Tune thoughts
#1
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I’m at parade this week and had a great conversation with the Cobb guys on their tune. Impressed with what they had to say
however, Softronic, from comments on this form, seems to have achieved better numbers. And has some additional features like turning off cylinder deactivation and programming the exhaust valve button.
I noticed a number of long threads but it wasn’t clear if anyone had used it.
Thoughts?
background - this is both my track you and my daily. So reliability is important. It is still in warranty that I don’t want to truly push the limits on.
I look forward to hearing your thought on 1) which one and 2) if you have experience with Cobb.
however, Softronic, from comments on this form, seems to have achieved better numbers. And has some additional features like turning off cylinder deactivation and programming the exhaust valve button.
I noticed a number of long threads but it wasn’t clear if anyone had used it.
Thoughts?
background - this is both my track you and my daily. So reliability is important. It is still in warranty that I don’t want to truly push the limits on.
I look forward to hearing your thought on 1) which one and 2) if you have experience with Cobb.
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06-18-2024, 07:45 PM
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I wish there was someone around me with any tune so I could get the real life experience, but tunes are even rarer to find on a 718 4.0 in person, let alone an online presence, than it is to stumble on another owner with an exhaust setup. I’ve tuned pretty much every car I’ve ever owned (never an issue to date), and I know I will do so one day - it’s just not my time. Things like suspension upgrades that are equal to in price of a Softronics or Cobb tune are far more appealing at the moment, and more useful.
As for the warranty topic- it's been beaten to death over and over and over and everyone simply has to choose their own level of risk. For those who don't think 40-60whp is worth it in an NA motor... <shrug> ...that's your choice. As anyone who has asked me in person at any event we attend has heard multiple times, and can go find typed here just as many times, we do not sell the AP as a warranty friendly device, nor are we in the business of promoting warranty fraud, so no, we do not adjust or defeat any flash counters or any other potential ECU tuning detection protocols. With that said, when properly uninstalled from a Porsche the previous AP installation will not cause some magical super red screen of death to appear the second a technician plugs in a PIWIS4 to your still in warranty car. The reality is they have to go digging to find any information regarding flashing history and even moreso, they need to be given a reason to. Our recommendation is, and always will be, to discuss ECU tuning specifically with your preferred Porsche service center, preferably with the Service Manager directly as the DEALERSHIP is who sold you the warranty, and will be the first to decide if they'll cover any repair under warranty. When in doubt, I strongly recommend supporting dealers who are active in your local autox, HPDE, and club racing events as they are generally going to be the most understanding and accepting of modifications, including ECU tuning. We actually have more franchised Porsche dealerships as authorized COBB dealers than any other manufacturer we support and that speaks volumes to each Porsche dealerships ability to make their own decisions on what and how they sell along with their views on the quality of our product.
As for competitors- every single one mentioned in this thread is a solid choice. Each has benefits and negatives, just like we do, and there are no secrets in the aftermarket calibration world once someone's tune hits the market. The idea that one particular company's product is going to make significantly more power than any other company's product that has been out for more than ~six months is totally unrealistic. If you're trying to decide on which product to buy based solely on the notion "this one makes the most power" then I regret to inform you, you're more than likely going to end up chasing that goal endlessly. Instead, purchase the product you feel checks the most boxes for your particular application and enjoy it, write a review post about it, let others hear your honest opinion. We most certainly welcome the feedback and the competition.
Speaking of feedback, please remember we do offer our 30 day money back guarantee and have for over 20 years. Additionally, if you're at a multi day Porsche event where we're on-site, we'll more than likely be selling an installing APs there. We are more than happy to offer you a "test drive" of an AP. We're happy to install an AP on your car for a day or two to give you a chance to test it out and decide if you want to buy. We've had customers in the past do that for some of the official drives, for autox events, even for the HPDE. We strive to provide the best customer service in the industry and it's very important to us that you're fully satisfied with your purchase and if letting you take it for a spin will help with that, then we're all for it.
