Flashing ecu with 3.4 map (tune)
 

So I have read on here and other places about when modding the 3.2 with better intake and exhaust that a good way to exploit the extra breathing and maintain good A/F is to flash the ECU with the 3.4 X51 map.

I spoke to a very knowledgeable indy today (in the UK here) and he sais it cant be done due to the VIN numbers in the ECU and the alarm module....if you flash in a 3.4 tune you would need to provide a VIN from a 3.4 car and then the VINs would clash and the car wouldnt start...

Any input, as I though from what I'd read on here it was common practice with you guys?

Thanks

Jim - how far are you from Birmingham mate? For a remap (dyno incl) I'd go visit Andrew & Jonathan at Viezu in Bromsgrove (Worcestershire). They remap Supercars daily and eat serious performance for breakfast even during the weekends. They did a lot of my mate's cars and in all were giggling like little girls when driving out of their shop.

No need to use other boxster car's map, they'll use your current one and modify/use it at its best potential - trust the guy ;) You can always revert back to original mapping if you need etc...

Tell them Fred in Shanghai sent you and pass my regards ;)

(Sending you a PM RE the headlights)

Just realized you are in Notts sorry, guess your off for a 2hrs drive this coming Sat ;)

Interesting question Jimk04. I am seriously interested in the answer and subscribed. I believe U have to change to 3" MAF housing before you do it. But with the bigger housing the car will run lean without a remap. Byprodriver did this so he might fill us in.....

Fred thanks for the PM:cheers:

I am indeed a couple hours from Birmingham....knowing you are Stateside, when I first read 'Birmingham' in your reply I thought you must mean Alabama!

I should have stated more clearly that I thought it was possible to flash the ECU with a FACTORY 3.4 tune.

And yes Bfan, it is mainly down to the larger MAF housing that we then can exploit the added performance of a remap.

The ECU will adapt for a small percentage in increased flow but jumping up to the larger 987 MAF housing it too much without a recalibration.

What is the benefit of this when you can have a custom remap for £350?

Jim - as far as my knowledge goes with Porsche (hmmm almost none!), there is not much you can't do with your DME that the ME can do. If this is what you are thinking of doing. Or that's possibly what your Indy understood I don't know mate

Given your injectors, MAF and O2 are all spot-on and fresh (no codes), I'd simply get a fresh/full tank of that BP Ultimate (or the Tesco's stuff) high octane petrol, and get Andrew or Jon to set you up an appointment on their dyno. The higher octane will be preferred if you don't want pre-ignitions and stuff of the like (pinging). Yes, that's right, you do want your timing advanced a tad mate.

Other than reworking the motor's torque and push a slight increase of fuel injection to accommodate for the increase in torque, there is not much more you are likely to benefit from that casting-manufactured flat motor thingy - unless you get a set of new cams and "much" lighter pistons/rods done (raise the REV limiter to 9k ?!).

The A/F curves for your given air temp/density will also be reworked of course along with getting rid of all UK's emission controls set by the manufacturer, but that's what, 5-10bhp max? What else really.

Talk to the boyz there before.... they know their stuff very (very) well. And you can be on-site and play your own dyno runs (very loud and fun, worth the 2hrs trip)

If you do the timing adv and afford to run the motor on the silly-expansive British 102 RON, then you are in for a laugh mate +30~40bhp minimum. I think the BP's Ultimate (102RON) was 2.5 quids /liter last time I had to drive my cousin's F California from Heathrow to Milton Keynes back and forth. Couldn't believe my wallet (LOL).

Does this help? http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/47555-tuned-modified-2000-boxster-s.html

I've now got a 550 Anniversary and will be following the same path again.

Ed, the benefit was that an indy could maybe flash ina 3.4 map for half an hours labour.....much less than £350

Fred. I havent done the work t the car yet so it is all hypothetical, but real knowledge nonetheless.

When fitting the 987 MAF housing along with the other simple intake mods (996/7 throttle body) , and a freer flowing exhust manifold and silencer, the standard map will be make the car run lean...but the 996 3.4 map should rectify that.

Have noted that the 986 and 996 have the same injectors and fuel pressure regulator.
I wouldnt want to rev the standard rods to 9k to be honest! and indeed the main bearings also.

Thanks fo rthe input on Viezu , but I have experience with one Wayne Schofield who is a bit of a Porsche wizz in these parts so I wuold use him for ECU tune.

PS I always use the top dollar fuel!

I think most people run with the oem tune (or aftermarket) after intake/exhaust changes. the fact is, with intake/exhaust improvements your car breathes easier but the additional airflow is still detected by the maf and the maps in the ecu have a large enough range to allow the ecu to fuel properly.

I think a 3.4 x51 map is a good solution but don't know if it would work. it's something i was hoping to examine myself. as previously stated, you would need the bigger maf housing so that the ecu can extrapolate the airflow correctly (cayman housing would work as it is the same diameter as a 996, as well as work with a 987 airbox if you go that route, and further reduce intake restriction). don't know about vins - im not familiar enough with my pst2 to make that statement. I do know that you can make a 996 ecu talk with a 986 alarm module, gauge cluster, abs, etc., so worst case scenario is that you replace your 986 ecu with a 996 unit as well so that it will accept the new tune.

edit to add: a quick trip to ebay shows the cheapest 996 dme sitting around $200, which might make a $700 custom tune seem not as expensive. again, you might be able to push a 996 tune onto a 996 dme without aggravating the clu, etc., but I can't say for certain. holyoak would know.

I wouldn't use the X-51 flash on a street car unless you had bigger than stock cams.