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Simple tune

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:43 pm
by Morganmorgan
Hey guys,

I have a 2013 GT Auto... Want a simple tune(ecu?)

Where is the best place in Brisbane?
How much extra power can I expect from a good tune?
How much will it cost?

Cheers Morgan

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 5:59 pm
by Surge
One option :

https://m.facebook.com/Throttle.Happy.Tuning/

Competitive in terms of pricing and the Tuner (Matt) owned a gem V liberty himself so that would be an easy one to get tuned by him.
Personally I've had great service from Matt when my Gen IV was tuned on E85.

Another one recommended here on the forum and located in brisbane:

https://m.facebook.com/tunedbycoyote/


I'm not sure on power level, possibly up to 200KW with a proper exhaust.

In terms of cost, best to PM those guys on here or Facebook for a quote. Definitely worth the money.

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:52 am
by Adrian2627
Matt did my Legacy and it drives a lot better and is now safe on Aus 98. If you just want a basic tune to improve drivability then Matt's road tunes are a great idea and great value. At this stage don't go in to it looking for a power figure just aim for increased driving feel and response and you'll get just that.

If you want to tune for a specific power figure you need to ask yourself how much you can afford. The EJ25 isn't designed to make big power in it's stock form. There are guys making good numbers from them but it's taken time and deep pockets. Upgrading turbos, fuel systems, intercoolers, intakes, etc is required to make good improvements but then you start opening up the potential for reliability issues. That leads on to new rings/pistons, a big issue with the EJ25, rods, sleeves, closed decking, and lots of $$$$. If you do decide to go this way a simple road tune won't suffice and to make your engine safe and get the most of the mods you'll need to tune on a dyno. These days you can drop a grand on a set-up tune before you even get into chasing power.

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:22 am
by bigBADbenny
Ive been road tuned by Matt for 6+ years.
You’ll also get the benefit of Matt’s tcu tuning to improve the drivability of your auto box...

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 1:04 pm
by muzza
Another vote for Matt /Throttlehappy tunes.
Great value, esp on a stock/lightly modified Gen V, the bottom/mid range torque improvement is massive.
You need a Tactix ($130?)and some free software to down/upload tunes, or someone nearby who can help.

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 11:11 am
by Stifull
I find the most annoying thing about an auto is the lag off the mark. Once turbo kicks in it's ok.. Does one of Matts TCU (transmission tuning, not engine tuning) make a difference to "off the mark" performance.. Cheers..

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:29 pm
by Adrian2627
It certainly helps but it's never going to feel like a manual. My car is tuned with three different maps for different driving styles, 9psi in i mode for economy, 12psi in S for daily, and 16psi in S# for... . The linear throttle map in S# makes a huge different to off the mark performance as opposed to the progressive ones in the factory tune. That combines with the timing, cam control and TCU changes make the car much more fun to drive.

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:56 pm
by Stifull
So the tune you have that makes a difference, how much is that ???? Matt is talking about $400 but that is only for a TCU tune.. not an engine road tune...I drove my daughters auto Kluger today and off the mark is is a LOT quicker than the GT.. my daughters non turbo Impreza auto is also quicker off the mark.. Is their something wrong with the car ( it's been thoroughly scanned and all is ok) or is it just that turbos are slow off the mark.. 0-45kph is terrible and I only drive in S# mode..There is a 2-3 second lag before it gets going...I have been driving a WRX with 50% more power than a stock one for 10 years and I am used to quick launching but that doesn't explain why a Kluger or a non turbo Impreza would have a faster 60FT time than a Liberty GT... :? I can't help but think there is something wrong with the car..

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 6:20 pm
by bigBADbenny
I’m no auto expert but have you tried a trans brake launch or whatever the technique is called where you get it on boost before launching?

Was your avcs issue resolved?

Faulty avcs can cause the car to dilly dally whilst attempting to sync avcs vvt angles causing a weird bunny hop type stumble. One must log the avcs left and right vvt angles to see if they’re syncing at all, or if significant lag is present.
The fault presents as one sides vvt angle wildly oscillating during freeway cruise.

Or if you want to self diagnose, try very slowly, gently hunting the revs in neutral between 1200-2500 rpm, if the engine starts shaking and bogging...

Unfortunately the issue won’t necessarily throw a cel.

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:02 pm
by Adrian2627
Stifull wrote:So the tune you have that makes a difference, how much is that ???? Matt is talking about $400 but that is only for a TCU tune.. not an engine road tune...I drove my daughters auto Kluger today and off the mark is is a LOT quicker than the GT.. my daughters non turbo Impreza auto is also quicker off the mark.. Is their something wrong with the car ( it's been thoroughly scanned and all is ok) or is it just that turbos are slow off the mark.. 0-45kph is terrible and I only drive in S# mode..There is a 2-3 second lag before it gets going...I have been driving a WRX with 50% more power than a stock one for 10 years and I am used to quick launching but that doesn't explain why a Kluger or a non turbo Impreza would have a faster 60FT time than a Liberty GT... :? I can't help but think there is something wrong with the car..


It could be very likely that a combo of the auto and the drive-by-wire throttle is what is causing the slow take off. It does seem a little dull compared to a manual car. Stalling the car up as Ben suggests does help but I wouldn't suggest it on a regular basis as the auto won't like it. Remember you are also driving a car that is 1600+kgs compared to 1300 odd of the tuned, manual WRX. Gearing is also massively different with the final drive of the auto being something like 3.00:1 compared to the 3.9 of a GC8 Rex. Lots of things combined in a GT cruiser. You're more than welcome to come and drive my tuned Legacy to get a better idea. Yes there are differences, 2.0l, AVCS on inlet and exhaust, etc but you'll get an idea of what the tune will do.

Re: Simple tune

PostPosted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:54 pm
by Stifull
I had the head mechanic from Subievo sitting in the passenger seat for 20 minutes while I did all sorts of launches, red lining, etc while he watched all the goings on on their latest diag machines and everything is in perfect specs..The only codes were C0041 (electrical control module ABS ) and C0071 Steering angle sensor malfunction.(also abs related) .These codes were both logged last week before I found and fixed a kink in the vacuum hose to the actuator. The car was idling soo badly that it almost stalled and the CEL and antiskid or whatever that light is , both came on and flashed briefly before it recovered and idled properly. The ecu was reset and now all is good. I think I would be a good idea to go for a drive in other similar cars to see how they perform. I am reluctant to pay $400 for a TCU unless I get some good feedback from folks who have had that done only.. Also there is no point getting any tuning of anything done until I know all the hardware is ok..The gearing is certainly different. The auto, at 80kph will kick back to 2nd which is a bit pointless really, at 80, 3rd should push you back in the seat at that speed..and yes the extra 275 kg must take it's toll on take off ability...and having 60kwts less power doesn't help.