CJK

I have been debating what is going to be the best for my car...I plan on doing a lot of mods to the car in the near future, but I still don't know which company will be the most reliable, user friendly, and customer service oriented ( I don't want to try and get a hold of someone and wait a week before I can even get in contact )

I have a hard time branching away from Vishnu because I have read in magazines what they have done for WRX's...and still remain daily driveable...

However, I wonder if tuners out there are a little biased when it comes to using "only their" products? Would they tune your car as well if you have other maufacturer pieces on your car? I.E. I personally really don't think that with all of the other exhausts out there, that Vishnu is the best price wise/perfomance gaining product...I have seen TXS exhausts and thought they were top notch quality/performance...

Anyhow, what do you all consider in choosing your ECU/Tuner and what experience has made you make that choice...I am in a bind here and need some advice from others who know what to expect from other companies out there.

Thanks

To those it may concern, please don't take offense to what I have said about products, etc. It is just my opinion and I am more than open to listen to those who believe otherwise

MYEVOVIII

iTrader: (35)

Dont forget the WORKS reflash and the DYNOFLASH both seem to getting good reviews as far as the ECM upgrades

leaveit2bevo1

I think the AEM ecu is coming out which is a complete replacment for the oem ecu and is tottaly adjustble.

Jev3gs

Well if money is no concern, then you would definetly want to get a new ECU that is fully programmable, like AEM. Then take it to a tuner everytime you do mod. That way you get the most power out of your setup everytime. If you are going look buck then just get a MBC and an AFC-2

5StarSuzuki

::A Previous post I made::

After talking with Adam @ Z1 at length I came to the consensus:

If I wanted a really good stand-alone ecu for a moderate price I would purchase the L Jetro Power FC...as it is very good system and 900 dollars.

Now to get the functionality I want...
Switch to MAP system, Datalogging, Laptop Use, Boost Control

I would have to purchase the D-Jetro +
The Boost Control is nearly 400 dollars (AEM 100)
The Dataloggit Software will probably be 330 Dollars (AEM FREE)
The Commander is 350 Dollars (ALREADY OWN LAPTOP)
The Sensors to switch to Map at 200 Dollars (SAME)
BTW: Apexi SAFC2+Harness+EVC5+Palm&Pocket Logger is only several hundred less than the AEM and you could buy the L-Jetro for the same price.

In the end its going to be the same price...
Now i'm going purchase the AEM & All the AEM sensors...
You can switch to MAP, add boost control, UEGO, etc!

Dynoflash is only good if you plan on staying with the mods you have for awhile... Otherwise your stucking adding a SAFC2 + Harness to the mix to fine tune your small addons. Thats 1100...Which you could buy a Power FC for. 500 More and you would have a AEM. And you can buy the regular AEM and then add features as you go.

DynoFlash

iTrader: (91)

The BIG thing you get when you stick with the stock ecu is all that great driveability and feel. Alsoall the functions - including OBD II and passing emissions!

Trust me when I tell you that going to a stand alone ecu takes hours and hours of fine tuning a tweaking to get the drivability decent and it will never have the idel and driveability of the stock system

For guys making over 400 whp a stand alone gets a lot of needed advantages so its worth the loss in driveability and extra pain in the butt

BUT for guys only wanting to get like 300 to 350 whp the Dyno Flash works just like stock - only better and its real easy for the end user.

For someone planning to add a new mod every week or two its prob NOT the best solution - BUT - for someone who is doing all there mods in one shot - or who is just wanting to add a little 25 whp gain to a stock car - its a great way to go

CJK

Thanks for all of the reply's, however, for those of you who have delt with Utec (not out yet, but for WRX's), Vishnu, Works Reflash, etc. what swayed that company your way? I want to continue to drive my car everyday, and going to a stand alone whether it be Vishnu or Utec, is something I look into doing because what would the point be to invest 600 into a Works Flash and then add more aftermarket parts, and then have to pay to have it reflashed over and over again?!

Help me out guys!

5StarSuzuki

Maybe a better question would be:

1) Do you plan on tuning the car yourself
2) How involved do you want to get...

You should lump all the standalones together...because they're all going to do a REALLY good job if their properly tuned.
AEM is supposedly harder to tune and install (I blew a civic up with an AEM) than some of the systems, but it adds alot of functionality.

No standalone is going to function properly without being tuned properly. If you plan on outsourcing the tuning, plan on spending an additonal 500 dollars. UTEC/AEM/POWERFC/AUTOTRONIC are all going to require proper tuning.

Now I am far from an expert of which system will be the most streetable as a plug and play (no tuning). The Power FC per SILVERSURFER's post was listed as a good conservative tune that one could plug in and go. On the other hand, the aem I used on my civic was conservative enough that it would stall due to too much fuel.

If you don't want to screw with anything...Just drive away
(I will give credit where credits due...)
If you have a Turboback and Intake, you can just drive to CT/ Have Al tune your car and drive off.

If you were really cost conscious...SAFC 2 + MBC can probably be had for under 400 dollars. Which you still have to tune because your car is different from everyone elses. You could get hp from a conservative SAFC 2 setting that was given to you, but you probably won't like the results as much as a dynoflash.

Why buy a more expensive piggyback than the SAFC2? Seems dumb to me...because if you buy an emanage and ebc; you could have just purchased a L-Jetro for the same price.

If you do not plan on adjusting the settings yourself, you won't need a datalogger. So you can go a simpler route.

mayhem

iTrader: (9)

Just call the tuner/vendor and ask them about pricing and reflashes for mods. Then choose what you like. I went with Works. Check out their forum and you'll read why.

5StarSuzuki

IMO Buying a works flash is dumb...

My options would be:
1) SAFC/MBC (Cheap, relatively safe and capable of handling mods)
2) Dynoflash (Mild mods, No hastle)
3) L-Jetro Power FC (Keep MAF, $1300)
4) AEM EMS (If I wanted to datalog, add additional features, switch to map)

Listed by price

RADmitsu

iTrader: (5)

Well, i already have at my house the greddy emanage and the E01... I am going to get it installed in a month or so and then take a trip up to get my car dyno flashed and as them to help the car get max potential...

I want to put more mods in the car to make it a 120% worth the trip investment...

CJK

Most stand alone's have maps already made for your mods right? That is the impression I have received from Vishnu and Utec's systems...and if I have it Dyno Tuned, than that is what I would do...
So if you had to go with Utec or Vishnu (I know I am limiting my options) what would you go with and why?

CJK

no one here can comment? Maybe we should move this to another part of the forum...no offense to those, I just don't know if I posted in the right/correct area?? Thanks

shiv@vishnu

iTrader: (20)

How about a user-tunable reflash?

Cheers,
shiv

CJK

Shiv, could you explain please? Thanks