Should I have any worries about buying a used utec? What items should I make sure it comes with?

 

You want to have the white molex plug with black and white wire. Nothing else would be 'required'.

You can use a regular USB cable (printer cable, ect) to tune it without any drivers or software needed.

If it includes a serial cable and all mounting hardware/nuts that would be a bonus.

I have one for sale if you are looking.

 

Well I am in the process of deciding what to use on my car, Utec or Osiris Uprev. Right now I am running the stock reflash that comes with the turbonetics kit. I am pretty sure I want one or the other. I am still unsure on all the pros and cons of each, and I hate to ask so I will continue to sift through all the info on here and else where.

 

Well UTEC is quite different than most piggybacks. It behaves more like a standalone when you're in boost and provides much more tuning resolution in boost. If you want the best tunability in boost and added safety features, go UTEC. Since you're running a TN, I would highly suggest going with the UTEC which will protect you from overboost, detonation, and other pitfalls of the TN kit. Uprev, although very nice is missing some of the critical safety features that the UTEC and higher end standalone EMS's provide.

 

/\ +1 but if you are one of those sissy's that want 100% drivability then go with Osiris. You have to decide if you want protection or better drivability. If protection is a must then Utec is for you but if you want better drivability and dont care about protection then Osiris is for you.

 

I'd say it would be a toss up with a supercharger (almost impossible to overboost) but with turbos (especially TN kit) UTEC would be the way to go in your case outside of a full standalone like Haltech or ProEFI.

LOL I guess I'm a sissy then? haha

 

/\ Do you still have your Utec? At least you're not one of those uprev nuthugger and keep bashing Utec but yet they have no clue on what Utec has to offer. I do I agree that it is a toss up for a SC because you dont have to worry about any overboost or any boost spike.

 

The one thing that I keep reading about with Utec is that it and the ECU will "fight". Because of that I will have to keep resetting the ECU. I'm still undecided on which way to go. I like the protection that Utec has to offer, however, my car gets driven a few days a week so driveability is important to me also. I also keep seeing a lot of guys changing out the Utec for Uprev. How bad are the driveability issues with Utec?

 

This is a common misconception about the UTEC. Like I said, the UTEC is special in that it behaves as a standalone when in boost -- it cares less about what the stock ECU does and has full control over timing and fuel. There will be no fighting going on with UTEC as would be the case with other piggybacks like SS and Emanage. UTEC != other piggybacks.

 

I still have it but I removed it due to the occasional CEL it was causing. For some reason UTEC (3 different ones) never got along too well with my particular ECU, but from my research it seems to be a pretty rare issue. I know several people with UTEC with no issues at all.

 

I had alot of hot/warm start issues with my UTEC - so i swapped out for haltech instead... The UTEC was not bad but there are times you can feel the transition between the UTEC and stock ECU