Well, I have been reading and searching for a couple of months and I am leaning towards the EcuTek.

Actually last month I was set on the AP, but I have been reading on Cobbs forums and oter forums that the newer releases of the mpas actually make less power on the highend than stock...seems like they keep trying to make this safer and safer. And when you ask about the AccessTuner, you get flamed to no end. So I assume it's another 2 years away.

Now the EcuTek I was considering, but I don't like not having the ability to pull it out like the Cobb and be stock. But then after reading about it it seems on average to make more horsepower than the Cobb. I have also found three shops within an hour of me that installs it.

So what would you go with: Cobb or EcuTek.

And if you went with EcuTek, which shop would you use?

MSPT in Long Island
DynoFlash in Connecticut
or Rallispec in NJ

EcuTeK at MSPT. Bought AP and returned the next day. Had problems.

Keep on leaning towards the ecutek and you will be just fine :cool:

BTW, what car do you drive and what are your mods?

I installed a AP on my car last week.

Couldn't be more pleased with the performance. Butt dyno says top is increased a bit but the midrange... oh the midrange! :eek:

Ryokosman

I went with the AP for the simplicity, and knowing that I wouldnt want to go any further w/ power mods. Also, when I sell my car, I can sell the AP for $500, whereas the ECUtek is money straight down the drain.

Plus, cobb is going to release an intake soon, which means there will be a stage 2+ map for tbe and intake.

Ecutek@Dynoflash hands down. He's the cheapest($750 road tuned) and is extremely knowledgable. I'm going to drive 500 miles to see Al in 2 weeks...you should feel lucky that he's in your backyard.

look at your long-term goals... If they stop at the VF30/VF34 turbo with an upgraded TMIC, then go with the accessport. If they include something more substantial, you cant use the cobb solution.

The ability to flash back to stock to elude dealers is overrated. SOA can tell when you have a flashed ecu... someone in another thread actually mentioned that the flash back to stock converts the ecu version to one found in an automatic wrx. Not sure why though.

I have mentioned time and time again about the pitfalls of cookie cutter maps. You will still need a full compliment of guages, since not every car reacts the same way to these maps (a perk of a personalized reflash, the map is custom tuned to your car, so you can be sure that there will be no odd quirks in the map that rear their head later).

otherwise though, both reflashes do the same thing. You should know though that your car will often make less power than another car with the same setup with a custom tuned setup (be it via utec or ecutek). That is just the nature of the beast with maps designed to work with every car out there, and not yours in particular.

Good luck with the decision! Just get guages to monitor everything which ever solution you go with.

Well, I have been reading and searching for a couple of months and I am leaning towards the EcuTek.

Actually last month I was set on the AP, but I have been reading on Cobbs forums and oter forums that the newer releases of the mpas actually make less power on the highend than stock...seems like they keep trying to make this safer and safer. And when you ask about the AccessTuner, you get flamed to no end. So I assume it's another 2 years away.

Now the EcuTek I was considering, but I don't like not having the ability to pull it out like the Cobb and be stock. But then after reading about it it seems on average to make more horsepower than the Cobb. I have also found three shops within an hour of me that installs it.

So what would you go with: Cobb or EcuTek.

And if you went with EcuTek, which shop would you use?

MSPT in Long Island
DynoFlash in Connecticut
or Rallispec in NJ
I have an STi thats basicly stock. 2 of my friends have STi's with AP's. One is stage 1, the other is stage 2. Unfortunately I dont have any ECUtec experience.

The AP cars run so nice, and are DAMN fast for the mods compared to stock.

I would go with an AP if you dont plan on going beyond stage 2.

Otherwise seek other solutions.

~v6

V6
what all have you done to your sti
if they are trade secrets dont worry, if not then please share
i want to keep my soon to be STI pretty much stock
thanks
will

Ide go with the EcuTek if you have tuners in your area for sure!!!

Just as stated above... if you dont see yourself getting a big turbo, then AP will work pretty good for you. I have it... and except for our crappy 91 ****ane gas here is Cali I have no regrets of having it. Just wish they had a CA map so that it would run a little better on our piss.

I have considered ECUTek myself... but I like the idea that I can just revert back to stock if need be. BTW, the whole ECU changing thing is a WRX thing, not a STi thing.

If I go big turbo in the future, I will go ECUTek though... unless the infamous StreetTuner ever comes out.

I just took off the cats... put on an axle back, back to stock now tho.

Like i said... basicly stock. :)

I have no plans on doing significant mods to my STi as it is my daily driver.
AP is something I would consider tho. Stage 2 AP is so much faster than stock its incredible. Its also a no brainer to install and or uninstall.

~v6

ECUTEC can be brought back to stock with a reflash.
You cannot trade ECU's 05 and afterwards. But you can for 04 and previous MY. The license is still there even if you go back to stock.

Read up on the thread when Al brought the stock map in and all the OBDII number wnet back to stock.

