Well, like the other problem posts here, I finally got tired of the car freaking out while driving and going into limp mode over a APS Circuit D failure. It was becoming a daily occurrence and according to Apexi it's just going to have to be like that since they don't have a revision of the "brain" unit to fix the issue. The issue is that the "brain" doesn't properly synchronize the sweep of the different circuits from the APS, with the voltage trailing on circuit D unexpectedly. Having to pull over and clear codes all the time is annoying, having to recalibrate at random because it "forgot" is really annoying, annoying generally gets dealt with.

It was fun while it lasted, but unfortunately the car is way more fun to drive not broken every other start. As of this post I've had the Apexi system out of the car for a month without further headache.

 

Good for you. The Apexi Accelerator never made any sense to me. To give one the impression of quicker acceleration yet no net time gain was a no-go for me (perceptual gadgetry). Am a purist at heart if a mod is not giving me quicker times or improved handling I steer clear.

 

I'm puzzled by the statement about "impression of quicker acceleration". It is not an impression, it is quicker acceleration. The response curve of the throttle to the gas pedal is much more linear, especially in the first bit of pedal travel, so the car is actually accelerating faster than it otherwise would be. The response to gas pedal input is much increased over the non-Apexi response. Of course there is no HP or torque difference, it just lets you access the available HP and torque more quickly at the beginning of pedal travel. I've had it for about 18 months, works like a charm so far. But I can definitely see your point if it misbehaves and no fix, no option but to take it out.

 

Thanks. I have thought about it a few times, but I have not seen much of a use for it considering the throttle response is quite "brutal" in sport+ mode so much so that my wife has hit her head on the headrest a few times making her upset as she thought I was intentionally tapping the throttle in such a way that it jumps forward and engine brakes hard on throttle lift.

 

It isn't any quicker. It's measurably exactly the same. It's 100% feel, just like changing brake pads.

 

^^^^IMO,not a good analogy Better Brake Pads do "feel" better than cheaper ones, but there certainly is performance difference.

Lou

 

I wonder if lobuxracer was referring to changing old worn brake pads for fresher new ones as opposed to a different brake compound? Or could he be thinking about how different compounds, as long as they are within their optimal operating temperature, it's really about "feel" for the driver when out on track. With different brake compounds the driver can modulate his braking differently or improvise on his trail braking. No one different brake compound (as long as you have picked the correct application, street or track) giving him better stopping distance but just more about "feel" and how it suits his style of driving. All really being about the character of the brake pad in terms of initial bite, modulation and ease of trail braking. lobuxracer, would be nice to know where you coming from with your analogy. May be cloaked with some pearls of wisdom for us mortals. Cheers

 

On this discussion about brakes, I think it ties in nicely with the Apexi Accelerator. The brake compound with a high initial bite may give you the sensation of braking faster but you are still not stopping faster than a different compound with less initial bite. IMHO the same would apply for the Apexi Accelerator. Only in reverse, accelerating vs. decelerating.

 

You are on the same path as I am here.

Nailed on the head with this one.

Brake pad selection will not change single stop distance. Yes, indeed it feels that way because the pressure you need to invoke a full 1g stop is tiny compared to a standard pad, but if you apply the brakes with the same intent, the only difference is how they feel. The real difference isn't single stop, it's after 5 or 10 stops in a row that the race pad beats the standard pad. There is also a dark side to race pads on the street in a "panic" situation. Race pads have an initial bite that can overwhelm ABS, so you need to be sensitive to how forcefully you apply the brakes in a panic situation. I had this happen two nights ago on summer tires at about 35F OAT, and I locked the fronts briefly which is normally not possible.

Yes, this is exactly the inverse of the throttle gizmos. If you use them in low traction conditions, you'll find their assistance unwelcome as modulating the throttle will be very challenging. When you have grip, they definitely give the impression of being quicker, but really are no quicker at all. The throttleplate only moves so fast no matter what input you provide because the engineers know if you open the plate too quickly, the airflow will lose velocity and the engine will stumble. Way back in the days of carburetors this would cause fueling issues too because the fuel wouldn't atomize well. At least with GDI we don't have fueling issues, only airflow issues. But the ECMs are configured to take all this into account so the engine runs smoothly regardless of operator input.

 

^^^^Not going to argue here, but with the proper pads AND tires any car will stop in a shorter distance than one with crappy ceramic or organic pads and crappy tires.

Lou

 

Tires are the limiting factor in braking in all cases where the brake is strong enough to lock the wheel. No brake pad sold is incapable of locking up. It might take 80 pounds of pedal pressure to do it, but it will do it. I would never argue bad tires will stop as well as good tires. Only a fool would say that.

The inverse is true for acceleration. A good tire will always out accelerate a bad tire.

 

Yep, it's all about that feel. I like my "snappy" accelerator response and slightly harder brakes from high temp pads. Neither alter the final acceleration- only interaction.

In fact my only gripe is that the shift maps are so conservative and I have to run manual mode to get the "feel" that I want on mid-throttle acceleration. I'm used to driving a race vehicle with 4 gears and 4000+ stall- it held all the gears for all the shifts all the time exactly like I wanted haha. (and, sadly, was faster than the RCF in the 1/4 even at 1000lbs more)

 

This car is very sensitive to gas. The throttle response is best after a fresh fill up, otherwise it goes to Camry mode.

 

Mine has insanely sensitive stock response in sport+/manual mode (I use Octane 94). I can easily spin the rear tires and oversteer exiting a turn by tipping the throttle. I can never make sense of why I would want more throttle response.

 

Really? Or is it just the way you leave the gas station to impress other customers? I don't see the logic of why this would be true.