[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by saurabhkum

Can you please let us know what is meant ECU upgrade to latest version and also the benefits out of the same. Also if you can help if that upgrade was free and the total cost associated with it.
I'm thinking of remapping my Jetta and considering various options and benefits with each of them. Pete's has come up with offer which is approx 15k and that makes it a very attractive.

The car when it rolls out of the factory will have a certain firmware burnt in the ECU. From time to time, the manufacturer might release a newer version of the firmware and dealers would normally update you to the latest version available while servicing the car. In my case, the firmware was quite old and hence was recommended to be upgraded. Usually, there will be improvements to the way the car runs, fuelling etc., via these factory firmware upgrades, but like in the dieselgate fix, it could also be for emission fixes.

If you get the upgrade done via the dealer, it is free of charge. If you choose to do it via a 3rd party like ToT, you'll have to purchase a one time license from VW/Skoda.

[vignesh.cv]

Another update after 52,200 kms. The car completes 4yrs and I decided to spruce her up a bit. While the Stage 1 remap was plenty fun to drive with a lot of midrange poke, I was always eyeing what can be done on the car without sacrificing the daily driver nature of the car. Spoke to Vicky from ToT and decided to take the plunge. We decided on swapping the OE turbo with a CR190 turbo. Now, this CR190 turbo is used on specific VW variants abroad on the same 2.0 diesel motor. With the turbo and appropriate changes, those cars put out a claimed 190hp from the factory. Size wise this is bigger than the existing KKK one. That also means, the low-end drive-ability could suffer and turbo lag will need to be factored in. In order to help with spooling the turbo sooner, we decided to switch to VW Racing air filter. This filter is also a panel type and sits inside the stock air box. Only difference being, this one can be washed and reused whereas the OE is a paper element and has to be replaced. Along with this, Vicky also recommended upgrading the brakes to Euro VRS spec. This sort of compliments the turbo and having better braking never hurt anyone I also wanted to sample paddle shifts so a steering wheel upgrade was also in order.

ToT & Vicky took care of sourcing all the required parts for both the steering, brake and turbo upgrade. The turbo involved a new 4 bar sensor and outlet damper, the brakes involved bigger discs from Brembo & better pads from EBC along with matching carriers. The steering was from a European VRS and had controls for audio/phone just like my existing one. The installation was carried out by Vyshak at Adigas Automobiles. The place is a simple & unassuming but the kind of workmanship is top class. The steering, turbo and brake upgrades were done in a matter of 2 days. While doing the brakes, we also flushed out the old brake fluid and switched to Motul 5.1. After which, Vicky and Vivek from ToT continued to work on refining the tune to ensure the low end doesn't suffer. The DSG firmware was also flashed to allow the higher torque to be utilized. We wanted to enable launch control but then discovered my car variant came with the MK70 ABS that doesn't allow for that. I'll need to swap to MK60EC1 ABS in order to gain that capability.

All the while, ensuring the EGT doesn't exceed safe limits. They did multiple rounds of refining the tune to ensure the low end stayed the same if not better when compared to stock. The best part about working with ToT is the data-driven approach. Vicky always ensures data logging is done before and after in order to assess the impact of a change. With the VW racing air filter and the turbo, we were seeing the boost levels to be much better than before. The air filter contributed to about 100mbar of boost by itself. With all the changes, Vicky estimated the motor to be putting about 210hp/430Nm +-5% at the wheel. This is my first ever 200+hp vehicle so I was excited with this change. So far I've managed to drive only within city limits so couldn't really sample the change as much. Initial impressions say the car is very very responsive post 2k rpms. 3rd and 4th gears are really addictive now. The brakes are super sharp when compared to the stock setup and offer a lot of bite. Having used to similar setup on my bike, I'm really happy with the change. The fresh Motul 5.1 ensures the sponginess is completely gone and I'm sure the bite is there when needed. Going to be driving to Coimbatore for the track school the coming weekend and I can't wait to sample the car in its new avatar.

