shinka911

I have the greddy turbo kit. with the emange ultimate. and planned on gettign a cobb. but am debating if i should buy a new one from MM or buy a used one and try and tune it myself. I have never tuned before but i understand the concept, and from what ive heard it really is not that difficult.

If any one has tuned with the cobb themselves, that would save me a lot of money buying a used one and tuning it myself. rather than buying a new one from MM

invasion08

iTrader: (7)

Your better off getting a cobb from MM. I would not learn to tune with the chance of ruining your engine. Understanding and doing are to different things.

shinka911

yeah im saving up and just getting over anxious i think. because i could buy a used one right now.

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

/\ What he said.

Engines get expensive real quick.

S

Flashwing

Learning the software is one of two major hurdles. Once you can navigate the software you can make changes easily. Understanding what changes to make is another major hurdle and that only comes with knowledge or experience.

I've had exposure to the accessPORT almost as long as MazdaManiac has been selling them as I was one of the first few test cars that he experimented on. However, I've only been able to tune my own vehicle for the past 6 months after nearly a year of watching over his shoulder. I would not and could not tune an FI car.

Not saying I'm the standard by which to judge but pointing out that whoever said it was "easy" was lying.

The problem with FI is you don't get second chances and don't get to make mistakes. One serious ping and you could easily nuke your motor. Is that really a risk you want to run to save yourself some money?

Sure you might save yourself $200 or so with a used AP. However an engine rebuild and associated costs could run you into the thousands as well as the car being down during that period. Spend the extra cash and get it done right the first time.

shinka911

Ok thank you guys so much, i just cant wait to get ride of this shity emanage

Flashwing

Going to the AP is certainly a great idea.

The other thing you might look into is swapping out the greddy intake for an AEM as that makes the car run much better as well.

shinka911

yeah i ordered one yesterday, would it possibly lean out the tune. right now its running insanely rich.

Flashwing

The AEM? Probably not. From what I understand the Greddy intake tubing has a larger diameter size than stock. Stock is about 3 1/2" while the Greddy I think is closer to 4" in some spots.

A larger than stock tube means the MAF sees less air and thus injects less fuel. Not saying it will run richer but it's not going to solve your issue.

The tune Greddy provides no doubt runs very rich for safety reasons. You really need to get the car custom tuned as there's no such thing as a "one size fits all" FI tune for any car.

The AEM will do two things.

1. The correct tube diameter makes the MAF calibration much easier to scale and you'll have a better running car as a result.
2. The location of the Greddy intake sucks in hot engine air while the AEM will provide outside air for your intake. Overall you'll have lower intake temps than you would with the greddy intake.

It's a good buy. Glad you got it.

shinka911

Ok i that's what i have understood from my research. what horse power should i be looking at with the CAI and a cobb with a mm tune. im running around 9 psi at the turbo.

carbonRX8

iTrader: (1)

Tuning it yourself is not rocket science, but you have to be ABLE and WILLING to do the work. And it is work. I would expect that someone that is a complete novice would expect to put 100s of hours into training themselves and applying that training to the act of tuning. I also expect that that person should be comfortable considering themselves in the top 5 to 2% of typical car nerd to get it done well and without major issues. I dont want to sound arrogant, but if you dont have that confidence, you should not attempt this. Buy the AP from MM.

I dont mean to offend anyone. This is only my opinion based on my experience.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Tuning is an art. I'm so on the fence about this mod. For FI it is a given but for NA I'm not so sure yet. I love the idea of increasing the OMP rate but I'm just not sure you get the best HP/dollar.

carbonRX8

iTrader: (1)

For my opinion on this I will refer you to the last sentence in this post.

Flashwing

This might sound rather odd but it's going to make whatever power it's going to make. There isn't really a set amount you can expect. You might expect to get between 240 and 260 whp but it's hard to say.

It's not rocket science once you understand how all the pieces fit together. Still, the complex aspect is getting there. If you're able to tune the car yourself with ease then chances are you're not going to be asking for much (if any) advice on this forum. It's one of those "if you have to ask" kind of things.

Getting the AP from Mazdamaniac is a hell of a deal no matter how you slice it. To tune it youself you have to understand how the software works, have the ability (and place) to get data logs on a constant basis, and be willing to risk your own motor in the learning process. All of those things can be huge challanges.

Or, you can have your car tuned within 3 to 4 versions and not have to worry about it.

Many people don't want to be involved in the process and simply want to skip to the end result. Jeff's service is for you then! I'm the exact opposite as I want to be involved in every aspect and understand how it works. I still tinker with my tune even though it works just fine. I'm crazy like that I suppose.

If you only examine it as a HP gain then you're missing the full benefits of the device. The AP is more of an investment than it is a purchase. The AP grows with the car and as your needs change so does your tune. There's incentive to purchase it when you know you'll need it but I have been 100% happy with the purchase and I'm still N/A.

I've been able to tailor fan speeds, idle rpm, ignition dwell, fuel tables, ignition timing, maf calibration, rev limiter, warm up conditions etc. etc. In short, I customize the car to run and behave the way I want it to.

It's worth it for N/A for sure.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Okay, okay, it's more like a talent than. What I mean is that in each of my turboed cars I experienced good tuners and bad tuners and Murillo here in San Antonio can do some things with his eyes closed. He worked out several issues for me that two other "tuners" could not figure out.

carbonRX8

iTrader: (1)

Yeah. Some folks are just so amazingly gifted, in whatever area, that they look like they are doing magic. I will definitely agree with that.

And to clarify, Flashwigs response is more to the crux of the point of what I was trying to make. If you want a "hobby", and you think you can do it, fine; tune your own car. Otherwise, if you want to just drive, find a tuner and have them do it for you. The key to this is that most "tuners" are NOT. There are only a very very few out there and MM is proven himself to be one. (timelyness aside!!!)

Flashwing

Well put. I do it because I enjoy the hobbyist aspect of it. 99% of other people simply want it done and done right. I don't blame either side for their motivations. The benefit is the same either way.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Yeah, good points. I'm still on the fence but we will see.