tuning/EM confusion...

[wrxwaggy]

Can anyone offer me some advice in regards to EM. I have been browsing NASIOC for hours now and i am not sure what the hell to do....been talking to Perrin, the guy says if i order and ap from them they can offer more "aggressive" maps than what cobb offers, i just dont know really anything about perrin's maps. I really want to shoot down to TDC where i can talk with someone about what my next step should be and i like the convenience of them being in the area. If i go and order an ap from cobb....will the stage 2 map come loaded or is that something i need to purchase extra?

[Nate8409]

Stage 2 will come on the accessport. You can load it from it as soon as you initialise the ecu.

It is very easy and fast with the newer AP's. You will be more than happy with stage 2. The difference between stage 2 and a custom tune is not enough to care about and spend the extra cash on.

Just rock the generic stage 2 until you decide to move on to a larger turbo.

[Murphy2012]

I think you should get an AP. The new version, as I told you, is really easy to use and you can have a stage 2 map loaded within 20 minutes and LOVE it. Then, you can store all your maps on the AP and load them as you wish!

[f1vlad]

Have you made up your mind what you're going to use to tune?

I don't know what EM means but another option for you is open ecu tuning, I use that.

http://www.openecu.org/
http://www.enginuity.org/
http://www.osecuroms.org/

The only thing you need to purchase is a cable to connect to your laptop. Or you can borrow this cable. If I remember correctly the cable costs about $60 or so.

Nate can also tell you about Streetracing or Streetdeck whatever it's called that he's using to tune.

[TDC Brendan]

Feel free to come on down! :D

[Nate8409]

hahahahaah Vlad. Street tuner. It is a program from Cobb. You would also need an AP to use it.

[wrxwaggy]

" I don't know what EM means"

EM = engine management. I am trying to accumulate funds by selling my blood and hair on a weekly basis...really hope i dont have to start selling limbs (that could suck)......why are access ports so expensive!! In the mean time, is it a good idea to get it tuned and then get an ap somewhere down the road? Or should i just wait a few weeks until i have the cash to go and get the ap?

[2mprzya]

i'd def head down and talk to the guys at tdc. they are very good at what they do, and you can.. or at least they used to be able, to purchase an ap through them directly.

[f1vlad]

I heard TDC can tune open source as well. So why waste $600 on access port?

I've had both access port and open ecu, sold access port because I needed money. You can go for a ride in my car whenever you'd like. It's stage 2 custom map. I've hit fuel cut-off twice in extreme cold temp. Guess is that my map is customized for Florida conditions. But next week I am getting a tune for my car.

[Nate8409]

Who knows man. That is what I paid for my accessport and the Street Tuner Advance Software. 600 bucks total. BUT that was before COBB went crazy and starting jacking up prices.

If I was to do it now I doubt I would spend the money on the AP. Price is a little too hefty for me considering the options out there and that it also doesn't take a lot to learn to use Enginuity.

" I don't know what EM means"

EM = engine management. I am trying to accumulate funds by selling my blood and hair on a weekly basis...really hope i dont have to start selling limbs (that could suck)......why are access ports so expensive!! In the mean time, is it a good idea to get it tuned and then get an ap somewhere down the road? Or should i just wait a few weeks until i have the cash to go and get the ap?

[TDC Brendan]

We can do both opensource and COBB Protuning. We have a few openings in the next couple of weeks. We expect business to be picking up here in a little bit because of spring coming up. Just let me know and i can do my best to free up some time for a tune.

[wrxwaggy]

So i just spoke with a buddy at the dealership i purchased my rex from....i was concerned about the stage 2 flash voiding my extended warranty. Come to find out....it wont as long as i flash it back to stock before it gets serviced. So i think i am going to suck it up and buy an accessport. That way i can have the convenience of a stock flash when i need it.

[2mprzya]

the only thing is some dealerships might void the warranty for the parts that are required to go stage 2. you can go stage 1 without any parts, as its just a reflash, but to go to stage 1, you would need a downpipe.

[wrxwaggy]

the only thing is some dealerships might void the warranty for the parts that are required to go stage 2. you can go stage 1 without any parts, as its just a reflash, but to go to stage 1, you would need a downpipe.

indeed you are correct. I already have the tbe installed, in which would in fact void the warranty on my entire exhaust system. However, my buddy at the dealer told me that if i ever had a problem with something other than the exhaust (or something that was a result of the aftermarket exhaust).....i should flash the engine back to stock and install the stock exhaust...which sucks huge donkey nuts but if i dont have to pay or haggle with issues to fix a major issue (god forbid i ever encounter one) its worth the time to switch it over. .............. "im not gonna do what you all think im gonna do, and flip out man!.........all i want to know is...........whose coming with me"

[Kevin]

I picked up a used v1 ap for 325 shipped.
the v2 is not worth the extra $$$. I downloaded my stage 2 map in 20 mins works for me.

other then that I was thinking about selling it and getting a openecu tune from dentsport. If I keep my car after it gets fixed.

