Submitted by: Bob Vernon (rvernon1@san.rr.com)
The chip is a constant topic on the VWvortex, ClubB5.com and Audiworld.com forums, quite a phenomena!
The stock 1.8T is running with a light pressure turbo. I believe it runs at a little over 7psi. With the small turbo, this reduces turbo lag and enables the turbo to spool up at very low RPM's, hence the remarkably low beginning of the torque curve (as low as 1700rpm).
For a number of years now, electronic control units (ECU) of various designs and functions been installed in cars to control engine functions and auto transmissions as well as things like dash displays, A/C, even door locks. Volvos and Saabs had electronic fuel injection "black box" control way back in the early 1970s. A chip is programmed to sense and mediate all the functions associated with air-fuel mixture map, turbo boost, ignition timing, emissions control, anti-knock sensing & control, etc. There have been chip upgrades available for many cars for a long time, just look through the ads in some major auto enthusiast magazines. But without a turbo, most of these chips can only add about 10-20 more horsepower at most. With turbos, the chip also controls the boost pressure which is a major factor in the horsepower production of the motor. This makes it possible to gain 35 to 50 additional horsepower with just a reprogram of the chip! There are nine chip tuning companies I've heard of who have a chip for the VW/Audi 1.8T 4 cylinder turbo motor. Many of these chips originated in Europe, some companies here are only distributors of the Euro product. You are probably aware that the 1.8T motor is also in the Audi A4 and was recently stuffed into the new Bug. Reports are that the Golf & Jetta will get it soon.
Click here to see the Audi A4/Passat 1.8T chip tuners (so far)
When the reprogrammed chips first came out for the 1.8T a couple of years ago, there were only 2-3 companies doing this and it cost $800. Now there is so much more competition and the average price is about $400.
As you can see, there are many chips available, the main difference being the peak boost. They come in 0.8bar (11.7psi) 0.9bar (13.2psi) and 1bar (14.7psi). While the chips are all different, they really are essentially the same in design and function. The horsepower gains ranges between about 35 and 50 hp and they have slightly different power curves. Some are better at off the line acceleration, 0-60 times are cut by almost a second. Others are better at mid-range performance like 50-70 passing power. The recommended high flow air filters supposedly get you maybe 5 more horsepower. If you add a low restriction exhaust system, you may add about 5 more hp, you can install a larger turbo ($1500+) and gain another 25 hp. The 1.8T motor is very tough, typically German over-engineered in ways that make it possible to increase the output considerably. The only detractor I can see is that some of the chips boost the turbo more than others - a potential reliability problem in the long run although only a couple of turbo failures have been reported on Audi A4 or Passat forums.
By the way, the generally accepted limit in upgrading horsepower for a front wheel drive car is around 200 hp. Beyond that, the OEM Passat suspension is not a good match and you would loose traction. Maybe with some suspension mods and wider sticky tires you could handle another 10-20 hp. The Quattro Audis can probably handle up to almost 300 hp, a few of the guys on http://www.A4.org have installed a PES supercharger which boots the 1.8T motor up into the high 200 hp range. Personally, I think that would be like driving a time bomb!
