Softronic ECU Flash

[porsche986spyder]

Originally Posted by Kirk

Dude, seriously are you joking??? What is out there that gives the same performance for less money? The Softronics, FVD, and GIAC are all about the same price and function. Don't even think about comparing JET Chips to these other brands. I wouldn't pay to even put JET in my crappy Honda! Sure it's cheap, but you get what you pay for. I seriously doubt the JET setup was dyno tuned specifically for the Boxster or that the development time in creating the ECU map changes comes close to what GIAC, etc. do. Any tuner can remap the ECU. Spending the time to really develop a good program through lots of testing, strong knowledge of the cars, and dyno runs is what really set these tuners apart.

I think the only lower cost option that's really comparable is maybe the Upsolue remap.

Actually I prefer UNICHIP, but they only make devices for the "s" type model. And they are about $200.00 cheaper. There ARE OTHER companies out there other than Jet that make chips and reprograming of the CPU for allot less and have very similar HP & TRQ rattings. Jet was just the first one I could think of. They do require you to over night the ECU so they can RE-MAP it for you and then overnight it back. They do have dyno test results. Superchips is another. I just think for $900.00 the power gains should be higher. Here is one I found for $700.00 and does the same thing as Softronics. http://www.bursethracing.com/products/sfID1/73/sfID2/265/sfID3/140

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by porsche986spyder

Actually I prefer UNICHIP, but they only make devices for the "s" type model. And they are about $200.00 cheaper. There ARE OTHER companies out there other than Jet that make chips and reprograming of the CPU for allot less and have very similar HP & TRQ rattings. Jet was just the first one I could think of. They do require you to over night the ECU so they can RE-MAP it for you and then overnight it back. They do have dyno test results. Superchips is another. I just think for $900.00 the power gains should be higher. Here is one I found for $700.00 and does the same thing as Softronics. http://www.bursethracing.com/products/sfID1/73/sfID2/265/sfID3/140

Right, the link you gave is for the Upsolute remap, which I think is really the only comparable, lower cost option out there, which I mentioned in my first post.

Unichip is GREAT! I had one in my Subaru WRX and it was an excellent upgrade. HOWEVER, that was a Unichip tuned specifically for my car by TurboXS and with their own cable for easy connection. Again, I wouldn't dream of putting the Unichip on my Boxster the way they sell it. Is the custom cable included or do you have to splice wires? How well is it tuned for my car? According to one website:

"Once you order the Unichip, we will program the best possible MAP from Unichips database for your application based on the modifications you already have on your vehicle. We will then send it to you.

If you have modifications that Unichip does not provide a MAP for, your best bet is to have the Unichip tuned by an authorized Unichip tuner with a dyno. We can only load the best possible MAP provided to us by Unichip."

All they have available is the map for a stock car! So I save $200 by buying a cheap chip that's not tuned, and then I need to find someone who will tune it for me. In the end you pay more money! The advantage of the GIAC, Softronic, etc. is that they're already professionally tuned for a variety of mods to match what you've got. That's why my Unichip worked well in my WRX - it was tuned professionally for my mods.

So again, what you're paying for here is not just the chip or remap, but the tuning expertise that goes behind the program. Re-mapping the ECU is a TOOL. How well that tool is used depends on who's hands it's in. Personally I will trust a professional Porsche tuner any day compared to these guys who sell a cheap remap. So cost is not everything, especially with an ECU remap.

Here's just a quick example - the Unichip retune of a 2.7L Boxster with intake. The gains are good at 6,500 RPM, but before that they are miniscule, and certainly not worth even $70, let along $700. Again, you get what you pay for...

[porsche986spyder]

[QUOTE=Kirk]Right, the link you gave is for the Upsolute remap, which I think is really the only comparable, lower cost option out there, which I mentioned in my first post.

I was just saying it didn't seem like much BANG FOR THE BUCK. $900. for 18hp! I knew there were others out there cheaper. Upsolute you mentioned is cheaper by $200.00 over the Softech option. Softech doesn't sound very easy to install with all of the warnings it mentions while doing the install yourself while plugged in on-line!!? By the way, Unichip, like I said only makes a System that works with the "S" type which is the 3.2Ltr. Not the 2.7Ltr. So I'm not sure where that chart you posted came from. They use a biggy-back type of system the plugs into the O.B.D. and allows you to turn it on or off when needed. That was what I liked about it. Not sure about what they used to sell for your WRX. Maybe they have changed since then. Other than that, the cost was worth the HP & TRQ. But like I said, unless you have a 3.2 it does matter anyway.

[texwayne]

Originally Posted by porsche986spyder

I was just saying it didn't seem like much BANG FOR THE BUCK. $900. for 18hp!

yeah, i hear you. it's a lot of money. but think about it for minute:

ECU tune - $900 / 18 HP = $50 / HP
Headers - $1500 / 25 HP = $60 / HP
Turbo - $8000 / 75 HP = $106 / HP

i know the headers and turbo numbers might vary a bit, but i still think the ECU tune is in the ballpark. the real bummer is that NA cars can't gain nearly as much from ECU tune as turbos.

[Kirk]

[QUOTE=porsche986spyder]

Originally Posted by Kirk

Right, the link you gave is for the Upsolute remap, which I think is really the only comparable, lower cost option out there, which I mentioned in my first post.

I was just saying it didn't seem like much BANG FOR THE BUCK. $900. for 18hp! I knew there were others out there cheaper. Upsolute you mentioned is cheaper by $200.00 over the Softech option. Softech doesn't sound very easy to install with all of the warnings it mentions while doing the install yourself while plugged in on-line!!? By the way, Unichip, like I said only makes a System that works with the "S" type which is the 3.2Ltr. Not the 2.7Ltr. So I'm not sure where that chart you posted came from. They use a biggy-back type of system the plugs into the O.B.D. and allows you to turn it on or off when needed. That was what I liked about it. Not sure about what they used to sell for your WRX. Maybe they have changed since then. Other than that, the cost was worth the HP & TRQ. But like I said, unless you have a 3.2 it does matter anyway.

Dude, I agree with you completely. It doesn't seem like much bang for the buck to me either! Especially since I think that 18 HP is overly optimistic. The dyno chart I posted claimed a 21.7 HP gain. But that's like only at the very extreme. For most of the curve you've only got a 2-3 HP gain!

Personally I'd save my money on intakes, exhausts, headers, and chips and look more at a motor swap. I've got a 3.2L, I'm pretty handy, and I know someone who can remap the ECU for me. Thus I'd be more inclined to get a good, used 3.4L engine, install it myself, gain an honest, usable 50 HP and call it good for about $5K. Again, not a huge amount of bang for the buck, but I think a better deal than trying to squeeze the last bit of life out of an already well tuned engine.

As for the curve I posted, it was from the Unichip website. You may be mistaken about them only making a chip program for the 3.2L.

http://www.unichip.us/search_results.asp?dhtmlgoodies_year=2000&dhtmlgoodies_make=Porsche&dhtmlgoodies_model=453054452

Click on the 2.7L CAI link at the bottom to get the dyno chart. It's a 2.7L Boxster with S-Car-Go cold air intake and Unichip. But that's a 2000 2.7L with I believe the 7.8 DME. Maybe they don't support the earlier DME version, which is what you've got if you have a '97 - '99 Boxster, non-egas.