ProTune in the area?

Discussion in 'Modifications And Maintenance' started by WagonsRock, Dec 6, 2005.

  1. WagonsRock
    Offline

    WagonsRock Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    203
    Hey guys and gals, I am new to the club and using the forum right away to see if there is a location around the metro area that does ProTunes. I am looking to get an AccessPort EM and I would like to get my car tuned after I install it.

    Side Question -- Anybody know where I can get an inexpensive OEM boost control solenoid?

    Thanks and Howdy to all!
     
  2. Zola
    Offline

    Zola Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    121
    There aren't any shops that have it but a member of this board (WRX1) does. As for the BCS, a bunch of people here have ditched the stocker in favor of the GM solenoid, so maybe one of them would sell their old one to you.
     
  3. silver03
    Offline

    silver03 Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    1,335
    Trophy Points:
    348
    tune

    The EM should replace the need for a tune. When I went cobb stage 2, my car smoothed out considerably. Just curious, why do you think you need one?
     
  4. Justin
    Offline

    Justin Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    22
    Trophy Points:
    273
    cobb's maps are considered safe. And we all know that a safe blanket map does not coincide with the highest performance.
     
  5. Boostfiend
    Offline

    Boostfiend New Member

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Should I try to get the Cobb AccessPort and get it ProTuned or get an EcuTek reflash tuned by an EcuTek tuner? I don't want to do any tuning myself and I travel a lot, so going out-of-state to a tuner is no problem.
     
  6. Justin
    Offline

    Justin Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    22
    Trophy Points:
    273
    you sum'd it up with, you dont want to do any tuning yourself. get the AP
     
  7. WRX1
    Offline

    WRX1 _ Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    727
    Trophy Points:
    348
    First, what is your list of mods?? Next, what do you want out of the car?? I do have the protune software, but I don't have as much time behind the laptop tunning it as I would like before I go around and offer to do tunes. My main plan is to get a good stg2 base map going so that it will just be a matter of tweeking it for each car. Let me know what you have done and we can go from there.

    Russ
     
  8. bikerboy
    Offline

    bikerboy Subie GOD Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    94
    Trophy Points:
    233
    We do bring Jorge (riftswrx on nasioc) up here to do Pro-tunes at RS motors. We did two Dyno days last year and plan to do them again this year. If you can't wait you can go to Chicago and he can do it there. I would sugest if you do go down there to bring your choice of gas from your station here as there gas is vastly different from ours.

    AP is the far better for the end user. If you have an issue with the flash you have to send them your ECU to be reflashed which is a pain. The AP maps can be mailed to you and you can load it on the car yourself.
     
  9. silver03
    Offline

    silver03 Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    1,335
    Trophy Points:
    348
    tune

    Okay, i'm sucked in now... and thinking. I have been stage 2 for the past 6 months and think the car runs great. What would be the advantage to a protune? What results (better mileage, longer engine life, better acceleration) could I expect? Sorry, dont mean to hijack thread
     
  10. krees23
    Offline

    krees23 Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    203
    I think Stage 2 only goes so far... full turboback exhaust using stock intake. If you want to do more mods involving better turbo, larger I/C, etc... then a pro-tune would be worthwhile to make the most performance gains with the add-ons.
     
  11. WRX1
    Offline

    WRX1 _ Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    727
    Trophy Points:
    348
    Well, the thing that you need to remember at stg 2 is that your most limiting factor is the injectors. You will easily max them out. Now what Cobb does is get a good ball park area that is safe for everyone. What a protune will do is dial it in a little closer to the edge. I would guess that you *MIGHT* be able to pick up 10-15 whp with a protune. Alot of it has to do with how your car like the mods. Some cars are just stronger than others.

    Russ
     
  12. krees23
    Offline

    krees23 Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    203
    I agree - IDC @ 98 percent
     
  13. Boostfiend
    Offline

    Boostfiend New Member

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    How did you get the Pro-Tune software? Don't dealers pay out the ass for the rights to that software?

    Nobody likes or has an EcuTek reflash?

    I ended up getting an 04 WRX and I am going to do the basic mods for now and get a tune. I forgot about the gasoline differences here with the 10% ethanol versus what I might be running, if I get a tune in the east coast.
     
  14. Justin
    Offline

    Justin Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    22
    Trophy Points:
    273
    yes, russ paid out the heiny
     
  15. silver03
    Offline

    silver03 Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    1,335
    Trophy Points:
    348
    protune

    okay, my engine mods consist of helix up, invidia down, sti cat back, samco IC hoses, k&n panel with elbow delete and cobb stage 2. I am also sitting on a level 10 torque converter awaiting an install. I know that going to cobb 2.5 involves an injector swap. I am not ready to go there yet, if at all. so with that said, how much is a protune (done by somebody else) and could that 10-15 whp be realized with this set up. thanks
     
  16. bikerboy
    Offline

    bikerboy Subie GOD Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    94
    Trophy Points:
    233
    protune

    I believe Jorge charges 100.00 per hour for a protune.

