[s-cars] [NurSC] Optimized garret chip... should I be scared

[Vincent Fregeac]

Hi,

 

Tomorrow morning, I'm going to test drive, and may be buy a 2000 S4TT with
an < optimized > garret chip. Basically, the owner installed a garret chip,
brought the car to a guy specialized in VAG turbo engine, and had it
custom-mapped. Resulting output: an estimated 337hp calculated from
acceleration before-after the custom-map. The car is tempting since it comes
with real RS4 wheels (plus a set of 16" Audi mags for winter), a custom
cat-back double-2.5" exhaust (I hope it doesn't sound too ricy) and is told
to be immaculate except for the driver carpet (The owner must be some kind
of AR to mention_that_).

 

I don't know about garret chips, but I know some chips, like TAP, are not
really nice to the engine. Should I be worried about garrets?

 

On the plus side, the guy has a full log book, including gas receipt, always
filled his S4 with 94 octane (there's may be one gas station out of 20 that
carry 94 around here, super is 91 usually), and still has the log book of
his previous car ( a Golf 1.8T) that run 2 years on an chip optimized by the
same specialist. Also, he just bought a new V8 S4 so the reason he sells the
car _may_ not be he ruined the engine, the turbos and everything inbetween.

 

I know I'm in for a Samco set (the fact that he didn't blow off the stock
intake hoses with a 337hp chip already tells he was not really "using" his
chip), and a reinforced intake V.

 

The questions are:

-          What should I look for signs the engine didn't like the 337hp
custom map?

-          The owner said the engine was pushed to 337hp by enriching the
air/gas mix at high hps to protect the internals. It sounds weird to me as a
35% hp increase is usually beyond the capability of stock injectors, even
more if you plan to run rich (but I know almost nothing about the 2.7T
injectors capabilities). So, is there any truth in this?

-          What should I plan as safety mods if I want to keep the 337hp
custom-mapped chip?

-          The chip was installed in April. Is 8 months enough to ruin an
engine or turbos with 337 hp?

 

In case you ask: Yes, I plan to chat with the specialist who custom-mapped
the chip before I make my final decision to see if what he tells me sounds
"reasonable".

 

TIA.

 

 

 

Vincent who may feel a little less slow despite the new urR8 LMS F

 

P.S.: Sorry for the WOB about an S4TT but I trust you guys much more than
the AW forums