I will be getting an EVO UTEC as soon as I can sell the UTEC I had in my WRX.
This is, for me at least, the easiest EMS I have come across.

So I guess I would vote for "knew it's merits"


Also, is there a remote switch for the EVO version?

 

Yeah, its the same switch as the WRX version. but you don't have to use the clutch switch wire portion of it.. you can cut that part off..

 

Is the blank that the switch sits in the same? I was under the impression that Subaru used a separate style "blank" to mount the switch into.

 

yeah, your on your own to find a place for it though.. there's no "built in" place to put it..

 

I'm buying a UTEC in a few days-- getting a good deal from a member on this board. Thanks for your help MalibuJack

 

I wanted an AEM until I found out it wasn't OBDII compliant (would fail emissions). When I started looking for an alternate, I found that you had written good things about the UTEC and that there was no need to purchase special equipment or software to self tune.
Yes Jack, your excitement and knowledge of the UTEC convinced me to buy one, thanks.

 

i have been looking around at the utec and xede and due to u jack i think im leaning twords the utec and will most likly be picking one up here soon didnt vote yet but im 98% going that route


evoisdream

 

Same here, I still haven't made a decision yet. The UTEC sounds pretty user friendly, and while I am looking for significant whp gains I don't want to sacrifice too too much day to day drivability.

 

Thats the key to sticking with some form of piggyback as opposed to a full standalone, IMHO the standalone gives up way too much daily drivability and dynamic adaptability for all the adjustable features (which can bite you)

The big "Selling point" of the EMS in particular (but for most standalones) is speed density conversion.. But I chose to go another direction with removing the restrictions and used a blowthrough MAF sensor kit instead.... Definitely a worthwhile additional effort.

The UTEC will have speed density and likely other features (idle control, etc..) in the future.. Which pretty much places the UTEC as the best compromise for the advantages of a standalone, but retains OBD-II, and the factory ECU for mundane features, so the setup and configuration is alot faster. I've found major gains in my setup just by swapping to the blowthrough MAF sensor so there is some truth in the issues with the stock MAF, but its more due to airflow problems (turbulence, backflow, vibration, etc..) than the MAF being an actual restriction.

 

jack how hard is it to street tune the utec? due to mods would i be able to plug in my laptop and mess with stuff from thier?


my current mods are
full turbo back exhaust
hks rs suction intake
helix full ic pipe kit
hallman mbc
walbro 255
ssq bov

would i be able to do some fine tuning for some more power and then when i proceed to do cams cam gears injectors etc do the same ?

also what are the advantages of the utec of just a basic safcII with a tune done from a dyno? thanks a lot

 

This has been asked quite a few times.. with the right tools you can EASILY tune on the street, but you need to have the right tools, Wideband O2 sensor, Det Cans (or TurboXS Tuner which has an audible knock sensor jack and a wideband O2 sensor) and an EGT sensor and gauge. Also you'd probably want to use the MAP sensor feature to log boost to the UTEC logs.

The UTEC is a bit of a different animal than other piggybacks.. First, the UTEC controls the injectors directly if you choose to enable the feature, which means you can bypass fuel cut, boost cut, and alter your rev limits. It has a flat shift feature (which I don't use) and shift light outputs (which I do use). Also the UTEC controls timing and has Coolant enrichment features if you need them. The UTEC Can operate by altering the MAF, which is similar to the S-AFC, however it really shines when you use open loop fueling. Also the UTEC controls boost with the stock solenoid, and its pretty good at it.

There is NO OTHER piggyback out there that can do ALL of these things, and very few that can do any of them..

There are other piggybacks out there that use intercept values to alter timing, and MAF values, and although intercepting MAF works, you can't bypass fuel cut or RPM limits with it. Additionally these other units are prone to the P0300 random misfire error if you alter the crank angle sensor too much to 'trick' the timing a few degrees to much. (Plus your at the mercy of an ECU that on some cars may be overly sensitive or cranky)

The only way you can do better is with a full standalone, unfortunately a standalone has its own set of issues and isn't really good for a daily driven car.

the EVO UTEC is the only piggyback out there that I'm aware of built specifically for the Evo, not adapted from a generic signal computer with a wiring harness adapter.

In the near future, you'll likely get alot more neat features, one that I know is in the works is a speed density conversion, and I'm sure many more "Standalone exclusive" features will make its way into the UTEC

 

Great post Jack.
And I'll say it again. Turbo-XS, please give us EGT kit for tuner-pro with ability to log EGTs along with AFR.

 

wow thanks for the fast response and info jack i would like to get the right tools to do it but i beleave i would still need to figure out more... like what im tunung certin things to a/f etc i dont know what im looking for spec wise when doing it but im sure i could figure that out as time came probly...... thanks again

 

jack sorry to ask another question lol but you were saying you could adjust rev limit etc so would i need a flash to stop the stock ecu from still engaging? or would it override or bypass it thanks

im reading on thier site more about it now but one other thing is could i still run the mbc or would i need to use the utec boost controller? or would i want to due to it being better

 

I'd say, install it, run on map0 for a while, get yourself familiar with the interface and then start reading through this forum. There are links to articles about timing, AFR etc. etc. You can also find maps from other people which can serve you as an approx. refference of what you'll want to see in your car.
As everyone always say... make small steps at the time and you'll be fine.