[Isaacschndr]

Hello,
I am considering buying the NUESPEED P-Chip ( NEUSPEED P-Chip ) for my 2002 Passat with the 1.8t. What I'm wondering is, is it worth the $350? Is it safe to run that much boost on my engine? (161,000 miles, second owner, i know the car was not beat on before me) and how hard is it to remove the chip/how long can i expect to be without using my car?
On the page i linked they said they will provide instructions for removal and guarantee "same day turnaround" but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience doing this?
All advice is welcome.
Thanks,
Isaac

 

[scotts13]

A "chip" can make a dramatic difference in how enjoyable it is to drive your car. With the possible exception of the diverter valve, your engine should take the pressure just fine. Removing the ECU is relatively easy; perhaps a 2 on a 10-point scale of Passat procedures. Even with "same day turnaround" you can expect to be without use of your car for several days; shipping takes time. I generally recommend going with a brand tune that has a local agent; in most cases installing the software is a 15-minute, while-you-wait process.

 

[smac4th]

I have APR and absolutely love it. Really changed the way the car felt. Very noticeable change is smoothness. Love the tons of extra torque. I would say it's worth doing as it greatly improves the way the car drives. I also gained about 1-2 mpg from the tune.

 

[VAGguy]

look around. there are many different tunes (stage 1) that you could do. If I remember correctly, the P-tune was the mildest of them all. Haven't seen a mention of NS in a long time.

Take a look at Reflect tuning. Quite a few of us, me included, have had their tune. Ian is a great guy and even does custom tunes for the big turbo guys. They run about $250-$299 I believe and it comes with a pre-loaded ECU. The B5.5s had immobilizer, but their ECUs have that removed so they can be used in any car. There is also APR, Unitronic, GIAC....etc.

Your engine will take it as long as it's well maintained. You will need an upgraded diverter valve (not the blow off or hybrid kind) either a 710N stock valve from an Audi TT 225 or something like an APR R1/Forge 007.

 

[TheRustySuper]

Like others have said, look around for someone local who is certified to perform the tune you're looking to get. That way you don't have to pull your ECU and do without a car. When we got APR Stage 1 on our '05 1.8t it took about 45 minutes at the shop to get the tune and then we were on our way.

As far as your car being able to handle the tune, don't sweat it. As long as you take care of your car with proper routine maintenance as you normally would you'll be just fine. Our Passat has been chipped for over a year now and has over 140k on it, and I've seen people with twice that mileage on chipped cars. Currently I have not upgraded the DV but I'm sure I will at some point.

Is it worth the money? Hell yeah. It totally transformed the way the car drives.

 

[Emry]

It totally transformed the way the car drives.

Does the MPG goes up after chipping because of the extra 30 hp?

 

[smac4th]

The mpg goes up because with a factory tune they design the car to run on different grades of gas. When you get chipped the car is now tuned to run off of 1 grade of gas. Because of this the car is tuned to take the full advantages of that particular grade of gas thus allowing you to make more power and get better fuel economy

 

[zak99B5]

But then you drive it faster, negating the MPG boost.

Do it.

I like my Unitronic on my B5 A4. I also liked Revo on my 1.8T GTi.

APR is in a bit of a mess as a company afaik, so that would make me steer clear of their tune.

 

[Emry]

The mpg goes up because with a factory tune they design the car to run on different grades of gas.

I think both the owner's manual and inside the gas tank lid states to use premium gas in B5. I'm almost sure if you use lower fuel grades than 91 octane you will experience loss of power. I read somewhere people complaining about engine knocking when using 87 octane. Besides, by using lower grade fuel you may build up more carbon deposits inside the engine.

 

[TheRustySuper]

Does the MPG goes up after chipping because of the extra 30 hp?

Theoretically it can, it's all in how you drive the car. The tune can make the engine run a little more efficiently which can increase fuel economy. However, lots of us (myself included) tend to drive their cars faster/harder once we give them more power. As a result I haven't really noticed a change in fuel economy one way or the other.

And yes, you are supposed to be running premium fuel in your Passat. We got the 93 octane tune since that's all we ever put in it anyway.

 

[smac4th]

^^ very true. When I got my tune my MPGs stayed the same because of the extra fun I was getting from the extra power. I am now being more conservative with my driving and I'm getting better MPGs then before the tune. Maybe 1-3 more MPG, not alot but the few extra MPG's is a nice bonus

 

[Steve in Chicago]

Chipping my 2002 passat worth it?

Yes! :driving:

Afterwards you're going to say one of the following things...

"I should have done this long ago."
"This is how the car should have come from the factory."
"Honey, I'm going to drive to the store to get a bag of potato chips... one chip at a time."

 

[smac4th]

The manual says 91 minimun. I personally use 93 as thats all I can get near me

 

[VAGguy]

please do not feed. no more need to discuss the MPG.

 

[VAGguy]

But then you drive it faster, negating the MPG boost.

Do it.

I like my Unitronic on my B5 A4. I also liked Revo on my 1.8T GTi.

APR is in a bit of a mess as a company afaik, so that would make me steer clear of their tune.

They were a few years back, but I don't see any reason not to use a file that they developed in their heyday. It is a solid tune.

 

[ylwagon]

please do not feed. no more need to discuss the MPG.

But one question; the O2 sensor is going to try and correct any mixture leaning, and the ignition timing is already, to the best of my knowlege, firing advanced enough to just keep pinging from occuring. So what can the chips do to make more cruise power from less gas?

 

[Steve in Chicago]

That's a good question for someone who writes tunes.


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[Isaacschndr]

Foregot to mention i already upgraded my DV to a forge splitter valve. I know i know..i wanted the sound along with the preformance. Im going to tighten the spring a lot more because it lets off too much right now IMO at around 20 clicks. Hard to find places that will do tunes around me in northern Iowa. Only a few places that will even work on the car. Ill look into it though.
Thanks!

 

[zak99B5]

But one question; the O2 sensor is going to try and correct any mixture leaning, and the ignition timing is already, to the best of my knowlege, firing advanced enough to just keep pinging from occuring. So what can the chips do to make more cruise power from less gas?

Well, I do not believe the stock tune keeps timing just behind detonation. Chip companies all state that they advance timing. Stock you can run 87 octane without ill effect. Chipped, that would be a certain mistake. In the stock tuning there is a larger margin of safety in its timing maps. A chip will push this closer to the edge (detonation) in most instances, while still staying relatively safe.

 

[zak99B5]

Foregot to mention i already upgraded my DV to a forge splitter valve. I know i know..i wanted the sound along with the preformance. Im going to tighten the spring a lot more because it lets off too much right now IMO at around 20 clicks. Hard to find places that will do tunes around me in northern Iowa. Only a few places that will even work on the car. Ill look into it though.
Thanks!

Get the Audi TT diverter valve. And go "pshhhht" with your mouth every time you shift if you miss the noise. :driving: