When I order the BFP2 what is the default boos level for the Flash? Is it higher than stiock? I have WORKS 3in DP, RTP, IP and ABM as well as the Works Drop In on a 2004 Evo VIII.

 

Target boost for the WORKS Brain Flash P2 is 20.5 PSI, which is usually what an '03/'04 will see in the low-mid RPM range. The key difference is that while the stock boost level will taper as RPMs climb, the Brain Flash will maintain the boost and hold it steady to the rev limiter.

 

Jamie,

Is the boost level the same for the 91 and the 93 octane versions of the P2? Or is it a bit higher with the 93?

There are gas stations here offering both 91 and 93 depending on the brand. All brand names are 93 while some of the generic are advertised as 91 and some 93. Is there a way to easily verify if they are really 93? I have heard that they all of them (branded and non branded) come from the same distributor tanks?

 

You may be able to run another 1lb. of boost with 93 octane on a 2003/2004 Evo. I would highly recommend you stick to your Top-Tier gas providers -

http://toptiergas.com/retailers.html

TOP TIER Gasoline Retailers:
QuikTrip
Chevron
Conoco
Phillips
76
Shell
Entec Stations
MFA Oil Company
Kwik Trip/Kwik Star
The Somerset Refinery, Inc.
Chevron-Canada
Aloha Petroleum
Tri-Par Oil Company
Shell-Canada
Texaco
Petro-Canada
Sunoco-Canada

BP is also another Top Tier gas. In Minnesota here where they have a 10% ethanol blend I always use BP all year round and if I am low and need to fill up I will generally go with Shell and then Mobil.

 

Higher octane fuels will allow for the ability to run higher boost. If you're unsure if it's really 93 octane or are ever in a situation where you can only locate 91, I would suggest a 91 octane tune.

 

Is it OK to use a 91 tune with 93 octane gas most of the time (almost all the time)?

 

Yes, you can use 93 octane with a 91 tune. I am not sure why you would want to because you are just paying more for something that you are not really tuned for.

Jamie, since the ECU has high/low octane maps, couldn't he technically tune for 93 octane and if he encounters knock due to some back 93 or only has 91 available shouldn't the ECU automatically compensate by using the low octane/timing maps?

I would get tuned for whatever is plentiful in your area. If there is plenty of 93 then get tuned for it and take advantage of it. If the stations that offer 93 are delivering a poor quality 93 octane gas (i.e. it's more like 91 octane) then just get tuned for that.

 

Yes, it should compensate. In fact, we've gone as far as loading a 100 octance map and progressively brought the fuel octane down as low as 91 just to see how things responded. It was pretty amazing, but not something we recommend being repeated. We also weren't flogging the car, just pushing it here and there. In the end, a 93 octane map should compensate for 91 octane fuel, but you are relying on the ECU's failsafe features to keep things intact. This isn't a practice we endorse and we always recommend flashing for the lowest octane fuel that will be used to keep the ECU and the engine from being overburdened.

 

My car is a daily driver and I do not race it on the track or drag (at least not so far). I will definitely floor it from time to time during driving but it will not be race like conditions.

Maybe I am being paranoid, there is plenty of 93 here so I will tune for it what the gas stations do to the gas is not under my control. By asking around I found out that they get audited frequently for octance ratings and delivery so it should be OK as long as there is a failsafe for a bad tank of gas.

How do I know if the car is knocking at WOT. I do not think I will hear that with a full TBE with resonated TP. Is that done by data logging connecting to the ECU? Can I still connect to the ECU after the B2 flash? It will not be locked right?

 

There are loggers available that access the data through the OBDII port. This is about the only way to monitor knock (and numerous other engine paramters). Having the WORKS Brain Flash will still allow you access to this data.