ctnatureboy
Veteran Member
It's been about a month now since I got my 2-for-1 Malone tune and Flashzilla loader. My car is a 2004.5 PD wagon 5-spd with just over 150k miles. Prior to the tune my experience with this car and it's engine has always impressed me and I continue to refer to it as a true "Drivers' Car".
After reading ad nauseam on this forum about all of the options, I decided to engage Mark at Malone Tuning because I could not find one word that was not raving about him, his service, product, or his work. I can attest first hand that all of this is true and so much more. I emailed him several, several times to get his input on what my options were and what was appropriate for my car. It's stock performance-wise and I'd like to keep it that way AND I don't want any more smoke than is present with a stock tune. Many times he replied within minutes; after hours, weekends, and what not. He was there with answers.
By the time I was ready to purchase, He informed me that he was holding a two tunes for one sale so I could not resist! The time was at hand and I decided to get the 1.0 and the 1.5; both with the dynamic idle and dynamic EGR option and also to spring for the loader. One really good thing about these tunes is that they limit the boost to 18 PSI and eliminates PD prone/problematic boost creep (which is good for my stock POS BW turbo at least until I can replace it with a Garrett).
I have to admit; I've never been so impatient in all my life, tracking the package every hour or so all the way from "God's country" Canada to the loading dock at my work and literally waiting by the door when the delivery was due.
Once you get the loader, the procedure is that you download a copy of your stock tune to it and then send it off to Mark via email, he does his magic and sends you back a genie in a bottle. After that, you dump the tune into your car and let the grins commence.
I have a brand new Luk clutch that is slightly stronger than stock (thanks Jim @ Dieselgeek!) so I started off conservative and loaded the 1.0 tune. Had I not purchased the 1.5 I would have been COMPLETELY satisfied. It's like a whole new car! The most immediate difference is the new idle curve.
After one loop round the block I could not wait to see what more could possibly be coaxed out of my little 1.9 so I made a pit stop at the house and in less than 10 minutes I'm sporting the 1.5.
HOLY CRAP!!!
Words escape me but lets just say that rolling onto the throttle brings the car to life and just seems to keep coming until it's PTTM in 5th.
I have an old industrial park where I can open the car up. 100 mph is now easy and had to back off @ 125 MPH because the Yokohamas were obviously not match balanced and up to the task.
The car is smooth and runs flawlessly with power abound. The one thing that I noticed is that the tires light up in 1st, 2nd, and even in 3rd fairly easily and I have to pay mind to that. A Wavetrack differential "locker" is one of the next mods in line to get all this to the ground efficiently.
I chose to leave the 1.5 in as the daily driver and continue to maintain hand-calculated mileage into the low 50's.
A an aside; I did an injection pump seal on my buddies VE and when I test drove it, I insisted that there was NO boost at all and started graphing the boost, demand, and N75 duty cycles which turned out to be fine. The moral is; I'm absolutely spoiled.
To anyone considering a tune, I HIGHLY recommend Mark and Malone Tuning. I have never in my life dealt with a more stand-up guy than him and he has delivered and then some. My money could not be more well spent and my only reserve is towards VW... Why would they not deliver their cars like this!?
Thanks Mark!
P.S. If anyone has explicit questions about my experience with this, I encourage you to PM me and I'll be glad to answer anything I am able.
After reading ad nauseam on this forum about all of the options, I decided to engage Mark at Malone Tuning because I could not find one word that was not raving about him, his service, product, or his work. I can attest first hand that all of this is true and so much more. I emailed him several, several times to get his input on what my options were and what was appropriate for my car. It's stock performance-wise and I'd like to keep it that way AND I don't want any more smoke than is present with a stock tune. Many times he replied within minutes; after hours, weekends, and what not. He was there with answers.
By the time I was ready to purchase, He informed me that he was holding a two tunes for one sale so I could not resist! The time was at hand and I decided to get the 1.0 and the 1.5; both with the dynamic idle and dynamic EGR option and also to spring for the loader. One really good thing about these tunes is that they limit the boost to 18 PSI and eliminates PD prone/problematic boost creep (which is good for my stock POS BW turbo at least until I can replace it with a Garrett).
I have to admit; I've never been so impatient in all my life, tracking the package every hour or so all the way from "God's country" Canada to the loading dock at my work and literally waiting by the door when the delivery was due.
Once you get the loader, the procedure is that you download a copy of your stock tune to it and then send it off to Mark via email, he does his magic and sends you back a genie in a bottle. After that, you dump the tune into your car and let the grins commence.
I have a brand new Luk clutch that is slightly stronger than stock (thanks Jim @ Dieselgeek!) so I started off conservative and loaded the 1.0 tune. Had I not purchased the 1.5 I would have been COMPLETELY satisfied. It's like a whole new car! The most immediate difference is the new idle curve.
After one loop round the block I could not wait to see what more could possibly be coaxed out of my little 1.9 so I made a pit stop at the house and in less than 10 minutes I'm sporting the 1.5.
HOLY CRAP!!!
Words escape me but lets just say that rolling onto the throttle brings the car to life and just seems to keep coming until it's PTTM in 5th.
I have an old industrial park where I can open the car up. 100 mph is now easy and had to back off @ 125 MPH because the Yokohamas were obviously not match balanced and up to the task.
The car is smooth and runs flawlessly with power abound. The one thing that I noticed is that the tires light up in 1st, 2nd, and even in 3rd fairly easily and I have to pay mind to that. A Wavetrack differential "locker" is one of the next mods in line to get all this to the ground efficiently.
I chose to leave the 1.5 in as the daily driver and continue to maintain hand-calculated mileage into the low 50's.
A an aside; I did an injection pump seal on my buddies VE and when I test drove it, I insisted that there was NO boost at all and started graphing the boost, demand, and N75 duty cycles which turned out to be fine. The moral is; I'm absolutely spoiled.
To anyone considering a tune, I HIGHLY recommend Mark and Malone Tuning. I have never in my life dealt with a more stand-up guy than him and he has delivered and then some. My money could not be more well spent and my only reserve is towards VW... Why would they not deliver their cars like this!?
Thanks Mark!
P.S. If anyone has explicit questions about my experience with this, I encourage you to PM me and I'll be glad to answer anything I am able.
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