boosted Subaru BRZ on stock ECU

Hi guys,

has anyone ever reflashed a stock ECU on a Subaru BRZ / Toyota GT86 which has been supercharged? We're in the process of putting a SC Kit on (intercooled Sprintex on a stock car, nothing crazy), and I've already purchased BRZEdit.

The def's look similar to EcuTek but I really like the Logger from BRZEdit ... and on a side note, for starting on those cars, it wasn't a huge investment.

I'd need some help and a bit of hints on which maps to alter. Not talking about the obvious ignition timing and/or fuel main, which is self explanatory, but limiters, engine load, and things like that.

Or someone maybe has a base file off a supercharged BRZ, I could compare against a stock file, to understand the changes?

I revisited the reflashing basics webinar, and realized that Andre's GT86 is the same file as mine, a ZA1J700G.

Andre, I remember in one video, that you've said you've already done a couple of SC BRZ tunes. Were they on stock or aftermarket ECUs?

Would you mind sharing a base file to get started, if you've done them on stock ECUs?

thanks a lot everybody,

Andy

I would actually be interested in this as well, a unlocked rom would be great. I have used EcuTek to reflash my turbo FRS and I do have a few maps, 1 for 7psi and 1 for 10 psi both at 93 octane, but both are locked.

Hey Andy, yes I've done a few SC FRS/BRZ/86 now on EcuTek with good results. I'm not sure how useful a base file will be though as you can't open or view the rom unless you have the EcuTek package in the first place.

I know that originally BRZedit didn't give you a complete definition which limited what you could do with a FI application but I'll assume this is fixed now. Obviously you need to rescale your maps so that they read into positive pressure as a start. You'll also need to have the ability to raise the stock load limit so that the ECU will read into positive pressure. There are a couple of different places where you need to do this but I'm unsure if BRZEdit follow EcuTek's naming conventions. There is also a function called 'Port Injector Manifold Relative Pressure Comp' that you need to modify. This is normally set to 1.00 in the positive boost areas and will cause the engine to go lean as boost increases. A linear increase in the multiplier as you move into boost will fix that.

Once you have the ECU scaled into positive boost and the ECU isn't capping the load reading it's a simple matter of optimising the fuel, ignition and cam timing to suit. The Bullet kit with an exhaust is around 170-175 kW atw on my old dynapack and around 155 kW atw on our Mainline.

Hi, thanks for those hints.

The definitions are now pretty much fixed from what I've seen, so things are better now ... I hope :)

Actually the naming is pretty similar if not exactly the same, I've paused the reflashing webinar every now and then and checked, so it could be a tremendous help if you post the maps I need to extend/review/rescale.

Also we've purchased a stock ECU reflashing software, that was able to open and read ROMs that were tuned with EcuTek.

Not sure though if I can open them with BRZEdit after resaving them, but if you wouldn't mind, I think it might be worth a try.

You can also email me a file to akw(at)betterengines.at, if the forums doesn't allow uploading it.

thanks,

Andy

I'll email it direct to you Andy as right now our forum is viewable by anyone. This sort of input is what our members pay for so if I post direct to the forum anyone will have the ability to download it.

Check your email and let me know if you can view the file.

I didn't think of that, but you're absolutely right. makes no sense publishing those sorts of information to anyone for free. thank you :)

With the original software from Epifan you needed to pay for admin privileges to be able to open/edit ECUTEK locked files. I'm not sure if they've added this into the package your using yet

is this a fee per file or general? any idea on how much that was/is?

It was an upgrade from the pro software and cost me $100 per software upgrade. not per file it is a full software upgrade

got an email from Epifan this morning, it's not possible with BRZEdit, even though we have the Pro version. Maybe it's only for the STIs and EVOs.

Possibly, or they haven't cracked it yet?

OK, so the car is done ... it took me a couple of days on the dyno, because I couldn't view the EcuTek file Andre sent me and I only had one odd base file which I didn't really trust :)

In the end though I managed to squeeze out 280HP and 310NM at the flywheel at our 100 octane pump fuel.