To sum it up, the changes done so far are:
- OE CR190 turbo
- OE Euro VRS spec brakes
- OE replacement VW Racing air filter
- ToT Stage 2 tune to match the turbo
- ToT DSG remap to handle newfound torque
- OE Euro VRS dampers all around
- OE Euro VRS springs (stiffer than stock and lowers the car by 1.5")
- OE VRS steering wheel with paddle shifts
- OE Merc 17" wheels with 225/50 Conti Sport contact 5 tyres

Next in line of changes are a VRS front bumper along with front parking sensors, VRS spoiler and footwell lighting. Have some dents and scratches thanks to Bangalore traffic that needs to be done up as well.

Overall, she has been offering flawless performance and very reliable through these 4yrs of ownership. I hope to retain all of the goodness with the new upgrades

Stock stance with 16" wheels and rough road package, please ignore the dents


The new stance after 17" wheels and suspension upgrades. Notice the drop in ride height.


Ready to work on the car at Adigas


OE CR190 Garrett turbo


Brembo discs with EBC pads


EBC yellow stuff brake pads


Side view of the car

[vignesh.cv]

Wanted to share some feedback on the upgrades after the long drive over the weekend. Had gone to Coimbatore for the IndiMotard track school. The car was as usual loaded up with gear, tools and other stuff required for the class.

Engine upgrades:
One word to sum up the turbo upgrade & tune - the midrange is just awesome. Be it 3rd, 4th, 5th or even 6th the car pulls strongly once she's in the 2k+ rpm band. Just to test the flexibility, I let the car be in "D" mode and was cruising in 6th at around 1300rpms. When I pressed the throttle gently, I could feel the lag until about 1600-1700 rpms. Once she went past that, I could feel the turbo spool up and by 2000rpms there was strong surge. By 3000rpms the response was almost instantaneous. It felt like even a mild tap would make the car leap forward with urgency. In terms of purely turbo lag, this compared very well with the stock setup. The stock turbo also used to lag until 1600-1700rpms after which boost used to build up. But the stock turbo used to sign off after about 3500-3700rpms whereas this one sings all the way until 4500rpms. Torque continues to build up even post 3500rpms. The return drive was even more rewarding. We were 4 of us in the car as a couple of friends wanted a drive back to Bangalore. The boot was fully loaded with riding gear, helmets, tools etc., and the other 3 guys were lets say well built. The car was super eager to accelerate to good speeds without any hesitation and could have done more if the roads were empty. With the stock form, higher triple digits used to come up easily but progress used to be slower past that. With the stage 1 remap, very high speeds came up easy enough but progress was slow after that. With the turbo upgrade & stage 2 tune, it was even better. Just to keep in mind, this was on a fully loaded car. On the way back, we had Accords, A6s, X1s and others for company and she was more than able to keep company and go past them when there was opportunity. Not that I went looking for such things on the highway, just wanted to highlight the potential of the motor.

Steering:
The paddle shifts were a blessing during such highway trips. Whenever I had to complete a overtaking maneuver quickly, just tap to one gear lower and off she flies. The steering weighed up much much better with the newer flash when compared to the stock wheel. The difference was very pronounced at higher speeds.

Handling:
The suspension upgrades shone through while returning back to Bangalore. Despite being fully loaded, the car settled down very quickly after going through undulations and flyover joints. She held a perfect line through corners at silly speeds without drifting out. Lane changing at high speeds did not involve any drama. Everyone in the car was surprised with the way the ride was stable & planted.

Brakes:
People in the back seat said repeatedly "its so reassuring to have such good brakes". That sort of sums up the braking power. The feel and power is completely in a different league when compared to stock setup. Have a feeling the overall braking will only get better once we figure out a way to swap out the ABS unit to MK60EC1.

The Continental Sport Contact 5 tires also contributed to both handling and braking ability to a great extent.

