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So the TCU tune raises power in all gears and not just gears 1-2?
also, does it make all 7 gears have faster shifts than stock or is it only messing with gears 1-2-3?
The TCU does not increase power... it modifies/partially removes restrictions that the stock TCU imposed on the platform.
The torque restrictions are much more noticeable in the lower gears... As an example, pre TCU tune my car's TCU would only allow 5-7 psi boost to be generated in first gear... now I have access to 15psi in first.
That power capability was always there compliments of the ECU, but the modified TCU is only now allowing it access to the transmission. The new TCU tune is not being as restrictive as it was previously.
Think of the ECU as a garden hose that has the ability to flow at a set amount.
In this simplistic explanation the TCU is the end fitting on that garden hose.
The stock TCU had a much smaller end fitting than the new TCU tune... the new end fitting allows much more water to flow then before. It didn't increase the flow capability, it just increased the flow availability.
Across all gears there are modifications complements of the TCU tune... not just in throttle closure per gear, but in clamping force etc as mentioned in this thread.
The TCU does not increase power... it modifies/partially removes restrictions that the stock TCU imposed on the platform.
The torque restrictions are much more noticeable in the lower gears... As an example, pre TCU tune my car's TCU would only allow 5-7 psi boost to be generated in first gear... now I have access to 15psi in first.
That power capability was always there compliments of the ECU, but the modified TCU is only now allowing it access to the transmission. The new TCU tune is not being as restrictive as it was previously.
Think of the ECU as a garden hose that has the ability to flow at a set amount.
In this simplistic explanation the TCU is the end fitting on that garden hose.
The stock TCU had a much smaller end fitting than the new TCU tune... the new end fitting allows much more water to flow then before. It didn't increase the flow capability, it just increased the flow availability.
Across all gears there are modifications complements of the TCU tune... not just in throttle closure per gear, but in clamping force etc as mentioned in this thread.
yes I know that I didn’t mean to say it actually raises power but rather that it allows more power to “pass through” from the ECU in the lower gears 1-2 (3 I don’t know if third is really affected much?), while increasing shift speed/line pressure in all 7 gears.
I also wanted to add that I really hope over long term the stock hardware on the transmission will be able to handle this reliably. I really don’t want to deal with the headache/cost of upgrading the clutch packs I just hope it can handle it without actually doing that long term.
yes I know that I didn’t mean to say it actually raises power but rather that it allows more power to “pass through” from the ECU in the lower gears 1-2 (3 I don’t know if third is really affected much?), while increasing shift speed/line pressure in all 7 gears.
I also wanted to add that I really hope over long term the stock hardware on the transmission will be able to handle this reliably. I really don’t want to deal with the headache/cost of upgrading the clutch packs I just hope it can handle it without actually doing that long term.
All gears are affected... your butt dyno will notice it most in first, second, and at the 2-3 gear change. The effect is much less noticeable in the higher gears. All gears are affected though with clamping force etc... these you won't feel.
While the buzz around a TCU tune is all the rage currently on MB World, the tune has been around for a while, just not mainstream. Any concerns about longevity are being addressed by EC ATX. EC ATX have been beating the living snot out of their stock MCT trans for well over a year now, and at much higher torque limits then our tunes typically see, all in an effort to find the mechanical limits of the car. This past weekend the car repeatedly launched many multiple 1.5 60fts with a 1.4 60ft on the stock transmission pushing north of 850+ AWTQ through the gears. They then drove home.. a 5 hr round trip.
If a stock MCT can withstand over a year of that kind of abuse, it gives me confidence for the long term.
As a consumer you have the benefit of time on your hand... buy the tune if and when you feel like it.
One thing to consider... ze Germans have had access to this tune, or variants of it, since 2015... they know a thing or two because they've seen a thing or two. Its 5 years on and we get the benefit of that knowledge.
Last edited by brutus_tx; Jun 4, 2020 at 11:03 AM.
All gears are affected... your butt dyno will notice it most in first, second, and at the 2-3 gear change. The effect is much less noticeable in the higher gears. All gears are affected though with clamping force etc... these you won't feel.
