KermaTDI DSG Flash Tuning, worth trying?

[jetpackjbd]

Not sure if this is the right place for transmission tuning, let me know.

I hate the DSG’s automatic mode in my 2011 Jetta TDI. It doesn’t know when to upshift, has a lag between pedal and movement, and downshifts jarringly when I’m trying to coast. I’ve found a product that claims to correct all of my qualms with an OBD2 device. I’ve seen generally positive reviews of it, but people usually get it in addition to an engine tune for performance. I just want the improved drivability and fuel economy, not power. Yes I could shift manually and get the results I want for free but I’m a bad driver and don’t need additional things to think about on the road.

Has anyone tried this product? What’s needed for it to work? What are the risks? Improvements?

 

[Tuheeden]

Tunezilla lite can flash the DSG yourself and it's worth every penny! I have done that in all 4 of my TDIs!

 

[CanadianALH]

I don’t have a transmission tune but I’m told @Xtremefunky makes awesome tunes

 

[Team399]

I got it. performance was great didnt see any change in my MPG. had to uninstall to pass smog cost me quite a bit of $$ techs at website were no help.
havent reinstalled.

 

[Tuheeden]

I got it. performance was great didnt see any change in my MPG. had to uninstall to pass smog cost me quite a bit of $$ techs at website were no help.
havent reinstalled.

Must be California? In the states I have been thus never caused an inspection issue. I thought tunezilla could flash it back to OEM. I'll have to try it to be sure.

 

[turbodieseldyke]

I don’t have a transmission tune but I’m told @Xtremefunky makes awesome tunes

I believe @lemoncurd can vouch for this.

 

[lemoncurd]

I believe @lemoncurd can vouch for this.

i can indeed, on my numerous malone DSG tunes i had problems after problems

MULTIPLE independant trusted indie shops thought it was my mech unit (including malone), or my clutch pack.

after a SINGLE DSG tune revision/flash from @Xtremefunky, no issues. thing drives like new.
the malone DSG tune got so bad, i ended up flashing back to stock and driving around on a stock DSG tune with a big turbo installed for about a week until my money got cleared/sent to Xtremefunky. i rathered driving around on stock DSG tune with large turbo (which btw means bad shift points, and lack of power because engine is torque limited) than use the malone tune.

just some of my malone DSG tune "features" were:
1: stalling
2: clunking
3: "machine gun" shifting (generally when going up a slight hill, you depress accelerator and the DSG cant decide what gear to be in, so it shifts between say 3-4-3-4-3 REALLY fast. it is NOT pleasant.)
4: bad MPG / fuel economy
5: second gear REFUSING to disconnect when coming to a stop. like i would be STANDING on the brake pedal, and my engine would be bogging, and the DSG is STILL trying to creep in second gear until it eventually gives up after nearly stalling the engine and the RPM FLIES up to like 1.5k momentarily
6: INSANE clutch BAR requirements! if your DSG tuner's "solution" to more power is just increasing clutch clamping pressure.... get a different tuner.
7: nullifying numerous non-related DSG maps used for momentum / velocity calculations.
- this doesnt matter for most, but i did notice my OEM Adaptive Cruise Control had better accel / brake behavior after going back to stock DSG / tuned file from xtremefunky

fwiw, the customer service from malone, now tunezilla, is unmatched. theyre nice to chat with. but the proof is in the pudding.
at the end of the day, malone's tunes got me down the road, my car didnt blow up (though some people have had their stock AND stage "4" big turbo's blow up on malone tunes...), and it put a smile on my face until i started digging deep into stuff

 

[Dalon]

Ah the joys of my malone dsg tune, I really loved having to give the car throttle to keep it from stalling out as well. Have enjoyed my @Xtremefunky ECU and DSG tune though

 

[jetpackjbd]

i can indeed, on my numerous malone DSG tunes i had problems after problems

MULTIPLE independant trusted indie shops thought it was my mech unit (including malone), or my clutch pack.

after a SINGLE DSG tune revision/flash from @Xtremefunky, no issues. thing drives like new.
the malone DSG tune got so bad, i ended up flashing back to stock and driving around on a stock DSG tune with a big turbo installed for about a week until my money got cleared/sent to Xtremefunky. i rathered driving around on stock DSG tune with large turbo (which btw means bad shift points, and lack of power because engine is torque limited) than use the malone tune.

