Unichip map downloads and tuning

[ATL BRZ]

Originally Posted by Unichip Jack

If you're ready to jump in, and you like playing, I don’t think there a reason to wait. If you don’t want to have a cable and download maps, you can certainly wait until the Vigilant map is released.

I just want a suggestion on a currently available map that won't make my car run poorly as-is, or as you say, a 99% solution. So which from these:


Does this mean that you have plans to configure a map specifically for the VMS CAI? If so, I'm patient, but I'd like to take advantage of the special pricing if at all possible.

I'll definitely get a download cable to easily switch maps on the Unichip computer, but I want the best starting point available, and I need your professional advice on which map I should start with and which ones I should try moving to if I'm not getting good results.

Also with the basic kit plus download cable, my understanding is that there is a switch on the Unichip computer that has only two positions for Map 1 and 2. Since the Unichip can hold 5 maps, how do you switch to maps 3, 4, and 5?

[bakerr6]

Originally Posted by ATL BRZ

I just want a suggestion on a currently available map that won't make my car run poorly as-is, or as you say, a 99% solution. So which from these:


Does this mean that you have plans to configure a map specifically for the VMS CAI? If so, I'm patient, but I'd like to take advantage of the special pricing if at all possible.

I'll definitely get a download cable to easily switch maps on the Unichip computer, but I want the best starting point available, and I need your professional advice on which map I should start with and which ones I should try moving to if I'm not getting good results.

Also with the basic kit plus download cable, my understanding is that there is a switch on the Unichip computer that has only two positions for Map 1 and 2. Since the Unichip can hold 5 maps, how do you switch to maps 3, 4, and 5?

I'll call jack when I get off and try to get this updated for you. In regards to the 5 map switching, you can only do it if you have a flux2 (which I highly reccomend). I'm getting off in 1.5 hours and will be cleaning/ changing oil, etc. on my car today. Since it's a little wet out, I may go play in the rain a little

[WolfSongX]

I got my Unichip installed Tuesday night as well and I'm very happy with it. I ordered just the Unichip PnP package, but got the map update cable and lifetime map updates option so I'll be able to upgrade my maps as I make further changes to the car. I have a K&N panel filter in the car right now, but that is my only power modification so far. I will make the disclaimer that I'm at sea level, so some of my results may be a bit more impressive than in a car at higher altitudes.

The install wasn't without drama, but it was drama I brought upon myself. Due to the fact that I have big hands, I accidentally bent one of the contacts in the Crank Angle Sensor and couldn't get it plugged up right. I should've let the car cool a bit longer than I did and I probably reflexively jerked my hand while trying to get the plug in. The CAS is in a very tight location underneath the intake manifold. The car would crank, but would not fire. I PM'd Jack on here and Aaron from Unichip Customer Service was trying to call me back within 15 minutes. I can't say enough about how helpful he was and the two of us walked through every scenario to troubleshoot the install until we found the problem. This is excellent customer support, and he was on the phone with me the entire time until we found the problem and I was comfortable in what I needed to do to fix it. Fortunately my wife's hands were small enough to get into the sensor and help me to remove and replace it. If you have big hands, and you're installing the kit, it might be worth it to bribe your buddy with small hands with a few beers to help you.

Once I got everything hooked up correctly, the car started and ran well. We took a quick test drive and my wife was pretty impressed with the new feel from the car. The first thing we noticed was that the car seemed to pull much harder and smoother through the whole rev range. From a driving aspect, the throttle is much more responsive and the car seems much more driveable. The torque dip used to make the car feel awkward when transitioning the throttle or upshifting or downshifting at certain rev ranges, but now it feels smooth and is much less noticeable.

I'm not sure what I expected when I decided to go with the Unichip, but it has exceeded my expectations, and I'm very happy with my purchase. Coming from a 2008 Civic Si with a K20, my only disappointment with the BRZ has been that the FA20 has not been near as smooth or drivable as the K20 was. The Unichip has narrowed the gap between the two engines significantly, especially in the upper rev ranges. Before the Unichip, it seemed like the FA20 didn't want to rev past 6K and would unwillingly and rather slowly pull to the 7.5K redline, and now with the new tune, the car pulls easily to the redline and feels like it still wants to pull past it.

So count me in as a happy customer. As far as I'm concerned, there is some significant bang for the buck offered here, especially with their special price they're offering for January. Their Customer service is awesome and they truly care about their customer being satisfied with their purchase. My only regret is that I didn't spend the extra to get the Flux2 deal and have all of the monitoring capabilities that it offers. I'll definitely be picking up one in the future, but the package deal they're offering now offers some massive savings.

[ATL BRZ]

Originally Posted by bakerr6

I'll call jack when I get off and try to get this updated for you. In regards to the 5 map switching, you can only do it if you have a flux2 (which I highly reccomend). I'm getting off in 1.5 hours and will be cleaning/ changing oil, etc. on my car today. Since it's a little wet out, I may go play in the rain a little

I can still put any maps I want in slots 1 and 2 with the basic kit plus cable and manually switch between those two, right? I don't think I'd need the Flux-2, honestly.

