Learn me on Revo

B8 S4
#1

I read mixed feedback on Revo, but they have since gone through a software revision.
What’s the general consensus around here?

I’m looking at a stage 1 tune, and local to me, I can go for GIAC or Revo (actually, APR as well).
Cost wise, Revo is more economical. FWIW this is going to be for road course use, and I’m only after a stage 1.

APR was originally my first choice, as there is an option to enable left foot braking. However, I don’t believe APR has an updated tune for the B8.5 ECU. That leaves only GIAC or Revo to my knowledge. I tried to search up some logs, there’s lots of talk about Revo being very aggressive on the timing. But all the log files have since been taken offline (they show up as red x’s in old posts), so I don’t actually know what’s going on with the tune.

#2

http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=3162.0

#3

LOL ALL THAT SAYS IS TOO MUCH WHEELHOP!

#4

There’s no way to answer this without causing a huge internet controversy, but let me try:

  • Revo does not produce 1/4 mile world records
  • Revo 1+ with an APR CPS tolerates road course abuse
  • Revo software for 3.0TFSI has been stable since 2011 when it was made generally available

**all of the above have a statistically insignificant sample size

#5

I’ve seen logs where the “knock totalizer” signal ramps to over 600 during a single 1/4 mile pull. The motor was subsequently grenaded and replaced. Had a revo stg1 race file. I haven’t been around here long enough to have followed this first hand. I can fwd you the logs if you PM me. Got them from members here.

That is enough for me to steer clear. I don’t care if they’ve “redone” the tune, at one point they released a product that blew a 3.0T. Not good.

#6

It’s like saying one time Boeing crashed a test plane so I’m never getting in a plane. Revo has literally tuned tens of thousands of cars. I think it’s bigger in the VW scene. Oddly if you trot over to one of their forums, you’ll see a localized example where groupthink led them to conclude APR blows up engines and Revo is Jesus. The sample sizes are so small that we, the forum hive mind, make arbitrary conclusions based on fear, uncertainty and doubt.

#7

I hope to do some new logs on my 2014 b 8.5, with DSG today.

#8

No. It’s not like saying that at all. A Revo tune grenaded a CUSTOMER’S (i.e., not a test car’s) engine a few years ago. That’s an established fact. So your analogy is entirely off-base and irrelevant.

But then again, why do I even bother - you can’t read.

#9

Terrible analogy. You probably weren’t very good at the SAT’s.

#10

OOO! Would be interested to see that.
Esp anything on timing and knock.

Look forward to it. Thank you.

#11

Well, Boeing has crashed many aircraft and you are smart not to get on an airplane. Flying is unsafe. I know, I only have about 25000 hours and I still have a lot to learn about aviation. So please not too hard on the spanking? ;D

#12

My car spent almost two days on the REVO dyno in WV. Have not run logs since. Believe me, I’m interested too!

#13

Consensus? I don’t think that exists but lots of opinions some based on facts others not so much… Revo came out with their tune after APR and posted some impressive early results… Many got interested and some made the switch to their tune from APR… Logs and facts started to get passed around and it was proven as a fact that Revo was either very significantly reducing impact of the car to pull timing based on knock or disabling all together… Revo claimed that not to be true and then a certain fellow took his car to the strip and grenaded the motor while making a pass… As drob stated he had several hundred misfires in a pass… Revo scrambled and sent him a flash device so he could flash to stock since they didn’t want to cover the motor… This became public and Revo pretty much went into hiding…(I have all the logs and email communication documenting this with Revo as well as with AOC) Then the whole Statis marriage came about and divorce happened about as fast… They obviously have changed the tune and continue to do so as sky can attest to… Based on the logs I’ve seen they still dumb down the ability for the car to pull timing but instead dump 10%+ of the boost that the car can make, which leads to worse performance and I feel will lead to even worse preformance in higher temps/da’s… Bottom line is the tune is probably safer than it used to be but it doesn’t perform up to GIAC and APR… APR has a ways to go on the B8.5 DSG cars since they don’t have a dsg tune… Take it for what it’s worth but I have no reason to state something that isn’t true…

#14

If I could only go back in time and boost that SAT verbal score, I’d be where I wanted to in life. Not really.

My car is evidence it’s safe to do what boro92 wants to do. Brand trust is important and forum lore (oh man had to reach deep into my SAT prep for that) can erode it for anyone who reads forums. The customers who don’t read forums and purchase these things at retail are quite happy. SwankPerFection got into such analysis paralysis that his S4 is stock. That’s no way to enjoy a B8.

I’ll also point out that most retail customers just get the tune set to the 91 or 93 program and don’t even know you can switch it (in the REVO case with an OBDII switch). Anyone running a tune on 100+ octane programs knows the risk. It’s like turning off the Norton antivirus on Skywagon’s Gateway 2000 PC - you just know it’s going to get hosed when he opens an executable attachment in “FW: FW: FW: fwd: LOL”.

#15

west, how about you take some logs and share them? I can walk you through the process and would be glad to interpret them as well… What can it hurt?

#16

FWIW - I mostly run the 93 program on track with whatever race gas the California pump retailers are allowed to sell for $9 a gallon. The tune seems to do a good job of adjusting up to use whatever fuel I give it.

In 2 years of track with REVO over about 10 weekends, I’ve had 2 total misfires at very high RPM (over 7000). To counter this, I’ll be switching to NGK plugs (first tuneup in 5 years) and $900 plasma coils from Japan.

#17

So you’ve logged your track sessions? Please do share…

#18

My buddy is getting his 6MT F80 M3 delivered in August after he picks it up in Europe. We’re going to do a same dyno, same day comparison. That should be a good time to get logs. My prediction is similar horsepower, 70 ft/lb less for the S4.

#19

No, the ECU stored it. If the Microsoft Surface 4 has built in LTE I’ll buy one of those and attempt track logging in Autumn. I’m not going to do it with any computer heavier than 1 pound - I hate shit flying around the cabin.

#20

What the fuck does this have anything to do with the topic at hand? You want to wait for your boyfriend to get his M3 so you can the log it on a dyno which is less helpful then logging it at the strip or on the street?