flashing for the 2.5i

i was just at my local performance shop and my friend was telling me about flashing the ECU to get HP gains. does anyone know anything about this? what kind of HP gains would come from this and how it would effect the warranty? thanks for the help

 

johnyb

kiss your warranty goodbye.

 

and if you do intend on flashing the ECU on the NA... make your mod changes first ie. portpolish, bore, intake, exhaust... then do a ECU flash.

 

not quite sure if it applies to the legacy though. last time i did something like that was on my old corolla.

h-6, 15-20hp gain, $1,000+

 

not worth it yet

i really think the reflashing would add some balls to the 2.5i. it has such a high compression almost 11:1 and still uses 87 octane ?

i really think the reflashing would add some balls to the 2.5i. it has such a high compression almost 11:1 and still uses 87 octane ?

 

oh ya of course no doubt. it really will at a lot of spunk to the 2.5i engine. i wouldn't mind doing it myself. but at the cost of a ecu flash.... its enough for me to buy a whole new sound system for my car + an exhaust + intake.

yeah i just got done talking to Jared at PDX tunning and he told me that its not possible to reflash a NA legacy, he suggested a piggy back system instead that usually runs about 300 for the part. and you will get around the same HP gains as the reflash.....looks more promising but iam sure it effects the warranty the same way. which so you know it doesnt automatically VOID the warranty. the dealer would have to discover it and prove it. which dont get me wrong is very possible. i used to work at VW and i saw this stuff all the time.

h-6, 15-20hp gain, $1,000+

 

not worth it yet

A healthy boost in torque for the H6 would interest me more than a gain in hp. I think they could have and should have tuned the H6 for more torque and less hp, but hp sells and they didn't want their "premium" engine to have less hp than the H4 turbo.

yeah i just got done talking to Jared at PDX tunning and he told me that its not possible to reflash a NA legacy, he suggested a piggy back system instead that usually runs about 300 for the part. and you will get around the same HP gains as the reflash.....looks more promising but iam sure it effects the warranty the same way. which so you know it doesnt automatically VOID the warranty. the dealer would have to discover it and prove it. which dont get me wrong is very possible. i used to work at VW and i saw this stuff all the time.

 

hmm, weird. i know honda guys that got 2-3 hp top end with the safc 2 but gained a lot under the curve. what other options are there for piggybacks ?

Start bugging COBB Tuning.

not really sure, i havent heard much about them other than what i was told at PDX which wasnt all that much. he was suposed to get back to me with some part numbers so i could do some research, but it looks like i will have to find out another way.

I know COBB was doing some testing on the NA Impreza this summer, so it may not be too far in the future that they have an AP for the 2.5i.

You will end up with immaterial gains, if any on a NA engine.

 

Don't waste your time.

Define "immaterial"...

 

Various reasonable n/a goals could be:

 

- "max power" with 93 octane, with intake & exhaust mods.

- 10-20 added ftllb up thru 4000rpm with 89 octane & exhaust mods

- better drivability with 87 octane & no mods

- 3-5 more mpg with 87 octane & no mods

- 5-7 more mpg with 89 octane & no mods

 

Conflicting goals, but that's why we'd have different maps.

Define "immaterial"...

 

You would not be able to tell that any change was made.

would be nice if it could change a bit of the manumatic behavior for the 4eat as well.. seems like some very strange things are going on with when the engine, torque converter, and tranny decide to fuck with me.

Tranny has a completely different ECU. It would require a separate reflash and no one has developed one to the best of my knowledge.

I'm starting to wish I could have gotten a GT...

I'm starting to wish I could have gotten a GT...

 

i'm not =)

Well, if it was financially feasible, I would have def. gotten a GT... But I'm not COMPLETELY regretting it. I love my car. I mod what I can. And what I can't, I leave alone:lol:

Tranny has a completely different ECU. It would require a separate reflash and no one has developed one to the best of my knowledge.

 

yeah, but the auto ecu has to react to the automatic gear changes, plus i am sure it gets some feedback from the atcu, and sends some to the ecu.

yeah i dont regret my 2.5i at all, sure some more hp and torque would be nice for the free ways. but i personally have a family to tend to first and a car that has 250 horse wouldnt exactly fall into the safe car category. plus with all the tickets i racked up with my modded 98 VR6 Jetta its nice to lay low with the wagon

yeah, but the auto ecu has to react to the automatic gear changes, plus i am sure it gets some feedback from the atcu, and sends some to the ecu.

Typically the main info sent back and forth is just when a shift is about to occur, so that the ECU can reduce ignition timing for less driveline shock during shifting. There's really not many connections between the ECU and TCU if you look at the wiring diagrams. Most of the sportshift control info appears to be going to the BIU first, then is transmitted via CAN to the TCU. Not much to be gained here without massive effort.

A healthy boost in torque for the H6 would interest me more than a gain in hp. I think they could have and should have tuned the H6 for more torque and less hp, but hp sells and they didn't want their "premium" engine to have less hp than the H4 turbo.

 

good question about the torque. i'll ask