Putting in HKS Rotex S/C Kit soon
Also putting in Nismo Headers, camshaft, exhuast

I've heard a crap load about the HKS having to be tuned before putting the other bolt-ons. However, nobody is straight on what to tune. What needs to be tuned, and at what time does it need to be tuned? (during install, after #k miles...etc).

Any input would be greatly apprecaited...would hate to be in the "You paid too much for crap" club or the growing "Blown Engine" Clubs...

 

BTW, its a 03 5 Spd Auto

 

I have the same car bro and can tell you that I ran into some problems first off make sure you take it back after 500miles to have everything looked over.

As for your mods and tuning I am sure you cant tune this kit for those mods bro. From my understanding the FCON S is locked and HKS will not unlock it for tuning. I would talk to your installer and ask them about this also make sure you are using a pro dealer so if they have problem you have somebody that HKS will talk with. I think its alot easyer to get info out of HKS if your a pro dealer.

I was running just nismo exhaust and running rich think it was 13.1 or something around there. so with your mods PLEASE make sure you have the A/F checked and car dynoed before you pick it up.

What I ended up doing with installing the FCON v pro so I could add just about any mod I wanted to and could tune for everything as for this kit being more $$ you are right the V pro will run you about 1300 HKS list price and you "might" have to go this route if you plan on modding this kit.

Do a search and read everything I myself dont care about the added $ I got this kit for realiability.

 

Just as Pumped has said. Programming is locked down. Can not even be retuned by an HKS pro dealer. DO NOT put in aftermarket cams or headers, test pipes/high flow cats. Cat-back should be no problem. Kit was designed as a safe, complete, one step solution. AND......only buy directly from a pro-dealer, not a reseller. It'll be much easier that way if anything comes up.

 

read the previous 2 posts dude. i dont want to sound like an echo here, but i also have the HKS and it CAN NOT be tuned, even by a pro-dealer. it is an out-of-the-box system not designed for tuning. why? because headers/test pipes/plenum/cams are not CARB legal and HKS will not make anything that will not get CARB approved. if you tell us to F-off and install the headers anyway, you WILL run lean and blow your engine. if you want full tunability get an F-CON V Pro. its probably the best fully tunable engine management system out there for SC or TT. it will probably cost closer to $2.5k after install and dyno-tuning. definitely by from an authorized dealer. i had a hairline crack in my bracket, but since i bought from an authorized dealer and had a pro-dealer do the install, i had a new bracket the next day. without them i would probably be waiting for a new bracket for about 6 months. just my $.02. search this forum for more info. there is tons of good stuff from speedracer and pumpedva. it is still a good system IMO and probably the safest for stock internals. peace and a bottle of hair grease!

 

more good stuff after i re-read your post:

if your 03 is an early build model, you might have to have your ECU up-dated. there was an up-date on all 03 ECU's after a certain date. i think if it was actually built in 03 you should be ok, otherwise you will need to take it to the dealer for an update. if you do not have the update, it will run pig-rich at 5k rpm and kill your power.

 

i kinda wish mine ran pig rich after 5k...i think the previous posts just about covered it.

BTW...I'm the retarded one who didn't listen and modded...now I'm running lean

 

I will tell you this guys my car is having the V pro install right now and also headers cats and plenum. well then needed to get the car running right because I was loosing HP and boost pretty bad. After all that and before installing the V pro I am only getting 287 to the wheels HKS said with a auto thats about right,. Am I pissed well not really because its to late for that now. would I have done something diffrent If I was told a auto trans would only put this much down? Yep I would have gone APS TT on a built motor. I know that would run a nice chunk of change but no more than I am dumping in my car now in hopes on getting 350hp max.

I am adding these mods and yes I will get about 30+ HP out of them but in turn I am going to loose boost and this kit only puts out .5 bars now think thats about 6psi. so next step for me is to have AAM use there c&c machine and mill me a pully to get my boost up.

let me just say this after this is all said and done I will have put about 15k or close to it in my motor just to push 350 and we are even thinking its going to be around 330.

 

HKS = expensive

I'm tryin to figure out if HKS was making this kit for tuners or (rich) people who wants a little extra power on their otherwise stock cars.

 

its for rich people who want a complete/safe system.

 

YEP.

 

have to bump that. I am going to be down about 13k total when I am finnished

 

damn pumped you should have gone TT spending that much.

 

well HKS just gave me another reason with why I went with thier product. The manager of R&D at HKS USA just emailed me wanting to help me tune my system because he saw a post of mine on this forum. Thats good service.

 

yea I thought the same things but with my set up I dont have to worry about blown motors. At least I hope not

 

the HKS brand is the main reason why i purchased this kit. i am a little dissappointed in the power output, but i think HKS is aware of this and has a fix in mind of all the FI systems out there, this one put out the least amount of power per dollar spent.

 

but we knew it would be the least amount of power per dollar before the purchase....at least I did.

 

DLin05,

Any updates on the tuning help from HKS?

 

GL MAN THAT KIT IS CRAP DON"T BE DISSAPOINTED WITH UR NUMBERS

 

Sort-of off topic, does anyone think HKS will come out with a turbo setup?