[GK1707]

How many of you have been tuned on ecutek and what's your feedback on this engine management?

I've been running a Cobb protune for about 3 years now and with the new green speed updates I want to get a re tune but I have no emissions devices on my car.

I have zero interest in re-purchasing and installing the emissions devices. Charcoal canister system failed a long time ago so before my pro tune I deleted EGR all together.

My car is an 04 sti so when I did the id1050x top feed conversion it only made sense to go with tgv deletes.

Current performance mods are blouch 20g, id1050x, presicion 46mm external wastegate, catless downpipe.

I'm looking to add a HKS equal length header and FP blue and re-tuning, however I do not want to go the Cobb route as I'll have check engine lights with the new green speed firmware.

Just wondering if ecutek was a viable option and how many others have feedback on it. From my understanding it does not modify the oem ecu like Cobb does. It overwrites it as a standalone would? I'm looking to hear pros and cons. From others who are currently using it.

 

[knyg]

just following this thread.

I am in the same boat. Many mods that would have COBB CEL. Looking for reliable, alternate ways to tune for new parts.

 

[AustinSedz]

Can't offer feedback on ECUtek but just to clarify:

From my understanding it does not modify the oem ecu like Cobb does. It overwrites it as a standalone would?

ECUtek does overwrite the OEM ecu programming, just in a different 'language' than Cobb, so they cannot be used together in any combined form.

A standalone is as the name implies; it is a separate brand new ECU that stands alone from the car's other computers and replaces the OEM ecu and often some or all of the wiring to and from it.
It literally just runs the engine and doesn't send signals to the car's other systems.
Stand alone often doesn't feed signals to the OBD port or the cluster unless there is provisions for those items, so no CEL's and no code reading.
You either pull the ECU from the car or plug into it with a computer to read and program the car, nothing is integrated with the rest of the car as it 'stands alone'.

Personally, on a road car, I wouldn't want to be running a stand alone ECU.
Great for a track car or summer car that gets pampered and isn't relied upon all the time.

In terms of ECUtek, the biggest thing you are losing is the handheld with the live gauges.
While you can achieve similar results as the Cobb in terms of getting the car running smoothly, you will need to invest in manual gauges or an obd gauge unit to monitor the car's functions, as you won't have that same utility with ECUtek.

 

[Reverend]

On top of echoing what AustinSedz mentioned, it's also important to understand where things are moving in general. If emissions regulations are coming down enough to move a major company like COBB to make a change like this, being able to drive a road car without those emissions-related parts is going to get harder if not impossible as more laws are changed or passed. COBB is likely going to be a good route for your fun daily car given what it provides and how accessible it makes things. Considering re-installing emissions-compliant parts like Catalytic Converters, TGVs, and EGR may seem like a step backwards, but finding a solution with a standalone ECU is not going to provide the kind of user-friendly experience you likely want from your car. Again, like AustinSedz mentioned, standalone ECUs are going to be more geared towards a track car or a garage queen.

It's only going to get harder to build cars the way we used to. High Flow Catalytic Converters are much better than they used to be and the EGR / TGVs don't open up nearly as much power as you would think. If you're collecting parts for your next round of upgrades, including parts to swap in some emissions compliance may make you shudder... but you'll still feel a performance gain if you do it along with other improvements.

 

[Jay11STI]

One serious question about Ecutek and or standalone ecu. How does OBD readiness play along with this? With the Cobb software prior to the update, you have can the OBD monitors set just fine and and allow the car to atleast go for inspection. If the car passes or not is not is a different story. Many factors will play into that. What im curious about is if OBD monitors will be able to be ready when using Ecutek and or stand alone ecu.

 

[AustinSedz]

One serious question about Ecutek and or standalone ecu. How does OBD readiness play along with this? With the Cobb software prior to the update, you have can the OBD monitors set just fine and and allow the car to atleast go for inspection. If the car passes or not is not is a different story. Many factors will play into that. What im curious about is if OBD monitors will be able to be ready when using Ecutek and or stand alone ecu.

Again, can't comment on ECUteck but I can say this for stand alone; it won't work.
Stand alone ECU's disable the OBD port, or at least make it emissions inoperable. .

From what I recall from a couple years ago when we had the OBD emissions testing here; if the car is new enough to have an OBD2, it must be able to read codes.
This posed a major issue for people when it was first introduced because people who were swapped could no longer register their cars for the road.
LS and K swaps are extremely popular, and a lot of the cars they go into could no longer be registered.

The workaround was applying for 'hotrod status' and that was a game of jumping through hoops and a lot of people with swaps still didn't get the nod.

Companies like Ford even offer Coyote crate engines with their own 'stand alone' ECU's that included their own OBD port so you could install a swap using their complete harness and have something to plug into the computer at the DMV.
What they'd say when your NC Miata plugs in and shows as a Ford 5L, I have no idea, but it's a thing!

 

[dlheman]

I used Ecutek as my Subaru is a European model, but if possible I'd go for Cobb.

While Ecutek works excellent and is as good as the Cobb for this platform the Cobb have more features, and especially nice when you have the handheld to show you live logging parameters.

The other thing is, and I do not know if Cobb is the same, but once Ecutek is installed the OEM file is no longer the same as in the original OEM ROM. Ecutek will instead provide the Ecutek version of the OEM ROM file to work with the Ecutek software.

 

[SaudiSubi]

To begin with, here in the middle east Cobb does not operate. Tuners resort to custom platforms such as hp-tuner, ecutek, and other. My car has been tuned via ecutek. Along the tuning itself, new features were added too, including launch control, exhaust pops & bangs / or flames, rev match, redline limiter cancelation (car can go all the way to 8k rpm), and power-shifting aka flat-foot shifting, all according to the customer's desire of course. You're looking for more of detailed technical information but this is my humble experience to share, so.
Not to mention the emission devices deletes (egr/sap, tgv) my tuner was able to do and retune the ecu afterwards with no problem.

 

[subiwoo]

I guess things like Openecu.org and EcuFlash are gone....I that in the Mitsubishi community and Subaru back then there were ROM's that you use in EcuFlash on the EVO's and the factory eco now became almost like having a standalone in terms a adjustability. All gone ?

 

[subiwoo]

Is any of this not viable ? It was only posted in 2020.

 

[Pault1]

Had an Ecutek tune on an '06 STI I bought out of state. Put all CA-required hardware back on for the emissions umpire when I imported it into CA. Passed, no problem. Wanted a new tune, there is no Ecutek dealer near me, Ecutek dongle was broken, so had a Cobb tune put onto the car. Still passes smog no problem. Theory was that the '06's are not smart enough to report a change in the tune. They are also not smart enough to report anything more than throttle position for using an app like SoloStorm for autocross, no brake signals, steering angle or anything, so not a 100% win. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Scargo]

Can't offer feedback on ECUtek but just to clarify:
...In terms of ECUtek, the biggest thing you are losing is the handheld with the live gauges.
While you can achieve similar results as the Cobb in terms of getting the car running smoothly, you will need to invest in manual gauges or an obd gauge unit to monitor the car's functions, as you won't have that same utility with ECUtek.

EcuTek now offers ECU Connect With PhoneFlash app. You need the EcuTek Bluetooth "ECU Connect Interface". No other OBD interface will work.

 

[GK1707]

EcuTek now offers ECU Connect With PhoneFlash app. You need the EcuTek Bluetooth "ECU Connect Interface". No other OBD interface will work.

Interesting but it looks like it's for 07+ sti. So only can bus and not k line.