TAP vs 1551

[Neil Swanson <75377.3445@compuserve.com>]

To all A4ts with chips

Funny story kinda with a happy ending.  We have 4 cutomers who have chipped
their A4ts.  Two with TAP and two with Wet. chips.

One owner, we'll call him John comes in for oil changes and misc often. 
This time he was in for the 30K plug change etc.  One of the other service
writers wrote him up unaware of the chip in the car.

So John was hanging around waiting for his car.  Earlier I had overheard
our lead tech discussing a 1551 printout with our foreman.  Weird was a
word often used while looking at the printout.  The tech asked me if he
could use an ECM for an A4t I had on hold for a customer of mine who was
coming in in 10 days. I said sure just reorder.

Half an hour goes by and I ask John why he is still there.  Wasn't it just
an oil change today I asked?   No he said it was for the 30K service. 
Hmmmmmmmm.  I said I was going to ask the tech on the car if the 1551 had
found the chip.  Out in the shop  Dave the tech said he was almost done. He
just had to set base cods on the new ECM.  !!!!!!!!!!  No, no take out the
new one, the other was chipped I told him.   Ohhhhhhhhhhhh so that explains
the 1551 he said.

The 1551 print with the TAP chip had said something like incomplete coding
or something interuppted.  Just plain odd.  Nobody had ever seen a print
like this.  It had a few misfires stored but I think all of the 1.8ts do
that.

So out came the new one and in went the TAP ECM.

Later out lead tech told John that the only problem as far as he was
concerned with the TAP or any chipped ECM is the owner can't get the
latest, up to Version 6 now, of the 1.8t ECMs as they come out.  The TAP
ECM had the rivets drilled out and replaced by small bolts to hold the
cover together.  Audi would never accept that ECM as an exchange for a
newer unit.

He is right, they won't.  But so far none of the chipped cars has ever come
in with an engine light on for any reason.  I just wish the stock ECMs were
so kind to their owners.

So if you have a chipped A4t just let the dealer know or tell them to call
you if they get any unexplainable 1551 print outs.  It will save you from
picking up a slower car that you dropped off.


Neil