While the buzz around a TCU tune is all the rage currently on MB World, the tune has been around for a while, just not mainstream. Any concerns about longevity are being addressed by EC ATX. EC ATX have been beating the living snot out of their stock MCT trans for well over a year now, and at much higher torque limits then our tunes typically see, all in an effort to find the mechanical limits of the car. This past weekend the car repeatedly launched many multiple 1.5 60fts with a 1.4 60ft on the stock transmission pushing north of 850+ AWTQ through the gears. They then drove home.. a 5 hr round trip.
If a stock MCT can withstand over a year of that kind of abuse, it gives me confidence for the long term.
As a consumer you have the benefit of time on your hand... buy the tune if and when you feel like it.
One thing to consider... ze Germans have had access to this tune, or variants of it, since 2015... they know a thing or two because they've seen a thing or two. Its 5 years on and we get the benefit of that knowledge.
that’s great news. Are you aware of any German guys who from 2015 until now still have a stage 1 TCU tune on stock hardware with no issues?
i would definitely do this tune, but I at the same time would not go with a more aggressive TCU tune than this, say a stage 2 version on stock hardware just to be safe. I think stage2+ TCU should only be done with upgraded hardware.
with EC beating on it, is it even ok to use the launch control system over and over again without issue on stock hardware or must it only be used on brake boosting/off idle?
that’s great news. Are you aware of any German guys who from 2015 until now still have a stage 1 TCU tune on stock hardware with no issues?
i would definitely do this tune, but I at the same time would not go with a more aggressive TCU tune than this, say a stage 2 version on stock hardware just to be safe. I think stage2+ TCU should only be done with upgraded hardware.
with EC beating on it, is it even ok to use the launch control system over and over again without issue on stock hardware or must it only be used on brake boosting/off idle?
Launch control is fine to use - It's just slower than loading the car. A "Stage1" TCU tune won't hurt anything.
that’s great news. Are you aware of any German guys who from 2015 until now still have a stage 1 TCU tune on stock hardware with no issues?
i would definitely do this tune, but I at the same time would not go with a more aggressive TCU tune than this, say a stage 2 version on stock hardware just to be safe. I think stage2+ TCU should only be done with upgraded hardware.
with EC beating on it, is it even ok to use the launch control system over and over again without issue on stock hardware or must it only be used on brake boosting/off idle?
I have made many friends in my adventures for the TCU Tune, and one of them is a buddy of mine now in Germany who has had TCU tune since 2016.. Car runs great to this day! To be clear, he is a conservative driver and Doesnt track his car.
Many owners around the world have been tcu tuned for years now so the set target of safety has been set for a while now.
Yes, us in America are Very late to the party, but i guess the upside is, its been tested and proven for us by others
As i have mentioned before on the forum, as with an ecu tune only, and more so with a tcu tune, increased maintenance and end user steps should be taken.
Warming up the engine and trans to operating temperature prior to spirited driving goes along way, aswell as changing the fluids and filter in the trans more often, along with the diff fluid will help prolong these items.
If you are not on a prepped track running drag radials, there should be no concern
A stage 2 tcu tune would remove the tq limits completely, this is more for guys looking to do record runs and accept the fact parts may break.
And of course, every TCU tuned customers has the option to choose a custom set of tq limit increases to their desire if they would want to go more conservative than a stage 1 tcu tune but a bit higher than stock limits.
LC is traction limited and controlled , so it is as safe to use as in stock form but as mentioned wont yield the best and fastest launches.
I have made many friends in my adventures for the TCU Tune, and one of them is a buddy of mine now in Germany who has had TCU tune since 2016.. Car runs great to this day! To be clear, he is a conservative driver and Doesnt track his car.
Many owners around the world have been tcu tuned for years now so the set target of safety has been set for a while now.
Yes, us in America are Very late to the party, but i guess the upside is, its been tested and proven for us by others
As i have mentioned before on the forum, as with an ecu tune only, and more so with a tcu tune, increased maintenance and end user steps should be taken.