    If you need someone to install the torque converter I have access to a tranny jack and a lift.
     
  17. Zola
    Offline

    Zola Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    121
    tune

    Just a comment on the mileage issue...

    Engine management is not a panacea for poor fuel economy. Yes you will have slightly more optimized AFRs under load, but if fuel economy is your goal you are probably doing 90% or more of your driving in closed loop, which means stoich AFRs with or without engine management.

    You have almost nothing to gain in terms of fuel economy by getting engine management. The only thing that will do the trick is heavily regulating the frequency with which you depress the gas pedal fully.
     
  18. silver03
    Offline

    silver03 Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    1,335
    Trophy Points:
    348
    better gas mileage would be a suprise for me...i just threw it out there
     
  19. WagonsRock
    Offline

    WagonsRock Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    203
    You guys can keep going with the protune discussion. That's cool that there is so much interest in the topic.

    But, back to one of my original questions... I forgot who said it, but there was a recommendation to go to the GM solenoid. I heard that you pretty much have to have an EM system if this is going to be done. Truth?
     
  20. Zola
    Offline

    Zola Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    121
    Yes, don't do the GM boost control solenoid without engine management.
     
  21. WRX1
    Offline

    WRX1 _ Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    727
    Trophy Points:
    348
    Well, to go even farther than that, don't do the gm solenoid unless you have a utec or are getting your car tuned RIGHT after the bcs install. The duty cycles on the gm bcs is alot smaller, so you will have MAJOR boost spikes if you just try to run the gmbcs with a ap. The gm bcs does require custom tuning on all engine managements. If you are running the stock turbo or a vf series turbo, I wouldn't worry about the stock bcs. The gm bcs really helps out when you are jumping up to a larger turbo (18g, 20g, green, etc).

    Russ
     
  22. PHATsuby
    Offline

    PHATsuby Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    203
    A protune is always the best way to get the most out of your mods. You can also go with a base map from PDXTuning, they are known to be smoother and better than the cobb maps and are 150 for a map that can be emailed to you to load and off you go!

    PDXTuning spends A LOT of time on these maps and dyno tunes them very well, like I said before a custom tune is always best if the tuner is competent, otherwise a PDX map can get you pretty close to that point with a base map.

    Ben
     
  23. fobiawrx
    Offline

    fobiawrx Fabiola

    Likes Received:
    123
    Trophy Points:
    248
    does ap let an automatic run cloesed loop?
     
  24. RiftsWRX
    Offline

    RiftsWRX New Member

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Can you elaborate on that question a touch more?

    Jorge (RiftsWRX)
    www.ProjectWRX.com
     
  25. wall of tvs
    Offline

    wall of tvs Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    121
    Trophy Points:
    298
    Bringing this back from the dead. :lol:

    I might be interested in a ProTune (stg 2 plus a few other extras) from Jorge this next summer.

    However, I don't have a wideband o2 (nor a bung in my downpipe for one), and I also don't have and EGT sensor anywhere (stocker is in my toolbox, my uppipe has no support for one).

    Is it still possible to get a good, safe tune without me having these items? Or do I need to tap and cap my header for an EGT and downpipe for a wideband? I'm assuming that the actual sensors can be borrowed during the session.
     
  26. bikerboy
    Offline

    bikerboy Subie GOD Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    94
    Trophy Points:
    233
    We just stick a wide band in your tail pipe. LOL Do you want me to put your name on the list for Jorge?
     
  27. wall of tvs
    Offline

    wall of tvs Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    121
    Trophy Points:
    298
    Details?
     
  28. silver03
    Offline

    silver03 Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    1,335
    Trophy Points:
    348
    jorge

    +1 on details
     
  29. WRX1
    Offline

    WRX1 _ Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    727
    Trophy Points:
    348
    what kinda of details are you looking for?

    Russ
     
  30. silver03
    Offline

    silver03 Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    1,335
    Trophy Points:
    348
    details

    when? where? cost? before/after reviews? This sounds like something I would do for by cobb stage 2 car.
     
  31. wall of tvs
    Offline

    wall of tvs Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    121
    Trophy Points:
    298
    date and pricing for the next dyno day
     
  32. krees23
    Offline

    krees23 Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    203
    Well, as long as you're taking names, go ahead and put my name in the basket for a protune from jorge.