What i'm about to say might stir up some conflicts here, but who the hell buys the crap TS says about the 350Z reflash. How can you have a generic reflash that will give you better power wo a proper tuning session? Sure you can get the 'free horsepower' from upping the rev limiter and making the TB open 100%, but the rest i dont buy. These 'reflashes' are STEALING money from Z'ers! Convince me otherwise!

600 bucks can get you a full spec reflash. 900+150 can get you a tuned NA Z on UTEC. Obviously UTEC is better. Why waste 600 when you can save another 450 and get the UTEC? How many people have had to get MULTIPLE reflashes to get it 'just' right?

 

Also add costs of dyno runs to verify reflash worked or not.

 

Well my "generic" flash took me up 9whp peak and 12 ft/lbs, and improved my power everywhere. I sent them a mods list and recent dyno with a/f (which was a mess and leaner than 15:1 in places) and when I got it back it was a PERFECT 13:1 across the board. I went from trapping 104mph to 106/107mph after the reflash, it really brought my car together. I would have Technosquare do my ecu again. I bet you couldnt find 1 chart of a "tuned" a/f as straight and smooth as mine it was amazing. Of course that was my experience and my opinion, feel free to jump to your own without having a flash first....

 

I have the TS flash on my SCCA T2 racecar and it made a big difference in the driveability of the car. The 7100rpm redline makes a big difference, also the throttle response was a lot better. I have not dynoed the car yet, but the engine did feel stronger especially in the mid-range (more torque).

 

Although I have not had a TS Reflash, i have reflashed my Turbo Volvo and Saw a 40hp Increase with my Mods over stock ECU.

 

Well with my 25 or so reflashes I have had, obviously not all of them were perfect or even close to perfect. Mail order tuning is not the best option, but for the longest it was the only option. TS has had lots of practice and does a pretty good job at what they do. If it is not right I have never heard of them not fixing it. We have ask them to change some pretty crazy stuff on our ecus and they have always come through. I think with the increasing presence of other ECU management tools a good combo might be a limited reflash and other custom onboard management tunable by the owner.

 

I heard the 100% TB open thing was BS. Comments?

 

Well the UTEC is great for tuning... but dont forget that there is 3 Timing maps within the ECU... So one day your car dynos like a beast.. the next day it goes into failsafe pulls all sorts of timing and you end up dynoing like a 99civic SI. You need the reflash inorder for the UTEC to be efficient.

 

I think there was more to it than just calling it BS. All I know is I think this lead to some throttle tip in problems for me. Stock setting on this was prolly best. Car is actually faster if I quickly go full throttle than if I just floor it. Kinda upsets me sometimes.

 

Interesting. Does anyone out there with a N/A Z have a Utec installed and tuned?

 

https://my350z.com/forum/tuning/161922-na-utec-tune-yesterday-dynos-inside.html

 

I was one of the lucky ones because TS is close to me. They are pretty good at what they do and will always fix a problem if it arises. Since I track my car they went with a conservative map at first, but after a dyno session I was able to fine tune it to maximize power by leaning the a/f ratio from 11:1 to 13:1(utilizing my aem wideband). I will be doing an after dyno session on the 21st to see the results of the power.

 

This is all coming from someone that purchased the Kenetix SSV... now convince me that was worth it. haha.

If you think reflashes are worthless, dont buy one. If you think you can tune better than TS or AAM, then be my guest and purchase the UTEC and try having someone tune your car better and get 1 or 2 more rwhp out of it over a reflash.

TS has more experience in tuning the VQ ecus than anyone in the US i dare say. The UTEC is not 'obviously' better for everyone, if u have someone that knows how to tune it locally and access to a dyno, then possibly yes. But to change A/F, timing switch over point, rev limiter raise, TB control, and other fundamental changes all in one, and not have to worry about further tunes, the TS ECU is a viable option for many Z users out there. It is far from a 'rip off'... do a search. this has been discussed to death.

 

FYI:Heres from another Thread.

Z1 Performance's Z:

Baseline (mods listed above and AAM flashed ecu): 242.34 whp, 236/16 ft/lbs
zUTEC Tuned: 254.84 whp, 241.26 ft lbs. These are SAE Corrected #'s.


So its a little more than just 1 or 2 hp.

 

Chebesto:
You're sponsored by TC, your opinion means squat.

If TC was able to get even within 4-5 whp of a EM tuned car, then I wouldn't have much to defend. However, I've read MULTIPLE times how people have had to return the ECU to get a reflash and end up waiting a week and pay for a reflash and dyno sessions. Isn't it more efficient to get UTEC or emanageU?

Peak HP doesn't mean jack to me, people who have gotten trq in the midrange, congrats to you, but I'd like to hear the opinions of high alititude people and their car's reaction to a TS reflash.

 

Suit yourself. Unless you know what really goes on in a flash, your comments are just as foolhardy.

 

Chebosto
You're not helping by going offtopic w/ the SSV shindag. Your wording makes it sound like your defending or protecting TS as if they're perfect rather than building a helpful response. Since you know so much, how is it possible?

Do they have a database and have logged all this? Cases such as Rickdoggs are believable, I know they're fine tuners but how can you tune w/o a car? :?.

 

I am at 4500ft above sea level and have the TS flash. I have actually had it flashed twice and 2 dyno sessions.
I dynoed before the flash and had 203HP and 193TQ uncorrected.
Sent for the first flash and did a dyno got 202HP and 192TQ uncorrected.
Sent for the second flash because the A/F was still off.
Haven't had another dyno again because it costs 100$ each time.

Mods:
Intake
Plenum spacer
Headers
High flow cats
Borla True Dual

Cost Breakdown:
100 Baseline Dyno
635 TS Flash (tax & shipping included to get it out there)
100 2nd Dyno
20 Ship it back to TS
-----------
855$ = less horsepower.

Now why I had terrible luck and the high altitude probably was the cause I am not going to say that the TS flash is bad for everyone. If I could do it all over again I wouldn't get the flash unless I could go to TS for the baseline dyno and then have them program the ECU and redyno that same day at the TS office.

Jeremy

 

Thats what i predicted. TS is located at or near sea level, and they can't predict how your car would react to lower air pressures, which 'tuning' is supposed to adjust for, among other variables such as fueling and timing.

 

I would think that a tuning session with a pro should cost no more than $100/hour. I can see a doctor for $100.