Going to try and document my TDI tuning here
Story starts with my first TDI. A 2009 Jetta. Using the CBEA engine that is common rail with the CP4.1 high pressure fuel pump. I started with a generic Malone stage 2 tune. Took the car from a stock 140HP to a claimed 184HP. Probably only added 20-30 actual HP. Car drove fine. Would bark the tires but not really a great boost as I'd hopped. Three posable reasons. Emissions system still intact, limited turbo size, and later finding out that while Malone tuning being popular, is not really all that great.
Addressed the DPF and catalyst issue by lighting them up. Retune to address the codes, etc. no change in performance or MPG. Disappointed. But car drove good so didn't complain.
Fast forward a year or two. VW has a shit show on their hands with the so called emissions scandal. VW was forced to make modifications to the effected cars to include a DEF system along with a new exhaust and programming to the ECU. Not wanting to nuter my car I elected to ignore the "update". I received a letter from DMV stating that my registration will not be renewed until I get the "fix" from VW. Backed into a corner, I decided to go with the buy-back which was slightly more then I paid for the vehicle to begin with.
Took the money and found a 2006 TDI that was not on the recall list. But quicky found out that the 90HP of that year was no fun. Being that this car was 1/3 what I got paid out for the 2009, I took some of the funds and bought a larger turbo and injectors. I also did ARP head studs and a colt stage 2 cam
Hardware list:
ARP Head Studs
Colt Stage 2 Cam
turbo: gtb1749v
1043 injectors which should be close to the same injectors used in Europe that make 170HP on their TDI's. Depending on tuning could potentially reach 200HP
Once again, back with Malone for tuning. Opted for a custom stage 5 tune to be able to accommodate the new hardware. I think it was about 6 to 8 revisions later, I had a drivable car. First tunes smoked a lot with moderate power increase. Maybe got into the 140HP range. Probably a little more. But the smoke was not acceptable. Finally settled on a pretty clean tune but was probably only 120HP. Was drivable but lacking power down low with turbo surge coming on later with a good boost in power. Was ok but turbo lag sucked. Gave up on Malone and just kept what I got.
A few years later I keep seeing a another turner pop up in the TDI club forum threads. Active member who regularly posts helpful tuning information. Plus many recommending him. Thinking maybe he can dial in the tuning better then Malone. I reach out to him with a PM and ask if he can tune my car
He takes a week or so to reply. Not a red flag or anything. Thinking he is busy. He has me fill out a simple form with the modifications I've made. Some testing of the turbo actuator and report results and health of the system. A few back and forths, and some logs for him to review. He sends me a first draft tune. Runs but a little rough. Too much smoke all around. Logs show severe underboost. Two more revisions after additional logs and I have a tune that I can drive. Good response and power down low until about half throttle . Then very little power and lots of smoke.
A few emails with updated logs for him. Explanations as to the issues. His replies are starting to become much slower. Excuses like being sick. Ok I get that. But then other excuses like family issues, sick again. Still promising to make revisions to the tune to fix the issues. Each reply being longer and longer between them. Now stretching into months between replies. Now over one year into the tuning.
Kinda giving up on him, I look into, once again, what it will take to tune it myself. Having a decent grasp of Duramax tuning. I figured I could learn to do my TDI and be done with all of this crap
Story starts with my first TDI. A 2009 Jetta. Using the CBEA engine that is common rail with the CP4.1 high pressure fuel pump. I started with a generic Malone stage 2 tune. Took the car from a stock 140HP to a claimed 184HP. Probably only added 20-30 actual HP. Car drove fine. Would bark the tires but not really a great boost as I'd hopped. Three posable reasons. Emissions system still intact, limited turbo size, and later finding out that while Malone tuning being popular, is not really all that great.
Addressed the DPF and catalyst issue by lighting them up. Retune to address the codes, etc. no change in performance or MPG. Disappointed. But car drove good so didn't complain.
Fast forward a year or two. VW has a shit show on their hands with the so called emissions scandal. VW was forced to make modifications to the effected cars to include a DEF system along with a new exhaust and programming to the ECU. Not wanting to nuter my car I elected to ignore the "update". I received a letter from DMV stating that my registration will not be renewed until I get the "fix" from VW. Backed into a corner, I decided to go with the buy-back which was slightly more then I paid for the vehicle to begin with.
Took the money and found a 2006 TDI that was not on the recall list. But quicky found out that the 90HP of that year was no fun. Being that this car was 1/3 what I got paid out for the 2009, I took some of the funds and bought a larger turbo and injectors. I also did ARP head studs and a colt stage 2 cam
Hardware list:
ARP Head Studs
Colt Stage 2 Cam
turbo: gtb1749v
1043 injectors which should be close to the same injectors used in Europe that make 170HP on their TDI's. Depending on tuning could potentially reach 200HP
Once again, back with Malone for tuning. Opted for a custom stage 5 tune to be able to accommodate the new hardware. I think it was about 6 to 8 revisions later, I had a drivable car. First tunes smoked a lot with moderate power increase. Maybe got into the 140HP range. Probably a little more. But the smoke was not acceptable. Finally settled on a pretty clean tune but was probably only 120HP. Was drivable but lacking power down low with turbo surge coming on later with a good boost in power. Was ok but turbo lag sucked. Gave up on Malone and just kept what I got.
A few years later I keep seeing a another turner pop up in the TDI club forum threads. Active member who regularly posts helpful tuning information. Plus many recommending him. Thinking maybe he can dial in the tuning better then Malone. I reach out to him with a PM and ask if he can tune my car
He takes a week or so to reply. Not a red flag or anything. Thinking he is busy. He has me fill out a simple form with the modifications I've made. Some testing of the turbo actuator and report results and health of the system. A few back and forths, and some logs for him to review. He sends me a first draft tune. Runs but a little rough. Too much smoke all around. Logs show severe underboost. Two more revisions after additional logs and I have a tune that I can drive. Good response and power down low until about half throttle . Then very little power and lots of smoke.
A few emails with updated logs for him. Explanations as to the issues. His replies are starting to become much slower. Excuses like being sick. Ok I get that. But then other excuses like family issues, sick again. Still promising to make revisions to the tune to fix the issues. Each reply being longer and longer between them. Now stretching into months between replies. Now over one year into the tuning.
Kinda giving up on him, I look into, once again, what it will take to tune it myself. Having a decent grasp of Duramax tuning. I figured I could learn to do my TDI and be done with all of this crap