I have to say, that I think this is very much on the edge of beeing "good", so I took some timing out and left it at around 270HP and 290NM at the flywheel.

This car is a totally different animal, extremly crisp on throttle movements, pulls very good for that "low power" and is just one perfect example of "little weight and good power" now.

One thing I noticed though, at around 1500 RPM, when you go WOT, I could cleary hear some pinging even though the total ignition timing was already -0.5 degrees(!) and lambda around 0.81 ... controversely adding 2 degrees to the main ignition table cured that?

anyone ever experienced that?

I have heard of the engine being heavily knock limited in certain areas, can't remember if it was Andre or another UK tuner and they changed the injection balance between the DI and port injection to sort it. Not sure why you adding in timing to the main map would cure your pinking

Hey Andy, your post just made me realise that I had failed to reply to your email - My apologies, it came at an incredibly busy time so please don't think I was ignoring you :)

I find with the Sprintex kit on 98 octane pump fuel these engines end up with around 3-4 deg at 1500 rpm and about 20-22 deg at 7400. From my own experience you want to use as much DI injection as you can. The engine becomes more knock sensitive as you start increasing the PI mix - On the Sprintex kit though I generally don't touch the PI/DI mix table and leave it at the factory N/A split.

What did you find the BRZedit stuff to be like on a Boosted car?

I used it around 9-12 months ago and like Andre found it very limited.

Ended up going Ecutek as it was full featured. Are all tables defined now for making things work nicely?

Hi Andre, no worries, I can still send you the map I ended up with :)

2.5 degrees is actually were I left it at about 1500rpm, like I said I could here it with about -0.5 degrees, but not with positive timing. Confusing at least, I have to say.

Just for info, I could add another 2-3 degrees at 7400 with that 100 octane fuel and I also left the PI/DI mix alone.

The only thing I fiddlet with in DI was at around 4500rpm. I basically just smoothed out a gap between to cells hoping that a small dip in torque would flatten out.

Sadly it's a mechanical issue of the header/cat design, which was confirmed by Sprintex last week (no changes within the ECU made any difference!).

I attached the dynochart in HP and NM at the rear wheels. That was the run with the most power I could get out of it on top of the base run without the SC kit.

Please ignore the lambda trace at the bottom, the probe was just hanging in the back muffler and vacuum was shut off, so it's useless :)

I generally aimed for 0.80 lambda at WOT and tapered it off to about 0.76 the last 1500-2000rpm.

BENchmark, I actually wouldn't want to tune a turbo kit on BRZEdit for now, as I have no idea were I could control a boost solenoid - maybe they'll add this in the future ;)

I think EcuTek has just done more research to those ECUs and is superior, plain and simple.

From a business perspective though, BRZEdit was the way to go to dive into those cars. I'm sure as we increase sales on those kits and tunes, we'll move over to EcuTek.

Hi Andre

I have just been tasked with tuning a BRZ. The software package purchased was BRZEdit. I read above that you have done some via ECUTek. Is it much work to help me out with a base map done with BRZEdit? The engine is fully built, has a decent size blower on it, and larger injectors. (compression ratio dropped to 9.5:1) Sprintex 335 Intercooled Supercharger System, Injectors .. they weren't sure, maybe 950cc.. and a full E85 converted fuel system.

And the important part - The ROM is ZA1JA01G. Apparently there is a later version now?

I have a lot of reading and experimenting to do. But if you could give me something to start with that would be super awesome. (If you want to email me direct as mentioned above you're welcome to)

Thanks

Jono

Hey Jono, fire me an email to andre@hpacademy.com and I'll at least get you a start file. As above though, I use Ecutek so it will be an EcuTek file.

Hi Andre, i have n hks gt3 on the frs & I just bought an ecutek kit do you mind to share so i can get an rough idea where should i alter maps for boosted application