My 86's First EcuTek Reflash!

[Ray_32]

After deciding between Unichip and Reflashing for quite a while, I bit the bullet and went for a Ecu Flash for my 86. I really wanted the Unichip but the dealers here in Malaysia only had the generic Q and Q+ version and the universal harness which is pretty messy (a bunch of connectors, wires etc.). I hated the thought of having to cut some wires from my car if I decided not to go down the harness route (which costs around USD350 btw, excluding the chip), so I decided to go for a full-on flash by one of the most reputable tuning houses in my country. I called them up to request for a slot and off I went!

NOTE: I have been driving around with a couple of basic performance mods before the actual tune, so the dyno graph below will show the difference between tuned and un-tuned WITH the mods already installed.


Prepping the car.


More prepping.


Is it lean enough?


The dyno master at work.


The Graph!

MODS: [RED 86 - MT]
- TRD Drop-In Filter
- TRD (JDM) Quadtip Axleback Exhaust
- Perrin (Catted) Frontpipe

As you can see, there's a slight increase in the peak power of around 7WHP but quite consistent across the entire band (from 3.5k anyways). The torque dip is still there but slightly better I believe. So am I happy? I'm not quite sure yet really since 7WHP is not a huge increase, but it's definitely there and the car does feel 'lighter' i.e. more responsive. It's a good thing but not a dramatic difference - will need to push the car further to see how good the changes are. Will wait till the traffic eases down.

I'm expecting to add the Borla UEL Header and Perrin Overpipe next month and will be going for a re-tune. I'm really excited about the header, and I hope that adds a bit more power to the car. Let's hope that I'll get >175WHP on my next tune.

[Muskokan]

Your cars so damn shiny...

Good little review for people thinking about getting a tune, check back after driving it for a little bit with a final impression and if it was worth it and such.

So shiny

[Ray_32]

Originally Posted by Muskokan

Your cars so damn shiny...

Good little review for people thinking about getting a tune, check back after driving it for a little bit with a final impression and if it was worth it and such.

So shiny

Thanks! The shine is partly due to the low hanging lights in the workshop, along with the availability of $3 car washes (inc. vacuuming!) near my place. Will definitely come back with some feedback regarding the tune - am going for a 30-minute solo drive around town tonight!

[Ray_32]

Just came back from a very interesting ride up my favorite Touge, which includes about 50 miles of speedway - EACH WAY. A total of 1hr 15 mins worth of driving. In my opinion, this is a rather comprehensive package: with medium corners, VERY sharp turns, up/down hillclimb, fast moving speedway, narrow and wide roads.

My impression? Freaking brilliant! Even though the power increase looks measly on paper, the car definitely feels lighter and is much more responsive. Hard 3500 rpm pulls are possible, and wheelspins between gearshifts can happen comfortably below the redline from 1st to 3rd gear. The entire car just feels faster and more eager to move. Climbing up a 5700ft hill on windy mountain roads have never felt so effortless (and quick) and the torque available on the low end makes it want to dance between corners, rather than the usual choke and struggle. It's entertaining and more confidence-inspiring. And yes, the difference is definitely noticeable.

Of course, I never expected 7WHP to make a huge difference. The extra horsepowers and smoother torque delivery did not improve the car by a huge margin, but that extra little push and smoothness just brought everything up a notch on a car which is already pretty fun in stock form. That elevates the whole driving experience from 100% to 120%. Honestly, I just came back from one of the best drives on my life and guess what? I'm still smiling as I write this.

Should you go for a EcuTek tune? Absolutely. Find a good tuner and you'll have less to worry and more to enjoy. It wasn't necessarily cheap but by enhancing what is already a brilliant driving machine (and the experience itself) - that itself was worth my money. And that's a lot to say for almost $900.

[King Tut]

Originally Posted by Ray_32

Find a good tuner and you'll have less to worry and more to enjoy. It wasn't necessarily cheap but by enhancing what is already a brilliant driving machine (and the experience itself) - that itself was worth my money. And that's a lot to say for almost $900.

Well put.

[Circuit Motorsports]

Glad to see you are enjoying your tune, car looks fantastic!

[Ray_32]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

So it's been three days since I had the tune and have added around 250km (or 150+miles) on the odometer. Everything seems to be running well - no CELs, no rough idling, no stalls. The car seems to be perky and running quite smoothly, albeit with a touch more power. Communing in decently heavy traffic is easier as there's more torque to pull around and makes thing more 'comfortable', if I must say. My girlfriend's comment : "I like what you've done to the car. It's definitely smoother and more comfortable." She's spent at least half of the 6000 miles which I've clocked in the car since I bought it new, so I'm pretty sure she knows what the car feels like.

Also, I found it much easier to induce wheelspins between shifts and tire-chirps turning into corners, especially given the nice bump in power in the lower RPM range. One slight downside of the smoother power delivery is the slight lack of the sudden shove from 5000rpm ownwards which I experienced in stock form. I guess that's due to power being made available earlier in the range. As a result, you don't get the sudden surge of power in the high RPMs - a win some/lose some situation. HOWEVER, power is power and this has made the car more lively in day-to-day driving. Note that this car is my DD and it's how I commute to/from work daily. The extra power definitely helps in overtaking and I've seen a slight improvement in fuel economy as I am gunning the red line less often. Is it a good thing? That's for you to decide. For me it's a 70% win and 30% loss. I like the increase in power and fuel economy, but I did miss the previous high-revving sensation from time to time. Of course it's still there when I want to, but it's not really necessary in normal driving now.

The other thing which I noticed is the slight change in the exhaust note. I believe that the exhaust sound is now slightly louder, maybe by 10% or so. It's not day and night differences given that I have a rather quiet muffler to work with, but the sound increase is definitely noticeable and I can hear it from inside the car. The exhaust tone during hard acceleration is now more boxer-like - it's noticeable when I really pay attention, otherwise it's not hard to miss it.

Overall, I'm quite happy with the tune and it has honestly made the car much smoother to drive. The lack of the previous 5000rpm surge has made the car lose some of its original character, but the extra power and smoother power delivery does make it much more 'willing' in more technical roads, which is a plus. The extra wheelspins and screeches are the icing on the cake. So far so good. I have the Borla UEL Header + Perrin Overpipe on order currently - will be interesting to see what happens when the car is retuned after the installs.

Thanks for reading!

[sato]

Originally Posted by Ray_32

One slight downside of the smoother power delivery is the slight lack of the sudden shove from 5000rpm ownwards which I experienced in stock form. I guess that's due to power being made available earlier in the range.

after driving and punching a few FR-S, I can only say that missing feeling is well, due to the torque dip being partially corrected and the powerband being more linear now. Guess that since the torque uphill hike of approx. 20lbs.ft. in the short 500rpm interval was lessened and not felt as much as before. However, I'll take that usable torque anytime over the 5000rpm jolt.