I'm in the same boat with worrying about the warranty and wanting a tune and more out of the car. I live right outside of Chicago so I am hearing to get it tuned by Devin and he does a great job. Is it true you get about 50HP and 50lbs of torque with tune on a stock Ralliart?

I'm pretty much a car novice and have a quarter of the mechanical/car knowledge of everyone on this site. I also just got a Ralliart recently and use it as my daily driver and don't want to spend a ton and mod the hell out of it, but just want it a little more power out of it. Some extra MPG would be nice too. I just put in a K & N drop in filter yesterday and noticed some better pull on the car. Better throttle response and acceleration.

The only other thing I'm thinking about is maybe an exhaust, otherwise just the K & N and a tune.First thing first is I want to get rid of those crappy stock tires and get a set of Continental Xtreme Contact DWS before winter hits. Those stocks are horrible in the snow. Performance and looks wise is there anything else that doesn't cost a ton and is a pretty easy add on to make the car look a little sweeter or a little faster? Like the K & N which is a nice, little cost efficient item which gives it a little more flow and power? 700.00 on new tires is gonna hurt the pockets a bit!

 

50hp/50tq on a tune alone is very optimistic. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck, while keeping it safe, there are 3 mods that I would recommend to you: 1. EvoX stock intercooler/piping, 2. Remove the stock catalyst from your exhaust and replace it with a high-flow unit (higher price) or a straight-through "test-pipe" (more affordable), and 3. Tune. 50/50 over stock should be much more realistic at that point.

As far as warranty is concerned, it's a risk we all take, but depending on which dealership you go to there's not much to worry about. Especially around here, though, most of the dealerships (including the one I work at) are very lenient when it comes to mods and are more than happy to help you out in any way possible, so long as the modifications were not the direct cause of the issue you're having.

Devin does great work and I recommend him to anybody who asks. Being that you're local, that makes the decision pretty easy, I would think. The other big name in the area, and the country for that matter, is AMS, but their pricing is quite a bit higher due to obvious reasons and I personally can't see how AMS could have done any better with my car than Devin already has.

If you pick up those Conti's, you're gonna love 'em come winter time. I actually got a set last year for my dad's car (03 Eclipse), since he doesn't drive much and didn't want to spend the extra bucks on 2 sets of wheels, and I was thoroughly impressed with their performance considering that they are an "all-season" tire. I wouldn't give up my dedicated snow set for them, but when you have to compromise, those are a great choice.

 

I still don't quite understand it myself. I know which number sets they use, but they are different depending on the car and what has been done to it, even at a stock/OE level due to optional factory reflashes and whatnot.

My biggest thing is that, like I said, I know for an absolute FACT that the car was tuned and yet it did not register. I also know who did the tuning and how it was done. What I don't know is why it didn't get picked up when it was ran through the system. I still have some exploring and testing to do in these regards, but I may (or may not) be onto something. Only time will tell at this point...

 

Thanks for advice. It kinda sucks that I'm not mechanically inclined at all. Im one of the guys that loves a nice and fast car, but doesn't have a whole lot of knowledge of what's going on under the hood.lol.Im probably gonna just get those new tires next month before we get that wonderful Chicago winter of snow,slush and ice.I was sliding everywhere and had no traction at all in the stocks. I have about 16K miles on the Ralliart and had the car for a year so theres no way Im using those tires another winter.

Im probably going to wait and get the tune from Devin in the spring. What do you suggest is a really good exhaust system to go with? I love the loud growling sound on some out there,but don't want anything to crazy loud. Illinois cops are complete *******s as you know. So I want something kinda in the middle, just not to quiet. Cost wise also. I see the Borla is pricey but sounds real mean and nice. How is the new DC Sports one? I see theres Ultimate Racing,Magaflow and a couple other out there.What do you think is the best sounding and price wise to go with?

 

Did you buy it from Platinum? I'm sure Aaron and a lot of the other guys from Calgary and even from all over Alberta will tell you that they have been fairly relaxed regarding mods and warranty. Though their amazing service manager is no longer there, Tristan said life will go on the same as it has been regarding aftermarket parts and warranty issues. No one can instantly void your warranty either. It has to be proven that your mod cause the part to fail.

BTW, just curious if you were the guy cross shopping an A3, assuming you bought it from Platinum.

 

I'm guessing this was directed towards me, given that I live in Calgary. I had a terrible experience with Platinum...and a much better one with Hyatt. I bought my car in Ontario and had it shipped here. I don't think I will be able to wait until my warranty expires before I get a tune. I'm feeling the need already.