OpenECU?

Engine management is obviously close to the top on my list of mods, and I was wondering what everybody's thoughts on OpenECU and ecuFlash were? It seems to be a pretty well informed EM setup. It also seems that all you need to really purchase is the correct interface hardware (cable, etc) for your car, and the maps are downloadable based on your application. Who on here uses this setup, and do you have to be Scott Siegel to understand and use it?

Just curious, as invidia just released a divorced wastegate downpipe :naughty:, so I'm rethinking my options in that department, and of course a downpipe should be followed very closely by EM.

Thanks!

 

you sure are bend on voiding your powertrain warranty...

OpenECU=any open source ECU reflashing/tuning technology...meaning EcuFlash, enginuity, EcuExplorer...

by far the best LOGGER for freeware/opensource stuff is the latest logger for enginuity.

BTW: Enginuity is now refered to as 'RomRaider'

by far the best reflashing and tuning software for the opensource stuff is EcuFlash 1.34

I've used enginuity on a few cars...i hate the fucking interface and how it works. it still requires you to use EcuFlash to FLASH THE ECU.

what the fuck is the point of that??!?!?!

EcuFlash is easier to use and understand...has help for EVERY map.

Use opensource at your own risk tho...however, failure rate is extremely low (less than 0.1%) and only idiots fuck their shit up.

At least with the Cobb AP you have an entire company backing the product. Opensource is a bunch of enthusiasts bend on making their own stuff for their own purposes.

To each their own. I would contact SS/Top Speed before settling on opensource as they may not offer tuning services for opensource stuff. At that point, you'd better buy an APv2, have TS tune it and call it a day.

 

+1 for the AP. Tried and true. Whyfor are you looking at the open source stuff? I personally would not risk it, but I have blown enough motors to be a sissy.

 

I think hes looking to spend the least amount of $ as possible.

Which is perfectly fine if hes going to slap on a TBE, get it tuned to 'stage 2' and leave it at that for years to come.

But if hes going to do this and that and upgrade this and FMIC this and Meth that and FP green and then FP red then 50/50 mix then GT35R and then GT30R then HTA35R then swap out FMIC with another FMIC and then AVCR and all that over time...THEN he'll REQUIRE an AP as he'll have flashed his ECU to death and that'll cost him about $700+ thru the dealer to fix.

If he does it all at once or stays with one setup for a long time...then opensource will do fine.

 

He is Jewish... :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Sound Financial Investments FTW

 

Agreed.

However, there are no sound investments in the auto industry right now.

 

HOw much is a " normal" tune $$ nowadays
Let me estimate $300

Lets just assume he needs a retune for every major mod - lets say $200 retune

APv2 $500 ( i dont know i guess again)

so with 1 tune and say 3 retunes
$500+300+(3x200) = $1400
I would say thats good chunk of investment if you are goin to play the game you have to pay

 

You mean I shouldn't have supercharged my new Hummer H2? I get 1200ft/gallon now, but some sweet torque for going to the grocery store and soccer practice!

 

It's not all about the money, Will.

I was just curious as to the merits of open source versus a pre-packaged style EM setup, such as the AP (with a protune, probably), which is still my plan. I've recently had the revelation that you get what you pay for:eek4:, and since I'll be paying for my own mods in less than a year, I'm more interested in spending the money for flexibility, quality, and support.

I suppose if it's not as flexible and happy with larger mods in the future, then it isn't for me. Thanks.

 

Like I said. You get what you pay for, right?

I suppose that answers my question.

 

Yes...for being a SUBARU technician. The dealer i am at now thinks so as well.

But from a consumer end...its different.

If you go straight to it, yes, the opensource works as well as the AP.

if you want quick map switching and you know that you'll be back for tuning more than say...twice a year...the APv2 is for you and opensource is not.

True. However, there are exceptions to every rule. In this case, opensource has proven to be reliable and cheap. Fast is a relative term...depends on what 'fast' really means in terms of tuning.

If real time tuning is fast, then yes, fast is not in opensource.
If you want the faster flashing method found in the EcuTek platform (not sure if AP has this yet), then opensource is not fast.
If you want to change maps around quickly while sitting at a stop light...then opensource is not fast.

However, the speeds that EcuFlash does complete its flashing at is comparable to the flashing rate of the APv1 doing a basemap flash. If you make one or two small changes to a map with EcuFlash...it only makes those changes and its rather quick.

So in some cases...opensource is all three.

However, AP and Ecutek are not cheap...but they are reliable and have better speed attributes in some areas that opensource does not.

 

Fast
Cheap
Reliable

Pick Two

It's about the car itself. You can have any two of those attributes, but not all 3.

Siegel

 

yeah...that.

 

Hah! Its like College! You can:

Sleep
Have Good Grades
Have a Social Life

You have time for 2

 

Scotty, we all know that's really only at Tech.

At UGA you can raise exotic birds in addition to those 3.

