Jb4 or remap

Andymc10

Active Member
Jan 27, 2019
45
6
as above am looking to get either the jb4 or the remap. What’s your thoughts ? The jb4 is a lot cheaper then the likes of a apr map and offers similar gains. Any help and advise is appreciated. Also does anyone have dyno results off jb4 heard as seen some higher and lower then what they claim to make.
 

Andymc10

Active Member
Jan 27, 2019
45
6
Just seems with the jb4 you get a lot for your money it’s half the price or the likes of apr so was just wondering performance wise is there much difference between jb4 or like an apr stage 1.
 

jkane92

Active Member
Mar 30, 2015
51
1
Just seems with the jb4 you get a lot for your money it’s half the price or the likes of apr so was just wondering performance wise is there much difference between jb4 or like an apr stage 1.

All depends on what you want really. Both have they're positives.
I've got a JB4. It's great bit of kit, it's not just a standard tuning box. It has many fail safes, logging, boost by rpm, boost by gear, change fuel loop. The list goes on and the amount of help you recieve online on setting it up and ensure your car is running safe is amazing.
With a click of a button or you disconnect it, the car reverts back to standard.

I chose the JB4 because I'm planning on going stage 2 or hybrid in the future so putting money into a remap just felt like dead money. At least with the JB4 you can resell it.

As for results, I don't think you could beat a 'decent' custom remap or high quality map like APR/Revo.

Which ever route you go down you wont be disappointed. I've turned my car back to standard a few times to get a few standard logs. It fells so slow.

My only regret is not getting the car tuned sooner.
 

alper

Active Member
Feb 28, 2016
108
7
Yes a JB4 does not have the full access of parameters a remap does but it is not your average piggyback either. The fact it monitors AFR and makes the ECU adjust the mixture according to requirements is great let alone the rest of the features mentioned above which - again - are not your typical piggyback features.

A quick story: I had a JB4 on a GTI CS (effectively a Cupra) for 1.5 years. Then I was curious about how a proper remap would be different and expected to see noticeable gains. Sold my JB4 and got back 70% of its original cost, while my warranty was intact. Went with a local company, not a big name like APR, Revo etc. but one that their cars perform good in general. I was shocked to discover that after the remap, I could at best match my best 100-200 times with the JB4 and usually run 1-2 tenths lower (same road, same conditions), while at the same time having voided my warranty for nothing. Maybe my map wasn't very aggressive or optimized (although I didn't have any errors whatsoever) but usually JB4 cars with custom Map 6 settings are not far off mapped ones anyway.

It obviously depends on where you're aiming to go but I'd say for a simple stage 1, JB4 is hard to beat. I am now changing car and will again go with a JB4 for the next one, it was actually ordered before I even got the new car, lol
 

Deadly Ferret

Active Member
Dec 21, 2017
40
9
I hear jb4 can be detected now thus voiding warrenty anyway. Apparently they can see the parameters are running different to stock. I would be interested to see what the makers of jb4 have to say about this?
 

alper

Active Member
Feb 28, 2016
108
7
I hear jb4 can be detected now thus voiding warrenty anyway. Apparently they can see the parameters are running different to stock. I would be interested to see what the makers of jb4 have to say about this?

Nope. This is an urban/internet legend circulating from time to time since a few years. A supposed VAG bulletin informing dealers about "suspected" (not verified) modifications that invalidate warranty. Reality is no-one has ever got warranty work rejected due to a JB4 (as opposed to mapped cars) which given the thousands of cars all over the world seems more than just a coincidence. George from BMS (the JB4 manufacturer) had explained in detail why/how the modified parameters are not stored or read by the ECU that only sees stock data, the detailed explanation was in a MK7 forum a while ago, hard to find it now.
 

Andymc10

Active Member
Jan 27, 2019
45
6
Yes a JB4 does not have the full access of parameters a remap does but it is not your average piggyback either. The fact it monitors AFR and makes the ECU adjust the mixture according to requirements is great let alone the rest of the features mentioned above which - again - are not your typical piggyback features.

A quick story: I had a JB4 on a GTI CS (effectively a Cupra) for 1.5 years. Then I was curious about how a proper remap would be different and expected to see noticeable gains. Sold my JB4 and got back 70% of its original cost, while my warranty was intact. Went with a local company, not a big name like APR, Revo etc. but one that their cars perform good in general. I was shocked to discover that after the remap, I could at best match my best 100-200 times with the JB4 and usually run 1-2 tenths lower (same road, same conditions), while at the same time having voided my warranty for nothing. Maybe my map wasn't very aggressive or optimized (although I didn't have any errors whatsoever) but usually JB4 cars with custom Map 6 settings are not far off mapped ones anyway.

It obviously depends on where you're aiming to go but I'd say for a simple stage 1, JB4 is hard to beat. I am now changing car and will again go with a JB4 for the next one, it was actually ordered before I even got the new car, lol
Stage 1 remap and jb4 offers very similar gains that’s what swaying me towards jb4 as if you decide to go stage 2 you can sell it rather then lose money.
 

alper

Active Member
Feb 28, 2016
108
7
Stage 1 remap and jb4 offers very similar gains that’s what swaying me towards jb4 as if you decide to go stage 2 you can sell it rather then lose money.

Some have even run them with a dp on and O2 spacers to avoid CEL's without issues.
 

_Dejan_

Active Member
Mar 20, 2018
144
66
As Im read on forums when JB4 clear codes ACC stop working until you again start car...
I waiting to receive JB4 but can't test this because my downpipe(HJS With sport cat) do not throw errors...
 
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