I have the Neuspeed (0.8 bar turbo boost) chip which I bought through Greedspeed (www.greedspeed.com). I drove up to Camarillo (3 hours north of San Diego) one morning last March and met with the Greedspeed representative at the back door of Neuspeed. He removed the ECU and Neuspeed did the reprogramming in about 15 minutes. There was a lot of controversy on the A4 and Passat forums when Neuspeed's chip first came out so cheap out at the end of last year. Most of the guys who had paid their $800 an earlier chip made snobbish statements like "For less than $200, it MUST be junk!" Well, it hasn't turned out that way, the Neuspeed chip performs at the middle of the pack and I know that Neuspeed has sold a heck of a lot of them. I find the Neuspeed chip to be just what I wanted. I've driven about 7000 miles now since the chip installation. The chip produces a very satisfying change in the 1.8T Passat's road manners. If you have driven both the 1.8T & the V6, the chip will make it more like a V6 in performance. The 1.8T still works harder than a V6, however, just not as hard post-chipping. The Neuspeed chip isn't the most aggressive on the market, others produce more horsepower and have better off the line acceleration. All of the chips are relatively close in performance, only a couple of tenths of a second difference in speed timings. With the chip & low restriction air cleaner, I'm supposed to have 190+ hp. There is a increase in off-the-line performance but it's real strength is as a mid-range performer. The chip is at it's best on the road, not at a stoplight. Yes, the Neuspeed chip doesn't boost the turbo as much as others but that’s comforting to my conservative middle aged psyche. The published power/torque curve shows the increase beginning around 2600 rpm and it’s smooth & strong all the way to the high 5000s. Other chips are more peaky. This makes the Neuspeed chip excellent at doing underway on the road things like lane changes in fast freeway traffic, passing, and sprinting down a freeway on-ramp. No more wondering if you can really get out ahead that big truck. Just driving around town you hardly notice any difference but when you need it, it's there. I have a tiptronic (the wife can't/won't/don't drive no stick) so I can't use shift points vs. rpm to the maximum like with a 5-speed. The only drivability problem I've encountered is that with a tiptronic downshift, sometimes there is a lurch in power. It's exhilarating when you push the car but when the tiptronic is in control and the downshift isn't when you expected, it's a little disconcerting. But - Overall the price was right, it's exactly the amount of performance improvement I wanted and I love it!
Installation - many factors & options. There are no installers in the San Diego area. Neuspeed (Camarillo, west of L.A. towards Ventura) and AMS (Costa Mesa) are in the Los Angeles area and many southern Californians drive to these chip sources for an installation, it only takes about 30 minutes. The other companies are all over the U.S. and you must deal with them by mail, unless you happen to live near them. Various options are offered by the companies. You can remove the ECU box (not very hard), FedEx it overnight, they do the chip and it comes back in a day or three. Some companies will do an exchange - mail you an ECU, you send yours back to them. At least one company (APR) will sell an ECU outright for $699 (or $599, see APR vs Garrett above) so you can keep your stock unit "just in case". The companies "do" the chip in a couple different ways. The chip is soldered on to a circuit board. So... some unsolder the OEM chip and solder in their chip. Some install a chip socket and then the chip - this makes upgrades easy. Neuspeed (may be the only one) actually reprograms the OEM chip in place. There are pros and cons to all these methods.
**ECU Removal: Wetterauer has a *.pdf file on how the remove an A4 ECU, you can download it from their website. I heard that TAP has something similar. The Passat ECU removal is very similar to the process with an Audi A4. The black plastic box that holds the ECU is under the hood on the driver's side just under the windshield wiper. It has 5 bolts securing the lid, the one in the back is hard to get to. But... I've heard you can remove the 4 easy bolts and then open the box like a clamshell without removing the rear bolt. Inside, there's a metal strap that holds down the ECU, you unscrew the bolts holding it down. There are two cable plugs to pull out and the ECU is free. You can't mix up the cable plugs when re-installing, they are different sizes. You don't have to disconnect the battery.
An interesting sidelight - Ron's Parts (RPI) at http://www.rpiequipped.com has stock Audi/VW 1.8T factory ECUs for $495.00 in case you feel you just have to have an OEM "spare" to install when you take the car to the dealership for service.
More questions....
**"Gas mileage?" - I have experienced NO change at all! Some have reported an mpg increase. VERY rare reports of loss of mileage - probably more related to putting their foot down on the gas pedal for fun!
**"Smog Control?" - Neuspeed says nobody has ever failed the test with this chip. I haven't seen any reports on the forums of failures with any other chip either.
