Nice! Any details on the tune and process?

 

The process is very easy, but intimidating as hell. The fact that I am reading and writing over my ECU with no experience makes you think of what your doing about fifteen times in your head before you touch anything. Now that I have done it, plug into obdII port read and get factory ecu map email it off. Next day you get the modified map you upload it to your module. Plug into obdII let it flash your ecu. You get P0700 code everytime you flash it, I guess this is common and you just clear it and go for a test drive.

 

I have a wrapped 4-2-1 header, catless, has a good sound to it, looks really similar to the mynes v2 header. I definently felt a difference

 

Glad to see you got a tune from Jan

Looks like your going to be in for new tires soon

 

How long does the upload to the OBD take? Can the module hold more than one tune so you can go back to factory, or other tunes depending on octane available?

 

I would think the OBD upload is quite short, but I think only 1 tune can be loaded

 

At the risk of sounding daft, and "not in the know" what is a unichip?

 

It is a piggy back system, you install it into your cars ecu, then the factory plugs goes into this aftermarket ecu. Basically it grabs the information from the ecu and the imprints its data to the system. Personally after using that for a year and now just getting rid of it completely and flashing the factory ecu, it is way better 😎 speaking from experience now.

Unichip.com if you want to know more about it

 

Thanks. I know my question was vague, my battery was almost dead so i had to rush. But your answer was exactly what i had in mind so thanks.

And yah, honestly, I've dealt with a few piggyback systems over the years, on cars and bikes, and i will say with certainly that a factory ecu flash or a standalone aftermkt programmable ecu is almost always better. There are reasons obviously, but not trying to hijack the thread.

I did ask on a separate thread about what software is available for tuning the mini but i haven't gotten an answer i can relate to as of yet. Ive only been in the mini game for a few months. Acronyms and company names don't mean as much go me as they could yet.

But as for tuning software, I'm looking for something on the pro side where you can access the entire tree as well as tables, not just basic stuff like a power commander would be. I've convinced my boss to teach me what he knows about tuning (where i have 3 years practical experience with tuning, he has 25 years pro experience with everything from vipers to supras all the way back to crossfire injection on the old 80s vettes) and we're to use my car as a guinea pig, but i have no idea if what we have at the shop will talk to the ecu. We haven't tried yet. I just assume it needs a proprietary software like a lot of vehicles, and i also assume its available. Since there are tuners out there who tune minis specifically, they are obviously using something, and it may or may not be dynojet etc. I know what i ask is common knowledge to some of you guys, and may sound 101, just humor me. Im not new to cars, just new to minimods lol. In my limited time oer day, i find it difficult to dig around on the forum for basic answers such as these. So sorry if it's been asked to death.

 

Good call on the tune, I hear nothing but good things about all his work. Before you go bananas using dry ice to take out your sound deadening and throwing away your a/c a grate place to save weight is your wheels. Your car will accelerate quicker stop quicker and your suspension will have a much easier time doing it's job. For all the # nerds (just as an example)
a 17" wheel w/o tire that weighs 19# has a total rotational inertia of 0.307 kg-m2
a 15" wheel w/o tire that weighs 12# has a total rotational inertia of 0.151 kg-m2
all this adds up to a quicker car and a lower top speed if your useing 45 series on both.
sorry to geek
not really

 

Cutting unsprung weight is a great thing to do but personally I prefer the look of 17" much better and think they are perfect size appearance wise. 15" are too small and 18" start to look goofy.

Now for tracks days, smaller/lighter wheels would be great.

 

+1. When you get into 18 and larger i think it srarts to look like a remote control car or something. Like a toy, especially when lowered.

 

Lol ... hot wheels more like it. I have only used 205/40/17's. I have 205/45/16's that I want to try, just the rims are white and not sure if I will like them or not. I am sure the 16's will definitely compliment the tune I just got from Jan. I think I will swap them out this weekend, and post up a video! More people should post up videos of there car!

 

i think 16's look the best on r53's although the tire selection is much more scarce when I wanna keep my 215 series in 17's


very meaty 15's are nice such as 225/50/15 ish, I just don't like the fact that I would need to alter my speedo for 16's to have standard tires

 

HOTWHEELS! Yeah that's what i was thinking just couldn't find the word for some reason.

I have 205/55 r16 (w rated) run flats on my 03 S hatch. Not sure if they are stock rims or not, never seen them in a car online but the "hub caps" do say mini... the stickers can be bought on ebay though so they could be anything really. I want to lower my car either 1" or 1.5 all around but not sure if the tires will rub under load in a turn etc though.. I've been meaning to post about that. I have koni golds on it which supposedly like being lowered, so idk...

Edit: ive seen 1.75 lowering springs too, and its an option. I just wanna fill up the wells. If i could have, id have bought 17" rims but i had a flat tire and needed all 4 replaced so bit the bullet and bought tires for what i had so i could get to work. 16's are enough.

 

You shouldn't really start to rub under cornering load until you get closer to 2" lowered.

 

I have done a little research today. On 15"x8 and 205/55/15 rubber and I guess there are no issue with stock brakes. As well front has no rubbing issues, but rear I read 1/4inch spacers are needed. As for lowering I am seeing people drop as much if not more than 1.75" to fill the wheel gap. I am doing little more research but I think next spring I am going 15's with as wide a track as I can go.