[unichiptuner]

Originally Posted by WolfSongX

I got my Unichip installed Tuesday night as well and I'm very happy with it. I ordered just the Unichip PnP package, but got the map update cable and lifetime map updates option so I'll be able to upgrade my maps as I make further changes to the car. I have a K&N panel filter in the car right now, but that is my only power modification so far. I will make the disclaimer that I'm at sea level, so some of my results may be a bit more impressive than in a car at higher altitudes.

The install wasn't without drama, but it was drama I brought upon myself. Due to the fact that I have big hands, I accidentally bent one of the contacts in the Crank Angle Sensor and couldn't get it plugged up right. I should've let the car cool a bit longer than I did and I probably reflexively jerked my hand while trying to get the plug in. The CAS is in a very tight location underneath the intake manifold. The car would crank, but would not fire. I PM'd Jack on here and Aaron from Unichip Customer Service was trying to call me back within 15 minutes. I can't say enough about how helpful he was and the two of us walked through every scenario to troubleshoot the install until we found the problem. This is excellent customer support, and he was on the phone with me the entire time until we found the problem and I was comfortable in what I needed to do to fix it. Fortunately my wife's hands were small enough to get into the sensor and help me to remove and replace it. If you have big hands, and you're installing the kit, it might be worth it to bribe your buddy with small hands with a few beers to help you.

Once I got everything hooked up correctly, the car started and ran well. We took a quick test drive and my wife was pretty impressed with the new feel from the car. The first thing we noticed was that the car seemed to pull much harder and smoother through the whole rev range. From a driving aspect, the throttle is much more responsive and the car seems much more driveable. The torque dip used to make the car feel awkward when transitioning the throttle or upshifting or downshifting at certain rev ranges, but now it feels smooth and is much less noticeable.

I'm not sure what I expected when I decided to go with the Unichip, but it has exceeded my expectations, and I'm very happy with my purchase. Coming from a 2008 Civic Si with a K20, my only disappointment with the BRZ has been that the FA20 has not been near as smooth or drivable as the K20 was. The Unichip has narrowed the gap between the two engines significantly, especially in the upper rev ranges. Before the Unichip, it seemed like the FA20 didn't want to rev past 6K and would unwillingly and rather slowly pull to the 7.5K redline, and now with the new tune, the car pulls easily to the redline and feels like it still wants to pull past it.

So count me in as a happy customer. As far as I'm concerned, there is some significant bang for the buck offered here, especially with their special price they're offering for January. Their Customer service is awesome and they truly care about their customer being satisfied with their purchase. My only regret is that I didn't spend the extra to get the Flux2 deal and have all of the monitoring capabilities that it offers. I'll definitely be picking up one in the future, but the package deal they're offering now offers some massive savings.

We are always happy to help and we appreciate the positive review. Our customer support is and has always been top priority.

[bakerr6]

Originally Posted by WolfSongX

I got my Unichip installed Tuesday night as well and I'm very happy with it. I ordered just the Unichip PnP package, but got the map update cable and lifetime map updates option so I'll be able to upgrade my maps as I make further changes to the car. I have a K&N panel filter in the car right now, but that is my only power modification so far. I will make the disclaimer that I'm at sea level, so some of my results may be a bit more impressive than in a car at higher altitudes.

The install wasn't without drama, but it was drama I brought upon myself. Due to the fact that I have big hands, I accidentally bent one of the contacts in the Crank Angle Sensor and couldn't get it plugged up right. I should've let the car cool a bit longer than I did and I probably reflexively jerked my hand while trying to get the plug in. The CAS is in a very tight location underneath the intake manifold. The car would crank, but would not fire. I PM'd Jack on here and Aaron from Unichip Customer Service was trying to call me back within 15 minutes. I can't say enough about how helpful he was and the two of us walked through every scenario to troubleshoot the install until we found the problem. This is excellent customer support, and he was on the phone with me the entire time until we found the problem and I was comfortable in what I needed to do to fix it. Fortunately my wife's hands were small enough to get into the sensor and help me to remove and replace it. If you have big hands, and you're installing the kit, it might be worth it to bribe your buddy with small hands with a few beers to help you.

Once I got everything hooked up correctly, the car started and ran well. We took a quick test drive and my wife was pretty impressed with the new feel from the car. The first thing we noticed was that the car seemed to pull much harder and smoother through the whole rev range. From a driving aspect, the throttle is much more responsive and the car seems much more driveable. The torque dip used to make the car feel awkward when transitioning the throttle or upshifting or downshifting at certain rev ranges, but now it feels smooth and is much less noticeable.

I'm not sure what I expected when I decided to go with the Unichip, but it has exceeded my expectations, and I'm very happy with my purchase. Coming from a 2008 Civic Si with a K20, my only disappointment with the BRZ has been that the FA20 has not been near as smooth or drivable as the K20 was. The Unichip has narrowed the gap between the two engines significantly, especially in the upper rev ranges. Before the Unichip, it seemed like the FA20 didn't want to rev past 6K and would unwillingly and rather slowly pull to the 7.5K redline, and now with the new tune, the car pulls easily to the redline and feels like it still wants to pull past it.

