I hear about tuning all the time and I know subys are really picky when it comes to bolt on parts without tuning. I have a turboback and an accessport. What can I expect out of tune would I gain horsepower and torque at the expense of fuel economy or could i get mpg? How much would it cost to tune my car? Is it worth it? Are there any negative effects that would wear parts faster? Im just trying to get a general idea because i plan to have my car for a long time but i want to enjoy it to the fullest capability as it is my daily driver
The more aftermarket parts installed on your car, the bigger difference between a pro-tune and a Cobb off the shelf map. Horsepower and TQ are always going to come at the expense of MPG. I think a pro-tune is way safer for your car than an off-the-shelf map because it is custom for your car and can be built with safety in mind. Scott at TopSpeed was able to add 10hp and 30lb/tq to my car over the basic Cobb stage 2 map. You probably don't want to spend the money on a Pro-tune until you are done buying parts for a while though because if you add parts right after your tune you aren't going to see the increase like you could of. My 2 cents!
What bolt on parts are you thinking of? You heard right that Subies can be picky. Full Exhaust system is key - Up Pipe, Down Pipe, exhuast. When you change your Down Pipe, you can get one with or without a catalytic converter. If you get rid of the catalytic converter you pretty much have to do something with your ECU (I have an Access Port) to tell the computer to ignore the check engine code. If you are keeping your setup mild then I would not bother with an intake (it gets really hot in the engine bay), just a K&N drop in filter. A lot of people say you should not get a manual boost controller on a WRX. Also, an external waste gate will make a cool noise, but will not give you too much power difference until you get into relatively high hp applications. After that you have to make up your mind as to what your limit is going to be. Are you going to replace the turbo (you have to replace your injectors and your intercooler at a minimum then)? What year is your WRX? Your path will be different if you have a 2.0L engine (2005 & Below) or the 2.5L engine (2006 and Up). Like BKiller says, it is worth it to get a tune, but only when you have gotten most of your parts on the car. Tuning I think is like ~$150-$180 an hour but if it your daily driver it is definitely worth it to have a smoother power band. If you start modding, I would recommend running synthetic oil and make sure you change it regularly. Also, the 5 speed transmission is kind of the weak link in these cars. I am pushing about 100 hp over stock on my 5MT, but you just can't launch these cars very hard. I also change my transmission fluid every 10,000 miles to be safe.
Many cars get better CRUISING gas mileage when they are modded and tuned. Of course full-throttle mileage goes down with more power, but cruising generally goes up. Siegel
This is what I have for my car so far: 2006 WRX Accessport Prosport Boost gauge HKS Turbo Timer Whiteline Sway Bars Front and Back 24mm Front and back heavy duty links whiteline(front) Kartboy(rear) SPT heat shield COBB catless Downpipe 3in Borla hush catback 3in I have 2006 STI struts that havent put on Near future: STI intercooler and VF 39 turbo (maybe) STI pink springs Steering rack bushings Shift bushing kit from turninconcepts Im trying to get the most I can out of the car