just some of my malone DSG tune "features" were:
1: stalling
2: clunking
3: "machine gun" shifting (generally when going up a slight hill, you depress accelerator and the DSG cant decide what gear to be in, so it shifts between say 3-4-3-4-3 REALLY fast. it is NOT pleasant.)
4: bad MPG / fuel economy
5: second gear REFUSING to disconnect when coming to a stop. like i would be STANDING on the brake pedal, and my engine would be bogging, and the DSG is STILL trying to creep in second gear until it eventually gives up after nearly stalling the engine and the RPM FLIES up to like 1.5k momentarily
6: INSANE clutch BAR requirements! if your DSG tuner's "solution" to more power is just increasing clutch clamping pressure.... get a different tuner.
7: nullifying numerous non-related DSG maps used for momentum / velocity calculations.
- this doesnt matter for most, but i did notice my OEM Adaptive Cruise Control had better accel / brake behavior after going back to stock DSG / tuned file from xtremefunky

fwiw, the customer service from malone, now tunezilla, is unmatched. theyre nice to chat with. but the proof is in the pudding.
at the end of the day, malone's tunes got me down the road, my car didnt blow up (though some people have had their stock AND stage "4" big turbo's blow up on malone tunes...), and it put a smile on my face until i started digging deep into stuff

Wow, good to know. What was needed to be done to perform the tune? Did Xtremefunky do it themself or do they sell a module? How much did it come to?

 

[lemoncurd]

Wow, good to know. What was needed to be done to perform the time? Just a flash or was other equipment required? (Unless you took it into a shop). How much did it come to?

flashed the DSG with a tactrix openport 2.0 and PCMflash with accompanying module.

GENUINE PCMFLASH can do a virtual read of your ECU and TCU, allowing xtremefunky to tune it without ever having to actually read the binary on the device.

i had to buy a o2e to obd2 cable to read my DSG tune
it also let me restore back to stock file very quickly when i was testing the differences between malone and stock files....

in regards to what needed to be done for the DSG tune, not much.
i sent xtremefunky my read (a virtual read from genuine PCMflash is fine), he then sent me a file back. i wrote the file through the OBD2 port with the cable, and battery tender plugged into the car, then i drove off when it was done.

no need to reset adaptations, or clutch values, or shift point stuff, etc. when a DSG tune is done properly you dont need to mess with those adaptation maps. COUGH COUGH (my malone tune wouldnt adapt most of the time!)

 

[jetpackjbd]

flashed the DSG with a tactrix openport 2.0 and PCMflash with accompanying module.

GENUINE PCMFLASH can do a virtual read of your ECU and TCU, allowing xtremefunky to tune it without ever having to actually read the binary on the device.

i had to buy a o2e to obd2 cable to read my DSG tune
it also let me restore back to stock file very quickly when i was testing the differences between malone and stock files....

in regards to what needed to be done for the DSG tune, not much.
i sent xtremefunky my read (a virtual read from genuine PCMflash is fine), he then sent me a file back. i wrote the file through the OBD2 port with the cable, and battery tender plugged into the car, then i drove off when it was done.

no need to reset adaptations, or clutch values, or shift point stuff, etc. when a DSG tune is done properly you dont need to mess with those adaptation maps. COUGH COUGH (my malone tune would adapt most of the time!)

Alright, that’s not so bad. When I have a bit more spare change and get around to doing proper maintenance I’ll definitely look into buying the necessary equipment. Sounds like I’m not at much of a risk of bricking my car either. My transmission currently has 210,500 miles on it so I’m hoping it’ll be worth upgrading.

 

[Dannyboy]

i can indeed, on my numerous malone DSG tunes i had problems after problems

3: "machine gun" shifting (generally when going up a slight hill, you depress accelerator and the DSG cant decide what gear to be in, so it shifts between say 3-4-3-4-3 REALLY fast. it is NOT pleasant.)

I have this excat issue and i can also vouch it feels really bad on the drive train.
I'm also dealing with issues with my Touareg as I got a tune from them and I'm currently on my 5th or 6th revision. Kinda had enough of Malone and tunezilla.

Customer support is good but the tunes seem to be half-@$$Ed . For a company that is mostly tune based I wouldn't recommend them

 

[x1800MODMY360x]

I have this excat issue and i can also vouch it feels really bad on the drive train.
I'm also dealing with issues with my Touareg as I got a tune from them and I'm currently on my 5th or 6th revision. Kinda had enough of Malone and tunezilla.

Customer support is good but the tunes seem to be half-@$$Ed . For a company that is mostly tune based I wouldn't recommend them

I had an issue with my Touareg as well, Stage 1 or 2 when cold would shutter and go limp mode, factory tune works just fine.

I got a Pre dieselgate TCU tune and it help a lot, but they blame me for the fault it was generated.

 

[Dannyboy]

I had an issue with my Touareg as well, Stage 1 or 2 when cold would shutter and go limp mode, factory tune works just fine.

I got a Pre dieselgate TCU tune and it help a lot, but they blame me for the fault it was generated.

Of the first 4 revisions, when engine was warm it would hunt constantly on idle. Thought it was a couple of injectors even though the deviation numbers weren't bad so I installed new injectors as they were not in their prime anyway. Of course it did it after the install. 5th revision got rid of the hunting idle when warm. Now I've got eye piercing smoke even with a warmed up DOC still installed.
Just seems like a lot of messing about with a canned tune