BEW vnt17 tuning

[05MK4TDI]

I have a bone stock 2005 BEW Jetta with a garrett vnt17 slapped on it. considering the build path i want to go down with this car as a reliable, decent power/torque daily with improved fuel economy, how should i tune it? i have everything sorted out on the car and it’s in pretty much perfect condition. i spent the past year making it bulletproof and completed all of the maintenance for it. should i get a boost gauge to monitor the boost pressure and then get a simple flash tune? there is a tune dealer nearby who sells and installs malone tunes using a flashzilla unit (i think, i’m really not sure how all of this works) will i need a new clutch?
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thank you so much in advance, and please notify me in the comments if this post belongs on a different page. thank you so much!
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(other info) 2005 Jetta 5 speed BEW with a garrett Vnt17 and a full 2.25” straight through exhaust (no cats, or muffler) no check engine lights, EGR Valve and cooler still installed and working well, 238k miles on the car, stock clutch
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thanks again!

 

[Nero Morg]

You may need an upgraded clutch, matter of fact, I'd bet on it. Under higher torque curves, stock ones like to slip.

You can't go wrong with a milf Malone tune. There are dealers who do the installs, you'll have to find one that's local to you and make an appointment. A tune definitely wakes up these cars, and can help increase fuel economy, so long as you keep your foot out of the go go juice pedal.

 

[mjydrafter]

I did a stage 1 with EGR delete. VNT 17

Stock clutch, but I'm old and don't drive like a hoon much. But, it seems to hook up fine.

If I drive semi sensibly I can go 42 mpg.

254k, 5 sp manual.

 

[05MK4TDI]

You may need an upgraded clutch, matter of fact, I'd bet on it. Under higher torque curves, stock ones like to slip.

You can't go wrong with a milf Malone tune. There are dealers who do the installs, you'll have to find one that's local to you and make an appointment. A tune definitely wakes up these cars, and can help increase fuel economy, so long as you keep your foot out of the go go juice pedal.

awesome thank you so much for the input. i’ve never dumped the clutch out or done anything stupid with it. it seems to be okay for the time being.

You may need an upgraded clutch, matter of fact, I'd bet on it. Under higher torque curves, stock ones like to slip.

You can't go wrong with a milf Malone tune. There are dealers who do the installs, you'll have to find one that's local to you and make an appointment. A tune definitely wakes up these cars, and can help increase fuel economy, so long as you keep your foot out of the go go juice pedal.

awesome thanks for the input man! you think i should tune it and then wait till it does slip? or should i upgrade the clutch right before i get it tuned. what clutch/flywheel kit should i get? i want it to hold any power i want to throw at it without worrying about it slipping. thanks again!

 

[05MK4TDI]

I did a stage 1 with EGR delete. VNT 17

Stock clutch, but I'm old and don't drive like a hoon much. But, it seems to hook up fine.

If I drive semi sensibly I can go 42 mpg.

254k, 5 sp manual.

what stage 1 tune did you go with?

 

[Nero Morg]

I had a stage 2 tune installed, and almost immediately after, my brand new stock clutch started slipping. If you do a stage 1 tune you most likely can leave the stock clutch in there. Anything bigger, start looking at doing g60/vr6 clutch or stage 2 daily from south bend.

I now have a stage 4 tune with a south bend stage 3 clutch, but that clutch is way overkill for this tune.

 

[05MK4TDI]

I had a stage 2 tune installed, and almost immediately after, my brand new stock clutch started slipping. If you do a stage 1 tune you most likely can leave the stock clutch in there. Anything bigger, start looking at doing g60/vr6 clutch or stage 2 daily from south bend.

