Car Worklog

Maintenace and Modification log for my cars

Car Worklog
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Cobb DSG Software

Jovian

Yesterday Cobb announced their DSG (TCU) software for the MK7 GTI/R. It had a few delays and a lot of us have been waiting a very long time for this product to materialize. The wait is over and its here: www.cobbtuning.com/mk7-dsg-tuning-available-now/

The gist of it is the following:

  • New Access Port with both OTS ECU and TCU tunes $1050
  • Upgrade an existing ECU only AP for $400. (This is what I did)
  • Multiple OTS DSG TCU profiles available, for the GTI its as follows:
    • COBB Aggressive IS38:
      • Torque limits removed. Gear display. Shift delay in manual removed. Forced upshifts disabled. Forced downshifts in manual disabled. Aggressive shift point change RPM above 2k mostly. Sport mode remains in 5th until 6200+. WOT shift points optimized for tuned is38 cars.
    • COBB Aggressive:
      • Torque limits removed. Gear display. Shift delay in manual removed. Forced upshifts disabled. Forced downshifts in manual disabled. Aggressive shift point change RPM above 2k mostly. Sport mode remains in 5th until 5800+. WOT shift points optimized for tuned is20 cars.
    • COBB Sport:
      • Torque limits removed. Gear display. Shift delay in manual removed. Forced upshifts disabled. Forced downshifts in manual disabled. Sport shift point change, about 4-500rpm higher than stock. WOT shift points optimized for is20 cars.
    • COBB OEM+:
      • Torque limits removed. Gear display. Shift delay in manual removed.
    • Simulated Stock:• For use stock-like DSG behavior is desired. Does not uninstall Accessport.
  • You can get the TCU software Protuned just like the ECU software.
  • Increased clutch clamping pressure. (This one I asked about on their Facebook feed and verified it does include it)
  • Adjustable Traction Control: Adjust target traction slip on the fly (Slots 1-8) and maximize tire grip to best suit given track conditions (wet/damp/dry/street/slip/burnout/etc). Note: Feature must be enabled in ECU calibration for use.
  • Flat Foot Shift: Improve shift times and keep boost built during shifts. Flat Foot Shifting can hold engine RPM at a set RPM between 3000-8000 RPM during shifting. This feature is enabled in COBB OTS maps.
  • Launch Control: Adjust Launch Control on the fly with 6 pre-configured RPM slots to dial in launch based on track conditions and vehicle configuration. Enabled in OTS Maps and configurable within Accesstuner Pro.
  • Datalogging and Live Gauges – Just like ECU monitoring, we’ve provided a long list of DSG specific data-monitors that can be recorded or live monitored in high resolution so you can keep an eye on transmission parameters like temperatures, line pressure, input vs output speed, and so on.
  • Clutch Relearn – As the clutches wear down, the transmission computer has the ability to perform a “learning procedure” to keep tolerances within spec. Normally the dealership has to perform that service, but now you can do it at home with an Accessport at any time.
  • On Dash Gear Indicator – A simple but highly requested feature. Flashing the DSG with an Accessport will add a transmission gear indicator to the center display on the dashboard for all drive mode

Cobb at one point reached out and I helped get them some logs and ROM dumps of my cars transmission. If you have a DQ250 0D9300020J DSG like mine, you’re welcome.

Since I had an existing AP I called, gave them my Access Ports serial number and money. In return they gave me a license file which I added to my AP with the Access Port Manager software. Once licensed I then had the ability to flash the above mentioned DSG profiles. Flashing went exactly like the ECU flashes but quicker. I have a feeling this is not taking a backup of your TCU like the ECU, but i am not positive on this yet.

The profile I flashed was the Cobb Sport one. Right off the bat I notice much smoother shifting in just D as well as gear numbers being shown next to D and S modes, not just in manual mode like before. Down shifting around town from 2nd to 1st when coming to a stop a lot better now, have not felt a jerk or jolt yet when doing it. I continued driving to some mountain roads where the quick and smooth shifting really shined. Its not the same shift points as stock, D mode and S mode have both been modified and for the better. Both D and S feel much more exhilarating than before without being obnoxious. Under WOT shifting is so improved its hard to believe. S mode is actually drivable now around town while still maintaining the high rev aspect. Before I found it unbearable in 1st and 2nd gear for normal driving in S mode. You sure can feel everything acting and responding much quicker than before, its actually shifting when I want it to for once without my intervention. I was only able to do one run for a few hours and will need to spend more time with it before going into too much more details but initial thoughts are this upgrade is a must! We will see if this holds true after the TCU does some adapting over time.

The plan is to get both a new ECU and TCU protune, this time doing a dyno tune instead of etune. Now that the transmission can handle more torque I want an ECU tune more aggressive to match it. I will update this article again with more details at a later time. 

Update 1: Spent some more time daily driving it. Noticed that my MPG dropped by 1.5 I have noticed in D. This makes perfect sense due to hanging in gears longer. I have also notice at about 30 or so MPH it hangs a little longer than I would like in D, its not bad just a minor complaint. A TCU protune could solve this easily. The crispness really is impressive even when in slower traffic. But wow is it so much more fun to commute with, in D mode the powerband is great for just puttering around on the roads.