Stg 2 Questions

Hello tdi fam

Looking to do a stage 2 Malone.

I'm confused by a few things and hoping you can give some answers.

- Tune vs Tune & Downpipe (EGR/DPF removal)
is a DP required for the gains, or can you tune a stock car and experience 90% of the improvement claimed?

- Warranty
I'm assuming this is a hard "yes", but if you tune the car is the VW diesel-gate warranty gone?

- Emissions/EGR (Longevity)
One of the reasons I want to run the DP is to lower the temps under the hood. This usually bodes well for engine life. Obviously these things are retarded (literally) from the factory and I would greatly enjoy the increase in power and MPG. Just wondering if we have any stories of long-timers and high-milers and how the tune has held up for everyone?



Thanks in advance for any and all info!

Malone was a little different with their stg 1 and stg 2 names on the 2015. For their stg 2 no hardware modifications are required, but some power is still left on the table.

With an "emissions lenient" DP agreed that you'll get another 10-20% more out of a tune in numbers but it would be the MPGs that would climb in and around town driving.

IMO soon as the emissions system is removed, 85% of the warranty problems have been removed from the car.

One thing I will note with peak numbers is that the DMF doesn't seem handle the low end peaky torque (18-2000RPM) without a harmonic shudder. I'm thinking if emissions are removed, that shudder will still be there but peak numbers won't be so peaky and possibly flatten out.

740GLE said:

Malone was a little different with their stg 1 and stg 2 names on the 2015. For their stg 2 no hardware modifications are required, but some power is still left on the table.
With an "emissions lenient" DP agreed that you'll get another 10-20% more out of a tune in numbers but it would be the MPGs that would climb in and around town driving.

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Okay, that makes sense - I love the idea of 55-60mpg cruising, so that almost makes it worth it on it's own, honestly.

740GLE said:

IMO soon as the emissions system is removed, 85% of the warranty problems have been removed from the car.

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Makes sense. Would you say get the fix (or phase 2 as it were) and then move to the tune (if I recall correctly, that's what you did?)

And also, would VW void the warranty fixes even if I threw everything stock back in and reflashed the ECU to stock? Hypothetically, I doubt there's a chance the thing goes wrong with such a mild tune.

If I were you I'd do phase 2 then a tune, avoid any hassles with multiple programming. We're still phase 1 with a tune.


Lots of "ifs" for the warranty work that even myself can't answer, even bigger "ifs" if you've gone the deleted route.

As for that 55-60, I don't want to get your hopes up lots of people post number for bragging rights, each persons driving styles dictate what they get. One thing you'll def save is that wasted fuel for those regens.

740GLE said:

If I were you I'd do phase 2 then a tune, avoid any hassles with multiple programming. We're still phase 1 with a tune.

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Roger that, that was my thinking too

740GLE said:

Lots of "ifs" for the warranty work that even myself can't answer, even bigger "ifs" if you've gone the deleted route.

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... yup ^^^. for exactly this reason

740GLE said:

As for that 55-60, I don't want to get your hopes up lots of people post number for bragging rights, each persons driving styles dictate what they get. One thing you'll def save is that wasted fuel for those regens.

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Oh for sure. I had a MkV (2006) jetta tdi that I loved. Managed an insane 800mile tank one time from NC to NH cruising at 70; I miss that fuel economy!
Honestly, I definitely hit it hard low, to enjoy the torque but don't really care too much about going 150mph, lol.

I'm coming from a Stg 2 A3, TFSI - 280hp/315tq, so anything is going to be slower. I just enjoy driving diesels more. The grunt is very satisfying.

It may be slower but the low end pull makes it seems faster. Also you'll be in 90% of the power band all the time instead of needing to rev the engine past 3.5-4K to make the real power.

I waited to do Malone Stage 2 until after Phase II emissions. I did not do any deletes yet although in PA we are diesel emission exempt. I'll get around to it eventually but haven't seen much on the EA288 regarding any decent MPG or number increases to justify it either.

With that said, it feels great and drives so much better. Part throttle is more fun and as 740GLE said, you're in the power band more now. The down side is I haven't increased in mileage, but my foot is in it all the time now. The up side is the mileage isn't down either. Makes this car even more fun to drive daily.

I really want a stage 2 on mine. I gues after pahse 2 I might do it.

I worry about warranty voids, but doesnt malone do a programmer now where you can return to stock?

Borsig said:

I really want a stage 2 on mine. I gues after pahse 2 I might do it.

I worry about warranty voids, but doesnt malone do a programmer now where you can return to stock?

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I would drop the cash so fast if someone could give me the warm and fuzzy about VW not knowing the vehicle has/had a tune. Just completed phase 2 of the fix.

Ooga said:

I would drop the cash so fast if someone could give me the warm and fuzzy about VW not knowing the vehicle has/had a tune. Just completed phase 2 of the fix.

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I think a lot of us would. But losing that 160,000 mile, 11 year warrantee, just to gain some increase in fun factor, holds a lot of us back.

You know, I used SSP as my tuner for my audi (people will talk **** about him using other people's maps - i come from subarus so that's pretty much second nature to us).

Point is, he sent me a tuned ECU, didnt have to return mine. So if you used a "new" ECU, and dropped in your original to take it to the dealer they'd be none the wiser because the VIN would match and it would be un-tuned. Food for thought.

ritsco said:

I think a lot of us would. But losing that 160,000 mile, 11 year warrantee, just to gain some increase in fun factor, holds a lot of us back.

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That’s exactly where I am. I love my TDI. 90% of the time, it’s perfect. There’s just that 10% where I get caught accelerating ahead of traffic where I’d like a little more oomph. Can’t pull the trigger yet — don’t want to jeopardize the warranty.

Garrison said:

You know, I used SSP as my tuner for my audi (people will talk **** about him using other people's maps - i come from subarus so that's pretty much second nature to us).

Point is, he sent me a tuned ECU, didnt have to return mine. So if you used a "new" ECU, and dropped in your original to take it to the dealer they'd be none the wiser because the VIN would match and it would be un-tuned. Food for thought.

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Can you hot swap ECUs like that? I thought a lot of other modules track mileage for codes and I'd guess they wouldn't jive. Also the cluster mileage wouldn't match the ECU.

740GLE said:

Can you hot swap ECUs like that? I thought a lot of other modules track mileage for codes and I'd guess they wouldn't jive. Also the cluster mileage wouldn't match the ECU.

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Not sure, to be honest - but I see no reason why not (re: swapping ECU's).

I thought ECU took it's info from the cluster. Wouldn't it just pick up what the cluster was reading? It's just a machine after all, one way or the other, it can be tricked.

But you are trying to trick it without being detected. Much harder to do, especially as the cars electronics become more complicated.

Garrison said:

Not sure, to be honest - but I see no reason why not (re: swapping ECU's).
I thought ECU took it's info from the cluster. Wouldn't it just pick up what the cluster was reading? It's just a machine after all, one way or the other, it can be tricked.

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One way to find out!

740GLE said:

Can you hot swap ECUs like that? I thought a lot of other modules track mileage for codes and I'd guess they wouldn't jive. Also the cluster mileage wouldn't match the ECU.

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If you have the ECU bench flashed with the factory Mapping it will work. The car wont be able to differentiate between the 2 ECU's once the factory file is flashed in.

But then you are back to can VW tell? I would bet yes if they tried.

Lightflyer1 said:

But then you are back to can VW tell? I would bet yes if they tried.

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You can reset the checksums when you bench flash.

my local dealership loves me...hahahaha