**“I heard the dealer can reprogram the chip back to stock” - Supposedly the newest electronic analysis tool at the VW dealer can reprogram chips, they gave it that capability so upgrades could be loaded. There are some reports of this actually happening already. Some of the chip companies are issuing statements that they will reprogram their chip in this case for free or at a nominal cost. Socketed chips may have the clear advantage here. They jury is still out on this development.
**“Low restriction air cleaners?” - Recommended for optimum performance post-chip, turbos love lots of cool air. You’ll see debates on the forum as to which type is best -- I honestly don’t know. I have the Neuspeed foam filter now but maybe when I get to 20K miles I’ll get a K&N. You can clean some of these filters but I understand it’s a real mess. They aren’t that expensive so I’m intending to replace mine.
**"What are the pros and cons of 0.8 bar versus 1.0 bar chips?"
Well, I only know what I read. The spring ‘99 issue of VWPower magazine says (I've condensed it somewhat):
"The KKK K03 turbo on the 1.8T is small..... this smallness imposes some restrictions on just how much boost one can pump through the turbo. According to Turbonetics in Moorpark, California, the stock K03 is happiest at about 12 pounds of boost because of the design of the blades. Going much further doesn't produce any really usable power....The blade pitch is not designed to sustain boost beyond that threshold. This limits the 1.8T to about 200 hp with the stock K03 turbo."
What I interpret all this to mean is that the 1.0 bar chip only adds a little bit to the stock 1.8T over the 0.8 bar chip. Probably something like 1.0 produces 195-200 hp while 0.8 gets you 185-190 hp. Now... if you want to go all out and go for the bigger K04 turbo ($$$$ via Greedspeed or Neuspeed) that 1.0 bar chip would add quite a bit more enhanced potential with more boost produced. But remember, you might be spinning your wheel considerably with that upgrade! Recently somebody asked on VWVortex about Passat owners with the K04 upgrade and there was only one who contributes. If I were serious about that upgrade, I would considerably enhance the wheels, tires and suspension for maximum traction. Like I said above, the quattro A4 can handle it better like with the PES supercharger.
My 0.8 bar Neuspeed chip & filter gives me about 190hp, enough power for my taste. If you want a little more (maybe 5-10 hp more) out of the 1.8T, go for a 1.0 bar chip. I think the 1.8 motor & turbo are pretty tough, there is a chip survey being conducted by a http://www.A4.org member, I think I gave you the url in the other long message. About 150 responses the last time I looked and only 2-3 turbo failures reported - maybe not all directly related to the chip (?), early Audis & Passats had a weakness in the turbo shaft design which is not found in later models.
*** WARRANTY......??? Warranty, Dealer response and the associated paranoia are much discussed and cussed on the forums! Some dealers are "Chip Friendly", a few actually facilitate chip installations. This is the exact text sent to me via e-mail from Wetterauer when I posed the warranty question:
----------------
"As far as the Factory Warranty is concerned: the installation of our chip will not void your factory warranty. Current U.S. laws support the consumer in the following manner: The manufacturer's warranty cannot be void in the case of after market modification (including chip installation) unless an automotive dealer is able to prove that the modification in question caused the failure of a stock engine component. If this were to occur, then the dealer can only deny you warranty on that specific failed component, not your entire warranty."
----------------
These chip upgrades alone don't turn the Passat into a raging monster that will be likely to blow up, For whatever reason, the motor is really de-tuned at the stock 150 hp. Some reports are that VW didn't want to produce more stock horsepower than their non-turbo V6! This same 1.8 motor has pushed up to 180 hp in the new Audi TT and will eventually be 225 hp.
For more about warranties you can also look at the SEMA website at:
http://www.sema.org
and in particular their "Consumer's Bill of Rights" page for more info:
http://www.sema.org/fedleg/warranty
A couple of other websites with chip info:
http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/chicane/175/info/perform/testing.htm
donp.tzo.com/info/survey/survey-result.htm
http://www.detn8.org/powmotorsports/kb.asp
Also, there have been endless discussions of pros/cons/options of chips on the forums at both so you can use their search function with the word "chip" and probably have more info & opinions that you can digest!
