After months of development, TuneZilla is excited to announce the release of our complete catalog of 1.8T tunes for the MQB platform. The 1.8T EA888 Gen 3 engine found in the VW Golf and Sportwagen/Alltrack models is an out of the box gas miser that delivers sufficient power and torque to get you where you need to go. But there is a lot of uncorked potential lying in wait under the hood of your 1.8T powered commuter car, and we're here to help you unlock it.Stage 1Our Stage 1 tuning for the EA888.3 1.8T gives users a peak at just what's possible with the stout MK7 platform. By adjusting the timing and raising the boost pressure on the turbocharged hump, we're able to fully utilize the higher octane fuels available to us at the local pumps. With our 91 Oct Stage 1 tune, we produce an additional 37 HP and 61 lbft of torque over stock. This is a noticeable improvement over stock and with other features such as an increased redline and quicker throttle response the driving experience is night and day. But if you need more juice, you can squeeze a little bit more out of your car by switching up to our 93 Oct Tune which delivers just shy of 200 HP to the wheels.Tune FeaturesIncreased Rev LimitAdjusted timing to optimize higher octane fuelsAdjusted peak boost limitIncrease throttle response for better pedal feelOptimized fuel trim adjustmentsHigh and Low torque filesHigh Oil Pressure switch over point decreasedOptional Map SwitchingOptional Left foot braking enabledOptional overrun exhaust crackleOptional hard cut limiterTune RequirementsUpgradeRequirementMinimum 91 Oct / 98 RON fuelRequiredDSG TuneHighly RecommendedClutch (manual)RecommendedStage 2For those needing even more power, our Stage 2 files for the EA888.3 1.8T engine satisfies the gap that separates the Golf from the GTI. Increasing output to an eye watering 250 lbft of real, usable torque. To realize this power increase, an aftermarket downpipe with a high flowing catalyst need to be installed. While there is a bump in torque overall, the factory equipped IS12 turbocharger is a bit too small to flow any more efficiently which limits your horsepower gains.Tune RequirementsUpgradeRequirement93 Oct / 98 RONRequiredDownpipe UpgradeRequiredDSG TuneRequiredIntercooler UpgradeRecommendedClutch Upgrade (manual)RecommendedStage 3Once you're ready to dive deeper into the potential of your 1.8T, we start to borrow parts from the VW parts bin. More specifically, a turbo upgrade! The OEM IS20 turbocharger found on the 2.0T EA888.3 equipped GTI is a perfect solution to uncorking the 1.8T. With a larger turbo, we can flow more air through the engine and that's when we start to see just how capable this little motor is. With this simple hardware upgrade performed, we see an increase of over 100HP and 100 lbft from stock. This results in a hair raising 249HP and 275lbft to the wheels.Dipping into the VW parts bin a second time brings out the even larger IS38 turbocharger from the Golf R/S3 models which produces an even 300HP and 300lbft to the wheels. That's over 100% power gain over stock!Stage 3 IS20Stage 3 IS38Tune RequirementsUpgradeRequirementIS20 or IS38 TurbochargerRequiredDownpipe UpgradeRequiredIntercooler UpgradeRequiredDSG TuneRequiredClutch Upgrade (manual)RequiredMin. 93 Oct / 98 RON fuelRequiredOptional FeaturesFeatureDescriptionLeft Foot Braking EnabledThe Left foot braking feature allows you to apply brake pressure while maintaining accelerator pedal position. Effectively allowing trail braking. This is a great feature for competitive driving or experienced spirited drivers. Left Foot Braking is compatible with all Stage tunes.Overrun Exhaust CracklesOverrun, commonly referred to as "crackles" or "burbles" is caused by over fuelling when lifting off the throttle. Made popular by the RS Audi models and factory tuned BMW "burbles", the Crackle tune is a popular feature. By extending the fuelling request after throttle lift, we can create a synthetic but realistic exhaust pop to give you the sporty sound. The overrun feature works with Stage 2 and higher tunes.Hard Cut LimiterRecommended for track/race use, the Hard Cut Limiter cuts fuel at a set RPM limit. The factory calibration sets a "soft" limit to reduce engine speed (RPM) at a set point. This gives the driver a feeling of power cutting out, or a reduction in throttle input. With a hard cut limiter, the driver can now stand on the accelerator pedal and the engine will simply cut fuelling at the set redline allowing for more of an instant power cut.Multi-Map switchingThe Multi-Map feature can support up to 4 individual maps (tunes) on one file. The user can then select between those 4 tunes via the cruise control buttons or foot controls to switch between their chosen tune files. This allows users to set a high boost and low boost tune, or a "stock" tune and a 93 Oct tune when higher octane fuels are not available at the gas station.MPI (Multi-Port Injection)When the correct fuelling upgrades are installed, Multi-Port Injection is supported, adding even more horsepower to your tune.Flex Fuel (Ethanol) tuning - Currently in BETACurrently in beta, our Flex Fuel support will allow users to mix ethanol in their fuel tank to gain even more horsepower by effectively cooling the intake temperatures and increasing the octane level of their fuel. Also compatible with this feature is an Ethanol Content display feature which will show the current ethanol content in the fuel system when an ethanol sensor is installed.With months of dyno and track testing, we are excited to release these tunes to the public so you can see just how much power you can squeeze out of this peppy platform. Whether you want to dip your toes into the tuning world with our entry level Stage 1 tune, or you're unhappy with the current Stage 3 tunes for your IS38 setup, we're confident you'll be pleased. The only thing you'll regret is not switching sooner!Our complete 1.8T EA888.3 catalog for the MQB platform is also compatible with our newly released FlashZilla Lite and Pro dongles, which allows you to read and write your ECU from the comfort of your own driveway. FlashZilla Lite/Pro connects your vehicle directly to our Instatune library for easy access to all of the compatible files for your specific vehicle. From there you can even request custom tuning and even manage your own tune library right in the TuneZilla Portal App, so you can quickly access the tunes you use the most.You can learn more about the FlashZilla Pro here!If you want to explore all of the tune options we have available for the 1.8T Gen3, visit our tune catalog for more!
