2010-13 A3 with Kerma Stage 2 + DSG Tune

Moys

New member
Joined
Jan 25, 2017
Location
San Diego
TDI
MK4 Jetta Wagon 5MT
I'm looking for an A3 owner with this set up after the recall to see what the MPG would be since this is the route I'm planning on going with.

Thanks!
 

Terry270

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2014
Location
BG, KY
TDI
03 golf, 10 A3
I can tell you what I got after a Malone tune. Took fuel mileage up to 42+. Capable of more but me and my wife drive with a heavy foot so we're pretty good with it
 

PeteZ06

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Location
Algonquin, IL
TDI
E320 CDI
I saw about a 3-4mpg increase with every day driving.

Had a Malone S2 tune with DPF and EGR delete in a 2011 A3
 

PeteZ06

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Location
Algonquin, IL
TDI
E320 CDI
Pete! How ya been? You liking the 535?
Yeah.. absolutely love it. For about a year I drove a E320 CDI until I figured out what I wanted after selling back the A3.

With a tune and AWD the 535 is a monster off the line. Obviously not as good on fuel as the A3 was but the power fun factor more than makes up the loss in MPG's. Still have a bumper to bumper warranty on the 535 but as soon as its over I'll be yanking off the EGR and DPF and getting a better tune :)

You kept your A3?
 

Terry270

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2014
Location
BG, KY
TDI
03 golf, 10 A3
Yeah.. absolutely love it. For about a year I drove a E320 CDI until I figured out what I wanted after selling back the A3.
With a tune and AWD the 535 is a monster off the line. Obviously not as good on fuel as the A3 was but the power fun factor more than makes up the loss in MPG's. Still have a bumper to bumper warranty on the 535 but as soon as its over I'll be yanking off the EGR and DPF and getting a better tune :)
You kept your A3?
Yeah I agree I drove a 335d that had been deleted and tuned and it was a beast!

Yessir wife didn't want to part with it so we took the fix $$ and kept on rolling. Up to 270k miles now!
 

alpine4

Active member
Joined
Aug 15, 2019
Location
Victor, Idaho
TDI
2012 Audi A3
I own a 2012 A3 TDI. I am toying the the idea on Malone stage 2 tune. How much should I save for a stage 2 tune? Did you guys install the tune using a tuner, or through a Malone shop? I hear your turbo lag goes away and my mileage will increase, and shifting becomes smoother, not that it's not smooth already.
 

PeteZ06

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Location
Algonquin, IL
TDI
E320 CDI
I own a 2012 A3 TDI. I am toying the the idea on Malone stage 2 tune. How much should I save for a stage 2 tune? Did you guys install the tune using a tuner, or through a Malone shop? I hear your turbo lag goes away and my mileage will increase, and shifting becomes smoother, not that it's not smooth already.
I went with a shop since the ECU needs to get pulled out, opened and tune burned in.

EGR removed and DPF removed... well worth the $$ for a shop to do all the work.
 

Nekit

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Location
Indiana
TDI
2013 A3 TDI
I went with a shop since the ECU needs to get pulled out, opened and tune burned in.
EGR removed and DPF removed... well worth the $$ for a shop to do all the work.
Sorry Not true. Just tuned my 2013 A3 TDI with Malone Tune Stage 2. You just need to purchase the Flashzilla 3 from them and everything is programed through the OBDII port. Pretty easy. Nice thing about purchasing the Flashzilla is I can go back and forth between stock and tune at anytime.

Hope this helps
 

alpine4

Active member
Joined
Aug 15, 2019
Location
Victor, Idaho
TDI
2012 Audi A3
Sorry Not true. Just tuned my 2013 A3 TDI with Malone Tune Stage 2. You just need to purchase the Flashzilla 3 from them and everything is programed through the OBDII port. Pretty easy. Nice thing about purchasing the Flashzilla is I can go back and forth between stock and tune at anytime.

Hope this helps
Yes that helps, I tuned my Tundra with a tuner through the ODB II port. If you don't mind me asking how much was the setup?
 

loukytdi

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
Louisville KY
TDI
1979 Rabbit Diesel, 1982 Caddy Diesel, 1997 Passat ALH TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta ALH TDI Wagon, 2012 Audi A3, Black, Titanium Package, 2015 Golf Sportwagen S TDI, 2013 Audi A3 8P (all sold), 2015 Golf SE 6M TDI
Excuse my ignorance here, just sold my ALH Jetta and bought an A3 -- if I get a Malone Tune, maybe a Stage 2 and update the DSG will my post emissions scandal benefits be lost? Can I reverse the tune if need be?
 

Terry270

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2014
Location
BG, KY
TDI
03 golf, 10 A3
Excuse my ignorance here, just sold my ALH Jetta and bought an A3 -- if I get a Malone Tune, maybe a Stage 2 and update the DSG will my post emissions scandal benefits be lost? Can I reverse the tune if need be?
Yes it will void your warranty.
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
DSG tune shouldn't do anything to void the warranty.

The engine ECU tune, though, used to be such that you could switch back to your OEM tune and VW would be none the wiser. Now, though, (starting at least with the MQB cars, but possibly earlier) the ECU has a "flash counter" that records each time the ECU has been flashed with new/different firmware. VW knows how many flashes it's done to your car, so when it comes in for warranty work on the engine and shows that it's at x+2 or x+3....even if it's the factory firmware, they know someone else wrote something to the ECU.