So count me in as a happy customer. As far as I'm concerned, there is some significant bang for the buck offered here, especially with their special price they're offering for January. Their Customer service is awesome and they truly care about their customer being satisfied with their purchase. My only regret is that I didn't spend the extra to get the Flux2 deal and have all of the monitoring capabilities that it offers. I'll definitely be picking up one in the future, but the package deal they're offering now offers some massive savings.

Great write up. I may contact Jack in the near future and see if I can help get another flux2 unit out to one of you guys. they have treated me well, and I'd like to pass on the extra bit if I can

[bakerr6]

Originally Posted by ATL BRZ

I can still put any maps I want in slots 1 and 2 with the basic kit plus cable and manually switch between those two, right? I don't think I'd need the Flux-2, honestly. I can monitor engine data and clear codes just fine with my OBD2 bluetooth adapter and my phone running the Torque app, which has all the same features (minus Unichip map switching, obviously) and a much better user interface.

you sir are correct

[bakerr6]

If someone wants to pass me an ecutek tune, i'll take it to my local tuner and run them both. Eitehr that, or if anyone is local to me, I will hook my unichip up to their car, transfer my intake over and we can run comparisons that way.

I'm interested to see how each stack up.

Jack, when you get the e85 tune, let me know. I am going to dyno my car next week on the 93 airaid tune and will let everyone know my results. I did a dyno day about 2 months ago and the conditions should be similar on my car untuned with the same mods

[funbeatsfast]

Maybe I missed the answer, but can UniChip raise my redline? A few more MPH out of 2nd gear would be great.

[ScionFrsFan]

I agree, the customer service has been great! I recommend anyone on the edge of buying to make the jump at this price...you really cant beat it! The amazing thing is it's only going to get better and better !

[Innova]

Good question. I'd like to know also. I also am probably going to spring for the flux2 display. Really like the out of the box setup so far.

[Unichip Jack]

Can the Unichip raise the rev limiter, absolutely. Does our FT86 kit raise it, not currently. Will it in the future, maybe. What’s up with that? We’re a pretty conservative company and believe that being able to do something doesn’t mean you should.

While there are some benefits of a raised rev limiter, there are also some significant liabilities. Without a new cam grind, you’re not making more power, but you will get a couple more mph in a gear. If that’s beneficial for you, that’s the good side.

Bad side? If your car rides a flatbed into the dealer with trashed internals from an over rev, there’s no chance the repairs will be under warranty. The dealer won’t even try to prove whether you reprogrammed the ECU because you either missed a down shift or raised your rev limiter… in both case, it’s your problem. $$$$

Clearly you can make the engine do it, the question is for how long and at this point nobody knows. Exceeding the OE rev limiter is like smoking… it’s all good until the day the doctor says you have cancer. Once it happens, you can’t go back.

Just like smokers, it certainly won’t happen to everybody but if it happens to your car, will you really care who else it happened to? We’re evaluating lots of things including raising the rev limiter… we want you to have a blast with your car for years to come. If we do release it, it will be an easy, back dateable upgrade that anybody will be able to do.

Cheers

[Tylub]

spoke to Jack yesterday and was very friendly and answered all of my questions. as soon as the check pulls through, unichip can expect one more order from me!

maybe a suggestion to add to the maps would be a snorkel delete? (does that actually lose power or gain idk, but warming up from cold start is a lot faster...) i took off the snorkel when I installed airaid, but decided to get a refund from them because of bogging etc... and was too lazy to install.

any input would be nice thanks
-Tyler

[ScionFrsFan]

Originally Posted by Unichip Jack

Can the Unichip raise the rev limiter, absolutely. Does our FT86 kit raise it, not currently. Will it in the future, maybe. What’s up with that? We’re a pretty conservative company and believe that being able to do something doesn’t mean you should.

While there are some benefits of a raised rev limiter, there are also some significant liabilities. Without a new cam grind, you’re not making more power, but you will get a couple more mph in a gear. If that’s beneficial for you, that’s the good side.

Bad side? If your car rides a flatbed into the dealer with trashed internals from an over rev, there’s no chance the repairs will be under warranty. The dealer won’t even try to prove whether you reprogrammed the ECU because you either missed a down shift or raised your rev limiter… in both case, it’s your problem. $$$$

Clearly you can make the engine do it, the question is for how long and at this point nobody knows. Exceeding the OE rev limiter is like smoking… it’s all good until the day the doctor says you have cancer. Once it happens, you can’t go back.

Just like smokers, it certainly won’t happen to everybody but if it happens to your car, will you really care who else it happened to? We’re evaluating lots of things including raising the rev limiter… we want you to have a blast with your car for years to come. If we do release it, it will be an easy, back dateable upgrade that anybody will be able to do.

Cheers

Nice to know your looking out for us! Thats a sign of a great company.