Remaps and longevity?

[slynch23]

Hi guys

Considering getting my car remapped and just wondering if anyone on here has had a map for years and not had any issues? If I do go for it it’ll probably have to be an APR map as I can get that done locally, would be concerned about going to r tech in case I had to return as it’s 150 miles away. Has anyone got any feedback on the APR maps? Also, my car is on just under 110k, would I need a new clutch before getting it remapped?

[rich83]

You'll absolutely need a new uprated clutch.

[slynch23]

Well that immediately puts me off haha. That’s a grand before the remap 😬

[imprezzaworks]

Do these need an updated clutch before a map?

[Jb55]

What stage map are you looking at getting ?

[slynch23]

Just a stage 1. I don’t want to change any hardware at all really, maybe a pre cat delete but that’s it.

[titchy]

I had R Tech stage 1 for 8 years no problems std clutch car did 69000 when sold

[john_o]

entirely dependent on how the clutch has been treated prior to map and luck of the draw.

If you are K04 with manual , start saving for a clutch.
Is it ok just now in terms of feel and when you slip on a hill ? full throttle at 2700 rpm in 6th etc? Even so its not really an indicator if it will or wont slip.
You might get away at Stage 1 without it for a while but it will eventually slip (i got over 80k miles out of a clutch with various stage 1 maps in my previous Ed30)
It you go to RTech they also would be able to further reduce the boost and ramp levels to prolong the life of it.
Its also how you drive it post map.

Take the chance go for it, you might be lucky and get away with it (if not you have a choice to back out or go all in) and these cars with K04 were just meant to be mapped it s a different car.
Having a K04 and keeping it stock imo is a crime, so much untapped potential.

[slynch23]

The clutch feels slightly high but other than that I’ve not tested it to see if it’ll slip or anything. If I do get it mapped I won’t drive it like an idiot, no racing/wheel spin starts, I just want a bit more power lower down the revs. I’m not sure if mines ko4 🙈 it’s a 2006 standard GTI

[ROH ECHT]

Yours is likely a standard K03...especially, since you are wanting a bit more power.
If an APR dealer is closest to you...just do that. Custom tuning can often push bits to their limits. APR's tunes are in many cars and tunes are revised and updated up to now. Given they've been doing the tunes for these for 15 years now, and had a successful MK5 GTI racing team, you will be getting a reliable tune from them with free future updates. I've had GIAC tunes on mine for over 12 years now for the same reason. Techtonics Tuning is a GIAC dealer and are just 20 minutes away. The only tune that caused my car issues was a tune I ran from 2013 to 2015. It was a custom e-tune by DM (Driver Motorsport). It pushed the fueling and boost more than my GIAC tune did and I had to rebuild my engine in 2015. So I went back to my GIAC tune. Funny thing was was the DM couldn't beat my GIAC 1/4m ET even though it was supposedly 30 more HP.

[pudding]

Absolutely you will need a clutch.  It can only hold 280lbft, and that's when new.  Remap torque spikes can easily exceed that figure. You will notice the slipping when accelerating hard in 3rd or 4th up a hill.

Even for stage 1, you may also need a HPFP as well.

Going with the best prices around at the moment, that's £860 for the Helix + DMF kit and another £250ish for the VIS pump internals.  Plus labour if you can't fit the parts yourself.  Looking at 4-5 hours book time for the clutch.

On top of that, you will also need all of the stretch bolts for the engine mounts, flywheel etc etc.  And if the engine is getting on a bit, a rear main crank seal a wise move, and that's another £100 + £33 for the VW sealant.

So yes, think wisely about where you want go with your car 

My ED30 has been remapped nearly all of it's life.  Currently on 144K and the engine is still strong as an Ox.  It's sh*t maps that kill engines, not remaps per se.

Some due diligence is required with the maintenance before even considering a remap.  Knackered injectors, weak MAFs, clogged oil pick ups, worn chains etc etc.  Get all of that sorted first.

[slynch23]

And I’d have to add the increase of my insurance premiums to that as well 😂😂 so I think I’ll love it. Would cost about £1500 to do it properly by the sounds of things and I don’t think that’s justified considering I only paid £4500 for the car 2 years ago. I wouldn’t want to do it without all the due diligence as I’m far too precious over the car!

[pudding]

Depends on your age chap, old crusties like me don't get any premium hikes with mods    I only pay £350 FC with stage 1 map, coilovers, big brakes, ARBs etc 

My ED30 was £9K when I bought it 6 years ago, so it was still worth a chunk, so I didn't mind sinking a bit of investment into the toys.  If I picked a scruffy one up now for £4K ish, I don't think I'd bother either 

That said, the MK5 is a bloody riot with the right mods    Can't always think of it as a loss of money, but rather a gain in fun factor!

[slynch23]

I’m 30, so it won’t increase massively but it will go up. I’ve put so much time, money and effort into my car I’d be terrified of something being put under too much strain from a map and then breaking etc... or worse, pumping all that money into the car and then something catastrophic happening like head gasket going 😬

[ROH ECHT]

I’m 30, so it won’t increase massively but it will go up. I’ve put so much time, money and effort into my car I’d be terrified of something being put under too much strain from a map and then breaking etc... or worse, pumping all that money into the car and then something catastrophic happening like head gasket going 😬

After all the time some of us have spent on these MK5 forums, I myself cannot remember any head gaskets going. Also, APR has a Stage 1 'Low Torque' tune (https://www.goapr.com/products/ecu_upgrade_20tfsi_trans.html) so the torque spike is flattened and no mods are needed. All for safety and elimination of concerns. A perfect tune for waking up a stock MK5 GTI without breaking the bank.