Warming up the engine and trans to operating temperature prior to spirited driving goes along way, aswell as changing the fluids and filter in the trans more often, along with the diff fluid will help prolong these items.
If you are not on a prepped track running drag radials, there should be no concern
A stage 2 tcu tune would remove the tq limits completely, this is more for guys looking to do record runs and accept the fact parts may break.
And of course, every TCU tuned customers has the option to choose a custom set of tq limit increases to their desire if they would want to go more conservative than a stage 1 tcu tune but a bit higher than stock limits.
LC is traction limited and controlled , so it is as safe to use as in stock form but as mentioned wont yield the best and fastest launches.
thanks, ya it would seem like if going lighter than what the stage 1 TCU does it’s not really going to give much performance improvement.
i know LC is not as fast as brake boost, but I like that it’s easier on the trans. Is performance with the stage 1 TCU still improve over stock if using LC or only for brake boosting? Does it also decrease the “lag” the car has when flooring it off idle (not using any Launching methods ie. from red light )
and last but not least, for a stage 2 TCU tune without any limits, this option wouldn’t break anything if combined with the clutch pack upgrades would it?
thanks, ya it would seem like if going lighter than what the stage 1 TCU does it’s not really going to give much performance improvement.
i know LC is not as fast as brake boost, but I like that it’s easier on the trans. Is performance with the stage 1 TCU still improve over stock if using LC or only for brake boosting? Does it also decrease the “lag” the car has when flooring it off idle (not using any Launching methods ie. from red light )
and last but not least, for a stage 2 TCU tune without any limits, this option wouldn’t break anything if combined with the clutch pack upgrades would it?
IMHO, LC doesn't improve either way, as it is based on an algorithm using the traction control system and a very linear launch, hence the sport handling mode needing to be active. But yes, it is easier on the drive train.
For instance, if available, Launching these heavy cars at 4K rpm, full traction off, and having full available power, wouldn't work well on the stock drivetrain components. That would be a pretty harsh setup, dropping all that power at once.
Lag off the light is greatly improved, and with brake boosting completely gone.
Stage 2 on drag radials on a prepped surface, the Output shaft in the middle of the trans would go more than likely first before anything else, that would need to be addressed for someone running that wild and hard. These engines can make an tremendous amount of TQ easily, pair that with fully unlimited tq limits in the trans, drag radials and that shock all into the drivetrain, usually ends with a broken or twisted output shaft.
Stage 2 on drag radials on a prepped surface, the Output shaft in the middle of the trans would go more than likely first before anything else, that would need to be addressed for someone running that wild and hard. These engines can make an tremendous amount of TQ easily, pair that with fully unlimited tq limits in the trans, drag radials and that shock all into the drivetrain, usually ends with a broken or twisted output shaft.
I agree stage 2 TCU tune in a situation of drag radials and prepped surface will do damage even with upgraded clutch packs.
regarding the LC method-it should still improve the time regardless for 0-60 etc. Because of the fact that the lower gears are still increasing power from stock TCU, right?
im more interested to know, about using the car as we do, a daily driver on normal summer tires, (with or without prepped surfaces) what is needed to make the full on stage 2 TCU work if one is interested? Would the upgraded clutch packs be enough for that?
personally I’m not dumping anymore expensive hardware on an older car like this anymore so I def am keeping it more conservative and will soon be going for the stage 1 TCU on completely stock MCT hardware.
im more interested to know, about using the car as we do, a daily driver on normal summer tires, (with or without prepped surfaces) what is needed to make the full on stage 2 TCU work if one is interested? Would the upgraded clutch packs be enough for that?
Stage 2, That would be more along the lines of what the guys in Germany are doing like GAD motors with their trans builds, in house spec'd output shaft, on top of clutches, etc.
Engine tuning would play a role here aswell to dial in torque in a smooth manner at an higher RPM and all the good tricks tuners use in these cases. So I guess the answer to this would be both hardware and engine tuning combination.
Had a great time hanging with Chris @CSPAMG and Efrain @Cifdig.
Chris car really looks amazing!
I flashed his beastly E63S with the Stage 1 TCU tune and it really is a evil monster now!
