Porsche tuners

School me on the plug-n-play tuners for the Turbo Bacon. I did a google search and came up with several of them, but I don't know what any of that shit means or which ones are any good.

This is the main one I am looking at:
https://www.racechip.us/shop/porsche/macan-from-2014/3-6-turbo-3604ccm-400hp-294kw-405lb-ft.html

Seems like cheap HP. Only $800 for a gain of 80hp and 96ft/lbs.

Anyone know how it could affect the warranty? Bacon has about 15,000 miles.

This is from their Q&A:

Does the diagnostic device show that performance enhancement has been installed?
No. A diagnostic device only reads out the data saved to the vehicle's own engine control unit. The RaceChip has absolutely no interaction with the engine control unit. Sometimes diagnostic devices show error messages stemming from the control unit. However, these cannot be attributed to the installation of the RaceChip.

I selected a Jaguar F-Pace as my rental car while doing a school when I get home, because I think I need an F-Pace SVR and I want to check out the interior, ergonomics, etc. But I got to thinking, I love everything about the Bacon, the only reason I want the SVR is for that 500+HP motor. It would be easier to just jack up the HP on mine.

 

Not sure about Porsche but the newer VAG cars throw a TD1 in the internal code showing that the ECU has been re-written. They can deny drivetrain warranty based on that.

There is a piggyback option for Audi/VW, while not a slick as total tunable ECU controller, that gains similar HP albeit not as smooth as the ECU re-write

On my GTI, I said who cares about warranty and went with the MOAR power option, but it's not as an expensive as Bacon either.

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk

 

Is that different than the one in my link?

It says it doesn't interact with the ECU in any way, so it is undetectable (assuming you remove it before taking the car in for service).

 

I'd recommend contacting a few legitimate tuning shop and ask for some advice. Try these guys first, they're over by Brian somewhere anyway so would be convenient.

https://www.topspeedmotorsports.com

Don't know them personally, have heard good things in the past though. Hopefully that's still the case.

 

Like any modification it could impact your warranty, a lot of it comes down to the dealer up to a certain point. Obviously you would have to remove the unit each time you took it into the dealer so they wouldn't know you had it. The main problem is while they aren't changing the ECU with a flash most modern vehicles do record certain operational values of the powertrain for diagnosis purposes at least for a short time. If you had a problem and they looked at that data they are going to see things that are out of norms. In short there is no 100% guarantee it would be undetectable.

You might never have an issue but a popular phrase in the diesel world once you start modifying is "you are your own warranty station". You have to be prepared to accept the possibility of coverage being denied.

 

It does look like it is a piggyback system, so yeah, it would give more power without being detected for the most part, once you remove it before the dealership sees it.

 

I got a piggyback tuner (think power commander vs flash tuning in motorcycle terms) for my BMW 335. It can be removed easy enough and returned to stock if there is an issue the requires a trip to the dealer. I also had a catless down pipe installed which is not easy to swap out but is less likely to cause warranty issues unless the problem is with the turbo.

I'd imaging that you will see some pretty nice gains if you did intercooler, down pipe, tuner and intake. Find a reputable Porsche tuner and pay them to work the magic. It's worth it.

 

Leave shit alone....drive the car....be happy.

 

Any modification you do should affect warranty.
If you are looking for a piggyback, these guys are well known. https://www.cobbtuning.com/products/accessport/accessport-for-porsche-macan-base-s-gts-turbo

I personally like ECU reflashes better.
Some of the piggybacks are just "fooling" sensors into increasing car boost. Reflash actually changes the parameters.

 

I'm the same, but that is easily detectable if Porsche has a TD1 equivalent

 

Damn, all of that seems like a lot of hassle.

I think it would be easier to just get the F-Pace SVR. It makes 550hp and 500ft/lbs stock, so it wouldn't have to be messed with.

 

I have thought about that, but that is kinda going down the road I was trying to avoid. I like the idea of this tuner because it is quick, easy, cheap (relatively), and immediate. It installs/uninstalls in just a few minutes, and adds good power. I was trying to avoid spending a bunch of money on "permanent" modifications.

Ive had it for 2 years, so I am getting the itch for something new. But I was hoping adding a tuner would give me some new excitement (kinda like a Superbike build on your existing bike), that would make it funner to me for a little while longer. I don't want to spend a bunch of money on it, because I wont have it much longer anyway.

 

why not give the race chip thing a try? it's cheap and there is a $100 discount code that ends today. 14-day return policy I saw too.

 

Or a Cayenne, if you absolutely want more horsepower but want to keep driving a Porsche. Leave that tuner shit alone. Or take it to a top German tuner.

 

Ill need to look at the specs to see if they have changed them in the last year or so. That is why I went with the Bacon over the Cayenne originally, I liked how it was a little smaller and more sporty.

I think a twin-turbo V8 would be badass.

A lot of it will depend on how the F-Pace feels when I have one for a few days this month. To me, the biggest part of the decision is shit like the radio buttons, seat adjustments, steering wheel adjustments, where my knee falls on the console, etc. All of the cars in that line are nice, but sometimes I just cant get comfortable in them, no matter what I do. Or it is too much of a pain in the ass to cycle through radio stations.

 

Not necessarily.
Read up on https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/sta...nty-federal-trade-commission-improvements-act

 

Did you drive a Cayenne?
A buddy, whose automotive opinion I don't question, recently replaced his GM2500 with an SUV..."Sport" being the operative word. He drove everything that could handle the added job of towing his modest race trailer, including a Bacon.
He bought a Cayenne. He also said something to the affect that a Bacon was an all-around disappointment. This...coming from a guy that knows auto-cross, off-roading and track time...made me wonder what possessed you.
Of course, now I have to give the obligatory advice to sell Bacon.

 

Then you drive it for a bit and one day say to yourself...man I wish this had more power. It's never ending. Drive the car be happy....retire not broke.

 

Too bad that APR doesn't seem to have anything for the Bacon. They work with dealers so that you still have a warranty

 

Ask the parts guy at the dealer what they offer and install. If they are making $$ on it they will likely overlook the warranty issues.