AP is a reflash equivalent which is what ECUTEC is.

Regards

Nick

I just took off the cats... put on an axle back, back to stock now tho.

Like i said... basicly stock. :)

I have no plans on doing significant mods to my STi as it is my daily driver.
AP is something I would consider tho. Stage 2 AP is so much faster than stock its incredible. Its also a no brainer to install and or uninstall.

~v6

Din't you gut the catalysts? If yes does it worth it? I am thinking of getting a spare downpipe to gut the catalysts and tune with gutted catalysts.

Any input? Sorry for the hi jack :)


Nick

What I did was swapped a gutted WRX setup and left my stock setup intact.

I would say it was worth it. It deffinately was a little quicker. I dont know if it was really faster overall tho as it seemed to be a little choked on the top end. But i never had a real catback on it, just my ghetto back.

Theres a link to the thread in the sticky exhaust thread on the top of this page. or here http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=551114
It has a video of the car with the gutted cats and the ghetto back.

My car has been sitting for quite some time now tho. I almost forget what its like to drive it now. :lol: Now my problem is I have ZERO interest in driving my brand new STi in this crappy weather up here. I'm trying my best to see if I can make it to spring without driving it. So far it hasnt moved since first snow :D

~v6

I have the Ecutek, sorry no experience with AP at all. My vote would be to go with the Ecutek with a tune from Al (Dynoflash) in CT.

I bought the AP and have regretted it ever since. I hit fuel cut in 4th gear for the first 30 days because the AP doesn't like cold weather. The STI is not exactly a cookie cutter vehicle. Some are more responsive than others while some are very picky like mine. If I had someone locally that could tune Ecuteck I would sell my AP immediately.

I have an 05 STi, I have the B&B catback, but when I get the chip/flash done I will also be adding a B&B catted DP and a K&N Typhoon. I am not sure about a bigger turbo. I've done sporadic things in the past, like add a T-66 to a IS300. But I am so pleased with the STi that I'm not sure I'll ever go with a bigger turbo.

I appreciate everyones input so far. Anyone have any comments of a road tune to a dyno tune? I myself was always partial to road tunes, cause it's where the rubber meets the road (coming from the Supra motor world I've never equated high hp dyno numbers with a fast quarter mile time).

I appreciate everyones input so far. Anyone have any comments of a road tune to a dyno tune? I myself was always partial to road tunes, cause it's where the rubber meets the road (coming from the Supra motor world I've never equated high hp dyno numbers with a fast quarter mile time).

That's worth a whole 'nother thread...

I'll go ahead and vote for dyno tune.

...Anyone have any comments of a road tune to a dyno tune?...
Most tuners do the major map work on the dyno, then drive test and tweak the map for additional smoothness and streetability - at least, that's how our boys do it. They should do both - but make sure to ask.

...But I am so pleased with the STi that I'm not sure I'll ever go with a bigger turbo...
Heh, heh, that's what WE all said too. ;)

I had the AP for about a month on my 04 Sti. It was a nice upgrade but Cobb didn't have a map specific to my mods and I didn't want to wait forever for the Tuner to be released and then wonder if there would be a shop in my area that knew how to tune with it, so I sold it.

I got the ECUTek dyno tuned and haven't looked back. It's so nice to know that the tune is specific to my car and the mods it has.

AP is fine if your mods are little like down pipe and minor stages for a little hp. But if you go bigger then that forget it and go ecutek.

so why not go ECUTEC and just reflash.

Expense is like $750 for the license and you can reflash kust paying for the tuning. Why get something just to sell it when you go beyond a point?

Regards

Nick

I installed a AP on my car last week.

Couldn't be more pleased with the performance. Butt dyno says top is increased a bit but the midrange... oh the midrange! :eek:

Ryokosman


So I take it you're happy with what you got? I figured you would be:) I really enjoy my drives to and from work. Just keep that toluene or octane booster and you'll be fine with that 91 octane:)



Mika

Please post in the right forum.

There are many experts on different facets of Subaru information. They tend to view and respond in the forums where their knowledge level is highest. By posting in the inappropriate forum, you are not only diluting the wrong forum, but short changing the search results of others and increasing the chances of an expert missing your question.

Not very happy with my cobb AP stage 1 on my 2004 STi...

Thinking of an ECUTek myself as we speak...

You have tuners close to you with EcuTek. You will not have tuners close to you with Cobb ProTuner for a while. If you don't know much about tuning I'd go the EcuTek way. EcuTek's network of tuners is a good size in the US and growing everyday.

EcuTek gets my vote.

User Tunability of the EcuTek is also just arround the bend.

You have tuners close to you with EcuTek. You will not have tuners close to you with Cobb ProTuner for a while. If you don't know much about tuning I'd go the EcuTek way. EcuTek's network of tuners is a good size in the US and growing everyday.

EcuTek gets my vote.

User Tunability of the EcuTek is also just arround the bend.
Exactly what he said.