I now have a stage 4 tune with a south bend stage 3 clutch, but that clutch is way overkill for this tune.

i have yet to do but research on clutch kits for our car lmao, but is South Bend a company that makes decent clutches for our cars?

i don’t want to separate my engine and my transmission more times than i need to. i’m quite mechanically inclined, and building a stupid fun tdi sounds awesome. i’d rather have overkill clutch than an underperforming one. do you think i should invest in a stage 3 south bend clutch so i won’t have to worry about it? or is stage 2 plenty for a street/ autocross car

 

[Nero Morg]

South bend is a highly recommended vendor for performance clutches. If you want more power and reliability in a clutch, you can't go wrong with the Stage 2 Daily. Just make sure to follow the bedding procedure, no hot rodding like crazy for the first 10k miles.

 

[mjydrafter]

what stage 1 tune did you go with?

Malone.

 

[afterthisnap]

should i get a boost gauge to monitor the boost pressure and then get a simple flash tune?

I installed a boost gauge and found it to be more of a novelty after a week. I think an egt gauge provides more useful data.

 

[05MK4TDI]

I installed a boost gauge and found it to be more of a novelty after a week. I think an egt gauge provides more useful data.

please correct me if i’m wrong, but does EGT stand for exhaust gas temperatures? how is that more important than boost pressure monitoring?

 

[05MK4TDI]

Malone.

awesome thanks man

 

[TurboABA]

please correct me if i’m wrong, but does EGT stand for exhaust gas temperatures? how is that more important than boost pressure monitoring?

Oh dear... I suggest reading up on all this tuning stuff a little more.
Some of the stuff you're saying indicates that you are a little green when it comes to extracting performance out of a vehicle.
EGTs for example, are super important and tell you a lot about what's happening inside the cylinders, if you're approaching the limits of any of the materials, or are about to start melting stuff, or running out of fuel, etc.
Also, when you say you've "bulletproof it", what exactly have you done?

 

[TurboABA]

Here's a quick read just to give you a basic idea if you don't already know this....

Why EGT is Important

Keeping an eye on exhaust gas temperature can save big money The exhaust gas temperature (EGT) pyrometer can be one of the most important gauges on a

official.bankspower.com

 

[05MK4TDI]

South bend is a highly recommended vendor for performance clutches. If you want more power and reliability in a clutch, you can't go wrong with the Stage 2 Daily. Just make sure to follow the bedding procedure, no hot rodding like crazy for the first 10k miles.

you think stage 2 will hold some power with spirited street driving every once in a while?thanks for the heads up about the break in period i’ll be sure to do more research on it. i want this clutch to last as long as possible

 

[afterthisnap]

does EGT stand for exhaust gas temperatures? how is that more important than boost pressure monitoring?

Correct.
How much I actually "monitor" boost pressure from the gauge is extremely limited after the new part honeymoon period was over. Half the time it's covered by a steering wheel spoke while turning anyway (steering column mount).
Plus, I can use VCDS to log the same data to actually troubleshoot boost issues.
I would prefer to have an EGT to see how warm things were getting when under load. While nice to have, I don't think either is really necessaary.

 

[Nero Morg]

you think stage 2 will hold some power with spirited street driving every once in a while?thanks for the heads up about the break in period i’ll be sure to do more research on it. i want this clutch to last as long as possible

A stage 2, once properly broken in, can take daily spirited driving.

 

[05MK4TDI]

Oh dear... I suggest reading up on all this tuning stuff a little more.
Some of the stuff you're saying indicates that you are a little green when it comes to extracting performance out of a vehicle.
EGTs for example, are super important and tell you a lot about what's happening inside the cylinders, if you're approaching the limits of any of the materials, or are about to start melting stuff, or running out of fuel, etc.
Also, when you say you've "bulletproof it", what exactly have you done?

