Asmodeus6

iTrader: (7)

I have perused the appropriate forums for some info on which direction to go when it comes time to tune the evo. I'm a DSM guy, and have DSMlink. So far what I see is not impressing me. Obviously an AFC is going to cut it. I don't fancy myself an avid tuner but I can hold my own. The whole flashing thing with base maps for basic mods seems like a great path for someone building a cookie cutter car. As does the "emailed" tunes. I however don't leave anything alone for more than a week. But I'm not the kind that has ten grand to drop on mods at once and then off for a "professional" tune. Which I also see touted as the "right" way to do things. suuuuuure...

Needless to say I'm a little confused, and disappointed.

I'm picking up a 05 RS in about a week. Selling off all my DSM stuff, and I'd like to use some of that hoard of parts and car to mod the Evo. The car I'm picking up already has your basic bolt on's. Bushur fmic, uicp,licp, bov, intake, TBE, 272's, wb, and a dyno flash. That's cute and cuddly and all but if I start adding in more stuff I'm very aware of how a good tune is an absolute necessity. But with how repetitive this situation may become, I'm not shelling out for someone else to do what I certainly can do given the proper tools.

I've seen some threads with ecu flash, but also mentioned a limited amount of times an ecu can be flashed... (not good for me, I like to dial a car in pretty far and simply reload saved tunes for given temps/seasons and even baro) Paying for the cable to hookup no sweat. Par for the course. But I do not want to be dependant on anyone else for my given tune. (as in the day I log something, and send out for my tune is the day I buy a Dodge Neon and quit cars all together)
That's to me.

Obviously I'm an Evo noob. Just looking for a little direction, so I can get a good push in what I should be researching more for tuning options. Maybe I'm spoiled coming from DSMlink... but I'd really prefer to not shell out for an AEM. However... if I can't find anything better than what I've seen... I don't see a choice.

My goals for the car are long reaching. Not so much now, but eventually? I'm sure I'll be building a motor (hopefully before I break it) and following the trend I've always pursued, big turbo... big boost.

lil' help?

Xx Danny xX

I think you are definitely confused. If you spent the time researching flashing the stock ecu, then you would quickly realize that it is the best possible solution short of investing almost $2000 on an AEM EMS. You pretty much have all of the bolt-ons for your car. Your only next route is really to uprade the turbo, add meth/alky, or build up/stroke engine.

It is very convenient to add something to the car and then just log it and send it off to someone who can tune it properly. The ecu can be flashed as many times as you want, so I don't know where you got the impression that you couldn't. They may take a base map to tweak for your mods, but most tuners will allow you to log it again once you have uploaded the tweaked rom and then send it back for further examination and tweaking. You can keep doing that until the tune is perfect all for the price of one tune. Also, the big name reputable tuners allow you to subscribe to their flashing services for a set price over a period of time. Ex: $250 for 6 months of flashes. This is optimal for people who change their setup but don't want to pay for a dyno tune every time. Then, you can save these different maps and upload them in about 30 seconds. ECUflash offers a lot of control and is user friendly. If you think you can tune, then you can log the car during some runs and tune it yourself accordingly. If you buy a wideband, it will be that much easier and provide you with enough information (or the tuner) to create the best and safest tune.

You should just speak to some of the tuners to get an idea of the process and I'm sure you'll change your mind. Jestr, TTP, Dyno Flash, or Mellon will all be glad to help you. Lately, I have been reading only great things about Mellon and his pricing is about the best there is available.

Lagos

so whats the problem? hook up your laptop, book some dyno time, and tune the car yourself.

Asmodeus6

iTrader: (7)

Mods please delete, inadvertant double post!

Forum locked up, I clicked refresh and it made two. Sorry!

Mr. Evo IX

iTrader: (5)

I dont think anyone has "overflashed" an ECU where it wouldnt work - Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. I could see people improperly flashing their car and disabling their ECU but even then 90% of them can be recovered. A few people have flashed ECU's in excess of 1000 times without issue. Also keep in mind that the Flash memory write life is for each item being changed. So are you planning on flashing 1 specific load cell more than 1000 times - Doubtful. You dont need a stand alone unless you are going to be exceeding ~500 whp. And dont get one till you get to that point, it's only going to complicate things and make your car less enjoyable to drive. All the info you need is in the ECU Flash forum.