Sometimes factory spec is better

[UnitedWeFall]

Thought some of you might find this interesting...

Back at the start of 09, I bought myself my current car, a 2000 WRX STi Type RA (version 7.) It had a full 3" exhaust, Greddy headers, and an air intake (as well as suspension, wheels, etc).

It was pretty quick, but was obviously running pretty badly (rich as hell) due to the mods without a tune.

About 4 months ago I finally got it tuned. I got myself a Link G4 and spent about $1000 getting it tuned in Hamilton. It made about 20kW from the tune and a boost increase to 22psi.

Unfortunately it still drove like crap, still blew black smoke, and detonated above 7000RPM. I took it back to the tuner, they did some adjustments, but it didn't fix the problem. So I took it to a different tuner, got some more adjustments made, but no luck.

It was at this stage that I thought screw it, it's an STi RA, surely they must run alright in stock form. So I sold the exhaust, headers, computer, intake, even the BOV, and today I finally put it all back to factory spec. I reset the ECU, and took it for a drive.

Well holy shit.

The turbo hits full boost (17psi or there abouts) at about 3000RPM, not at 5000RPM like it used to

It has crap loads more torque down low, which makes it much more driveable (was a pig to drive around town before)

It has power all the way up to near the redline

It feels a lot faster than it ever did with the tune + mods

And all-round it's just a much nicer car to drive.

So the moral of this story... sometimes (just sometimes) stock is enough

[BC5RA]

Who were the Tuners?

Sounds like bad tuning, good that your satisfied though.

[Joker]

yea - road or dyno tune? (hopefully both?

[UnitedWeFall]

Both. They spent about 3 days on it.

[Joker]

At a guess (I am definitely not an expert in any way shape form or kind) they may have been going to max power? not drive-ability? (huge assumption and most likely way off track)

[Guest boostin]

Who was doing the tuning?

[Koom]

I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon here and say it sounds like the tune was pretty shite.

Who did it?? Name and shame?? ;D

[UnitedWeFall]

Hmm sorry I don't really want to disclose who they were. They're both really good guys and it was their first Subaru tune. Apparently their work is generally top notch.

[newsuba]

 UnitedWeFall said:

... it was their first Subaru tune.

'nuff said.

Begs the question why did you choose Subaru virgins for your tuning ?

Like taking a Benz to a BMW dealer...

[nzkaosnz]

also - cant the v7 get the factory ecu remapped?

[WRXER]

 Koom said:

I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon here and say it sounds like the tune was pretty ****e.

Who did it?? Name and shame?? ;D

+1 I've never heard of this happening, in fact I just recently heard of a tune on a v7 that got 221kw atw with minor mods. No issues and a very happy owner, so definitely would be a ****e tune as that makes no sense otherwise.

[log1call]

Sounds right to me.

Subaru spend thousands of man hours and milillions of dollars designing, then testing, then modifying their cars before they release them. They are experts at getting cars to start, run and perform well while still keeping a good margine of safety in their design.

Why novices think they can make cars go faster by increasing horsepower(assuming they do make more horsepower and not just self-gratifying noise), is beyond me. Horsepower is not what makes your car go forwards.. torque is. Without torque you have a pig just like poster one described.

[Pappu1]

i agree with the general comments in here - the v7 are very good cars and with minor mods can get really decent power and drive

exhaust and a boost controller running factory boost got a close mate 210 at the wheels with no other mod

and a tune later was getting close to 230kw at the wheels

in any way, i am glad that you have found the car u always wanted to drive and enjoying it

thats the most important bit - enjoying the car no matter what power

[Koom]

 log1call said:

Sounds right to me.

Subaru spend thousands of man hours and milillions of dollars designing, then testing, then modifying their cars before they release them. They are experts at getting cars to start, run and perform well while still keeping a good margine of safety in their design.

Why novices think they can make cars go faster by increasing horsepower(assuming they do make more horsepower and not just self-gratifying noise), is beyond me. Horsepower is not what makes your car go forwards.. torque is. Without torque you have a pig just like poster one described.

You know that power is just Torque x Revs??

And to get more power at the same rev's, then you must increase the torque!! Simple equation really.

And the accountants are responsible for what gets released off the factory floor, not the engineers. Your standard factory STI would be able to keep up with a Group N rally car if what you said is true but until someone wins the NZ Rally Championship (or the PWRC) in a standard car (with a cage) then I'm not going to believe a word that you typed.

Still think it sounds like the OP's tuners didn't have a clue what they were doing.

[QRAF]

Take it to total performance in killarney road they do plenty of subarus and there in hamilton

[DPI]

 UnitedWeFall said:

Thought some of you might find this interesting...

Back at the start of 09, I bought myself my current car, a 2000 WRX STi Type RA (version 7.) It had a full 3" exhaust, Greddy headers, and an air intake (as well as suspension, wheels, etc).

It was pretty quick, but was obviously running pretty badly (rich as hell) due to the mods without a tune.

About 4 months ago I finally got it tuned. I got myself a Link G4 and spent about $1000 getting it tuned in Hamilton. It made about 20kW from the tune and a boost increase to 22psi.

Unfortunately it still drove like crap, still blew black smoke, and detonated above 7000RPM. I took it back to the tuner, they did some adjustments, but it didn't fix the problem. So I took it to a different tuner, got some more adjustments made, but no luck.

It was at this stage that I thought screw it, it's an STi RA, surely they must run alright in stock form. So I sold the exhaust, headers, computer, intake, even the BOV, and today I finally put it all back to factory spec. I reset the ECU, and took it for a drive.

Well holy ****.

The turbo hits full boost (17psi or there abouts) at about 3000RPM, not at 5000RPM like it used to

It has crap loads more torque down low, which makes it much more driveable (was a pig to drive around town before)

It has power all the way up to near the redline

It feels a lot faster than it ever did with the tune + mods

And all-round it's just a much nicer car to drive.

So the moral of this story... sometimes (just sometimes) stock is enough

Not that suprising really, mine runs stock everything other than boost controller and it's faaarkin quick. Still retains cat and factory exhaust but is seat stainingly responsive.

To be fair on tuners...they couldn't possibly spend anywhere near the same time and money the factory did to get it right, and were talking RA here, so it's not a shopping trolly from factory...

[driftrex]

i can maybe see what you guys mean with the later versions but anything like mine (v2) factory spec aint nothing to write home about.

[Too Broke]

Its got to be the tuner, you should of kept the mods and just had the factory ECU re-flashed.

As long as it was done by someone with Subaru experience, you should have achieved better power, response and torque.

[QRAF]

the guy at total performance has do a couple of hundred dyno runs on his legacy its a best.

I also agree that factory is better on the later model anything v5 and above.