The chip is a constant topic on the VWvortex, ClubB5.com and Audiworld.com forums, quite a phenomena!
The stock 1.8T is running with a light pressure turbo. I believe it runs at a little over 7psi. With the small turbo, this reduces turbo lag and enables the turbo to spool up at very low RPM's, hence the remarkably low beginning of the torque curve (as low as 1700rpm).
For a number of years now, electronic control units (ECU) of various designs and functions been installed in cars to control engine functions and auto transmissions as well as things like dash displays, A/C, even door locks. Volvos and Saabs had electronic fuel injection "black box" control way back in the early 1970s. A chip is programmed to sense and mediate all the functions associated with air-fuel mixture map, turbo boost, ignition timing, emissions control, anti-knock sensing & control, etc. There have been chip upgrades available for many cars for a long time, just look through the ads in some major auto enthusiast magazines. But without a turbo, most of these chips can only add about 10-20 more horsepower at most. With turbos, the chip also controls the boost pressure which is a major factor in the horsepower production of the motor. This makes it possible to gain 35 to 50 additional horsepower with just a reprogram of the chip! There are nine chip tuning companies I've heard of who have a chip for the VW/Audi 1.8T 4 cylinder turbo motor. Many of these chips originated in Europe, some companies here are only distributors of the Euro product. You are probably aware that the 1.8T motor is also in the Audi A4 and was recently stuffed into the new Bug. Reports are that the Golf & Jetta will get it soon.
Click here to see the Audi A4/Passat 1.8T chip tuners (so far)
When the reprogrammed chips first came out for the 1.8T a couple of years ago, there were only 2-3 companies doing this and it cost $800. Now there is so much more competition and the average price is about $400.
As you can see, there are many chips available, the main difference being the peak boost. They come in 0.8bar (11.7psi) 0.9bar (13.2psi) and 1bar (14.7psi). While the chips are all different, they really are essentially the same in design and function. The horsepower gains ranges between about 35 and 50 hp and they have slightly different power curves. Some are better at off the line acceleration, 0-60 times are cut by almost a second. Others are better at mid-range performance like 50-70 passing power. The recommended high flow air filters supposedly get you maybe 5 more horsepower. If you add a low restriction exhaust system, you may add about 5 more hp, you can install a larger turbo ($1500+) and gain another 25 hp. The 1.8T motor is very tough, typically German over-engineered in ways that make it possible to increase the output considerably. The only detractor I can see is that some of the chips boost the turbo more than others - a potential reliability problem in the long run although only a couple of turbo failures have been reported on Audi A4 or Passat forums.
By the way, the generally accepted limit in upgrading horsepower for a front wheel drive car is around 200 hp. Beyond that, the OEM Passat suspension is not a good match and you would loose traction. Maybe with some suspension mods and wider sticky tires you could handle another 10-20 hp. The Quattro Audis can probably handle up to almost 300 hp, a few of the guys on http://www.A4.org have installed a PES supercharger which boots the 1.8T motor up into the high 200 hp range. Personally, I think that would be like driving a time bomb!