Great time with good friends! Enjoy some pictures I took.Thanks guys.
Had a great time hanging with Chris @CSPAMG and Efrain @Cifdig.
Chris car really looks amazing!
I flashed his beastly E63S with the Stage 1 TCU tune and it really is a evil monster now!
Great time with good friends! Enjoy some pictures I took.Thanks guys.
The car is definitely a lot more aggressive off the line! Very easy to spin all four wheels. With practice I’m sure I will master launching this car as it feels like its on steroids. Lol Thanks again Senad and Efrain for all your insight on what feels like a new E63...
My 63 is my daily whip and I drive in S all the time. Right now I have lovely silky smooth shifts and smooth MCT engagement. I'm getting my tcu tuned July 18, will this change my daily drive in a bad way?
My 63 is my daily whip and I drive in S all the time. Right now I have lovely silky smooth shifts and smooth MCT engagement. I'm getting my tcu tuned July 18, will this change my daily drive in a bad way?
Peter, I only saw positives with my tune. Silky smooth is still a term I use to describe my shifts...
Here's a quick video showing a WOT run from a first gear roll.. note how smooth the gears changes sound and how fluid the speedo needle sweeps the gauge.
Excuse the video quality... this isn't Hollywood..
2014 E63S with tuned ECU and TCU, otherwise stock...
The TCU does not increase power... it modifies/partially removes restrictions that the stock TCU imposed on the platform.
The torque restrictions are much more noticeable in the lower gears... As an example, pre TCU tune my car's TCU would only allow 5-7 psi boost to be generated in first gear... now I have access to 15psi in first.
That power capability was always there compliments of the ECU, but the modified TCU is only now allowing it access to the transmission. The new TCU tune is not being as restrictive as it was previously.
Think of the ECU as a garden hose that has the ability to flow at a set amount.
In this simplistic explanation the TCU is the end fitting on that garden hose.
The stock TCU had a much smaller end fitting than the new TCU tune... the new end fitting allows much more water to flow then before. It didn't increase the flow capability, it just increased the flow availability.
Across all gears there are modifications complements of the TCU tune... not just in throttle closure per gear, but in clamping force etc as mentioned in this thread.
Brutus - quick question, with your ECU tune you're able to run both 93 and the E50 which have different peak HP and TQ levels correct (e50 is muich higher)?
Are there any issues or concerns with how your TCU tune is working when you switch from the 93 Tune to the E50 Tune since they have different peak TQ values? curious if you have any feedback on that....
Brutus - quick question, with your ECU tune you're able to run both 93 and the E50 which have different peak HP and TQ levels correct (e50 is muich higher)?
Are there any issues or concerns with how your TCU tune is working when you switch from the 93 Tune to the E50 Tune since they have different peak TQ values? curious if you have any feedback on that....
I haven't reverted back to full 93 octane in some time now, well before the TCU tune.
I've been running E50 since the TCU tune.
The car is making much more power and torque with the E50 tune when running E50 in the tank. The car is fine at these torque/power levels.
I imagine running straight 93 with the reduced torque/power would have no difference on the transmission.
Dammm that is smooth. How do we go about getting this tune up here in Canada?
If you are in the Toronto area you can have it performed at EC Canada...
Can you get into the Chicago area for an upcoming tuning session which was just announced?
Sorry, I see you're in Edmonton. Up for a road trip to NorCal?
If there is enough interest in your region perhaps the guys at EC ATX can come to you guys as well...
Last edited by brutus_tx; Jun 17, 2020 at 04:38 PM.
I haven't reverted back to full 93 octane in some time now, well before the TCU tune.
I've been running E50 since the TCU tune.
The car is making much more power and torque with the E50 tune when running E50 in the tank. The car is fine at these torque/power levels.
I imagine running straight 93 with the reduced torque/power would have no difference on the transmission.
ok cool thanks for clarifying that.... your video is awesome with how smooth the shifts seem to be.
regarding using this stage 1 TCU tune with the cars built in launch control setting, would it still improve the 0-60 times using this method as a result of the increased power it gives in the lower gears-despite brake boosting being faster?
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