[wagonmafia]

so i have all the mods but the uppipe for stage2, with the uppipe installed how much of a difference in power will i feel with my car. Dont want to splash out $750 bucks and not be happy. That would suck balls.

[Kevin]

its more about safety with the uppipe. the cat starts to break up and go through your turbo. It made a good power diffrence on my 2.0 04 wrx when I went cobb stage 2. then if you get tuned on top of that its another huge step up.

[f1vlad]

I picked up a used v1 ap for 325 shipped.
the v2 is not worth the extra $$$. I downloaded my stage 2 map in 20 mins works for me.

other then that I was thinking about selling it and getting a openecu tune from dentsport. If I keep my car after it gets fixed.

second that, I sold my access port version 1 for $500 right when thier prices were falling.

[wrxwaggy]

its more about safety with the uppipe. the cat starts to break up and go through your turbo. It made a good power diffrence on my 2.0 04 wrx when I went cobb stage 2. then if you get tuned on top of that its another huge step up.

I did some research regarding the up-pipe because of this issue. Starting in 06 subaru started to make the up-pipe without a cat. If you have an 06 and up wrx you are fine without replacing the up-pipe.

[wrxwaggy]

I found a v2 ap for $550 on NASIOC. The guy says it is brand new, he bought it for his STi but sold the car before he could use it. Is it compatible with a wrx?

[Murphy2012]

If it is a version 2 AP then yes. The model numbers are the same for the 06-07 WRX and the 04-07 STI. You'll be all set! Thats a great deal if it is truly unused!

Edit: http://cobbtuning.com/products/?id=3264 for more information.

[wrxwaggy]

I heard TDC can tune open source as well. So why waste $600 on access port?

I've had both access port and open ecu, sold access port because I needed money. You can go for a ride in my car whenever you'd like. It's stage 2 custom map. I've hit fuel cut-off twice in extreme cold temp. Guess is that my map is customized for Florida conditions. But next week I am getting a tune for my car.

where do you live Vlad....id love to take a ride in a stage 2 before i drop a bunch of cash to do it.

[Bu11dogg2]

Open ECU is cheaper by a lot.

If you do what vlad did and get a premade map it cost you under $100 total.

It's risky though.... the benefits of an AP out weight the price by far.

Some tuners offer free upgrades if you purchase an AP from them.

when I was StgI on my old legacy I bought my map from TDC and they gave me a free upgrade when I added my StgII goodies.

not sure if they still offer this.

[wagonmafia]

how much cheaper is open ecu tuning. i can do with a tune and not have to drop 700 on a ap that ill us e maybe twice.

[Murphy2012]

Its not that much to open source tune. You can get the cables and do it yourself via laptop. But its so risky doing it on your own. You can also pay someone to do it, which cost varies. To rid of the headaches, I would personally go with an AP.

[Bu11dogg2]

^agreed.

[f1vlad]

Brandon, openecu is free. You only need a cable to reflash, and you can opt to purchase cable or borrow someone's cable.

We can go for a ride this Friday if you come to the meet. If not we can do any time around Portsmouth area.

I used this forum http://www.osecuroms.org/ to obtain a map for my car. And and I've been riding on this map for about 9 months. The only issue I had was fuel cut off happened once and I couldn't replicate it. It was extreme cold weather.

Even though it's open source tuning and all, I personally don't go and don't modify anything because I don't know what I am doing. I use use generic stage 2 map for my car. Which is much more aggressive than generic equivalent stage 2 on access port. I've had both so I can compare.

You can ask about it another member of this forum -- ProxyWRX. He used my cable to reflash his car.

So if you ask me I would say do not waste money on Access Port, but pay that amount to a vendor to tune base map for you.

p.s. You don't risk anything as long as you: (1) don't modify map yourself, (2) use map that hundreds of people are running. Then it's same risk as using access port in my view. I am not a great mechanic and not a tuner at all, and I did it all on my own.

[unsakred]

very sound advice^

[pjk91]

If you know what you're doing, open ecu is a steal at that price. I use HPTuners which is not available for Subaru, and it goes for $550...