I have the tune installed now. I notice the difference, but its not game changing. It still feels slower than my stock MK7 GTI. The power builds more like a NA V6 than a turbo4. It does not have the low down torque punch that is typical of a turbo4. The throttle is indeed a bit more responsive. Sometime within the next 2 weeks I'll be re-dynoing and I'll visit the dragstrip again to get real numbers.

 

Did you have BMS stage 1 before? Curious to know how it compares to that

 

If you guys are still having throttle issues please email me your mods / any mods you have that may be interferring. we are down to only 2 ECU IDs that have this problem, everyone elses is working ok.

 

No, I've been waiting specifically for this tune because they can manipulate the throttle. I've never had another tune on this car before. My car is 100% bone stock with the exception of the HPS intake pipe I bought used from Sheddy, and that made 0 difference in sound or performance.

 

It made the engine bay cooler though...

 

Haha, I suppose that would be the benefit. I do hear the turbo working now, and it sounds like it has an aftermarket blow-off valve on occasion. Not sure if i would still hear it w/ the stock pipe.

 

This is disappointing. I'll give it another year to see what else can be done with this engine. After that, I'm switching back to a German vehicle.

 

Unless someone is making a turbo upgrade, which I don't see happening, this is about it for the motor. Tune and downpipe are probably the most you'll get from this engine. That being said, I don't regret the tune and I'm happy with whatever increase I can get. I bought this car for its reliability, after years of frustration with 3 brands of european cars. If you're leasing your cars, you'll be fine. If you're buying and keeping long term with high miles, be prepared to pay for extra expenses with a european car. This is my first Lexus, and I will buy another if anything ever happens to this car. No european car is going 90k miles without repairs like this 2.5yr old Lexus has.

 

While more power is possible with tuning and bolt ons, the stock turbo is so laughably small that getting as much as you see on other tuning platforms simply is outside the realm of reality.

The turbo is extremely small. I know a lot of people won't believe it, or think that it should do 25 psi, or whatever, but it simply can't.

During testing I maxed out the boost tables on our test car, so that the wastegate would never open. We saw some surge at very low RPM but even then it still couldn't hold 20psi past 5500 rpm.

Our tune maximizes what we can get out of hardware limitations. Not to mention the air charge temps when you try to continually push it go off the charts.

That doesn't mean it's not a good platform. It just means that people need to see a realistic side to this stock turbo.

 

I get it. Hopefully a turbo upgrade will be doable. If not, we can always look forward to the possibilities of the 4IS F.

 

Any review on the tuning?

 

I don't have numbers to provide just yet. But I've been tuned for about 6 days now, and about 800 miles, and I'll say that the power is noticeable, but do not expect the car to be transformed. I haven't driven an IS350 to compare, but I'd imagine its still not as quick as an IS350. I'm enjoying the midrange torque the most, especially on the highway for passing, or even at lower speeds ~50 mph. I can roll into the throttle and there is now response, without requiring a downshift. The previous throttle lag is removed, but remember this is a turbocharged 4 and there will still be some turbo lag when accelerating from a stop. The turbo is more audible than before when spooling, and if you get into boost and let off the throttle real quick, you'll hear the pssshh from the BOV.

I also notice the transmission is more responsive. Its eager to downshift and it will drop 2 gears in a hurry, whereas in the past it would drop one gear, then think, then drop another one. I also seem to be getting slightly better gas mileage, but I've been driving the car mostly in Eco because now Eco drives similar to how Normal felt before. I also have not found out if the top speed governor has been removed but I will at some point. I'll need to look again, but I think in the past the gearbox would shift around 5800rpms at WOT, but now I think its going to 6200rpms.

Overall, the improvement in power and response is welcomed, and it has made the car more enjoyable to drive. I do not regret installing the tune. Anyone disappointed in the results needs to realize OVTuning is only maximizing the potential of the factory components. We would need to change physical parts (like the downpipe or turbocharger) to get more power out of this motor.

If time permits and the weather is not raining, I'll try to make it to the track this Wednesday. The soonest I'd be able to dyno to compare before/after results would be on the 18th of May. I'll update with results as I get them.

 

More files have been sent out.
version 1.01G (for some ECUs)

For 2018+ we have found 3 new torque limiter tables that need to be adjusted. Unfortunately our R/D car is a 2016. If you have a 2018+ IS/GS300 with our kit and would like to test this (with datalogging) Please let us know

 

OrangeVirus Tuning,
I need to know your progress on my tune with the same error code, NX200T Calibration file: 89663-78035
Thank you.

 

Hi 1stwrldprb, thanks for the detail review, it's a great review. We are certainly eager to see your dyno comparison.