For A4 cars, Comp cams says their 216/220 duration cam requires computer modifications, however their 212/218 duration cam does not.

What needs computer tuning because of the higher duration? Idle rpm only, or other things as well?

Thanks.

 

the things you mentioned and also to get the most power out of the cam. But the 216/220 is small enough that you could get away without it. Do you have an aftermarket converter for your car? At least have one put in before a cam swap.

 

SS3200. Was Comp cams referring mainly to the idle rpm?

 

Regardless of any aftermarket cam you put in, you will need to tune it. Granted, you will have to make less/smaller changes with a smaller cam, you still need to make them. The computer is programmed to know only about the stock cam, nothing else.

 

Agree

 

Even the stock cam can use better tuning. On my vette, I gained 12rwhp by tuning the stock one.

 

I actually had both of those cams on 114 LSAs in A4 cars many years ago. The 216/220 would set enough misfires to keep the converter from locking while the 212/218 did not.

 

How do you tune out the misfires?

 

Edit the misfire tables with tuning software.

 

My thunder racing 220/220 .551 .551 on a 114 needed tuning. Not much bigger than the one your describing? It would send a random multiple misfire code for no apparent reason from time to time and would stall at traffic lights if it sat still long enough. You would've thought it was a much bigger cam the way it behaved. All that with a Pro Torque 2800 stall. Much nicer after I had it tuned.