The base maps are designed for people like this. People trying to save money.

In general I always recommend pro tunes. They pretty much always see gains because ever car and every motor is a little bit different.

But when I see someone piecing together an exhaust like this it tells me that they will probably keep adding parts. Next on the list is an up pipe. Then this, then that. In that case I don't see the harm in running an OTS cobb map until they settle on their direction or get passed the point of no return. Injectors, turbo, mbc, intercooler, headers, etc.

That's why I said gather the parts THEN go see a tuner.

You might be o.k. with people coming back every month to retune for a new part but I don't see why I should recommend someone do that. Dude's gotta eat... but hell. This is a DP and a cat back. Nothing complicated.

Were these stg. 2 cars more heavily modified than this one? The stock up pipe alone is a HUGE difference.

I would consider a true stage 2 car full catless with an aftermarket or p/p header set up and probably a better flowing intake in most cases.

Protune is obviously the better route...

That's why I elaborated in my first post....

 

oh... and this is in the wrong forum forum *****!!!!!!

 

Just get a pro tune, should fix any issues your having! It's worth the 300 dollars!

 

OneManArmy has the right idea. Run on the stage 2 map until you:

A: get the mod bug and start buying parts like crazy. If you do this, plan it out so that you do not get a tune every month at $300-$400.

B: Decide that you are ok with that power level, but you want a little more torque and a smoother powerband.

Ed: I am sure that most or all of the stage 2 cars you tuned showed gains in one area or another. Assuming similar cars with just a TBE, the question becomes whether the gains were worth the $$.

 

I have the solution....get your dp. Put it on. Upload the Cobb ots stage 2. See how you like....and go from there. Drive it until i feels slow then go get protuned or add more parts and get tuned. Walk before you can run. lol

 

I'M not sure why people are still buying accessports these days when a shop like EQ will opensource tune the car for $400?

I guess big set-ups where people are switching fuel types? otherwise I wouldn't waste my money on an accessport....most people use them for a tune then they sit in the glovebox gathering dust

 

I love mine. I can log data, diagnose and clear trouble codes and switch my maps. That alone made it worth it IMO...and i've had mine for 3 years now. It was a great first mod because I was able to run stage 1 for a year...got tired of that and went stage 2 for two years...got tired of and went to a bigger turbo. The AP worked for me the whole time. It's good for me because I didn't want to just jump in making huge power right off the bat.

 

Sounds like your one of the few people that use all the features..for most it just sits in it's box after the initial tune

 

Don't get me wrong though....there is definitely A LOT of time between times that I pull it out. So I def agree with you.

 

Yeah but they're a great tool. I'd rather have one than an open source tune. Especially the v2 ap's.

Nice for multiple maps. I'd like to have a few tunes set up for my car. Regular tune. Smog tune. Valet tune. Etc.

 

Yup, I actually use my economy-tune pretty often. I've definitely noticed a difference on it.

 

Mine is mounted in the vent above the fuse panel, next to the steering wheel. It is BY FAR the best gauge, or combination of gauges, that I have. I look at it more than my boost, wideband and EGT. I wired an on/off switch into one of the switch blanks.

The fact that it gives feedback knock correction and learning, short and long term fuel trims, narrow band AFR, boost, etc etc etc makes it incredibly useful. I would recommend it way before I would recommend a set of Defi, except for the fact that you still need gauges for things such as EGT and oil pressure that the ECU does not see.