This is exactly why i came to you guys. im extremely new to tuning and getting some mild power out of cars like this. like i said in a few replies i still need to do all of the research before slapping a tune on it and melt my cylinder walls. i get EGT readings are extremely important but i’m not building a racecar. i’m not sure if it came off like that, but my goal is to make the car bulletproof, get good fuel economy and make it easier to merge onto freeways and things like that. when i say i want to make it bulletproof, i mean that i want to replace all of the wearables with new parts for peace of mind as it’s my daily. i have 238k miles on the stock clutch and i was asking what would be a good upgrade that could hold power farther down the line in case i do want to push some bigger numbers out of this engine. as far as stuff that i’ve done, i’ve replaced axles, all 4 shocks and springs, timing belt, water pump, TB tensioner, serpentine belt, SB tensioner, alternator pulley, A/C compressor, serpentine belt alignment, coolant expansion tank, new coolant return lines, full coolant flush and refill, all super basic maintenance stuff to ensure this engine is running perfectly. I change out the oil and filter every 5k miles with liqui moly top tec within the correct volkswagen oil specs, and a MANN filter. OEM+ is a good way to describe what my goals are for this car

 

[05MK4TDI]

Correct.
How much I actually "monitor" boost pressure from the gauge is extremely limited after the new part honeymoon period was over. Half the time it's covered by a steering wheel spoke while turning anyway (steering column mount).
Plus, I can use VCDS to log the same data to actually troubleshoot boost issues.
I would prefer to have an EGT to see how warm things were getting when under load. While nice to have, I don't think either is really necessaary.z

you don’t understand how helpful this is. thank you so much for all of the help. i will definitely look into all of this. couldn’t ask for a more helpful community!

 

[TurboABA]

EGTs are critical on any vehicle as they are a fast indicator of what's happening...... opinions may vary.
Clutch upgrades, will mainly depend what the amount of power you want to put down, and the kind of driving you want to do...... in my past gasser life, I drove a DD with a 4 puck, unsprung disk in a 2L that stripped the teeth off my 3rd gear cog in the tranny during a street pull..... it held the power\tq but wasn't fun to park or use in stop-and-go traffic.

Do some more reading and decide how far you want to take things.... then build everything to support those goals.
Here's another quick blurb on SB

.....as soon as the first nozzle upgrade is performed the OEM clutch can begin to slip. To harness any amount of power the 1.9L engine can turn out, South Bend offers seven different clutch upgrades. The company builds a Stage 2 Daily that can handle up to 325 lb-ft of torque, a Stage 2 Endurance that’s good for 350 lb-ft and a Stage 2 Drag unit rated for 390 lb-ft. South Bend’s Stage 3 line features a Daily that can hold 400 lb-ft, an Endurance rated for 425 lb-ft and a Drag version capable of harnessing 510 lb-ft. For all-out racing, its Stage 4 Extreme clutch is rated for more than 525 lb-ft. All South Bend clutches come with its 22.5-pound single mass flywheel and new crank bolts.

 

[TurboABA]

I use one of these on my DD as it allows me to monitor various things without having to install gauge pods and X different gauges to attract unwanted attention.

» ScanGauge II

www.scangauge.com

 

[05MK4TDI]

EGTs are critical on any vehicle as they are a fast indicator of what's happening...... opinions may vary.
Clutch upgrades, will mainly depend what the amount of power you want to put down, and the kind of driving you want to do...... in my past gasser life, I drove a DD with a 4 puck, unsprung disk in a 2L that stripped the teeth off my 3rd gear cog in the tranny during a street pull..... it held the power\tq but wasn't fun to park or use in stop-and-go traffic.

Do some more reading and decide how far you want to take things.... then build everything to support those goals.
Here's another quick blurb on SB

dude that south bend clutch info you shared was so helpful. i definitely am not about to put a race clutch in my daily, but i don’t want to keep dropping my transmission and bell housing every time i want to turn up the power. i want to be safe for a little and not have to worry about it. my daily commute is all fwy with a little bit of city. zero stop and go traffic. thanks for the input i’ll definitely take that “stage” comparison into consideration when ordering a southbend clutch.

 

[05MK4TDI]

I use one of these on my DD as it allows me to monitor various things without having to install gauge pods and X different gauges to attract unwanted attention.

» ScanGauge II

www.scangauge.com

another tdi owner recommended i invest into this. what’s the basic rundown on this? is it a direct plug and play into the OBDii or do i have to program it to the ECU? it looks super interesting. are there ways to change what’s displayed on the screen? can i have like boost pressure, oil pressure and EGT readings on it if i want to?