To summarize the changes, they've made my car into a very very capable touring machine - with ample torque on demand and surefooted handling & braking. I'd whole heartedly recommend this path for those who want to convert their Laura into a very capable mile muncher. All of this would'nt have been possible without ToT and Vicky. A hearty thanks to Vicky & ToT for the research, tune & upgrade path and Vyshak & Adiga automobiles staff for executing the upgrades perfectly.

Just for kicks I drove with a light foot all the way from the track to the hotel - a distance of about 25odd kms and this is what I got for efficiency

[VFM]

Great to see the Stage 2 mods have worked out well.
I run a ToT mapped Stage 1 Laura (same as yours). It's now done close to 100k. JUst bought the Bilstein Coilovers and looking for a place to install in Bangalore.
May be will go for the Stage 2 like yours but a little unsure as it also involves mechanical swap of the Turbo.
Would you mind sharing the cost for the Remap and the Turbo upgrade?
Mainly interested in the performance upgrade and not so much on the cosmetic ones (as there is lack of Vitamin M).
Also this newly launched Octavia VRS has got me confused. May be will keep the Laura and stretch for the Kodiaq if it is priced right. I hope the Kodiaq too can be tuned for a higher performance as that seems to be the only grudge most of the reviewers have.
Drive safe and enjoy the mods. You have a avery capable car now.

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by VFM

Great to see the Stage 2 mods have worked out well.
I run a ToT mapped Stage 1 Laura (same as yours). It's now done close to 100k. JUst bought the Bilstein Coilovers and looking for a place to install in Bangalore.
May be will go for the Stage 2 like yours but a little unsure as it also involves mechanical swap of the Turbo.
Would you mind sharing the cost for the Remap and the Turbo upgrade?
Mainly interested in the performance upgrade and not so much on the cosmetic ones (as there is lack of Vitamin M).
Also this newly launched Octavia VRS has got me confused. May be will keep the Laura and stretch for the Kodiaq if it is priced right. I hope the Kodiaq too can be tuned for a higher performance as that seems to be the only grudge most of the reviewers have.
Drive safe and enjoy the mods. You have a avery capable car now.

Thank you Congrats, on the suspension acquisition. I'm sure with the Bilstein coilovers, your car's handling will be in a different league. As for the upgrade cost, I'd request you to contact ToT directly.

[vignesh.cv]

I've been wanting to give the car a vRS makeover for some time now, especially after all the sweet hardware upgrades to her in recent times. Vicky from ToT helped source the vRS front bumper, rear spoiler, badges, pedals, exhaust tips & door sills. In addition to that, I had requested for front parking sensors and footwell lighting. Dropped the car at Adiga automobiles for the makeover as well as to take care of some of the dents and scratches I had accumulated over the years. Vyshak and the folks at Adiga did a superb job of fitting the bumper, spoiler, door sills, front parking sensors, footwell lighting in addition to taking care of all those dents and scratches.

Vicky was very transparent about the whole process, in terms of availability, what it would cost, the kind of materials used - OEM or aftermarket etc., We resorted to as much OEM as possible. Getting a vRS bumper is very difficult these days, but he managed to source one. He even ensured we got a discount when he discovered the fog lamps on the bumper was a used one. And he passed on that discount to me by upgrading my CANBUS gateway and enabled Fatigue assistant. I had gotten a set of LED lamps for the interiors and the license plate. Again, while fitting the license plate lamps, we discovered the lamps weren't CANBUS compliant as advertised. He took care of it by disabling the diagnostics on the license plate lights.

The car has turned out to be great and I'd like to say I'm super glad I found folks like Vicky, Vyshak, Vivek and the folks at ToT & Adiga to help me with this journey. I'd wholeheartedly recommend Vicky/ToT & Vyshak/Adiga to anyone looking to retrofit their cars.

Took some shots of the car as soon as I left Adiga next to the NICE road, wanted to take some snaps while it was still clean and shiny

Front shot of the vRS bumper. The headlamp washer is a dummy one.


