Al is an AP dealer. Better to ask someone who has no potential financial bias.

 

But he's also an EcuTek dealer too, right?

 

Yes.

But mr.fred is right. Of course he is going to recommend and say that the products he sells are the best...it puts food on his table.

 

The poster was asking about ECUFlash vs AP.

 

al also does ecuflash, well for the 8/9 i mean, so i don't see why he wouldn't do the x's when ecuflash comes out. so technically he should back both products

 

You can tune your own maps with the accessport using the AccessTuner Race. Having the ability to change maps without having a laptop is a very nice feature that you may enjoy over EcuFlash


I wouldn't say the ECUflash is superior to the AP for the EVO 8/9. They can both do basically the same things it just depends on which one fits what you need better.

Since ECUflash is not out for the EVO X we have no way to tell if it will have all the tuning functions of the AP. But there is no way it will have the map transporting ability and the support of a company like Cobb.

 

Thats true.

Map transporting depends on the portability of your laptop and hard drive size.

And support will only be available through the opensource community.

 

I am not implying that the opensource does not do great. The community they have for the 8/9 app is awesome and I love seeing good information being shared. But for some people it is great to have a phone number to call and immediately get help instead of post a question and wait.

 

Good question and very to the point

Let me try and give you an inteligent and honest answer

On the Subaru side the Access Port was so vastly superior to any other tuning tool that I have refused to do open source tuning for several years on Subarus. With Subarus, I use only Ecutek or Cobb Access Port. With the Access Port on a Subaru all the tuning is LIVE, real time, like a stand alone. There are amazing graphs, map trace, data logging, etc etc and many features the open source does not have. So without a doubt for Subaru the Access Port is #1 - Ecutek is #2 and the open source is a distant 3rd.

Now with the Evo 8 and IX frankly, the Ecutek and Access Port never invested to come up with any significant advantages over the open source and they never really took off in the market place and developed a following to justify additional investment in product enhancement.

If you have a Evo 8 or IX the open source is going to do just as good a job at tuning as the Access Port.

NO ONE can give you an inteligent answer to compare the open source Evo X to the Access Port pro tuner TODAY becuase the open source is not yet released.

One advantage that a profit based enterprize like Ecutek provides is that they have the resources to invest to have delivered a great tuning tool to us nearly 10 months ago and we have tuned customers all over the US who are enjoying their TUNED Evo X's for many months of enjoyable driving.

It would be impossible to compare these existing pro tools against a not yet released tool I have not seen or used.

Finally I note that the Access Port has additional features beyond being a mere tuning tool which make it appealing and which give it advantages over the open source

Let me sumarize some of the benfits of the Access Port

1 - It holds maps

2 - You get base maps for free with it

3 - They update the base maps for free over time

4 - They give professional tech support and have a network of pro tuners to support it

5 - It checks CEL's and resets them

6 - it monitors and displays OBD II data like boost gauge etc

7 - it is a data logger

8 - it measures and records 0 - 60 time and 1/4 mile time

9 - it has a virtual dyno reading

10 - it displays fuel economy

11- It can reset your car to 100% stock with the push of a button

12 - it has valet mode

13 - it can switch maps on the fly without needing a lap top

14 - IT IS IN STOCK TODAY AND READY TO SHIP with free fed ex shipping included for $695 - call me to order 203-515-4110

Al

 

thank you for the honest answer, it's funny i even asked my suby friend and he said the only reason he uses the AP is because ecutek locked his ecu otherwise he would use ecuflash. i guess i will wait till ecuflash comes out and see how the 2 compare. thank you for the honest answer al

 

Does the AP only monitor boost if the stock BS is being used? For example, if a MBC is used (bypassing the stock BS) will it still be able to monitor boost?

In a situation where the stock BS is used and the ECU tune has a boost control adjustment I assume the AP boost gauge will properly display this? The stock BS is really just an EBC controlled by the ECU, correct?

 

No you will still be able to see your boost if you are using a MBC. It reads the boost VIA the MAP sensor.

Correct the stock unit functions to control the boost the same way as a EBC using a solenoid to bleed off pressure from the wastegate. The problem with the EVO X is that the solenoid does not handle high boost pressures well so it may be beneficial to run a MBC boost around 24 psi.

I know cobb is working on a fix for this that may include new vacuum lines with new restrictor pills so they can achieve these higher boost levels using the stock ecu to still control boost. Doing this keeps alot of failsafes for your car in tact.

Hope that answered your questions

 

That is what I needed to know, thanks!

Do you know if just replacing the stock boost lines with new ones that don't have restrictor pills will help the stock BS hold boost better? Vacuum lines can be picked up at a local auto parts store and installed in place of the stock ones pretty easily, that is why I ask.

Do the restrictor pills provide some type of overboost failsafe or something? If not, what is the point of them being there since actual boost can be controlled with the BS?

 

Removing the pill by the turbo will make the car run wastegate boost. For more boost you want a pill with a smaller hole, not a larger one.

 

By way of update, I have ordered my initial stocking order from Cobb Today which will arrive tomorrow

All orders which I have recieved will ship tomorrow via fed ex

Through the x mass holiday I will continue to offer free overnight fed ex shipping on these, although my free map offer is now over

I will be tuning a couple of Evo X's with the AP tomorrow and will make a few videos

Al