RSCHIP for IS
08-15-15, 04:42 PM
#16
Lex Sense - I have VR Tuned as wel;l. I have had this over 6 moths and 5k miles. Has not yet reverted back to stock. It does not go back to default as others claim.
I have even reflashed it when i added an exhaust as it was running worse right after due to change in backpressure. After reflash; it was back to normal.
The power is there and the changes to transmission are both noticeable.
I don't know if you notice the transmission shifting any differently but that is very apparent. That alone is worth the upgrade as the normal drive mode is awful as feels like driving in mud as it is so mushy and lacks any feel when it shifts espeially at redline.
Could be i notice the changes more as i have intake and exahust as well. if you are running plain stock , then these changes may not be as significant??
I have even reflashed it when i added an exhaust as it was running worse right after due to change in backpressure. After reflash; it was back to normal.
The power is there and the changes to transmission are both noticeable.
I don't know if you notice the transmission shifting any differently but that is very apparent. That alone is worth the upgrade as the normal drive mode is awful as feels like driving in mud as it is so mushy and lacks any feel when it shifts espeially at redline.
Could be i notice the changes more as i have intake and exahust as well. if you are running plain stock , then these changes may not be as significant??
While it's true that there are gains and increase in shift speeds, the problem is that the car eventually reverts itself back.
I have dyno sheets that I've posted back in December 5, 2014 showing the gains, but after about 808 miles when I did another dyno session. The numbers definitely decreased, despite weather conditions being more favorable.
Now for full disclosure, the numbers were actually very stock like in the 3 runs following the 808 miles dyno session, the guy doing the dyno put in a different weather corrected number for me to see that 302hp, which I feel is actually very wrong. The guy was pretty rushed as they were busy that day, so I believe the 282-284 that I actually saw on the screen to be very real in comparison to the 279, best stock run I did. The 302, weather corrected numbers he punched in were probably just to get me to stop asking too many questions lol...
Now, to be really sure that I'm not crazy in sensing my butt dyno telling me it's feeling slower after 700 or so miles, I actually went against what was recommended by the install instructions in pulling the battery to reset and let the car relearn after flashing.
In theory, if the flash does not reset itself, then I should not feel any difference correct?
So after 700+ miles I just re-flashed without pulling the battery. As I expected, boom the feelings in shift and the added power feel is back again. I've done this at least 3 times now and the results have always been the same.
I felt power loss in varying miles from 300 to 400, and almost always non-existent power gains after 700+ miles.
TLDR, in short it works if you keep flashing the thing...
Long term, set and forget... definitely not as advertised.
08-17-15, 07:43 AM
#17
Lex Sense - just curious, do you also feel your shifting has gone back to stock? That is the more obvious change. Mine still shifts the same as day 1 after i flashed it - more direct and harder under load. I installed this back in Jan/Feb which the power increase is more noticeable due to the cooler weather and my intake but even now with 90+ temps i still feel it has more power than stock.
So, if you are saying yours reverts back to stock about few hundred miles, then your shifting should go stock as well with that mushy feeling Mine is not doing this and any power loss i am experiencing is due to weather not the ECU erasing the flash. Most stock cars go thru this weather related phenom every winter.
When I had exhaust installed, i can tell right away that i needed another reflash to account for the change as it definitely drove differently like it lost power due to reduced backflow. The amount of increase you feel is noticeable enought when you first flash it.
I still stand by the VR Tuned flash and have been pleased with it. They continue to email or call me periodically to check in with me on the product which is unexpected. Until others take the plunge to try this out, it is basically our word vs other people's word.
The only thing I am disappointed in is the gas mileage is not much better than stock. Though if you think about it, you are getting more power for the same mileage.
One last thing for you to check - when you are in manual mode and floor it to redline, does it automatically shift or does it bounce off the rev limiter? I want to say that stock will hit rev limiter. So in your case if the ECU flash went back to stock, then your shifting should also as well. Mine still shifts automatically before redline.
Where are you in Texas? If you are in H Town, maybe we can meet up to compare notes. Let me know via PM.
So, if you are saying yours reverts back to stock about few hundred miles, then your shifting should go stock as well with that mushy feeling Mine is not doing this and any power loss i am experiencing is due to weather not the ECU erasing the flash. Most stock cars go thru this weather related phenom every winter.
When I had exhaust installed, i can tell right away that i needed another reflash to account for the change as it definitely drove differently like it lost power due to reduced backflow. The amount of increase you feel is noticeable enought when you first flash it.
I still stand by the VR Tuned flash and have been pleased with it. They continue to email or call me periodically to check in with me on the product which is unexpected. Until others take the plunge to try this out, it is basically our word vs other people's word.
The only thing I am disappointed in is the gas mileage is not much better than stock. Though if you think about it, you are getting more power for the same mileage.
One last thing for you to check - when you are in manual mode and floor it to redline, does it automatically shift or does it bounce off the rev limiter? I want to say that stock will hit rev limiter. So in your case if the ECU flash went back to stock, then your shifting should also as well. Mine still shifts automatically before redline.
Where are you in Texas? If you are in H Town, maybe we can meet up to compare notes. Let me know via PM.
08-18-15, 04:54 PM
#18
@tx_is300
I was able to bounce off the rev limiter before I flashed, and was still able to bounce off the rev limiter after the flash.
As PatrixUSA mentioned, it's probably more due to the production date than an actual flash causing that.
Hmm, it does feel slightly more sluggish as I hit the 700+ mileage range as well.
After flashing, along with the power increase, I definitely feel the faster shifts again.
The more "direct and hard" feel is more apparent after a fresh flash (without pulling battery of course).
But to be honest, I didn't observe this very closely, so I will keep that in mind as I approach the 700+ miles again.
PM your way
I was able to bounce off the rev limiter before I flashed, and was still able to bounce off the rev limiter after the flash.
As PatrixUSA mentioned, it's probably more due to the production date than an actual flash causing that.
Hmm, it does feel slightly more sluggish as I hit the 700+ mileage range as well.
After flashing, along with the power increase, I definitely feel the faster shifts again.
The more "direct and hard" feel is more apparent after a fresh flash (without pulling battery of course).
But to be honest, I didn't observe this very closely, so I will keep that in mind as I approach the 700+ miles again.
PM your way
10-13-15, 05:03 PM
#20
I'm mostly satisfied with the flash. It's okay that I keep having to flash the thing...
Just wish it was more consistent after 700+ extended miles.
I think I went to 1500+ miles before the last reset with the headers install, and yeah that tranny shift felt pretty sluggish. Still pretty fast might I add, but not like it was on a fresh flash for sure.
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