My Hypertech Impressions

Ok, here are my initial impressions:

Install was easy but, I needed to do it on my wEEE-PC that uses XP, despite the claim that it would work on my 64 bit Vista Ultimate OS. Two attempted installs on that platform failed at the update stage, the XP install was without difficulty, though.

The car has an AEM CAI, MBC disabled and back to stock boost control. Other mods are a Forge BPV, a Corksport catless DP + 80mm RP.

The tune is markedly smoother than the stock tune with the MBC, which basically delivered power like a Sidewinder missile strapped to a skateboard. The tendency to boost spike over 20 and settle has returned, though.

The top end is a bit stronger, even with tapering boost it holds power up high longer. 6k is easily realistic for shifting now.

It's quite strong down low, in 1 & 2 making easily over 16 pounds of boost in those gears. No trouble with major wheelspin or hop, thanks to my SU RMM. I can launch hard at 3500 on the road.

I am not ready to categorically say it's the answer to everyone's prayers. I had no trouble at all with cuts today but, it's 19 degrees C outside so, they'd be less likely anyway.

In the one acceleration test I was able to run due to traffic, 80-140 km/h, starting at 80 in cruise and straight to WOT, in 4th. It was faster by a good margin, (1/2 a second at least). It didn't feel markedly faster but, the stopwatch doesn't lie.

So, I need some more miles to be definitive but, I think the product offers a solid gain, especially on less modified cars than mine. It gets harder to make gains meaningful with a higher state of tune already. It's also simple and gives you a good safe setup, without adding alot more air/pressure control doodads to the engine.

I also think the tune will work with mbc, even though the danger is that you would hold higher boost up top than the tune is designed for. You could turn it a bit down, get the spiking control the mbc offers and not push it too hard up top, I think.
 
You appear to be somewhat pleased with the HyperTech flash. That is good to hear. Also, I have Windows 7 and updated without issues.
 
Last edited:
I'd do alot of the same things on this car, in a different order than I did them.

I did address rear motor mount first, which I'd still do. I did do CAI after that, which is still fine. I'd then do DH, then fuel pump, then a RP, then the HT tune and see if I liked it that way.

I went at it classic turbo-car style, after the intake stuff: Flow mods on the exhaust side DP, RP, then MBC to control the spiking and creep exacerbated by the stock tune. Should have tuned first, then gone at that, I think.

On a car with my level of mods, a "can-of-tune-a" is not going to be optimised. However, it's pretty good for that, I think and better than the stock calibrations. I need more miles and some more objective testing to be absolutely definitive.
 
I put mine on today as well, and it is a different car and I will have to get use to it...my power comes on quick and strong in 1st and 2nd( lot more torque) but it doesn't last in 3rd do to the lack of exhaust flow, a upgraded exhaust would really get things going im sure. I started out driving in 89 deg. temps so that really didn't help at all. I was at first disapointed with it, but now after driving in cooler temps this evening its a alittle better. I still need some seat time tho so don't base your decision on my opinions. Sorry darth didn't mean to thread jack, but I felt like my info could be somewhat helpful.
 
Impressions confirmed, car IS faster, using same stopwatch test regime 1/2 a second or more better. Plus, no cutting, no headaches of any kind, even in the lower temps this morning.

A couple datalogs, the first, 4th gear crack-throttle cruise at 80, flat WOT to 140 km/h.

Second is a WOT shot 4th and 5th, to see how it reacted to a closed throttle shift and 5th gear loads.

All looks well to me. Boost spikes a touch, which I dislike but, it's only momentary. Boost tails off over 5k, which is safe for the turbo and the engine.

So, the product delivers, even in modified apps like mine. Faster, smoother, probably safer than the stock tune + mods and MBC as control I had before and cuts set at a reasonable level for protection without being invasive like they are on stock tuning.
 

Attachments

Excellent report, Darth. Your logs show this to be a safe tune with your mods.

A conservative but well planned performance tune that produces more reliable power safely is attractive to me and probably a lot of other guys. That this seems to provide a reasonable solution to most of the fuel/load cut hyperactivity of the stock ECU is very good news.
 
Excellent report, Darth. Your logs show this to be a safe tune with your mods.

A conservative but well planned performance tune that produces more reliable power safely is attractive to me and probably a lot of other guys. That this seems to provide a reasonable solution to most of the fuel/load cut hyperactivity of the stock ECU is very good news.

I'm currently running an MSCAI and my only other engine mod will be a CBE- so the Hypertech sounds like the best choice for me. The rest of my modding dollars are going to be spent on a RMM, Bilstein HDs, and track wheels/tires.
 
So far I would say for the response and "performance" gain from the HT Reflash is worth every penny at least to me it is.
 
So the scary part of tonight is I finally installed the ETS TMIC, the two mixed together it's amazing how easy it is to smoke the fronts even with DSC on.....however I didn't see that much drop in BAT but the mid to high RPM range is now evil as well so I'm VERY pleased with the results.
 
Another thing: The appalling warmup driving characteristics of the stock tune are gone with the HT tune.

So it is no longer "lazy" until it warms well? I was also suffering from that, especially when it's cold. I had to drive for about 5 minutes until it began to act as it should.
 
So it is no longer "lazy" until it warms well? I was also suffering from that, especially when it's cold. I had to drive for about 5 minutes until it began to act as it should.

Nope, for an EFI car, this machine sucks balls under warmup. I had better warmup characteristics on a milled choke horn, Holley 750 DP, 11:1 327 I had in a '70 Camaro SS when I was a kid(headshake. The HT tune takes care of this little irritation, too.

By the way, the DSC/TC really isn't there to prevent smoking the fronts. The threshold values for the TC are very low. It's there just to make walking the car out in ice and snow possible. The TC on my friend's BMW 135i, that really radically cuts power if you try to boot it when it's on.
 
Last edited:
Hey darth on your second datalog, the fuel pressure is getting very low (600psi) Do you have a upgraded cdfp?
 
Dude, don't scare me like that, lol. It's a full closed-throttle shift, to log how the tune reacts to that. I have PtP internals and you can see that,under full boost it's reading between 17 and 1800 psi.
 
Back