Tuning - Part 3 Installation
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Installation Time!
So the Cobb Accessport finally arrived. I set aside some time to film myself installing the Stage 1 ECU and TCU tunes provided. I’ll post this video soon, and provide a link.
Below is picture of what comes with the Cobb package. You receive the Accessport with the preloaded tunes that you selected, in my case the Stage 1 ECU and TCU tunes for the VW GTI. In addition to the OBD cable, a cable to connect to a computer to download updates and alternate tunes from Cobb to your Accessport, mounting hardware, spare face plate, stickers and key ring, carry case and the obligatory warranty card.
The installation process was very seamless and easy to follow, especially considering I am a complete novice in regards to this kind of car modification. Cobb has a wealth of supporting materials on their website, once you have created an account you access all of this. Bare in mind there is a lot of information there, that can be very overwhelming especially considering its not particularly easy to navigate.
The Accessport takes you through the whole process, starting with the ECU and then moving to the TCU flashing. Most importantly, as I mentioned in the previous article, the Accessport first creates a backup of you stock map, particularly important should there be a problem or you wish to sell the car.
In initial backup and ECU flash took around 25mins. As the Accessport deletes the existing map a lot of error codes will appear on the dash. These safety items, warning lights and car features are all restored and fault codes cleared by the Accessport at the end of the flash.
A couple of things to remember:
Hook up a battery charger / maintainer. The Accessport relies on the OBD port to draw power from the battery. If the battery goes flat, the Accessport dies, and the tune will be incomplete and likely brick your ECU, rendering the car undrivable.
Tuneroff the auto lights, the day time running lights will remain on, on most cars as they are a safety feature, and in many countries required by law. You can’t turn them off.
Turn off bluetooth on the car, and phone for extra safety. During tunes cars have been k know to attempt to connection to bluetooth devices, subsequently corrupting the tuning process.
The ECU tune went without a hitch, exactly in the manner a variety of youtube vidoes had said it would. But, there was a problem. When moving to the TCU tune, the Accessport was unable to complete the install, see below error message.
What this essentially means is that the tune is not compatible with my vehicles DSG. A common issue according to many OTS tuning companies and not surprising given the amount of variants on the MQB platform. I thought that I was diligent in matching the DSG codes with the files supplied by Cobb. I did get in touch with Cobb via email, and they were quick to reply, even though I’m in Australia and they are based in the USA. They confirmed my suspicions, informing me that they ‘do not have access to my DSG module’, and therefore currently have no tune available. After expressing my disappointment and frustration, Cobb did inform me that the retailer of the Accessport would honour the 30day return policy in place once I unmarried the dev ice. Essentailly returning the car to stock in around 20mins.
Having come this far I did decide to take the car for drive to test the ECU tune. Most of the OTS tunes are available without the DSG flash and therefore the driving experience and wear on the clutch should be OK.
Honestly the driving experience was woeful, the power delivery was aggressive, non-linear and could not be modulated accurately or sympathetically with the accelerator pedal. In fact the accelerator pedal feel was all but gone. It transformed the entire way in the which the car drove, rendering the electro-mechnical diff almost useless, the traction control permanently excited and the clutch stinking. This after only three pulls at 3/4 throttle. Please note I wasn’t hard on the car, this was a relatively conservative test with normal driving between pulls of no greater than 80km/hr (approx 50miles).
I like to drive the car in a spirited manner throught the twisty hills. Enjoying the interaction between myself and the car. An interaction that is with the road, differential, steering, and chasis. Positioning the car pre-corner, and exiting under load. If I had tried similar style driving post-tune, the car would have ended in a ditch. I’m not sure how the driving might have differed if I’d gotten a successful tune on the DSG. Suffice to say I wasn’t impressed with nor could I recommend the Cobb ECU map.
In terms of customer support, Cobb was excellent and communicative. Their Accessport behaves as advertised, and makes tuning simple. Allowing one to switch between maps, run flex-fuel and return to stock with ease. One can see why it is a compelling choice for pro-tuners. I would note however, that in 2024 where high-definition touch screens are common place, the Accessport does appear dated. The screen is colour, albeit low resolution, with small pixelated writing. The buttons whilst tactile, do feel old and a little cheap as they click and need to be pushed hard.
What next? I won’t give up on the idea of tuning, but I think a pro-tune is a more likely step now. That way I can specify what I am after in a tune, and tailor it to my driving style. Less torque and power than the Cobb or other OTS tunes. I’m also more interested now in other mods that can support the tune, such as intake and exhaust.
Please check for the next chapter, and by all means email me with suggestions or observations of you own tuning experiences.
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