[200q20v] (no subject)

[Brett Dikeman]

At 11:41 AM -0400 10/26/01, angela maple wrote:
>Hello audi people, my boyfriend tells me he wants a chip for christmas
>what do i need to know etc.

The "chip" is a replacement for the code the engine computer runs; 
usually not many changes are made aside from the tables of values the 
computer uses to control boost.  More boost, more power :-)  The 
power increase is incredible, and it's certainly the cheapest 
performance upgrade, but it's still expensive...$500 range, give or 
take roughly $100 depending upon which chip level, which vendor, etc.

The two best sources for chips are Ned Ritchie at Intended 
Acceleration in Washington state, and Hoppen Motorsports.

http://www.intendedacceleration.com
(note ned has a reduced-prices page, consult that for pricing)

http://www.hoppenmotorsport.com
(they don't like 200q20v applications anymore, you'll have to call them)

Both vendors offer chips which do not require any other 
modifications, yield around 270-280hp(stock is 217hp), and are 
generally considered quite safe by the list; few if any people have 
had long term problems with them, but the car should get a clean bill 
of health from an experienced independent Audi mechanic or should 
otherwise be looked over thoroughly.  If your boyfriend is the DIY 
kind of guy, send him our way(we have archives of the list he can 
read/search.)  He also needs to be very watchful of how the car 
behaves, if it starts belching smoke, etc...things need to be checked 
out -right- away if the engine is chipped(they should be checked out 
quickly anyway, but it's even more important if there's a chip.) 
Regular, proper maintenance is a must.

Total Audi Performance, or "TAP" is a vendor that is strongly -not- 
recommended by many, many people due to problems with customer 
service, quality of products, etc.  I just had the TAP chip removed 
from my computer and Ned's chip installed, I am far happier with the 
results.

Many listers have said good things about Hoppen's chip as well.

What happens is that the entire engine computer needs to be removed; 
it's in the passenger outer kickpanel, underneath the glovebox. 
There's a screw in the bottom front of that side panel(hard to see, 
you have to feel around right where the panel meets the floor); then 
the door weatherstripping needs to be pulled out just a tad, and the 
kick panel should come out, bottom angling out+down.  The carpet is 
tucked under the door sill, may need a little tug.

Remove the two nuts that hold the ECU to the car, then lift the lever 
on the connector to seperate the harness from the ECU.  The pressure 
line comes off next, and you're done.  Semi-tricky to get everything 
back in right, mostly the large moisture trap inline with the 
pressure line, but it can be done after some sore knees and grumbling.

Seal it in a ziplock freezer bag or similar, put a lot of padding in, 
and insure it for about $1200 when you ship it(it is a difficult and 
expensive component to replace, and it's cheap to insure it; make 
sure you do the necessary paperwork with UPS if you use them, there's 
special stuff if it's over $1000 I believe.)

   Ned and probably Hoppen will offer one day turnaround if you've 
called them in advance, so the whole thing can be done in a minimum 
of three days, but overnight shipping on both ends increases the cost 
of the whole project quite a bit.  Ned prefers a personal cashier's 
check/money order etc; this saves some money because he doesn't pass 
the credit card processing fee on to you :-)

One final note...200q20v's come with two braking systems.  The 
original system is commonly referred to as the "UFO" system because 
of the way the brake rotor is held; it looks sort of like a squashed 
bunt pan(I find most single guys have no idea what I'm talking about 
with this one, most women and married men do :-) with the front wheel 
off, or like there's a big dust shield behind the wheel.  If so, then 
the car has terrific braking capabilities.

If it has the recall done(the original brakes were prone to warping, 
and were expensive to maintain), which involves a braking system 
taken off an older, lighter, less powerful-engined model...then the 
car is considered underbraked and it should be driven 
conservatively(no tailgating :-) unless he's got an uncle in the body 
shop business :-)

Hope this helps!

Brett
-- 
----
"They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin
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