I kid I kid.

 

Will, how many times is too much to reflash an ECU? I was sort of forced into using OpenECU since Cobb doesnt support JDM motors and ECUs.

 

Something in the 100's. SS knows the number better than I.

 

:rofl:

 

The chip manufacturer states 100 flashes. I've never heard of anybody having issues until near 200 flashes. There are some people that have 500+ flashes...

Siegel

 

So whats the difference between 100-200 OpenECU reflashes and 100-200 Protuner reflashes or Ecutek flashes?

 

if they are base map flashes, nothing.

if they are 'real time' then alot. The real time maps utilize the area of the ECU that is constantly used for real time learning in stock form. It can be flashed nearly indefinitely.

 

^^^ What he said

Siegel

 

You can have a car that is fast, cheap and reliable as long as its not a GM product like my pos Suburban. Turns out that car isn't any of the 3.

Regarding the flash counts:

http://forum.ecutek.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=361&SearchTerms=number,flashes

I have never heard of anyone reaching the limit. Sure people have bricked ecu's but that is possible with any flash technology if the connection dies at the wrong time.

 

So whats the difference really? You're still going to have to reflash the ECU each time you get tuned.

IMO, in this age of ecu tuning why pay for an Accessport when you can just spend that money on a much better tune?

 

The Realtime tuning on the AP makes for MUCH easier tuning. The AP Protuner software makes for MUCH easier tuning. The opensource stuff has HORRIBLE interfaces. There are 50 times the number of people that have AP than opensource which DRAMATICALLY improves the likelihood that the tuner will have a better base map. Cobb's support of their Protuners is a HUGE tool for tuners to use.

You get what you pay for.

Siegel

 

sure you can have all 4
fast, cheap, reliable, and still have $ for meals

first 3 is all relative and subjective

All this tools and names and company is just secondary stay focus with what the main objective is - Changing the MAP / ROM
All the ECU is performing is read the instructions/constraints and follow its algorithm. Whether you use prog A or Prog B all you are changing are the values of for it to gofrom pt A to pt B. Yes there are minor difference and some throw in som extras to entice the amateur but the main ingredients are still the same

 

Tuning your car with open source/enginuity will net every bit as much power and safety as with any other form of flashing software...the only thing you gain with something like like an Accessport are the tools that it comes loaded with (which includes on the fly real time map switching, reading live boost, easily reading and clearing codes), and of course a company backing your product incase it is faulty.

I have had 2 AP's on my last two subaru's, i've since switched to open source tuning tools becuase its much cheaper, and the tools provided by the A/P were not worth the cost. By far the most useful tool the AP has to offer is the ability to switch real time maps on the fly, i found this useful for switching between my pump and race gas map...if were just running a pump gas map, i would have very little use for the ap.

You should SERIOUSLY not have to worry about running out of rom from flashing your car to much. If you had to flash your ecu THAT many times from that many different set-ups, well then $700 is a drop in the fucking pond.

 

I would agree, but its not the consumers problem how easy a certain software is to tune, its the person highered to tune that car(which in this case, seems the OP is going to be getting tuned by someone).

And even though the pro-tune software is quicker and easier to tune on, the open source material is certainly not impossible...just takes alittle more time behind the wheel or on the dyno.(i know you know that, just telling everyone else)

 

This has become a damned informative thread.

I spoke with Alex today about this over lunch and we seemed to agree that the corporate backing that comes with an accessport is worth the price you pay. It seems that Cobb is one of the premiere names in fast subarus, and they have lots of research to back up every product they sell. The maps are constantly under development by professionals in the business of making your car run more smoothly and make more power in the safest manner possible in addition to giving you a good jumping point for a protune, should you choose to get one. Open source systems, I realized, are developed by users tailoring them to their individual specific needs, and are far less general and overall not as researched, I would assume.

Also, as Mr. Siegel said, it seems like Cobb strives to make life easier for the protuners who have to deal with them. Also, he points out that you get what you pay for. From my perspective, if I'm talking about my own money, saving for additional month or two seems worth the price of flexible EM setup that gives me peace of mind in the fact that if my ECU or happy little EJ25 gets destroyed by a faulty product, I'm covered by one of the finest companies in the subie world. Not so in the open source world. I'd probably just get a "well, guess you better start looking around for a shortblock then, huh?" Granted, doesn't happen much, but the assurance is worth it, especially on an expensive car, as mine is. At least to me.

In the words of our good friend Stan Marsh: "I learned something today..."

EDIT: I believe there are less than 6 sentences in the above post. Sorry. Avoiding run-ons was never my strong point.

 

There ya go. You have your answer.

 

Just get an accessport and go to stage II. You won't have to worry about blowing up your 2.5, unless you don't take care of the car i.e oil, etc. but say good bye to your warranty once you do so anything that happens is on you!

 

Edited... N/M just get an AP

 

Common Russ! Warranties are for pussies!