ECUTune, for those of you that have/had it

JLHollowX13 · #1 03-12-2008, 08:00 PM

im thinking about getting the stage 1 chip. i just want to know what it does. is it worth the money? are there any fallbacks to getting it? how much does it improve everything? will it still work if your ecu is throwing a code (mines throwing one for the speedo) or will it be over ridden? what kind of results wil i get performance wise? im not sure what else there would be to know, i just want some personal input from people that have had it. im on a tight budget and i could use that money to get some other things my car needs. i know the chip lets you run 87 octane and it changes the air to fuel ratio, but how much does that actually improve it? (the change in air to fuel ratio using higher octane as i probably would still stick with the higher grade stuff) i want some changes that i can feel and ill get a good amount of performance for the money. any info people can give me or opinions would be great help, im only asking about the stage 1 because the others seem like more than i need, i just dont see how they would benefit me because im not doing any heavy mods, just want a little more performance the easiest ways. thanks!

It's Just Eric · #2 03-13-2008, 12:26 AM

honestly, for what your looking to do, mikes stage 1 chip will probably be best, though I havent had one personally to give you an idea of the proformance upgrades by feel...so I couldnt tell you if its worth the money. I wouldnt consider the stage 1 to be an instant power booster, but rather a thing to compliment other small modifications to get a little more out of them. Once again, id ask other members about what to expect

Really, the downfall to the ecutune products is when your going for big changes. Many specific high proformance buildups need specific software, and though mikes stage 2 chips may provide the fuel and whatnot to make it run, there is more to be had with a more accurate tune.

Nomake Wan · #3 03-13-2008, 05:21 AM

For a stock car, the Stage 1 really does give you more power, especially up top. It also seemed to eliminate a bit of hesitation I was getting around 3k RPMs. I actually installed the chip well after performing the Power Mode mod, and definitely noticed the difference.

Dunno if it'll help you with bragging rights on a dyno, but it sure made me feel better about my car.

huck369 · #4 03-13-2008, 05:24 AM

I've been waiting untill someone post a before and after dyno chart of a car with one equiped.....but it doesn't seem it's ever going to happen..

Trevor · #5 03-13-2008, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by huck369

I've been waiting untill someone post a before and after dyno chart of a car with one equiped.....but it doesn't seem it's ever going to happen..

Placebo is a guy with many faces and does not often come out into the open.

RSVX · #6 03-13-2008, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by huck369

I've been waiting untill someone post a before and after dyno chart of a car with one equiped.....but it doesn't seem it's ever going to happen..

I thought there was one on LANs site?

TomsSVX · #7 03-13-2008, 07:12 AM

I have driven cars with stage 1 and stage 2. I have owned stage 2 and the stage 3. I have had nothing but high hopes for each of these things, only to be crushed by their shortcomings. There are certain things that chip can do, but a stage one is nothing more than a sugar pill. But hey, its just an opinion right?

Tom

JLHollowX13 · #8 03-13-2008, 08:46 AM

thanks for all the input! i guess ill just have to get my hands on a car that has one installed and see what i think. thats just alot of money for me to throw around when i dont know the results for myself, i could put alot of things on my car for that much.

Nomake Wan · #9 03-13-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomsSVX

I have driven cars with stage 1 and stage 2. I have owned stage 2 and the stage 3. I have had nothing but high hopes for each of these things, only to be crushed by their shortcomings. There are certain things that chip can do, but a stage one is nothing more than a sugar pill. But hey, its just an opinion right?

Tom

I would think that my dad, who is way more into cars than I am, wouldn't believe it's a sugar pill. He drove the car part of the way across country (power mode mod), and then later came back to California for a bit and I let him drive the car without telling him I'd put the Stage 1 in. He noticed the difference.

But that's not hardcore numbers, so no one's inclined to believe it.

Guess I'll just have to find a way to secure dyno time. Oh, and an OEM ROM, since I cut J1.

TomsSVX · #10 03-13-2008, 04:33 PM

problem is, an OE rom is probably going to give you better results than the Stage 1. Not to mention it would not be a good comparison between a stock ECU and the stage 1. To be honest, you will never see a good comparison. Because if there is no difference, it will be claimed that the "learning" feature wasn't up to par. So, I expect, like all others, that there will never be an conclusive Dyno evidence of any of the chip's abilities

Tom

SVXRide · #11 03-13-2008, 04:54 PM

I honestly hope to have definitive 2v7 dyno results within the next month or two...
-Bill

b3lha · #12 03-13-2008, 05:30 PM

Why are there so many negative comments about LAN's upgrades nowdays? Not long ago people were raving about them. LAN is the only tuner who has shown any interest in the SVX. Without his work, there would be nothing at all.

On a separate note: I predict that over the course of the next 6-12 months, other people will be producing their own stage 1 equivalent, or at least having a go at tuning their own cars. We (the SVX community) know how to read the ECU data. We know how the location of the fuel and timing maps, we know how to make the memory adapters. All this stuff is now documented. What we need is a few engine gurus to start tweaking the maps and sharing info about what works and what doesn't.

TomsSVX · #13 03-13-2008, 06:00 PM

It comes across as negativity, but lets be real. The chips have been out for years now. Revisions have been made to have 5 different versions. Each supposedly better than the next. On what basis? as no definitive dyno information has been provided for any of them. Having driven cars with every combination of "chips" be it different ECUtune products and different stock ROMS there is minimal difference that cannot be detected by a butt dyno. So my question is, why does everyone say it works wonders??

Bill, even your car... Unless you can go back to stock, then switch it back to the stage 2 ALL WHILE on the dyno, there is no comparison to made which you can gauge accurately. Thats why I said no accurate decree of performance increases can be made about these chips, due to the scapegoat of the "learning" period. You should know as well as I do that different days on the dyno will make different numbers. Especially when you are looking for increases within 10 wheel HP and 10ft. lbs of torque. Reason behind this is atmospheric conditions can change the graphs susbstantially, so if you have a high pressure system one day and a low pressure the next time you are out, your dyno charts will reflect this... Unless everything has a 'control' there is no way you can stake claims.

Tom

AFBeefcake · #14 03-13-2008, 08:58 PM

For what is worth if I had to do it all over again I would buy the stage 1 chip again.

huck369 · #15 03-14-2008, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b3lha

Why are there so many negative comments about LAN's upgrades nowdays? Not long ago people were raving about them. LAN is the only tuner who has shown any interest in the SVX. Without his work, there would be nothing at all.

On a separate note: I predict that over the course of the next 6-12 months, other people will be producing their own stage 1 equivalent, or at least having a go at tuning their own cars. We (the SVX community) know how to read the ECU data. We know how the location of the fuel and timing maps, we know how to make the memory adapters. All this stuff is now documented. What we need is a few engine gurus to start tweaking the maps and sharing info about what works and what doesn't.

I wasn't trying to be negative, I was just saying that I have been waiting to see some proof of the HP increase, before my tight little fingers will let go of my hard earned $$$ (Huck is one of the cheapest SOB's on here)