VW/Audi 1.8T 20v Stage 3 Tune (AWW/AUM/AWP/AWM/BEA)

STAGE 3: K04 AND HYBRID K04, CUSTOM CALIBRATION

Fits

1.8T 20v with engine code AWW (150 hp, 2000-2005), AUM (150 hp, 2001-2005) or AWP (180 hp, 2000-2005) in the MK4 Golf, GTI, Jetta and New Beetle, and the same AWP in the Audi TT 180 (8N, 2000-2005). AWM (170 hp, longitudinal) in the Audi A4 B5 and VW Passat B5.5 2001-2005. BEA (225 hp) in the US Audi TT 225, which came from the factory with the K04-02x, so on that car Stage 3 means moving beyond it. All five are wideband cars, and at Stage 3 they all run the same upgraded hardware: a K04 or hybrid K04, a 3 inch MAF housing and 550cc or 630cc injectors. That is why they are grouped on one listing, even though the TT 225 starts from a different factory turbo and fueling. The calibration itself is written for your engine code and your turbo. Not sure which code you have? Find your engine code in two minutes. Narrowband codes such as AWD, APH and AMU need a wideband conversion first. That is not optional at Stage 3. AEB owners have their own Stage 3.

What Stage 3 does

Stage 3 is a custom calibration built around the turbo you put on the car. K04 or hybrid K04, written for 93 octane / 98 RON and adapts to 91 / 95. Boost is set for your turbo and your block: on a stock 150 to 180 hp bottom end we cap hybrids at 21 psi and run a standard K04-001 a little harder. Lag removed, speed limiter removed, rev limit raised to 7200. Program switching and customizable launch control are built in. Tested on the street and the track to be smooth yet powerful. Stage 3 is for K04 and K04 hybrids only. A big turbo build needs Stage 4. Previously sold as Gonzo Tuning Stage 3.

What you need on the car

• Turbo: a K04 or a K04 hybrid. K04-02x, KKK / BorgWarner K04-001, K04-001 XL, FrankenTurbo F4, F21 or F23, BBT-K04, or our own GTT. Running something else? Pick Other in the Turbo option and email us before you order.
• MAF housing: a TT 225 or VR6 3 inch housing with the stock sensor inside.
• Injectors: Bosch 550cc or 630cc at 3 bar. Pick a plug and play bundle with adapters in the Injectors option, or use your own. 415cc and 440cc injectors are no longer supported.
• Also required: turbo-back exhaust, front mount intercooler, upgraded diverter valve.
• E85 program: needs 830cc injectors. Upgraded rods are recommended.
• Bottom end and clutch: hold torque to 300 lb-ft on a stock bottom end, and plan on a clutch. A factory clutch will not hold this.

After you order

1. Order. Choose Remote Tuning and pick your turbo and injectors in the options. A GTS cable ships with your order for a one-time $40 and it is yours to keep for every tune after this one.
2. Read. Plug the cable into the OBD port and a Windows laptop, Windows 10 or later. An Intel Mac on Boot Camp works too. Our software identifies your ECU and saves your original calibration before anything is written.
3. Flash. We build the calibration for your engine code, your turbo, your injectors and your fuel. You get a message the moment it is ready, and you flash it yourself in your driveway in about ten minutes.
4. Log. Drive, log, send. Stage 3 usually takes a revision or two to dial in for the exact hardware. Revisions usually come back the same day, and within 72 hours at the outside.

Prefer to mail the ECU in? Mail-in is free within the USA and Canada. We flash it on the bench and send it back in two to three days. Local? An OBD flash at the shop takes 10 to 15 minutes. How remote tuning works, start to finish.

Options explained

• Turbo: tell us what is on the car. The calibration is built for it.
• Injectors: 550cc or 630cc bundle with adapters, shipped with your order, or your own set if you already have them.
• Program switching: Stock and Tuned on one flash, switched from the driver's seat with no laptop, plus whichever add-ons you pick below. Stock for the dealer. Pick None for tuned mode only.
• 100 octane add-on: a race gas program on the switcher.
• E85 add-on: an E85 program on the switcher. Needs the 830cc injectors above.
• Launch control: Soft (no pops) is included free. Hard 2-step / antilag is an add-on, for off-road and competition use. Pick None if you do not want it.
• No-lift shift: included free with every GTS tune.
• Pops and bangs: exhaust crackle on lift-off.
• Hard cut: a hard fuel cut at the rev limit instead of the factory soft limiter.
• IMMO delete: removes the immobilizer check so a swapped or spare ECU runs without the key and cluster handshake.
• Spare ECU: we supply a tuned ECU so your original stays untouched on the shelf.
• Mail or Remote: remote is what most owners pick. Mail-in if you would rather not touch a laptop.

Stage ladder by engine code

Stage 3 and Stage 4 are custom calibrations built for your turbo; what each one needs on the car is on its own page. On the TT 180 and the AWM, Stage 1 and Stage 2 are one listing with a Stage option. AMB owners (Audi A4 B6): Stage 1 to 3 for your car are on the AMB listing. Read the 1.8T 20v Tuning Guide for what each stage really gains and which codes need a wideband swap first.