I have an 04 TT with X50, will be installing an aftermarket exhaust shortly. I am seriously considering a stage 4 GIAC upgrade but I am concerned about potential problems, such as.....effect on resale/trade in.......warranty issues.......everyday drivability. The chip is from a very reputable board sponser. I have done a search on this topic but I would appreciate your opinions, especially from those with ECU upgrades, as to if you would "do it all over again" or just keep it stock. Also, have any of you experienced any problems related to the ECU upgrade.

 

if you're concerned about problems, warranty, your best bet is to keep it stock.

Just remember if you're going to play with Performance, you have to accept the risks, etc. There are too many people that want 600+ HP, but then worry about how it will affect warranty. Also, keep in mind, there are not enough turbos on the road with over 50K+ miles modified to really know the longevity of the engine. Im at 24K with about 20K miles chipped and no problems at all (knock on wood).

Long story short, if your blow your engine and your car is modified, you will most likely lose your warranty coverage. it's very easy for the dealer to find out that the car was modified.

With that said, so far i have yet to hear of any problems as a result of an ecu upgrade.

Good luck.

 

every individual is going to have a different criteria. I regret modding the car because once I started I just kept wanting more power. It's easy to drop another $30k which just dissappears.

If you look at the board, lots of cars for sale at 30% off after a year or so.. You only recoup $5k of the $30k - beware.

But if you want to go FAST - you've got the right car

 

For me the car didn't feel fast enough stock, but I didn't have an X-50. If you really enjoy it as is, don't mess with it because all it can do is cost you money and more money. If on the other hand you really want to awaken the cars potential and don't really care about spending or risking the money, then mod away.

 

I have yet to find a person who has had a nightmare experience from remapping the ECU, especially with a GIAC product. It wasnt until I spoke with a service manager that I got spooked. Is it any "easier" on the car going with a Stage I, II,or III as opposed to going with a Stage IV.

 

I have done a lot of educating on this subject and have personally experienced the one question you ask. If you do a search on the archives when I first modified my car I developed a chain housing leak. I was running 600HP and decided I paid to much to work on my own car. I ran it to the dealer to be fixed. I was asked a few questions and I knew they knew it was modified so I quickly recited a few burps from the Munson-Moss act. I also have a good relationship with my dealer and know the service manager. These two things have created a situation where they simply don't bother me with it. They tell me the ECU is not covered as a unit. That is to be expected. My motor was out 4 times after that for various issues not related to the mods. I couldn't get them to replace the clutch though. My points are know your rights, know the dealer and their position, know your service manager and develop a relationship if you can. We do some ECU tunes for other dealers, yes a Porsche dealer. So somewhere we all must be right. Then I hear issues of BOVs not being covered through the dealer. The key is to be educated and ultimately know your rights. Like I explained to my dealer "why do you care? You guys get the warranty time either way" He agreed.

 

My local dealer had a far different answer! My not so friendly local Porsche dealer told me: "We make more money when charging the customer for work, so we prefer not to do work under warrenty."
Basically he meant, Porsche won't let us f*ck them over but we can sure try to stick it to you.

 

I think it has to do with how much $$ the dealer has from local cars. Our dealer is the MAIN Benz dealer. So Porsche is the ugly step child and the service department sucks in comparison to the Benz side. So they take ANYTHING They can get...

Hey, How is that beast of yours

 

It is great!!!!!!! I wish I had more time to drive it.

 

Glad you are enjoying it! Now you know why I drive mine daily. I don't want to drive something else.

 

Daily driving is not the issue, travel abroad is, at least I'm racking up those frequent flyer miles. I will be in Columbia for a few weeks, I can't wait!! Columbia has the best Women in the world.

 

This is a perfect example of "penny wise and dollar foolish". Make a few extra bucks now, **** off the customer and next time he buys a car it may not be from you (or the brand entirely). As Stephen said, "why do you care? You guys get the warranty time either way". Exactly, the dealer still makes money and the customer is happy and relieved...and almost certainly remains a Porsche buyer (or whatever brand). The enthusiasts are the ones that buy sports cars cars in good times or bad, why risk putting one off? My $.02

 

It is called business 101, obviously the d!ck head manger at this dealer ship missed the class. I would NEVER buy a car or use them for service again.

 

I'm curious as well about the stage 4 chip. I have an x-50 with upsolute and I'm very happy with the performance but I just want more power now. I'm thinking about getting an exhaust but would the stage 4 chip be noticeably more powerful than my upsolute. Does the stage 4 have the race has program? How much does it cost? Thanks

 

From what little I understand, if you already have an X50 with the K24 turbos then the Stage IV is a huge improvement over the basic upsolute chip. I also believe that an exhaust upgrade is highly recommended, especially with the stage IV.