Local Tuner
 

Hey guys. I bought a used WRX 08 not too long ago and I'm fairly new to the area, living in Reno. Looking to get a tune. However, I can't seem to get a tune scheduled in the area. I heard Ed in Fairfield is good, but I'm trying to avoid the 3 hour drive. Any recommendations on tuners around here?

I searched the forum but didn't find anything. Thanks for any and all help.

Open source or AccessPort?

I'm not sure if Matt at KSTech is tuning cars or not these days, but he was the guy most of us were going to locally.

Ed of EQTuning is worth the drive. He's very familiar with high elevation cars too. He used to go up to Reno to tune a bunch of cars on the weekend and then offer them a free checkup in Fairfield. This experience helped him to ensure that his tunes are good at elevation and sea level.

There's a local (to Reno) guy named Cory that tunes for EQTuning too, not sure if he's still in Reno. I think he said he was moving to Fairfield to work for Ed in a recent thread? I forget his SN on here. It's something like Mayhem Tuning I think. No experience with him though.

FWIW, I've got 160K miles on my car, 100K+ with a stage II tune from Ed, and I've been autocrossing every year for 8 or 9 years now, and a few track days. Car still runs great on the original motor.

Thanks for the help guys! Really appreciate it. Matt at KS is doing it. They seem like really good guys.

Renosubby on here tunes too.

Good choice. I was just there last week and I inquired a stage 2 tune with Kevin and he said Matt is still the one doing all of their tuning needs. Good luck on your build (if you're doing one or just a stock reflash?)!!

I came by an AEM intake that had only been used for a week so I decided to throw it in and get a tune so I don't run lean. I can't convince my wife to let me pick up a Cobb AP since it's so expensive and I figure a street tune would be better. I'm still really new to Turbos and Subaru so I'm not sure what to do next... Matt at KS recommended a DP.

"Stage 2" (Downpipe and reflash) is pretty common. Makes a bunch more power over stock, and should be pretty reliable.

The intake won't net you any gain, even with a tune, but might sound cooler than simply removing the intake silencer. Without a tune, it is a very dangerous mod, but it sounds like you already were told about that. Definitely consider a DP before the tune. Nothing wrong with skipping the AP and just getting a good custom tune from a tuner who uses open source software.

I believe the intake is good for 10-15hp on the '08 WRX after going stage 2. At least Matt told me that regarding my '09 OBXT which has the same motor.

I wasn't aware the stock intake on the '08+ was so restrictive. The conventional wisdom had always been that the intake doesn't become restrictive until 300-350HP back when I was up on such things. I wonder if removing the intake silencer would help?

I think it's related to the new intake manifold the 08's got. The whole intake tract was revised, and there are apparently gains to be had.

I'm leaving my OBXT intake bone stock though. Even if I eventually get around to doing a turbo on the car.

The AEM intake for the 08+ WRX/STI is about 10% lean, so it is definitely best to tune for it. Intake manufacturers like to build intakes that lean the engine out, because it makes power on the stock overly-rich engine. What tends to happen though is the ECU learns to add fuel and the gains from that are gone after some driving/learning time.

The stock intake for the 08-13 WRX/STI and the 05-09 LGT is not as well designed as the one from the 02-07 WRX/STI from a power and tuning standpoint. The air has to make a sharp bend going into the intake tract before the MAF sensor. This is why Subaru put air straightener fins in there I believe.

The StockMAF KSTech intake for the 08+ WRX/STI took 4 prototypes to get it right. It follows the stock MAF calibration pretty well, and does not *require* a tune on a stock or stage 2 car, and it does not try to make power by leaning things out. But it does probably make power by reducing restriction

A KSTech dealer, EFI Logics in CT did a comparison on a 2012 STI stage-2 car, with and without the KSTech intake. They have installed and tuned maybe 100 these type intakes - more than any other shop I know of. The car went from 266whp with the stock intake to 285whp with no other mods. Now, I would not try to claim the full 19whp gain from the intake, but I think that 10+whp from a good intake is a reasonable assumption.

+1 for Matt at K-speed. I got my forester xt with sti turbo,intercooler, larger downpipe and sti axleback tuned by Matt. After moving, I got it dynoed at a local spot and the tuner said that it was a solid tune. A little on the conservative side, but that is the way I wanted it... No problems after almost 5K miles.

i would say more then 10%, you will definitely need a tune. I can tune you up in Reno, We charge $400 for a basic stage 2 setup.
The intakes on the newer models is wayyyy different then older years. adding an intake will make it run very very lean under boost conditions.

I have seen a few people do that and not tune the intake well leaving it very lean under boost but ok under cruise condition's.



you can call me or txt at 775-750-6838