happens?
This is what makes modifying VW's horribly expensive. That said the Golf R is a weapon with the right parts, I mean supercar killer. Next level? Stacked tune with JB- 4 and water-methanol injection, that will get you another 50 hp.
