2012 Golf TDI itching for a tune again

[NIGHTL0CK]

Reposted because I posted in the Jetta section hah

Hi, I'm looking to tune the car again now that I'm back to stock. I've had the APR tune for a few years before my ECM broke. I got it replaced and all CEI cleared. Now I want to move away from APR and still currently researching the forums (a lot to go through, just looking for a TLDR version). From what I've been seeing, Malone/Tunezilla is a good option. I'm exploring other options too, but I have a few questions before I proceed:

Car is currently stock at 183xxx miles. I don't have any performance upgrades (coils and tune were the only two). Given the amount of miles, should I look to replace anything such as clutch or turbo before tuning? With Tunezilla I was planning on getting stage 1. It's my daily driver and I don't beat the car as hard. Having the APR tune was fun so I wanted something to match it or go a bit further.

Tunezilla Stage 1 requires DSG tune. Can someone explain that?

Lastly, I live in a place with emission laws. First California and now Arizona. Which means I probably can't do a DPF delete. I'm still looking into the pros/cons of the DPF delete. Will I be losing out on much if I keep the DPF?

I think that covers it for me to get started. I'll still be researching different builds as I'm willing to spend. Looking to hear inputs from the community, thanks!

 

[smelly621]

Kerma TDI seems to have the most experience tuning these and keeping all the emissions equipment from what I've seen. Seems to extend the DPF life too. Not worth doing a delete if you're going to have to reinstall all the emissions to pass smog I my opinion.

 

[NIGHTL0CK]

Kerma TDI seems to have the most experience tuning these and keeping all the emissions equipment from what I've seen. Seems to extend the DPF life too. Not worth doing a delete if you're going to have to reinstall all the emissions to pass smog I my opinion.

Awesome yeah I just got to reading about Kerma TDI. It looks great, given that I don't plan on doing a DPF delete right now.

 

[JesseTDI]

Ive been running a Kerma Tune on my 2012 Golf (with emissions intact) for over 4 years and over 50k miles now. It's been great! Still pulls harder and gets better MPG than pre-tune. The thing gives my (stock) MK8 GTI a run for its money between stoplights!

 

[AverageAndy]

Not sure about Pima county, but in Maricopa, they only OBD2 scan , check the fuel cap and for a check engine light. Although I didn't get to test it, I had an MRtuned Jetta that showed readiness with full delete that I was 99% sure would pass smog.

 

[roadlust]

Get the highest tune your hardware will allow. Seems to be a big myth that the lighter tunes are less stressful on your car. The car is only stressed if you drive it like you stole it. My experience is the higher the tune the better mpg's if you drive mildly. And when you need it the performance makes one grin!!!

 

[NIGHTL0CK]

Cool thanks all for solidifying my purchase. I went with the Kerma tune with air intake. It’s time I start putting work on this lady.

But now a little annoyed that the air intake may flag my smog test. I’m still riding on my CA license and plates so I might get all the tests taken care of before installing the tune/mods.

 

[Garrison]

I didnt see anyone answer your dsg question, it increases the clutch pressure to handle the higher torque loads that a tune provides. I dont think its required for stage one but beyond that its a solid investment. I'm on stage 3 DSG tune and it drives exactly like stock when you want it to, and is responsive and quick-shifting when you need it to be

 

[NIGHTL0CK]

I didnt see anyone answer your dsg question, it increases the clutch pressure to handle the higher torque loads that a tune provides. I dont think its required for stage one but beyond that its a solid investment. I'm on stage 3 DSG tune and it drives exactly like stock when you want it to, and is responsive and quick-shifting when you need it to be

Thanks for the reply! I’ll keep this in mind if I ever switch over. Is this required even if I have a manual transmission?

 

[Garrison]

I'm not as well versed in the manual's tolerences, I would imagine the same general rule would apply, stage one being okay assuming you didn't abuse it.

If you're asking if they need to have a tune, no. You would have your own set of issues finding a clutch and (dual mass-)flywheel combo you liked