Side view of the car with the vRS spoiler


Closeup of the front bumper


Looking at the car now, I've decided to keep it this way, no contrasting colours for now. Next up on the cards are an intercooler upgrade, ABS swap and perhaps a Climatronic & auto dimming rear view/wing mirrors retrofit and some upgrades to the headlamp. The intercooler upgrade should help with the EGTs and the ABS swap should give me XDS, Hill hold and a whole bunch of other features. I'm on the fence with respect to further upgrades to the motor. Things would improve further on the EGT front if I made the exhaust a bit freer - that would mean we could pick up a bit more torque through the rev range. Let's see.

[vignesh.cv]

So I've been driving around with the Stage 2 avatar of the car. The motor was really torquey and was running really well. I had done a roadtrip to TamilNadu last month and the car was a joy to drive. The ample mid range torque, reassuring brakes and stability made driving through the beautiful highways a breeze and pleasure.

Towards the new year, Vicky from ToT called up to inform about a Stage 3 package being offered with a sizeable discount. The package was mostly from OEM components, but with modifications (where necessary) to allow fitment to the various VW group of engines. The kit essentially comprised of:

• Stage 3 turbo (the choice of turbo is up to the tuner & customer)
• Braided turbo oil feed lines
• Stainless steel exhaust manifold
• Stainless steel down pipe
• Assortment of gaskets, clamps and nuts and bolts
• Uprated intercooler with aluminium alloy catch tanks
• Silicone hoses for the intake
• Aluminium hoses for the intercooler inlet/outlet

The whole kit was available at a size-able discount so I jumped on the offer. However, by the time I decided on the offer, the intercooler was sold out and I missed out on the deal. Vicky then negotiated for a set of stiffer upper & lower arm bushes and a stiffer rear anti-roll bar from the European vRS instead. Thanks to him, I now have my suspension sorted out as well as superb turbo package. The turbo & supporting parts arrived a couple of weeks back and we started the installation work. Now this installation was very different from the OE CR190 turbo upgrade as there are a lot more moving parts to be taken care of. As usual, Vyshak and his team from Adiga Automobiles did a fabulous job of putting things together and ensuring nothing was left to chance. And Vicky & ToT took care of sorting out the tune by data logging all the important parameters to ensure the tune was safe to be used for everyday commuting.

As of now only the turbo and associated bits have been installed. The intercooler and supporting bits are yet to reach us. ToT have flashed a new Stage 3 tune to complement this hardware change. I've had the car only for 2 days now after the changes, and it's been city commuting duty all that time. If I have to sum up the turbo & tune in one word, it's drive-ability. There is ample torque right from under 1500rpm and it builds up very nicely from about 2000rpms. The car surges forward right from crawling speeds with a tap of the throttle. Not as an uncontrollable rush but a steady surge. With the stock turbo and stock setup, there used to be this distinct turbo-lag. The DSG when kept in D mode would switch to 2nd gear at the earliest possible opportunity and I could feel a distinct lack of torque until about 2000rpms. Not anymore. Yesterday it had rained for a short while in Bangalore and I was commuting via a slight damp piece of tarmac. Since the road was empty, I was accelerating briskly and noticed a yellow light flashing on the console. Upon close inspection it was the TC light coming in, this was while shifting from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th.

With the new manifold and downpipe, the exhaust has been made a bit more freer. This helped to reduce the EGT by 100 deg C when compared to stock setup. The turbo sounds are audible now because the turbo muffler has been deleted. I can hear the turbo spool up upon starting and spool down while shut off. Having said that, the exhaust sound is very much tolerable on daily commutes.

I'd whole-heartedly recommend this setup to anyone looking to mod their TDI, its got a beautiful combination of grunt & driveability, reassuring brakes and predictable/fun handling. I seriously feel this is how the car should've come from factory. A huge thanks to Vicky & ToT, Vyshak & Adiga for all the research and hard work in getting me this sweet build. The car is a proper sleeper now. I cannot wait to sample her on a highway.

Will update this post once we get the intercooler and supporting elements installed.

[vignesh.cv]

Forgot to add some numbers for the tune. Request mods to merge this post with the earlier one.


