Just got B4 tuned with Ecutek Type 2
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:22 pmNow before I start, I know not everyone is a fan of the Ecutek tunes in terms of their price, locking the ECU, limited tuneability etc.... I am fine with that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you live in South Australia and own a B4 though, you are rather limited as to how your car can be retuned. After heaps of research and looking into piggyback ECU's and getting someone to do it using OpenECU, I decided to just go the tried and tested Ecutek option at S & J here in Adelaide. Prime factors in my decision were that many people have had it done before and were happy, Sean really seems to know his stuff when you talk to him in the shop about it and he has tuned MANY B4's, not just subaru's.
So with that out of the way.....the good stuff.
IM ECSTATIC!
The final figure was 185kw atw.
Now in terms of modifications this is what my car has-
(MY02 Manual B4)
3" Y-pipe back exhaust (Ie from the end of the Y-pipe including a hi-flow cat and muffler) (on the car when I bought it)
Hyperflow Cold Air Intake
Walbro 255L/hr fuel pump
Hyperflow Oil Catch Can (on the car when I bought it)
For the Dyno run it had BP Ultimate 98 in it and the tyres were at 34psi. Temperature in the Dyno room was 18degrees.
The Dyno chart is here-
The Black baseline run was not my car. It apparently is a stock MY01 B4 Manual.
The Blue line is my car PRE-tune. Made 146kw atw.
The Green line is my car AFTER the Ecutek 2 Tune. made 185kw atw.
Now a few comments/observations.
Firstly- THIS WILL NOT ELIMINATE THE FLAT SPOT. That is impossible. Its a design of the turbo and exhaust systems in this car that is unable to be "tuned" around. If you want a car with a linear power curve, then a TT B4 is not for you.
I realise all of the gains in terms of power have been made while on the secondary turbo, but driving it on the road the car is so much different above about 3000rpm. The flat spot is still there BUT it is hardly noticable because its such a shortened rev band and its through this turbo changeover period at an earlier rpm. I am not fussed that there has been no power gain on the primary turbo because I have been more than happy with the shove it gives you driving around town at lowish rpms. Looking at the manifold pressure readouts (0n another chart) the same power is being made at on the primary turbo with the ecutek with about 3psi less boost. During summer when I am very conservative with whatever car I am driving, this will be ideal as driving around on the primary turbo will cause hardly any stress on a 40degree day.
As I only got the tune done this afternoon, and the weather has been WET I haven't really had a chance to drive that car hard for a longish period of time, but from what i an gather so far, the car feels the same on the primary turbo, but revving it out, the flat spot is dispatched with QUICKLY then it just TAKES OFF! It feels so effortless too in the higher rpm band, much less constrained.
So at the end of the day, I almost have 2 different cars in the one body. I have a "punchy" around town engine driving it on the primary, and then I have a more "serious" engine when I let the secondary come on board too! With the changeover between them reduced substantially.
So with that out of the way.....the good stuff.
IM ECSTATIC!
The final figure was 185kw atw.
Now in terms of modifications this is what my car has-
(MY02 Manual B4)
3" Y-pipe back exhaust (Ie from the end of the Y-pipe including a hi-flow cat and muffler) (on the car when I bought it)
Hyperflow Cold Air Intake
Walbro 255L/hr fuel pump
Hyperflow Oil Catch Can (on the car when I bought it)
For the Dyno run it had BP Ultimate 98 in it and the tyres were at 34psi. Temperature in the Dyno room was 18degrees.
The Dyno chart is here-
The Black baseline run was not my car. It apparently is a stock MY01 B4 Manual.
The Blue line is my car PRE-tune. Made 146kw atw.
The Green line is my car AFTER the Ecutek 2 Tune. made 185kw atw.
Now a few comments/observations.
Firstly- THIS WILL NOT ELIMINATE THE FLAT SPOT. That is impossible. Its a design of the turbo and exhaust systems in this car that is unable to be "tuned" around. If you want a car with a linear power curve, then a TT B4 is not for you.
I realise all of the gains in terms of power have been made while on the secondary turbo, but driving it on the road the car is so much different above about 3000rpm. The flat spot is still there BUT it is hardly noticable because its such a shortened rev band and its through this turbo changeover period at an earlier rpm. I am not fussed that there has been no power gain on the primary turbo because I have been more than happy with the shove it gives you driving around town at lowish rpms. Looking at the manifold pressure readouts (0n another chart) the same power is being made at on the primary turbo with the ecutek with about 3psi less boost. During summer when I am very conservative with whatever car I am driving, this will be ideal as driving around on the primary turbo will cause hardly any stress on a 40degree day.
As I only got the tune done this afternoon, and the weather has been WET I haven't really had a chance to drive that car hard for a longish period of time, but from what i an gather so far, the car feels the same on the primary turbo, but revving it out, the flat spot is dispatched with QUICKLY then it just TAKES OFF! It feels so effortless too in the higher rpm band, much less constrained.
So at the end of the day, I almost have 2 different cars in the one body. I have a "punchy" around town engine driving it on the primary, and then I have a more "serious" engine when I let the secondary come on board too! With the changeover between them reduced substantially.