Dallas Stace-smith
Well-known member
Hey, just wondering if anybody has a Malone stage 3 on their mk4 Alh Jetta and would like to tell me how much of a jump it is from the stage 1 or if it is worth it?
I did mine a few weeks ago. I've had .216 nozzles for almost 2 years now and just recently replaced the clutch and got the tune. I went ahead with all the ad ons also. Like dynamic egr, idle, increased flow plug duration and launch control. I don't think I care for the launch control though. Personally, I find it useless.Alright awesome thank you!
Have you ever tracked your miles traveled with a GPS? I have a hard time seeing a good running manual trans TDI getting that low of mileage. Your taller tires will show less miles traveled.It's totally worth it, but get a good clutch (manual) because you won't be able to stay off the gas! I have a stage 3 and pp520 nozzles and I love it! You won't want to go back to stock.
I haven't had the stage one, but adding pp520's there was a little bit of a notice. Really pp520's was a nice touch, but then with the stage 3....1-3rd pulls hard!
I have the heavier beetle body, and i still have a 7.6-7.8's 0-60 on stock tires. With my oversized tires im running low 8's. Mileage is all affected in how you drive. Drive crazy=low milage. Drive nice=better then stock mpg
Notice: I drive 65-75mph everywhere, and don't mind passing cars with full throttle to get around them. That being said 65-75mph with most miles being closer to 70mph isn't conducive to getting steller mpg.
If i drive the car rough everywhere i am getting about 30mpg, but i also have a rack with windfairing and a light bar....also again the beetle body (had like 40mpg stock, maybe 45ish if i drove nice).
If i drive nice im seeing about 40, but if i take the light bar down it bumps up a few more. It really is crazy how a 22" light bar can knock mpg down by like 4-5!! So really anything that adds drag will kill your mpg, 2nd to how you drive the car.
I have actually always wondered, what is the launch control actually like? How do you engage it?I did mine a few weeks ago. I've had .216 nozzles for almost 2 years now and just recently replaced the clutch and got the tune. I went ahead with all the ad ons also. Like dynamic egr, idle, increased flow plug duration and launch control. I don't think I care for the launch control though. Personally, I find it useless.
I have stage III with .216’s and stock turbo on two vehicles. They both smoke on hard acceleration but still deliver decent economy and good power. One car with stage II, .205’s and stock turbo. Good power and great economy. Don’t get caught up in “stages”. Be honest with yourself in how you will drive it the majority of the time, pick your components, and let your tuner do his thing.Hey, just wondering if anybody has a Malone stage 3 on their mk4 Alh Jetta and would like to tell me how much of a jump it is from the stage 1 or if it is worth it?
Yeah, I have .205's as well. Just wondering about the stage 3 because I'm trying to decide between the stage 3 and stage 2I have stage III with .216’s and stock turbo on two vehicles. They both smoke on hard acceleration but still deliver decent economy and good power. One car with stage II, .205’s and stock turbo. Good power and great economy. Don’t get caught up in “stages”. Be honest with yourself in how you will drive it the majority of the time, pick your components, and let your tuner do his thing.
find a way to install the proper MAP and your ecu can read the signals clearly, no more over boostHi
I started off with a stage 1 tune on a totally stock vehicle.
I now have the modifications in my signature and I'm still on my stage 1 tune with no updates.
The only thing that I can think of that's wrong with my stage 1 tune id that I can get up to 24 PSI of boost on vnt 15 whereas a "proper" tune would adjust the Boost ....
I have yet to add the pd 150 3" maf , air cleaner upgrade and 3" profi diesel tip .... I'm hoping with these mods the fueling will get cut back a bit and the Boost will go down correspondingly without need for re tune.
So far I can limit boost with my right foot but one time while attempting a quick merge on the highway my boost spiked 24 PSI and the car went into limp mode .... fortunately I was just doing an Italian tune-up and not needing to pass or merging closely because the limp mode could have reduced power drastically at an inopportune time .... that's probably is about the biggest Improvement that could happen with a proper tune ..... the limiting of boost and preventing the throwing overboost codes at inopportune times.
Of course if I took the time I could install my Boost limiter ( for the life of me I'm drawing a blank on what it's actually called but it's the small spring-loaded adjustable contraption that you plumb into the vacuum lines that allows you to manually adjust max boost Levels by turning a knob).
Anyways maybe between the Boost limiter above and the 3 in maf my Boost will get down to more normal levels and I won't worry about overboosting and limp mode.
I realize I could update my tune but truthfully the car seems to run very well the way it is and plus it's expensive to redo the tune.
If the other upgrades I do don't change the maximum boost level significantly I may still consider updating the tune but truthfully i have dealt with the overboost issue manually .... the ol right foot. ;-)
Andrew
Hifind a way to install the proper MAP and your ecu can read the signals clearly, no more over boost
All it does is limit the rpm's to 2500 when the car is not moving. So basically, you just put the pedal to the metal and dump the clutch when you want to go. As soon as the abs detects movement, you can rev it past that.I have actually always wondered, what is the launch control actually like? How do you engage it?
No i haven't with a gps, just the car dash. Best tank was 485mi. Doing about 70-75 for about 3/4 of it. I also have the tires that are 8% bigger.Have you ever tracked your miles traveled with a GPS? I have a hard time seeing a good running manual trans TDI getting that low of mileage. Your taller tires will show less miles traveled.
