New to EVO's and turbo cars in general, so a NEWB question....

If I do the COBB AP or other "tune" from the various tuners...., how many long-term reliability issues should I expect to anticipate?

If I do the tune, what is the best bolt on type mod to help reliability? I drive a lot of miles, so looking for peace of mind, etc...

Thanks!

 

the cobb acess port is one of the most reliable mods ive ever used. me and alot of other people i kno had it on theyre sti's and on the evo im guessing its the same deal.
with mods in general reliablity is always a issue, u dont kno how reliable a thing is untill it breaks, with out a tune people are starting to blow theyre motors but nothing bad wit the cobb. a basic exhaust, intake and and all the basic piping in general shouldnt bring up any issues if your smart about it

 

I used mine for a month now. No issues.

 

In general, with EVO's, are there reliability issues with a tune? If so, what additional mods will help minimize potential issues with long-term reliability.

 

Custom tuning of the ecu directly is the best thing you can do if you have a competent tuner in the area with the skills and dyno to program your ECU.

If there is no tuner in your area, the zchip is the way to go. Plug and play in 5 minutes, 65-85whp gains on average for $399.



http://ttp-engineering.com/catalog/p...roducts_id=383

 

This was also a question I had as well, since I'm very interested in picking up the COBB AP. I know it messes with the A/F ratio and all that to give potential gains of 40 odd horsepower. But is this increase of horsepower causing any additional wear & tear for the engine/drivetrain? Common sense would dictate that the answer to that question should be a yes?

Or are these mods making the engine run "better not harder"?

Ben

 

Any product that increases the output of an engine, increases wear and shortens engine life.

 

That is my big concern...I'm much more into suspension modes, weight loss and the right wheel / tire setup, but I do want a bit more power, but without causing reliability issues. It's hard to get straight answers, as the tuners are making money off of tune's.

 

there are people on here that have over 100k miles on their evo's (not in the X section obviously) and the majority of them are tuned and regularly participate in auto/road racing/drag racing.

tuning your evo doesn't mean it is going to die or blow up at 20k miles. unless you blow it up or it is modified completely wrong.

 

Like TTP said, anything you do that goes beyond stock is going to have some negative effect on the longevity of the stock parts. BUT, it really depends on who you have tune your car. You can get a conservative tune and that will barely limit the life of the engine. There are plenty of VIIIs and IXs running around that have well over 70,000 miles and have been modded/tuned and haven't had issues.

You should do some research on the different tuners on this forum. Learn about them, read their reviews. Then, call them and discuss what is important to you. Any good tuner will work with you, discuss the pros and cons and give you what you want. Only problem is that a good tuner might not be around where you live.

One thought...based on what you are looking to do, WORKS might be a good choice for you. Their philosophy seems to match what you want. Might be good to talk to them, or visit their part of this forum (or their website) to learn more.

The Cobb AP is a great product. Very convenient and provides good gains. The Cobb maps are less aggressive than a dyno tune and they typically have less whp/wtq. It's too early to tell how reliable they are since the product and maps haven't been out that long. But, Cobb has a long history tuning Mazda, Subaru, etc. with their AP product and many good reviews from the Mazda and Subaru community. Also, if you live near an AP dealer (check their website) they can do a custom tune and save it to your AP. The custom tune would be just as good as any other tuning method.

So, you can get a safe tune that will increase power and will have little effect on reliability. It really depends on if you want the flexibility and convenience of the Cobb AP. Or do you want a more dialed-in tune from one of the other tuners.

Good luck.

 

Cobb AP is a great option for the X and Subie owners who do basic bolt-ons... If you have plans for major bolt-ons you might want to rather have your ECU tuned instead, unless you live near a Cobb authorized tuning facility that can do dyno tuning using your AP. look at your long term goals for the car and also what other tuning options are in your area and weigh the pros and cons.

 

Have had Cobb AP since December the week they released. I have a protune from the guys in Plano. I have had 0 issues what do ever other than the car being more fun to drive. Another positive is they have updated it 3 times through firmware patches now to improve the product and their customer service to me has been top notch. I will say though you will be looking a new clutch soon after the increased horsepower if you like to drive somewhat aggressive and occasionally take off at a stop light a little bit. I do follow the severe use category in the Owners manual now that the car is tuned though since my car is make over much more power than it did stock.

 

Just get Cobb, Their maps are safe and it will even help your engine to run smoother!
I'm not sure about Z-chip, But with Cobb you could update new maps in future!
They have map for all kind of tuning..

 

Thanks Everyone...Info is key. I've read a lot on these forums, but it's hard to tell who really knows what they are talking about. I'm coming over from N/A motors, so completely new to Turbo motors, etc...

The EVO X has been amazing. Everything I've ever read, or watched at the track, I now know what it's like. The grip is amazing!

 

The ZChip is Pro-Tuned from the moment you receive it.

The ZChip has always come with tuner software for the end buyer to be able to update their own tune as they modify.

TTP-Engineering has always assisted customers with updating their tunes FREE.

There is a whole site dedicated to the product at www.zchip.com.

Here is an email from a customer yesterday.