ToT’s Stage 3 tune amounts to about 470nm, 235bhp at wheel. We couldve gone to 250hp easily but the fuel pump is rated to about 250hp as per ToT, so we decided to keep a safe threshold. This is a daily driver afterall.

Just for reference, here is a dyno graph comparing a Stage 2 vs Stage 3 setup. This is not from my car, but from one with a similar kind of setup.

[vignesh.cv]

I recently had been to Chennai for a track day at MMRT and took this opportunity to take the car for a long drive. Picked up my friend from Madivala and off we went towards Chennai. I hadn't driven the car on the highways ever since the Stage 3 turbo upgrade & suspension changes so I was quite eager to sample the changes. We were two of us in the car along with our riding gear, my full toolkit, paddock stands etc.,

Stage 3 engine upgrades:
The motor feels lively now, pulls effortlessly from idle and surges ahead strongly. The stock motor & turbo setup used to have this lag until about 2000-2200rpms - it used to be exaggerated while driving in D mode as the gearbox is programmed for max economy. With the Stage 3 setup, the engine pulls cleanly from just above 1500rpms. The moment the revs reach 2200rpms, the torque is just savage. My friend was telling me that he expected the surge to drop off at some point, but this just seems to keep going on and on. Just for comparison, with this turbo setup, we are making the same boost at 4000rpms as the earlier CR190 turbo did while at its peak (much less than 4000rpms). This translates to a much wider powerband translating to wider smiles while driving

I felt I could use another gear or two with this kind of torque available at hand. Since our journey was through the night time, I did not take any unnecessary chances.

Handling:
With the new stiffer suspension mounts & stiffer rear anti-roll bar, the car has absolutely no roll while doing lane changes or while spirited cornering. My friend again observed the car felt very very stable & steady with no roll. She is also able to hold a line through a corner much better than before. The under steer is completely vanished for the speeds I do. I feel the rear end follows the front much better now than it was stock.

These two upgrades have completely transformed the nature of the car. From the outside, she still looks the same as before but once she gets into a rhythm, she just sings a beautiful tune.

[vignesh.cv]

60,000kms update:

The car is now 5 yrs old and has almost completed 60,000kms. And she was almost due for a regular service. I've changed the service cycles to approx 10,000-12,000kms purely because of the Stage 3 upgrades. This time around both the engine oil and DSG oil were due for a change. Also pending were some of the hardware changes as part of Stage 3.

Now, she sports the following in addition to what was mentioned in the previous posts:

Larger DSG oil cooler:
This offers about 40% more volume compared to the OEM cooler. I felt this would be beneficial to keep the oil temperatures in check especially when subjected to the new found torque. This is a direct swap in place of the OEM cooler.

Larger intercooler with alloy end tanks:
This one has the end tanks made of alloy instead of plastic to help hold higher boost levels reliably. As well as eliminates clip type connectors going to the intercooler which can cause boost leaks. Again a direct swap with the OEM intercooler.

Aftermarket silicone boost pipes:
The OEM pipes are made of hard plastic and with the heat and age and the new found boost, they can crack without any warning. This should eliminate all of those problems.

These two additions should nicely compliment the rest of the Stage 3 modifications.

As for the regular service, I chose to go with Liqui Moly DSG oil instead of the VW OE oil and chose to go with Ceratec engine oil additive based on the recommendation from a good friend. This is still initial days as I got the car back only today. The DSG shifts feel like how it was from factory, lot smoother and absolutely no jerks whatsoever. Now that summer is on, I'll get to know how it holds up with the heat and packed traffic in Bangalore. As for Ceratec, I'd whole heartedly recommend it for anyone. It has made the engine a lot more quieter and smoother. Again, I'll get to test its efficiency by way of fuel consumption in the coming month or two.

As I was driving back home from work, there was this open stretch immediately after a sharp left. As soon as I turned her, floored the throttle in 2nd gear. She just shot forward and the TC light kept flickering until I eased up. <grin>

[Nikhilb2008]

Very nice thread and well articulated feedback!