Thanks!
~Jared
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#2
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What car and engine?
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Ksdaoski (06-10-2024)
#4
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I’m at parade this week and had a great conversation with the Cobb guys on their tune. Impressed with what they had to say
however, Softronic, from comments on this form, seems to have achieved better numbers. And has some additional features like turning off cylinder deactivation and programming the exhaust valve button.
I noticed a number of long threads but it wasn’t clear if anyone had used it.
Thoughts?
background - this is both my track you and my daily. So reliability is important. It is still in warranty that I don’t want to truly push the limits on.
I look forward to hearing your thought on 1) which one and 2) if you have experience with Cobb.
however, Softronic, from comments on this form, seems to have achieved better numbers. And has some additional features like turning off cylinder deactivation and programming the exhaust valve button.
I noticed a number of long threads but it wasn’t clear if anyone had used it.
Thoughts?
background - this is both my track you and my daily. So reliability is important. It is still in warranty that I don’t want to truly push the limits on.
I look forward to hearing your thought on 1) which one and 2) if you have experience with Cobb.
I have yet to read anything great about the softronics, and they seem to publish the least data about their tunes (no dyno runs that I have seen)
#5
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Your warranty on a whole lot of things will instantly be gone with a tune. Furthermore, to take advantage of a tune, you also need to optimize the restrictive exhaust system.
I had a Cobb tune on my Macan GTS. A number of times, the car went into a limp mode. As soon as I returned back to stock, it went away, and NEVER happened while stock. Cobb is very convenient with their Accessport device and has a solid reputation, but given the potential high repair costs on Porsche motors, I pulled the tune permanantly after several instances of the limp mode.
I had a Cobb tune on my Macan GTS. A number of times, the car went into a limp mode. As soon as I returned back to stock, it went away, and NEVER happened while stock. Cobb is very convenient with their Accessport device and has a solid reputation, but given the potential high repair costs on Porsche motors, I pulled the tune permanantly after several instances of the limp mode.
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Larry Cable (06-19-2024)
#6
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Had Softronic for a year. HUGE waste of money. Barely different than stock tune from my experience. I removed the Softronic and flashed APR’s new ECU tune instead. It is significantly better. Very noticeable increase in power vs Softronic. The car is transformed into something entirely different. My advice is to try the APR for 30 days during their free money back period. Regarding Cobb, I have no reference vs APR.
Last edited by mc3456; 06-12-2024 at 05:56 PM.
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Larry Cable (06-19-2024)
#7
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@Moose Give Scott at Softronic a call. He's a wealth of knowledge and a no BS guy. Once you've talked with him, you can make an informed decision on which way to go. I've had his tunes on 3 Cayman/Boxster variants and have been very impressed with the gains on all of them. This is an unpaid endorsement.
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#8
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Your warranty on a whole lot of things will instantly be gone with a tune. Furthermore, to take advantage of a tune, you also need to optimize the restrictive exhaust system.
I had a Cobb tune on my Macan GTS. A number of times, the car went into a limp mode. As soon as I returned back to stock, it went away, and NEVER happened while stock. Cobb is very convenient with their Accessport device and has a solid reputation, but given the potential high repair costs on Porsche motors, I pulled the tune permanantly after several instances of the limp mode.
I had a Cobb tune on my Macan GTS. A number of times, the car went into a limp mode. As soon as I returned back to stock, it went away, and NEVER happened while stock. Cobb is very convenient with their Accessport device and has a solid reputation, but given the potential high repair costs on Porsche motors, I pulled the tune permanantly after several instances of the limp mode.
