Hi all. First of all, I apologize to have just joined the party here and I'm already mooching knowledge without giving much back. I am fairly new to Subarus though, so hopefully in due time I will be able to be a better contributor. Anyway, as I stated in my introduction post, I drive an 03 WRX wagon with a completely stock engine, turbo, etc. Being around Subarus, you always hear people recommend a "pro tune", as a good tune will improve power and drivability. I have also heard mentioned that if one was going to go for a tune, it's best to bring as many bolt-ons as the bank allows, because you can get more out the engine that way. I am still a little fuzzy on the details of the process, though. Could someone please explain to me what the shop actually does during the tune process, and what types of benefits would I get from bringing a completely stock engine into a shop for a tune. I am a stone's throw from Allpro, so I have them in mind specifically. Additionally, are tunes customizable? For instance, if I wanted to sacrifice peak boost for quicker spooling, could that be done, or would that require a smaller turbo? You may be able to tell that I'm new to turbo cars, Subarus, and aftermarket tinkering, so any information you can offer is most welcome. Thanks! -Matt
One thing that I have read and heard many times is to figure out what you really want to do with the car and what your bank account can allow, then start researching. A Cobb AP, made a world of difference on my 09 from stock tune in terms of power curve and smoothness (~$500 for part). If you want to get to 4-500 HP, then you will need many more things, depending on where you want to get to. I myself have not gone the pro-tune route and am just using the off the shelf (OTS) Cobb maps for now, but really want to get the pro-tune as it will be a specific map for my car. Think of the Cobb AP as a one size fits all hat. A pro tune becomes the 7 1/4 hat that fits just right. Once you figure out what you want to do, it will help you get more specific answers. All Pro is a top notch spot though and I am jealous you are so close. Hope some of this helps, and welcome!
The tuner pretty much adjusts the ignition timing, boost, fuel etc.... long story short, the tuner looks at all the raw data and adjusts it as needed. Result, more hp, smoother power curve and in some cases better gas mileage. I would def. at least add 1 or two power adders before getting a tune.
Thanks for the input and the warm welcome. I think I understand what you're saying. I may save up for a Cobb stage 1+ kit and source a catback and see if that satisfies my wants and needs before going to a pro.
with a 13 yo car and you can be never too certain what has been done in the past, I'd take it by a supporting vendor and have it logged to to make sure everything is good to go before doing any mods. This will also give you a beginning baseline to see what gains are made with future mods.
Definitely a good idea. I had planned to have Allpro take a look at it next time it needed something outside of my expertise.
Additionally they'll also be able to go over your car and see if you have any vacuum, coolant, fuel leaks or ignition issues that would affect your tune. There's nothing worse than showing up to your tuning appointment and paying the tuner's hourly rate to troubleshoot a car instead of a mechanic's hourly rate. I'm saying this as a guy who just had to have the majority if not all the vacuum and fuel lines replaced on a motor from an 03 car due to age and dry rot. Luckily the car was tuned when everything was prime but wouldnt want you to end up in the same situation.
Thanks for the advice. It doesn't fall on deaf ears. I've never had this car into a mechanic so I had planned to bring it to allpro next time it needs something and have them give it the "once over".
I had an 03... once you get a health check done.. Get an AP and go stage 2. The difference was night and day. Smoother and so much more power. Stage 2 is uppipe, downpipe+catback with the Accessport. As someone said, the accessport has "off the shelf" maps for that configuration that were pretty spot on for my WRX. If money is an issue, start with the Accessport by itself. There is a map called "stage 1" that basically improves the cars stock map. Not a crazy gain in power, but smoother and I noticed better gas mileage. Then, down the line, if you start messing with turbos and other add-ons.. get it pro-tuned.
My recommendation? Take it to Allpro for the once over and install any go fast bits. Take it to Doug at DBW Motorsports for the tune. DONE.
Yes. My old 530hp WRX was rock solid and drove very well....and still managed 24-25 mpg when behaving.
Can't go wrong with Doug. Although Scott tuned my car, Doug was next in line. At the time both worked at TopSpeed.
Scott tuned my car, but yes he's hard to book for a tune. My advice DO NOT get a tune until you buy and install the mods you want. Do your research prior to a tune. I say this because tunes aren't cheap. Decide what mods you want and get a tune once, unless you can afford multiple tunes down the road. Fortunately for me i had my car tuned only one time in 2008 and I've never had an issue with my ride ever since