 

[Nero Morg]

I have a scangauge II in my car as well, it plugs straight into the obd2 port and displays live data.
I have mine set to water temp, intake temp, trip fuel economy, and boost.
It will also show other things, but EGTs and oil pressure is not one of them.

The scangauge will only show data for what sensors are stock on the engine. The oil pressure sensor on these cars is actually a pressure switch. Simply on or off, no actual psi reading.

Honestly an egt gauge is only necessary if you're drag racing all the time. With my stage 4 tune I've never had an egt gauge, never needed one. With a good running car you don't need it. A boost gauge and egt gauge is just more of a peace of mind thing.

So if you're looking for some go fast mods, firstly, dump that stock clutch. Get a south bend stage 2 daily. Do a tune. Maybe do some supporting mods like an upgraded side mount intercooler, but you'll have to do some hose modifications. All pretty easy stuff. You already have the bigger turbo, your only holdup will be your injectors, but PD injectors are crazy expensive to modify, so I'd leave them alone.

Doing these will definitely increase your smile per mile. If you reeeaallly wanted to do more, get a sigma 5 short shifter and a rear sway bar. Really helps with the driving experience.

 

[05MK4TDI]

I have a scangauge II in my car as well, it plugs straight into the obd2 port and displays live data.
I have mine set to water temp, intake temp, trip fuel economy, and boost.
It will also show other things, but EGTs and oil pressure is not one of them.

The scangauge will only show data for what sensors are stock on the engine. The oil pressure sensor on these cars is actually a pressure switch. Simply on or off, no actual psi reading.

Honestly an egt gauge is only necessary if you're drag racing all the time. With my stage 4 tune I've never had an egt gauge, never needed one. With a good running car you don't need it. A boost gauge and egt gauge is just more of a peace of mind thing.

So if you're looking for some go fast mods, firstly, dump that stock clutch. Get a south bend stage 2 daily. Do a tune. Maybe do some supporting mods like an upgraded side mount intercooler, but you'll have to do some hose modifications. All pretty easy stuff. You already have the bigger turbo, your only holdup will be your injectors, but PD injectors are crazy expensive to modify, so I'd leave them alone.

Doing these will definitely increase your smile per mile. If you reeeaallly wanted to do more, get a sigma 5 short shifter and a rear sway bar. Really helps with the driving experience.

dude that’s like EXACTLY what I want to do. oem plus babyyyy! i already have coilovers on it and a sigma 5 V2 short throw shifter. getting a rear sway bar after i get a new clutch, i’m pretty sure i won’t need an egt guage on my jetta it runs flawlessly, and i’ve had zero issues with it. thanks for all of this info i’ll definitely look into all of this. you’re the man!

 

[TurboABA]

It will also show other things, but EGTs and oil pressure is not one of them.

It will show EGT if you program it accordingly.....
It won't show oil pressure if you don't have a sensor......

It's very versatile and useful if and when properly used.

 

[05MK4TDI]

It will show EGT if you program it accordingly.....
It won't show oil pressure if you don't have a sensor......

It's very versatile and useful if and when properly used.

can you expand on “program it accordingly”? when installing the scangauge ii do you need to have it programmed or is it direct plug-and-play

 

[TurboABA]

There is information on the manufacturer's site, and there are threads on here in specific forums from those of us who have already figured out how to make certain things work on whatever platform..... search and read a little and you should find sufficient info.

» VOLKSWAGEN

www.scangauge.com

 

[Nero Morg]

Yeah, definitely would like you to elaborate on that, since an egt isn't factory. Scangauge just sees what the ECM sees.


Edit, cruised through the link you shared, looks like that specific programming is for 2014+ vehicles.

 

[05MK4TDI]

than

There is information on the manufacturer's site, and there are threads on here in specific forums from those of us who have already figured out how to make certain things work on whatever platform..... search and read a little and you should find sufficient info.

» VOLKSWAGEN

www.scangauge.com

thank you!