S5 4.2 JHM Tune Review

A5/S5/RS5
#1

Got the JHM exhaust on a couple of months ago and now tuned. I can say with ease that after these two items the car is 100% MORE FUN!

As far as the process - if you can manage to install programming of any kind on your computer, and can install a driver for a cable on your own, then you’re capable of doing it yourself. I did so and therefore saved myself the sales tax chargeable by taking the car to a local JHM dealer. The provided instructions are thorough and easy to follow. Thanks, JHM, for taking the time to write them.

The second we fired it up post-tune, the idle was noticeably and remarkably smooth as silk.

Then as we pulled out of the driveway I immediately noticed that the car would seamlessly and quickly accelerate through first gear, with little gas. That was a change.

Next I tested the pet peeve sluggish acceleration in 2-3 prior to 2700rpm with medium throttle. Said sluggish acceleration is gone; replaced with smooth brisk acceleration. Now, if you put your foot fairly well down at 1500rpm in 2nd, you’ll quickly find yourself linearly shooting right on up, whereas before you have to waaaaaiiiiit to get to 2700 for it to start to charge.

The car is just so much more lively. Love it. What it really needed was a bump to the low end and now it’s got it. If you pump the gas without warning your passenger they’ll hit their head on the back of their headrest. And if said passenger is a woman wearing a hair clip, she’ll say “ow” and you’ll say “oops, sorry.”

I can’t stress enough how smooth and linear the engine spools up now.

We tried the launch control (YES, YOU GET FREE LAUNCH CONTROL WITH THIS TUNE!) and found various characteristics present that are best demonstrated via video which will be done asap.

Once I was finished driving in a “testing the tune” manner I went about various “usual routine” driving maneuvers and was greeted with the new tune prodding at me. For example, when turning off the main road into my neighborhood, you know, you brake, turn the wheel, then get back on the gas. And go up that little hill towards the next turn. Totally routine. I did my usual braking, usual turning the wheel, and got back on the gas to go up the little hill, using my “usual” application of throttle like I’ve done countless times. Well, the car charged up the little hill, and I went “whoa!”

So much for “normal.”

LOVE the tune. Thanks JHM.

#2

Great review great of you to take the time. Some people don’t always understand the difference the jhm tunes are able to produce on na cars. But if you actually had a Jhm na tune you know why there isn’t anyone else you would want to get a tune from.

#3

Thanks for the review! I am glad you are enjoying it!

The S5 has been a project that we have been working on for a couple years now and are slowly developing parts that work for the NA 4.2 crowd. Stay tuned for some new JHM products coming out!

#4

Jake, What plans do you have for the RS5? Thanks

#5

The anticipation of getting my JHM tuned 4.2 back is killing me!

Nice write up and review.

#6

FWIW, I just called Jake a JHM and he advised it will be at least a year before anything for the RS5s is done.

#7

So just wait Skywagon. If you go with anyone else you are just wasting your money and voiding warranty to be as fast as stock. I know you I’ll probably argue but APRs RS4 tune is not any faster than stock and made the same power on the same dyno as a stock car. That is horrible and I wouldn’t trust them with anything NA. The same goes for the other companies out there…no one has done anything impressive NA except JHM.

That is a sweet fucking car right out of the box…enjoy it. If anything go crazy and have someone fab you a 2.75" exhaust. That will probably give you more gain that any of the tunes that are on the market right now.

#8

yeah, if you thought your other tunes ‘didn’t take’ wait till you buy a GIAC/APR/UNI/etc tune for a naturally aspirated Audi lol

#9

Piggie your headers and do a custom mandrel bent exhaust system. That will give you a nice bump in performance. Although you may get a CEL from the cats being gone. You may be able to get away with fabbing up a J-bung to prevent the CEL but it isn’t guaranteed.

Here is what it looks like:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7314/9305134570_c17d6ea7ba_b.jpg

#10

I was asked for before/after dynos for this tune on Audizine. My reply was:

“What really strikes me is how much more eager the car is to briskly move away as you start driving. That’s precisely what I wanted. I couldn’t care less if another tune (whose identity I’m unaware of) might show 5 more hp than mine at 6600rpm on a dyno. I care about how the car feels to drive now vs before. That’s what I paid for.”

This forum is what taught me to have that mentality, so thanks AR for steering me towards the right choice.

#11

Dyno just proves that ink to sticks to paper. Acceleration tests prove that the tune and mods are helping.

Stock S5 is good for 13.5 @ 101 in the 1/4 mile.

JHM went 12.6 with just bolt ons (tune exhaust rotors clutch)

#12

Let his 100%

I’ll sell you a 500 whp dyno sheet with a tt kit for the RS4 for 30k. You will be slower then the 8k stage 1 Jhm supercharger but there’s a cool dyno sheet.

When people ask for your dyno sheet link the jhm video for there S5 and it’s performance improvement. Then say I don’t need a dyno sheet Jhm did all the work for me.

#13

lol I did precisely that on AZ.

So I’ve had the tune 4 days now. Still re-learning how to drive the car smoothly, and finding subtleties in what the tune has changed. It seems JHM’s mission was to not only get the car moving but also enhance the overall drivability regardless of acceleration rate.

One example is how I modulate gas/clutch to go from a stop. Pre-tune it was feather both pedals with rpm fluctuating between 1100-1200 until the clutch pedal was all the way out. With JHM tune it’s feather the clutch out without touching the gas. A smooth 600rpm takeup with NO lurching or rpm bouncing around and dipping results. It’s remarkable, smooth as silk, great for clutch life and a subtle but glowing example of how good JHM is at doing what they do.

Those guys on AZ who want dyno sheets are hilarious - they seemingly feel that the tune with the highest peak hp at stratospheric rpm on a dyno = the tune to buy. Forget all the real world stuff that JHM takes care of. :o

The way I look at it is… IF my concern were top peak hp figure from a dyno, and therefore how fast I potentially will get to go…I wouldn’t have even bought this car. For the money I have in this S5 Christ I could be driving a crazy-turbocharged somethingorother that would embarrass many late model Italian supercars in a straight line. But clearly, I wasn’t out to be the absolute fastest car on the road for the money I had. I was out to be an S5 guy. So…who fucking cares about a dyno?? Gimme a tune that makes my car drive better, in many real world driving conditions.

#14

don’t forget, no NA Audi has dyno’d better than the JHM tuned ones…(S4, RS4, S5). The JHM tuned cars always put down the best dyno numbers.

The negative about the dyno is that you can manipulate it to say whatever you want. So using it as ‘proof’ is retarded. Still as I said, when JHM tuned cars are dyno’d they always kick the shit out of everyone else.

JHM dynos their own cars through development and testing. They just don’t share the results as they don’t want to legitimize the dyno as a sales tool. They share performance gains.

#15

Jake, I assume you mean by “piggie” remove my headers? Did Euro Code headers on my S4, no cats, and was able to extinguish CEL with some straight bungs. Regardless, the only headers out there for the RS5 go for mega bucks, $7500.? Thanks

#16

Piggie’ing refers to gutting the cats on stock headers/downpipies

#17

Thanks much, so much to learn!

#18

Both cats or just the pre-cat? being pedantic sorry lol

#19

Typically pre

#20

I believe there are only two cats on the car, just behind the exhaust manifolds.