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Ecu Help!

784 views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  joel0913 
#1 ·
Hello all,

This is my first post I just got my hands on a 2000 9-3 hot 5 spd and was looking to do an ecu reflash. I talked to Jak Stoll, Paul at Automotive Motorsports in Mass, have researched the BSR PPC, MapTun, Abbott and Nordic. Have many of you had experience with the BSR PPC? I like the idea of quick diy programming, but I would like the piece of mind of being there when its done by the guys at Automotive Motorsports. What are suggestions?
Also, I have heard a few comments about heat soaking... is this very noticeable under reasonable driving conditions with a stage 1?

This is a great forum, seems very helpful and informative.


Thanks for all your help

Joel
 
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#2 ·
dont waste your time or money on a stage one, if your just looking for a little more kick, then add a MBC, but be sure to open up the exhaust,intake, and think about upgrading the intercooler. a stage one ECU is pretty much as effective as a MBC, manual boost controller.

If you want to go big, think of your long term goals as far as how much HP you want. Make the ECU upgrade your last priority. Start with upgrading the parts listed above first for sure. that will give you better performance right away. But from there, the possibilites are numerous.
 
#4 ·
yeah dude....suspension, braking...then power. stg 1 is a complete waste of time b/c of the addictive nature of horsepower. as soon as you get an intake and exhaust you've just made stg1 obsolete. might as well get all that and go straight for stg3. but again, not before you can turn it, and stop it. good luck and welcome to SC!
 
#7 ·
just to add to what others have said and to re-elaborate on what someone up top said. about the mbc.. you have a t7 2000+ so mbc can not really be used but could use a smbc but just like everyone else has said, i would do suspension work and then look at getting a stage 3 set up with exhaust and intake and it be good to get a better intercooler.
 
#8 ·
joel0913 said:
Hello all,

This is my first post I just got my hands on a 2000 9-3 hot 5 spd and was looking to do an ecu reflash. I talked to Jak Stoll, Paul at Automotive Motorsports in Mass, have researched the BSR PPC, MapTun, Abbott and Nordic. Have many of you had experience with the BSR PPC? I like the idea of quick diy programming, but I would like the piece of mind of being there when its done by the guys at Automotive Motorsports. What are suggestions?
Also, I have heard a few comments about heat soaking... is this very noticeable under reasonable driving conditions with a stage 1?

This is a great forum, seems very helpful and informative.


Thanks for all your help

Joel
I have seen some lean dyno runs with ppc, so be careful, I would suggest sqr or Jak Stoll, I like Jak, but Paul has a good reputation too. Pick the tuner that you can get along with and want to continue to do business with if need be. Someone that you feel comfortable with in case you have a problem with your car or something. I like to support a state-wide tuner myself and Jak tunes and lives in NC. Great customer service too. Frank from Sweden does the tuning for Paul at Automotion and they are good too... Good Luck and if you decide not to go with a ecu, do a mbc until you have the money to do a ecu, which eliminates fuel cut and gives you a lot more boost than a mbc...

Good Luck,

John
 
#9 · (Edited)
reply to johns reply

Hey john from Boulder,

Im actually at School in Denver right now. Jak Stoll told me he has had experience tuning the ECU for high altitude driving, as I make weekly trips down I-70 during the winter ;) , I dont know how much validity there is to this statement, whether the altitude actually affects how he would tune, but I was warned by Paul to drive more conservitavely out here, than back home in Maine, whats your experience been?

Thanks!
Joel

p.s. I already have the open air filter and heat sheild form genuinesaab.com on the car, and if I got a full exhaust from jak would that be ready for a higher stage?

By the way thanks so much for the help everyone, I will definetly do suspension soon after the ECU and exhaust if not before, but I am a college student and funds are limited, I wont be horsepower crazy, my budget wont allow, so I think for me stage one (250ish hp) will be just fine. :cheesy:
 
#10 ·
#11 ·
joel0913 said:
Hey john from Boulder,

Im actually at School in Denver right now. Jak Stoll told me he has had experience tuning the ECU for high altitude driving, as I make weekly trips down I-70 during the winter ;) , I dont know how much validity there is to this statement, whether the altitude actually affects how he would tune, but I was warned by Paul to drive more conservitavely out here, than back home in Maine, whats your experience been?

Thanks!
Joel

p.s. I already have the open air filter and heat sheild form genuinesaab.com on the car, and if I got a full exhaust from jak would that be ready for a higher stage?

By the way thanks so much for the help everyone, I will definetly do suspension soon after the ECU and exhaust if not before, but I am a college student and funds are limited, I wont be horsepower crazy, my budget wont allow, so I think for me stage one (250ish hp) will be just fine. :cheesy:
Yes, I live in Denver and the cars definetely lean out up here at altitude, they can do some things with the timing to help spool-up and mainly the fuel, the ecu's that I run with about the same power as Jak, he cannot run at sea-level as they are pig rich. Jak did come to Denver last summer to do some tunning and has first hand experience in high altitude tunning! They need about 20% more fuel up here than sea-level and all the racers and tuners I know are aware of this up here in Denver. There is one guy up here with a custom tune at sea-level. He checked the a/f and found he was going way lean at 17.2/1.... There is definetely some differences in the tune for elevation and sea-level... No question about it;)

John
 
#12 ·
high alt tuning

John, to your reply,

I will be driving to maine back and fourth every school year with my saab, is it not advised to go back to sea-level during summer? Im guessing it would be worse to drive a sea-level car here for the majority of the year than drive a car tuned for denver driving in the summer for a few months? Is there a way to control the a/f ratio? Whats the safest way to go?

Thanks for your help

Joel
 
#13 ·
If you have the hardware to match a stage 3 setup, you can have Jak tune you a chip for high altitude, and then pick up a Nordic or SQR Stage 3 tune for sea level. :)


I personally am using a Nordic 3+ ECU, and I love it.
 
#14 ·
It really depends on the tune, at the stage 3 level it will not be nearly as crucial as a stage 5 or 6 with high boost and hp. and you could always have jak go in-between, a little rich for sea-level and about right for elevation. I do know a guy with a stage 5 set-up of Jak's with his big T28 and ecu tuned for Denver that went down to 1100' in Kansas for school and he says it runs great. He has not checked the a/f, but says the power is awesome and it feels fine. Being perfect for elevation and a little rich for sea-level would not hurt anything, but it might not be all that it could be at sea-level.

You could get two ecu's, one for elevation and one for sea-level, but I would go for one in the middle of the road, not perfect for elevation or sea-level, but pretty darn good for both. One perfect for sea-level would be a little on the lean side at elevation and that is the one thing I would try to avoid...

John
 
#15 ·
high alt tuning

Hey all

Since I cant afford 2 Ill probably ask Jak to go middle of the road tuning on my ECU, and go with his cat-back exhust (or no cat;)) plus the air filter I already have, and do stage 2. dp is too pricey right now:cry:

What a great forum Im glad I found this place, the ammount of info Ive learned during my 2 hour music class is incredible! haha.

Thanks to all

Joel
 
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