Your car is a proper sleeper, just like Kryptonite's car! Will embarass brand new cars priced above 60 lakhs but looks like a normal 8-10 year old car.

I absolutely love sleepers and your car is a beautiful example of one.

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

Very nice thread and well articulated feedback!

Your car is a proper sleeper, just like Kryptonite's car! Will embarass brand new cars priced above 60 lakhs but looks like a normal 8-10 year old car.

I absolutely love sleepers and your car is a beautiful example of one.

Thank you for the compliments Nikhil

[vignesh.cv]

I had been to Coimbatore Kari track last weekend for the school and had a chance to drive the car on the track for a couple of laps. My friend drove the car as well and he was thrilled with the handling, brakes and power of the car. Another friend of mine sitting behind owns a 530 and he was commenting his BMW didn't handle as well when he drove it at Chennai. Sort of shows how sorted she is as a package. I can't be happier.


Adding Ceratec to the engine oil has definitely made the motor smoother and more settled. She is always eager to leap forward even after running for 350+ kms. I haven't been easy on the throttle, so don't have any improvements to show on the fuel consumption side.


Liqui Moly DSG oil has made a difference to the shift quality in addition to making it smoother. Shifts are positive even under hard acceleration. It is slightly expensive than regular VW DSG oil, but I suppose its more of demand vs supply than anything else.


Would highly recommend Ceratec and Liqui Moly DSG oil to any one.

[vignesh.cv]

With the monsoon on, I noticed the wipers leaving a streak despite getting them cleaned properly. Upon closer observation, I felt the wipers needed to be changed. I looked up for the OEM equivalent and landed up on the Bosch Aerotwin wipers. These are considered a good replacement set and had decent reviews on most forums.


I initially searched Amazon India for the same and found one. Now the Skoda Laura/Octavia Mk2 needs 24"/19" set and what I got despatched from Amazon was 24"/20" even though the product listing read 24"/19". This was despite checking with the seller about compatibility and sizing. That didn't go too well. Returned that back to the seller and searched on some international websites.

I ordered mine via Wiperblades UK. One could choose either A973S or AP24U / AP19U. The latter comes with a multi-clip adapter allowing it to be fitted to a range of vehicles. I did not need such a flexibility so went with the A973S. I paid Rs.2834.00 (GBP conversion) including shipping costs to India. It took me about a week to reach. Actually it landed in Bangalore much faster than I expected, but the post office took a few days to get it to my home.

Those looking to change their wipers, do consider this option. Attaching some pictures of the same for reference.

Front view




Back view




The wipers

[vignesh.cv]

Another update now that the car has completed 67,000 kms.

In recent times, I noticed the coolant levels slowly dropping off. At first I thought it must be due to the Stage 3 mods that the levels are dropping. And managed the situation by just topping up at frequent intervals. Had gone to Chennai for a track school in the month of April and during the journey, the levels kept dropping more frequently than before and I had to buy a bunch of coolant & distilled water bottles to keep the levels topped up during the journey. Upon closer observation, I noticed a small leak and decided to send the car over to Vaishak's place for a service and checkup.

Vaishak's inspection confirmed my doubts about the water pump giving way. I've read in the TSI motor the water pump needing a replacement around the 50k kms mark and mine has managed to stretch another 17k kms. The timing belt also needed to be replaced as the water/coolant mix had soaked them due to the leak.

The parts needed a few days time to arrive and as usual Vaishak & his crew did a superb job and brought the car to perfect state. I went with the usual Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30 engine oil as I'm quite happy with the performance. I've not needed to top up the engine oil anytime since I purchase the car. The front brake pads had worn out and got them replaced with the same EBC yellow stuff pads.

I'm planning on some changes to the head unit to keep up with the times, will post more details once the work is complete on that front.

Overall, the car has been a joy to own and run. Getting the TC light to come on 2->3->4 gears on a dry tarmac with 225/50 tyres. Yes sir, can do.