I have the Neuspeed (0.8 bar turbo boost) chip which I bought through Greedspeed (www.greedspeed.com). I drove up to Camarillo (3 hours north of San Diego) one morning last March and met with the Greedspeed representative at the back door of Neuspeed. He removed the ECU and Neuspeed did the reprogramming in about 15 minutes. There was a lot of controversy on the A4 and Passat forums when Neuspeed's chip first came out so cheap out at the end of last year. Most of the guys who had paid their $800 an earlier chip made snobbish statements like "For less than $200, it MUST be junk!" Well, it hasn't turned out that way, the Neuspeed chip performs at the middle of the pack and I know that Neuspeed has sold a heck of a lot of them. I find the Neuspeed chip to be just what I wanted. I've driven about 7000 miles now since the chip installation. The chip produces a very satisfying change in the 1.8T Passat's road manners. If you have driven both the 1.8T & the V6, the chip will make it more like a V6 in performance. The 1.8T still works harder than a V6, however, just not as hard post-chipping. The Neuspeed chip isn't the most aggressive on the market, others produce more horsepower and have better off the line acceleration. All of the chips are relatively close in performance, only a couple of tenths of a second difference in speed timings. With the chip & low restriction air cleaner, I'm supposed to have 190+ hp. There is a increase in off-the-line performance but it's real strength is as a mid-range performer. The chip is at it's best on the road, not at a stoplight. Yes, the Neuspeed chip doesn't boost the turbo as much as others but that’s comforting to my conservative middle aged psyche. The published power/torque curve shows the increase beginning around 2600 rpm and it’s smooth & strong all the way to the high 5000s. Other chips are more peaky. This makes the Neuspeed chip excellent at doing underway on the road things like lane changes in fast freeway traffic, passing, and sprinting down a freeway on-ramp. No more wondering if you can really get out ahead that big truck. Just driving around town you hardly notice any difference but when you need it, it's there. I have a tiptronic (the wife can't/won't/don't drive no stick) so I can't use shift points vs. rpm to the maximum like with a 5-speed. The only drivability problem I've encountered is that with a tiptronic downshift, sometimes there is a lurch in power. It's exhilarating when you push the car but when the tiptronic is in control and the downshift isn't when you expected, it's a little disconcerting. But - Overall the price was right, it's exactly the amount of performance improvement I wanted and I love it!
Installation - many factors & options. There are no installers in the San Diego area. Neuspeed (Camarillo, west of L.A. towards Ventura) and AMS (Costa Mesa) are in the Los Angeles area and many southern Californians drive to these chip sources for an installation, it only takes about 30 minutes. The other companies are all over the U.S. and you must deal with them by mail, unless you happen to live near them. Various options are offered by the companies. You can remove the ECU box (not very hard), FedEx it overnight, they do the chip and it comes back in a day or three. Some companies will do an exchange - mail you an ECU, you send yours back to them. At least one company (APR) will sell an ECU outright for $699 (or $599, see APR vs Garrett above) so you can keep your stock unit "just in case". The companies "do" the chip in a couple different ways. The chip is soldered on to a circuit board. So... some unsolder the OEM chip and solder in their chip. Some install a chip socket and then the chip - this makes upgrades easy. Neuspeed (may be the only one) actually reprograms the OEM chip in place. There are pros and cons to all these methods.
**ECU Removal: Wetterauer has a *.pdf file on how the remove an A4 ECU, you can download it from their website. I heard that TAP has something similar. The Passat ECU removal is very similar to the process with an Audi A4. The black plastic box that holds the ECU is under the hood on the driver's side just under the windshield wiper. It has 5 bolts securing the lid, the one in the back is hard to get to. But... I've heard you can remove the 4 easy bolts and then open the box like a clamshell without removing the rear bolt. Inside, there's a metal strap that holds down the ECU, you unscrew the bolts holding it down. There are two cable plugs to pull out and the ECU is free. You can't mix up the cable plugs when re-installing, they are different sizes. You don't have to disconnect the battery.
An interesting sidelight - Ron's Parts (RPI) at http://www.rpiequipped.com has stock Audi/VW 1.8T factory ECUs for $495.00 in case you feel you just have to have an OEM "spare" to install when you take the car to the dealership for service.
More questions....
**"Gas mileage?" - I have experienced NO change at all! Some have reported an mpg increase. VERY rare reports of loss of mileage - probably more related to putting their foot down on the gas pedal for fun!
**"Smog Control?" - Neuspeed says nobody has ever failed the test with this chip. I haven't seen any reports on the forums of failures with any other chip either.
**“I heard the dealer can reprogram the chip back to stock” - Supposedly the newest electronic analysis tool at the VW dealer can reprogram chips, they gave it that capability so upgrades could be loaded. There are some reports of this actually happening already. Some of the chip companies are issuing statements that they will reprogram their chip in this case for free or at a nominal cost. Socketed chips may have the clear advantage here. They jury is still out on this development.
