Should I tune my Car's ECU?

[SojIrOu]

Hey everyone. I'm interested in tuning my car (Saab 93 '03) model. Its the basic linear 1.8t 150bhp. I was looking into the performance upgrades and found this BSR PPC ECU tuner. Apparently all you do is plug it in and program it yourself and it'll boost the power to 204bhp.

Basically I'm asking what harm could it do if I went ahead with it and would I need to change any other parts to cope with the additional power/heat?

[senalphsarci]

If you gonna put any money into your car and your looking to just increase HP then go with whatever sort of upgrade that gives u the most HP per Dollar.

How much for the ECU programmer ur talking about?

[SojIrOu]

about AU$1000. i haven't looked at other alternatives yet but this seems to be fairly cheap and effective.

[S7un7]

You may want to make sure everything can handle the extra HP. My WRX is 227hp stock. I read that a basic ECU flash will give around 50HP. I also read that the max a stock turbo can handle is 280hp. I don't know that much about this stuff....yet, but I'm sure someone has done it and posted it on a forum somewhere.

[SojIrOu]

yeah i'm know the chassis can handle the power cause the 2.0 Turbo is 210bhp and the 2.3 Aero is 260bhp. i'm not sure if the brakes and suspension are the same though.

this was taken from another forum:

There are only 2 differences between the 1.8t (150bhp) and the 2.0t (175bhp). Both are 2 litre engines, have the same turbo and same intercooler etc.

The difference in power is due to the programming of the Trionic 8 engine management system only, so yes, it's pretty much just a software thing.

The only other difference is a lack of a turbo gauge on the 1.8t. Many believe you get a better gain for your money by Hirsching/PPCing the 150bhp engine.

However, the 1.8t and 2.0t have a smaller turbo than the 2.0 Turbo.

[SoCalledChaos]

that tuner is way too expensive.. i'd never pay more than 500$ for one

[funkymunky]

That is not too expensive.

I use what's called a Dreamscience device on mine which adds an extra 40bhp and that costs ?499.

What's the make and model of the tuning device mate??

[MiG-]

That is not too expensive.

I use what's called a Dreamscience device on mine which adds an extra 40bhp and that costs ?499.

What's the make and model of the tuning device mate??

Its a BSR PPC designed for the car. There are limited tuners for Saab and your looking at Hirsch(Saab Approved), Maptun, BSR, and Nordic.

BSR are well known in the saab community and its a good reflash. No problems with it and the car should take it fine.

[funkymunky]

DOH!!

Missed the name in the OP.

As MiG says', he seems to know his stuff :)

[SojIrOu]

yeah it seems to be very popular and has lots of positive reviews around. now i'm thinking about long term reliability and insurance.

[SojIrOu]

oh crap i just called up the insurance company and they said its not possible to insure me if i "upgrade" it. :D

technically though there is no physical modification. just the software modification in the ECU because it uses the stock ECU. ah well no point risking it for a slight bit of fun.

[darthblader]

If you really want to remap your ECU try and get it done somewhere else first before you get a device to basically swap over the ECU.

I own a MINI and I have done a fair bit to it. running 18" wheels, coilovers dropped about 45mm etc etc. there is a thing I can get called Bluefin which swaps over the ECU. Literally plug and play and is reversable.

The only thing is with these type of things is that it is sort of universal! If you want to upgrade your HP properly I would recommend getting yourself to a proper company who can remap it for you and also put it on a rolling road before remap, during remap and after. it is more to the car as it does based on readings taken.

If you want quick fix to upgrade HP go for the superchip, if you want a bit more power, equal power vs torque higher up the rev range but still match the superchip go for the proper remap and rolling road!

[Brandon Live Veteran]

oh crap i just called up the insurance company and they said its not possible to insure me if i "upgrade" it. :D

technically though there is no physical modification. just the software modification in the ECU because it uses the stock ECU. ah well no point risking it for a slight bit of fun.

That doesn't seem right. But then, I don't know your country's insurance laws. Certainly in the US any street legal modifications to your vehicle are covered by your insurance.

Some people worry about warranty issues. Also in the US, the manufacturer is only allowed to void the warranty if the problem is traceable back to the modified component. Your laws may vary.

[darthblader]

In the UK if you do any modification to the car and declare it will raise your insurance but you will be covered for the total cost of the modification.

If you dont let them know and you crash they will cover you for what should be on the car or they can invalidate your insurance!

it is the same in the UK though, some companies dont allow for performance modifications or any modifications at all!! it all depends.

[SojIrOu]

yeah i believe the insurance companies in Australia are similar to the UK. you must declare any modifications before you get the insurance and the premium will increase. unfortunately i've already paid for 6 months until september and they won't cover me if i do anything significant to the car.

would anyone with experience with RACV be able to elaborate to me further or rectify my assumptions?

[funkymunky]

If you really want to remap your ECU try and get it done somewhere else first before you get a device to basically swap over the ECU.

I own a MINI and I have done a fair bit to it. running 18" wheels, coilovers dropped about 45mm etc etc. there is a thing I can get called Bluefin which swaps over the ECU. Literally plug and play and is reversable.

The only thing is with these type of things is that it is sort of universal! If you want to upgrade your HP properly I would recommend getting yourself to a proper company who can remap it for you and also put it on a rolling road before remap, during remap and after. it is more to the car as it does based on readings taken.

If you want quick fix to upgrade HP go for the superchip, if you want a bit more power, equal power vs torque higher up the rev range but still match the superchip go for the proper remap and rolling road!

Hi mate

The one he mentions I'm sure is the Saab equivalent of the Bluefin

I had Bluefin on mine before I changed to my dreamscience unit, as I'll get it live mapped when I have all my required mods done

[darthblader]

Hi mate

The one he mentions I'm sure is the Saab equivalent of the Bluefin

I had Bluefin on mine before I changed to my dreamscience unit, as I'll get it live mapped when I have all my required mods done

did you have problems with the bluefin??

you have a mini then?? what have you done with it

[SojIrOu]

hey guys after contemplating and saving up some money, i decided to take the plunge and buy it! i just ordered it not long ago and its already been programmed to my car's VIN and shipped out from the UK. hopefully i'll get it within a week or two and test it out. :D

[SojIrOu]

oh man i've been missing out on the good stuff all this time! my car feels incredible now. its 215bhp now up from 150bhp and 330Nm of torque up from 260Nm. the only thing bad is torque steer thanks to the car being a FWD.