You're probably over 8%, calculated by circumference not diameter. 215/75/15's? I think if you figure your multiplier with a gps you will probably find you are getting low to mid 40'sNo i haven't with a gps, just the car dash. Best tank was 485mi. Doing about 70-75 for about 3/4 of it. I also have the tires that are 8% bigger.
Same thing I believe, 27”215/65/16
HI,You're probably over 8%, calculated by circumference not diameter. 215/75/15's? I think if you figure your multiplier with a gps you will probably find you are getting low to mid 40's
A) a boost limiter is also a Dawes DeviceHi
I started off with a stage 1 tune on a totally stock vehicle.
I now have the modifications in my signature and I'm still on my stage 1 tune with no updates.
The only thing that I can think of that's wrong with my stage 1 tune id that I can get up to 24 PSI of boost on vnt 15 whereas a "proper" tune would adjust the Boost ....
I have yet to add the pd 150 3" maf , air cleaner upgrade and 3" profi diesel tip .... I'm hoping with these mods the fueling will get cut back a bit and the Boost will go down correspondingly without need for re tune.
So far I can limit boost with my right foot but one time while attempting a quick merge on the highway my boost spiked 24 PSI and the car went into limp mode .... fortunately I was just doing an Italian tune-up and not needing to pass or merging closely because the limp mode could have reduced power drastically at an inopportune time .... that's probably is about the biggest Improvement that could happen with a proper tune ..... the limiting of boost and preventing the throwing overboost codes at inopportune times.
Of course if I took the time I could install my Boost limiter ( for the life of me I'm drawing a blank on what it's actually called but it's the small spring-loaded adjustable contraption that you plumb into the vacuum lines that allows you to manually adjust max boost Levels by turning a knob).
Anyways maybe between the Boost limiter above and the 3 in maf my Boost will get down to more normal levels and I won't worry about overboosting and limp mode.
I realize I could update my tune but truthfully the car seems to run very well the way it is and plus it's expensive to redo the tune.
If the other upgrades I do don't change the maximum boost level significantly I may still consider updating the tune but truthfully i have dealt with the overboost issue manually .... the ol right foot. ;-)
Andrew
HISome versions of factory ECM programming do not throw codes when a "wrong" MAP is installed, but a 3 bar MAP will give 20% more boost than the tune requests generally causing a spike.
A) a boost limiter is also a Dawes Device
B) .205 nozzles usually run out of fuel around 18PSI; I am surprised yours are fueling up to 24 PSI.
C) I had a TDTuning "Stage 3 18PSI" tune in my Jetta. Not only did I have enough power on tap to safely pass other cars ( thank God) my FE increased to 52MPG on the freeway, and what a blast to drive!
HiIt's totally worth it, but get a good clutch (manual) because you won't be able to stay off the gas! I have a stage 3 and pp520 nozzles and I love it! You won't want to go back to stock.
I haven't had the stage one, but adding pp520's there was a little bit of a notice. Really pp520's was a nice touch, but then with the stage 3....1-3rd pulls hard!
I have the heavier beetle body, and i still have a 7.6-7.8's 0-60 on stock tires. With my oversized tires im running low 8's. Mileage is all affected in how you drive. Drive crazy=low milage. Drive nice=better then stock mpg
Notice: I drive 65-75mph everywhere, and don't mind passing cars with full throttle to get around them. That being said 65-75mph with most miles being closer to 70mph isn't conducive to getting steller mpg.
If i drive the car rough everywhere i am getting about 30mpg, but i also have a rack with windfairing and a light bar....also again the beetle body (had like 40mpg stock, maybe 45ish if i drove nice).
If i drive nice im seeing about 40, but if i take the light bar down it bumps up a few more. It really is crazy how a 22" light bar can knock mpg down by like 4-5!! So really anything that adds drag will kill your mpg, 2nd to how you drive the car.
I don't think it rolls really black smoke like tractor pullers ...You are living on borrowed time with your turbo, VNT-15's are on the edge of the safe window at 19 PSI. So you have .205 nozzles and an 11mm pump, which in theory puts you into the .216 range. You have enough fuel to run 24 PSI of boost with the correct turbo. You don't mention if you roll coal every time you tag the throttle, but I will guess you do.
Ya i mounted it up on the rack. Which hurts mpg. I had tried mounting it in front of my radiator behind the grill, but it didn't give good down road lighting. Millennium falcon makes bars that you can attach lights to and everyone loves them, but he doesn't have one for the beetle. If it's mounted down there it really shouldn't hurt mpg, because the air is still going around the rest of the car.Hi
Just curious but where did you mount the light bar .... on the rack?
I have seen pics of people with light bars in the grill and a member here makes an attachment to mount lights that fits through the lower 2 grill openings.... i wonder if those or the latter would hurt aero too badly?
Andrew
Hi.205 nozzles and a stage 1 could make a black smoke screen. Significantly less smoke by going to stg 2 or 3 with .205 nozzles on 10 mm pump. Stage 1 with .205 nozzles felt the fastest, stage 2 not as much response but a linear smoke free acceleration. I got used to stage 1 response on bigger nozzles so went with stage 3 which gives a little smoke when going over half throttle but no smoke with most driving. 18 psi on stock turbo. My stage 1 was meant to max out stock injectors with fueling. The tune is meant to work with what is present when you tune