In addition, you should be periodically taking data logs and reviewing for issues if you are running an aftermarket tune
#9
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I've got a Softronic tune on my '22 CGTS. I track and AutoX my car, so I asked Scott at Softronics for a very conservative tune since I didn't want to risk any engine problems. I've had the tune for 7K miles now. I honestly didn't notice any extra horsepower. I think I'd have to do a rolling-start drag race with another GTS or GT4 PDK car in order to see if there's any difference in power vs. stock. These were the options I selected: (1) turned off Cylinder Deactivation, (2) turned off Auto Start/Stop, (3) PSE Button keeps the exhaust valves open all the time when PSE on (default exhaust valve behavior when PSE off), (4) kept stock 7,800rpm rev limit (no increase of 200rpms).
@mc3456 can't say enough about his APR tune (to the point where several of us feel he's a paid spokesperson for APR
), so that's definitely a tune worth considering. But you have to provide feedback afterwards, so that we'd have another voice to weigh in on the APR tune. It doesn't seem like you can go wrong with a 30-day money back guarantee, after all! The only downside is that APR doesn't give you any control over the ***, PSE, or cylinder deactivation.
@mc3456 can't say enough about his APR tune (to the point where several of us feel he's a paid spokesperson for APR
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Last edited by slilley; 06-11-2024 at 11:28 AM.
#10
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According to a respected tuner who I have used in the past the 4.0 engines run on the knock sensors which I understand is common on the newer high compression engines. The bottleneck to power gains is the very restrictive Cats so without headers and high flow cats not a lot of meaningful gains to be had. Also these engines are 💸💸💸 if they break so for that reason mine will remain stock as long as I have warranty in place.
Peter
Peter
#11
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Been thinking about a tune as well but my 21 CGTS was recalled and a new engine installed before delivery. I got a 4-year engine warranty extension so am reluctant to void that. Is any tune warranty voiding?
#12
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Agreed that you should not necessarily expect your engine to be covered under warranty if you are tuned. But I also would not compare tuning on a turbocharged engine with a naturally aspirated engine.
In addition, you should be periodically taking data logs and reviewing for issues if you are running an aftermarket tune
In addition, you should be periodically taking data logs and reviewing for issues if you are running an aftermarket tune
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subwoofer (06-11-2024)
#13
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I've been running with a Cobb Pro-Tune that was developed with the help of the team at Dundon and was complementary to their header and OAP mods that were already on the car. The tune has been on the car for around a year now. The engine responded extremely well to the tune and I would have zero hesitation going down this path again - the car is an absolute blast to drive and much more enjoyable (and quicker) then when I drove it off the dealer lot. Yes, there are some risks involved with any modifications that are made to these cars, but this has been my hobby for 30 years and exploring the untapped potential of the cars I buy is one of those things I just absolutely love about it.
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#14
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On a GTS especially it is worth tuning to get the full potential. Select the right tuner and they'll be undetectable once uninstalled if that's important to you.
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#15
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I've had the COBB Accessport on my 718 GT4 for about a year and I'm pleased with it. No CELs, limp mode, weird idle, or anything out of the ordinary. The car operates just as it did with the OEM calibration. The only difference is the car is quicker and more fun to drive.
With the 718 Spyder / GT4 4.0L Vs Stage 1 93 Octane OTS map, the increase in power is absolutely noticeable and it's most prominent starting at around 4,000 RPM to redline. The car is absolutely faster than before just about everywhere in the rev range. I also have the valves always open via the software. While I haven't dynoed the car, the 30+ whp up top claimed by COBB Tuning is directionally consistent with how the car feels on the street.
With the 718 Spyder / GT4 4.0L Vs Stage 1 93 Octane OTS map, the increase in power is absolutely noticeable and it's most prominent starting at around 4,000 RPM to redline. The car is absolutely faster than before just about everywhere in the rev range. I also have the valves always open via the software. While I haven't dynoed the car, the 30+ whp up top claimed by COBB Tuning is directionally consistent with how the car feels on the street.
Last edited by Clark_Kent; 06-11-2024 at 09:46 PM.
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BabyNSX (06-11-2024)