Ashley Mason

Hi all

ive got a 2014 507 edition and been thinking about doing a TCU update.

Has anyone done it before?

are they worth it?

what brand did you use?

anyone used this one before? https://elite-flash.com/product/merc...ox-tcu-tuning/

Thanks!

catmandoob

Interesting, some of us here have done a TCU tune but I can't say I've ever seen or heard of that one.

I will say it's a crap ton cheaper than when it was first released out of Germany and Eurocharged Houston did it with Dave going around. I know they started passing the laptop around and i know theirs did make a difference. This may be a knock off copy style so if this is the same style then yes its worth it.

Not really sure how many in the wild have done it with this one, maybe someone here has and can give feedback on this particular one.

roadkillrob

As far as I knew anyone doing the gearbox tune was using the same setup from that German company but that one you linked is way cheaper and you get the hardware to flash it yourself which is nice so if it is a good tune seems like a better deal. Does seem a bit generic the way they say they have a tune for any car 2001 and up with obd and paddles so not sure I would want to be the first one to try it also makes me wonder if it is even doing anything being that generic may just be a box that beeps after 30-90 seconds!

BLKROKT

If you’re the kind of person who plugs your phone into any old public USB port to recharge or sticks your junk in any random hole, then that sounds like the perfect TCU tune for you.

Ashley Mason

I would be keen to hear anyone who has done a TCU upgrade, not just using this one

Ashley Mason

that did make me wonder as well....do you know who the German company was?

swedepat

Any videos aviable of tuned tcu?

Diabolis

One question... WHY?
100ms shifts not fast enough for you?

catmandoob

I as well as a good few others did the TCU tune, you guys may be surprised how much better the feel can be. As Barry and others stated though with a proper ECU tune it may not be as noticeable but there is a little something there.

Mine is a torque convertor one so it did adjust my lock up some and allow a bit more torque to get through sooner for the gears I wanted. The MCT guys felt it and the quicker shifting a bit more as well.

One of my gripes was a slipping feeling in 3rd and 4th gear sometimes in early RPMs that Daves tune did help resolve. I can't remember the name of the german tuner that started this for our 7G's but if you search you will find threads when Dave did the kind of national tour and tuned a good few of ours from mbworld, still one of the more fun hang out days I've had, there were some nice E63s getting it done and made me drool. We had one 507 edition on that day as well as mine for the C63 portion.

One thing I will say, since it ups the pressure some you will want to switch to 20k service intervals for your transmission. And no, don't ask how much we paid hahaha.

I'll say this, no point in a video or describing really, it's something you need your dragy and your butt to feel and notice.

alenpepic

I would love to have more control over the shifts--- the shift speed is great but the communication from the shifter to the gearbox is delayed---- im sure we all would love to fix this, curious if a tcu tune could help that--- or thats strictly a valvebody/clutches upgrade if we talking 7g but even my old coupe mct had a delay

BLKROKT

Agree with the above. A proper TCU tune makes a difference. Combined with a modified VB shifts absolutely BANG. I wouldn’t have believed it until I experienced it.

And yes Doug, 100ms is way too slow.

With that said, go with a known tuner. Don’t plug just anything into your car unless you can afford to replace your transmission, ECU, TCU, engine, whatever.

swedepat

I´d like to see it before beliving it.

lo-fi

Are we sure any perceived TCU shift improvements aren't like ye ol' butt dyno? I'd be far more interested if I could see some sort of numbers or video. Typically in these threads it shifts back and forth between it's great and someone else saying it was ok.

Would be interesting to see "bang" shifts in someone's upgraded car but even the best tuners seem reluctant to provide any concrete proof (Or I've just missed it). From what I'm gathering it comes down to updating both the ECU and TCU in order to achieve results approaching something worthwhile.

Diabolis

The issue with shifting the MCT is not with the gear change speed per se - it is the delay between pulling the paddle (even when it is not dangerous for the engine) and the actual shift. If someone has fix for that, I am all ears.