Now, apparently some people have gotten warranty work done in this case, but you'd be well-advised to assume that if you tune the engine, your warranty is pretty much done. Maybe you get lucky, but be prepared for a hard "no".
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Location
yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Now, though, (starting at least with the MQB cars, but possibly earlier)
Just to confirm the MQB platform is mkvii? My mkvi JSW is not MQB?
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
Correct (I wasn't sure about loukytdi's Audi, hence my broad cross-brand statement), your Mk6 is pre-MQB. MQB started with the Mk7 Golf and the 8V Audi A3.
 

alpine4

Active member
Joined
Aug 15, 2019
Location
Victor, Idaho
TDI
2012 Audi A3
DSG tune shouldn't do anything to void the warranty.

The engine ECU tune, though, used to be such that you could switch back to your OEM tune and VW would be none the wiser. Now, though, (starting at least with the MQB cars, but possibly earlier) the ECU has a "flash counter" that records each time the ECU has been flashed with new/different firmware. VW knows how many flashes it's done to your car, so when it comes in for warranty work on the engine and shows that it's at x+2 or x+3....even if it's the factory firmware, they know someone else wrote something to the ECU.

Now, apparently some people have gotten warranty work done in this case, but you'd be well-advised to assume that if you tune the engine, your warranty is pretty much done. Maybe you get lucky, but be prepared for a hard "no".
Thinking about doing the DSG tune, so to clarify DSG tune would't be related to an engine tune, thus I should be good. Does the diesel gate fix warranty the engine as well? If so I am still under that warranty for the next few years.
You guys feel the DSG tune is worth it?
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
Worth it to me? Yes.
Worth it to you? I don't know.

DSG tune and engine tune are basically firmware "upgrades" to separate computers, so yes - you can get one without the other.
Dieselgate fix warranty covers anything to do with emissions, and was purposefully left quite broad; to my understanding (and I'm not a legal scholar, so take that as a caveat) it covers anything involved with the production of emissions, or the elimination of those emissions.
 

alpine4

Active member
Joined
Aug 15, 2019
Location
Victor, Idaho
TDI
2012 Audi A3
Worth it to me? Yes.
Worth it to you? I don't know.

DSG tune and engine tune are basically firmware "upgrades" to separate computers, so yes - you can get one without the other.
Dieselgate fix warranty covers anything to do with emissions, and was purposefully left quite broad; to my understanding (and I'm not a legal scholar, so take that as a caveat) it covers anything involved with the production of emissions, or the elimination of those emissions.
I commute 50 miles round trip a day. I go up and over a 10K pass to get to work. I find when descending home the transmission seems to get lost and will give moderate jolts and shimmers, best way I can describe it. I would assume a DSG tune will smooth this out. Did you find better engagement when passing? I spritely drive my A3.
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
The best way I can describe it is that the car now shifts how/when *I* want it to (like it's almost psychic), vs. when the car felt like it (always trying to maximize fuel efficiency, it would seem). And it adjusts to how I'm driving, too, if I'm pushing it, it holds the gear longer, but if I'm just Sunday strolling, it shifts earlier (but still not as annoying early as it does un-tuned).

I'm convinced that for anyone who cares about driving, if there was a 7-day free return option on the tune (who knows - maybe there is; I've always been so pleased with my Malone tunes, I've never even thought to ask)....exactly zero people would make use of it.
 

alpine4

Active member
Joined
Aug 15, 2019
Location
Victor, Idaho
TDI
2012 Audi A3
The best way I can describe it is that the car now shifts how/when *I* want it to (like it's almost psychic), vs. when the car felt like it (always trying to maximize fuel efficiency, it would seem). And it adjusts to how I'm driving, too, if I'm pushing it, it holds the gear longer, but if I'm just Sunday strolling, it shifts earlier (but still not as annoying early as it does un-tuned).

I'm convinced that for anyone who cares about driving, if there was a 7-day free return option on the tune (who knows - maybe there is; I've always been so pleased with my Malone tunes, I've never even thought to ask)....exactly zero people would make use of it.
Did you notice any gains in mpg or loss in mpg? I do feel a tune is in my future but most likely a DSG tune for now.
You remotely tune or go through a shop?
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
Didn't notice a difference in mpg at all. The Stage 2 engine tune, though, did provide a slight improvement (like ~6%).

Malone is HQ'd in the Vancouver (BC) area, and I was driving through one day and just arranged via email a time to drop by and Owain (user here) came out and had it all done in less than half an hour.

My only complaint (very minor) was that I was hoping that I'd always have the gear indicator showing what gear I'm in - so, just like you get M1, M2, etc. when over in the manual shifting mode, that I'd get D1, D2, or S1, S2 when just in regular "D" mode. They couldn't make that work.
 

tjg

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2019
Location
Ft. Hood, TX
TDI
'13 TDI A3, '14 TDI Sportwagen
I've done two DSG tunes on CJAA/CBEA motors. It's really easy to DIY, especially now that they use the flashzilla site for purchasing tunes (vs. emailing them the stock file and waiting for them to email the tune).
 
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