Strongly considering it. 2016 IS350 F Sport AWD with 99000 kms. I have FBO with the tune and I have a thing for spending cash on things I shouldn't.

Is it worth it?
Power as advertised?
Is the car reliable with it? (Main concern)
Typical MPG with it?
Just buy a different car?

Would love to hear peoples experiences.
Any and all input is appreciated.
Thanks!

 

Subscribing!

 

I installed the Stage 1 at the end of last summer, and recently upgraded to Stage 2 pulley with water meth injection. Currently the WMI is off until I can set it up proper.

Is it worth it?
It all depends, but I consider 6k to be reasonable for what you get.

Power as advertised?
I wont know until Sept when I get the car on a dyno, but it pulls like an MF. With the WMI and stage 2 RR quoted around 445 whp on my AWD, which puts me in line with a tuned FBO RCF.

Is the car reliable with it? (Main concern)
Hard to say long term, but in the short term you will need to up your regular maintenance game across the driveline. My car has 50k miles, but I know a guy who installed his SC at 120k and is still going strong a year later. Avoiding detonation will become your #1 care if you wish to preserve your rings and pistons in the long run. I recommend studying up and understanding what boost does to your car, and the problems it can create. You will need to be sure to follow RRs instructions to get the fuel system tuned right. I also recommend the following be installed with the SC (added costs): colder non-projected spark plugs, AOS, boost/afr quage, headers, full exhaust, BBKs and a shift kit if you have the 6 spd. I also recommend doing a top-side seafoam treatment.

Typical MPG with it?
No change if you stay out of boost. High RPM runs will suck liquid like a college kid on spring break.

Just buy a different car?
Yes and no. If you could get into an RCF for an extra 6-7k, you get a lot more than just the extra HP (chassis bracing, suspension, interior, exterior goodies, brakes and that sweet V8 sound). For me I had a lot of reasons to stick with my RC: I've owned it since 2015 and have 5+ years of mods into it, it's paid off, my car is AWD and a daily driver (I live in the hills in Portland, so I deal with lots of inclement weather). I also occasionally take the RC up to the mountain for snowboarding.

 

Any issues with the car after SC? Misfires or randomly shutting off?

 

Thanks for sharing, I have been considering doing this SC install as well

Did you go to PA and have RR racing install, install yourself, or have local tuner shop install it?

 

Nothing major at this point. After installing the Stage 1 I was having intermittent injector performance CELs (caused by a short in the system, or failing DI), but this was eventually traced back to a bad connector on the injector driver (not directly related to the SC). I had unplugged the injector driver to check the compression, and there must have been a marginally bad pin. Since replacing the connector the CEL has not returned. My car also needed 4 tune revisions to bring my fuel trims in line (my FT were close to zero when stock). With stage 2 I am getting a few (3-6) misfires around redline, but I think these may be related to a boost leak, and this does not trigger a CEL. I had the first rev of RR's AOS that used quick disconnect elbows which were prone to leaks. I have upgraded to the newer rubber hoses, and confirmed the previous setup leaked as my long term fuel trims dropped 4% at idle. I will be testing to see if the misfires are resolved soon.

When I first tried turning on the WMI I got a CEL for multiple misfires and limp mode, but this was due to spraying too much. With WMI it does need a decent amount of setup. I am not comfortable with street tuning due to safety concerns, so I will get it all setup in Sept. during my dyno session. As the SC tune is for 93 octane, and we only have 92 here, I am taking it easy until everything is dialed in.

I installed the kit myself, took about 3 days. If RR is close enough to you, I would recommend they perform the install.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

Any videos of the setup? Would love to hear it!

 

Thanks rcJten, this was helpful. Inching closer to pulling the trigger.

 

No videos, yet. The Rotex SC in this kit is whisper silent. When getting on the throttle the exhaust will drown out any SC whine. The only indication that the car is not NA is the whoosh of the BOV when shifting.

 

With the craziness of the current used car market, it's not a bad deal if you're craving more speed. RCFs are selling for 5-10k more than they would have a few years ago. You could always opt for the Stage 1 if you want some peace of mind about reliability. Although, I will warn you that the HP is addictive and you just might yearn to move up to stage 2 soon after (as I did).

I highly recommend you reach out to Rafi at RR to discuss your current config and what your goals are.

 

Lol you're probably right about craving more and more power...

I'll be doin this at some point for sure. I'd really prefer to road trip it down to RR racing and have it done but I'm up in Ottawa so I pretty well have to wait til this border craziness lets up before that can happen.
Thanks man!

 

Just a few points to note. It’s certainly worth considering the relative cost of RCF vs modded/SC RCF350 comparison, but in our experience, most of the rc/is300/350 kits have been installed on AWD cars. In most cases folks stick with the AWD due to weather and needing that traction VS an RCF.

Also, a basic transgo shift kit (about $75 plus install) is a very effective mod for the AWD 6speed tranny in terms of helping it to cope with the extra power.

Rafi

 

What was the reason for your decision for going WMI vs E85 on Stage 2? Is there more performance and/or reliability with WMI vs E85? Or is E85 not readily available in your area?

Just wondering as I am trying to decide which fuel setup I would want to tune with. I have E85 available all around me.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions

 

I know one of person who installed the tranny boost line kit for the 3IS AWD on their SC350 which resulted in shorter/crisper shifts with no slip so far though it has not been out on the market long.

Wondering what is the downside of this with running this long-term with the added boost line pressure? Rafi have you guys tested this on the track with your IS350? If so, how is the feedback?

 

No E85 in my area, otherwise I would have gone that route.