**“Low restriction air cleaners?” - Recommended for optimum performance post-chip, turbos love lots of cool air. You’ll see debates on the forum as to which type is best -- I honestly don’t know. I have the Neuspeed foam filter now but maybe when I get to 20K miles I’ll get a K&N. You can clean some of these filters but I understand it’s a real mess. They aren’t that expensive so I’m intending to replace mine.
**"What are the pros and cons of 0.8 bar versus 1.0 bar chips?"
Well, I only know what I read. The spring ‘99 issue of VWPower magazine says (I've condensed it somewhat):
"The KKK K03 turbo on the 1.8T is small..... this smallness imposes some restrictions on just how much boost one can pump through the turbo. According to Turbonetics in Moorpark, California, the stock K03 is happiest at about 12 pounds of boost because of the design of the blades. Going much further doesn't produce any really usable power....The blade pitch is not designed to sustain boost beyond that threshold. This limits the 1.8T to about 200 hp with the stock K03 turbo."
What I interpret all this to mean is that the 1.0 bar chip only adds a little bit to the stock 1.8T over the 0.8 bar chip. Probably something like 1.0 produces 195-200 hp while 0.8 gets you 185-190 hp. Now... if you want to go all out and go for the bigger K04 turbo ($$$$ via Greedspeed or Neuspeed) that 1.0 bar chip would add quite a bit more enhanced potential with more boost produced. But remember, you might be spinning your wheel considerably with that upgrade! Recently somebody asked on VWVortex about Passat owners with the K04 upgrade and there was only one who contributes. If I were serious about that upgrade, I would considerably enhance the wheels, tires and suspension for maximum traction. Like I said above, the quattro A4 can handle it better like with the PES supercharger.
My 0.8 bar Neuspeed chip & filter gives me about 190hp, enough power for my taste. If you want a little more (maybe 5-10 hp more) out of the 1.8T, go for a 1.0 bar chip. I think the 1.8 motor & turbo are pretty tough, there is a chip survey being conducted by a http://www.A4.org member, I think I gave you the url in the other long message. About 150 responses the last time I looked and only 2-3 turbo failures reported - maybe not all directly related to the chip (?), early Audis & Passats had a weakness in the turbo shaft design which is not found in later models.
*** WARRANTY......??? Warranty, Dealer response and the associated paranoia are much discussed and cussed on the forums! Some dealers are "Chip Friendly", a few actually facilitate chip installations. This is the exact text sent to me via e-mail from Wetterauer when I posed the warranty question:
----------------
"As far as the Factory Warranty is concerned: the installation of our chip will not void your factory warranty. Current U.S. laws support the consumer in the following manner: The manufacturer's warranty cannot be void in the case of after market modification (including chip installation) unless an automotive dealer is able to prove that the modification in question caused the failure of a stock engine component. If this were to occur, then the dealer can only deny you warranty on that specific failed component, not your entire warranty."
----------------
These chip upgrades alone don't turn the Passat into a raging monster that will be likely to blow up, For whatever reason, the motor is really de-tuned at the stock 150 hp. Some reports are that VW didn't want to produce more stock horsepower than their non-turbo V6! This same 1.8 motor has pushed up to 180 hp in the new Audi TT and will eventually be 225 hp.
For more about warranties you can also look at the SEMA website at:
http://www.sema.org
and in particular their "Consumer's Bill of Rights" page for more info:
http://www.sema.org/fedleg/warranty
A couple of other websites with chip info:
http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/chicane/175/info/perform/testing.htm
donp.tzo.com/info/survey/survey-result.htm
http://www.detn8.org/powmotorsports/kb.asp
Also, there have been endless discussions of pros/cons/options of chips on the forums at both so you can use their search function with the word "chip" and probably have more info & opinions that you can digest!