Unless the valvebodies / solenoids in the transmission have also been upgraded, I can't see how a TCU tune on an otherwise stock MCT transmission would do much. If you've changed the valvebodies that is a different thing altogether, but again, the main issue is the delay between the paddle pull and the shift execution as opposed to the time it takes to shift. In M mode full throttle shifts are as fast as anything... shift times are ALMOST comparable to a proper dogbox.

catmandoob

That's where I can't comment as mine is a torque convertor based not MCT. All I can give is info from my dragy which actually increased my times at first because allowing more torque earlier.

If you're serious and anyone wants true info get in the TCU tune whatsapp conversation.

Heaven7

Other than allowing some torque to come in earlier, did you feel any significant changes? Any modification the delay being paddle-press and actual gear change?
I am happy with my "stock" 722.9 in the sense that it upshifts quite quickly when flooring and also allows some pretty aggressive downshifts, it's just the "delay" in M mode that irks me a bit, coming from a VW DSG box.

catmandoob

I mean, I felt it and it corrected my hiccup when I'd hit red line slightly before shifting when using paddles instead of having that 1 second delay and hitting red line so it pulls throttle then shifts and had that hard gear change.

Now did I use a stop watch and get the exact millisecond it cut, no, but M mode feels so much more fun now. And let's all be honest, no one NEEDS a TCU tune, no one is forcing anyone to favor it or say it's magical. The value and benefit will always be in the eye of the beholder.

Only thing I can say is I sure don't regret it and I'm sure after I decide to have Barry do my ECU tune it will feel even better combined. It does increase line pressure, keeps within limits from what I was told and that is what helps for a faster shift as it was explained to me, it can't help the delay from paddle to gear box. It adjusts your torque setting that your TCU see's coming from your ECU etc to help better match what your ECU tune is pushing now. At the core it's a miniscule of difference and for many that aren't trying to get that extra 10'th of a second shaved off won't ever care about this TCU tune. But if you're actively trying to get a track time down a smidge or better quarter mile times down it can be a helpful thing.

alenpepic

if i were to make a guess i would say the tcu alone is not enough but with the valvebody paired then thats when we are getting towards the proper paddle to shift communication. idk if the clutches are the issue bc we have such fast shift to begin with. it may be a valvebody and tcu issue.

lo-fi

I think this is the salient part of the conversation and probably closest to the truth. Non-track guys, such as myself, won't really benefit from a TCU tune in any meaningful way. I wouldn't be happy that I spent hundreds or thousands for a smidge.

swedepat

This is my standpoint also.
In my earlier AMG(c55) i changed the solenoids to bluetops AND had a eurocharged tune, still disappointed of the lag between pulling the paddle and actual shift.
I don´t want to 'time' the shift at say 6800rpm so it shifts at 7200rpm.

GarlicBread

Owning a '15 GTI and '13 C63 I'll have to agree with this person here.

Literally night and day difference between the butter/quick shifts of the DSG paddles vs the MCT paddles.

Personally, S+ results in the best balance of quick shifts and power band at least for highway pulls but I can't speak for anyone trying to drag/circuit race.

It is an odd overlook on AMG's part imo...

roadtalontsi

These "Tcu tunes" have been out a few years now and there's no feedback other than. "oh man it really helped". No videos, no data, nothing. As for your C55 blue top solenoid swaps lol... that's a 5spd transmission. notoriously slow, slow beyond these people with 7 speeds comprehension. A 65amg 5spd car in manual mode is like waiting for paint to dry. However someone made a standalone transmission controller and it's incredible what that transmission can actually do with it. As for the dsg vs mct? you're comparing an (mct) automatic transmission with a clutch pack rather than a torque converter to a dual clutch transmission. Why don't you compare a 4 cylinder to a v8 too lol.

I also can't say i believe in the modified valve bodies as I looked at mine and all they did was cut the filter/mesh screens off some of the solenoids. How about no.

GarlicBread

Your V8 is just two honda 4 cylinders slapped together.

Fight me.

roadtalontsi

na our v8 has more displacement than a v12 version of your engine.

You want a dct buy a cla 250 or a real car like an amg Gt lol.

You dont want non of this mortal kombat. you going down like a wombat.

GarlicBread

Don't think I haven't thought about it.

Its the question of owning 1 GT-R vs owning an R35, C6Z, and a GT350R. And its not an easy choice.

Also, thou can displace deez nuts sir.