Hypertech Tuning Device Review

[Addikted To Boost]

Originally Posted by HLR Element yea, that 12hp is all the way up top. I guess that's not bad but the rest of the graph is a small gain. Still, this hypertech thing is looking better and better

yea the last 2000 rpm of the powerband really rip with this thing. I think we are so used to driving our cars with well over 2-300 hp that we take 12 hp for granted. I know guys on other platforms who would kill for an extra 12 hp, i.e. pretty much all NA platforms.

[memin]

I agree with you some people need to understand this is not a mitsubishi,subaru platform that all you need to do is basically sneeze and you gain well over 30 0r 40 hp. This platform does not has the high development as evo and sti .

[AllLostThings]

Originally Posted by memin I agree with you some people need to understand this is not a mitsubishi,subaru platform that all you need to do is basically sneeze and you gain well over 30 0r 40 hp. This platform does not has the high development as evo and sti .

Part of the reason it's no a "me too" car like a Subaru. Not everyone has one and because it's not so easy to get one or tune one not everyone WILL get one. I'd rather be a little more exclusive and try harder to get more power than drive what everyone else goe slow in.

[lsorr1975]

Hey guys. Just a quick note on tuning these cars. With the mods I have, basically CAI, Turbo intake, race pipe, HKS exhaust, 1 step colder plugs, I decided to get a few dyno pulls to see where I was. At 4200 rpms my AFR went unreadable (below 8 on the dyno) and I was making 250.2whp. I got my Cobb AP and retuned at the correct AFR which is 12.2 for Mazdaspeed 3's. I pulled again and hit 294.4whp.

My question to op is why is your AFR off so much? 14.34 is not a good AFR for making power from our engines. 12 to 12.5 is acceptable. Anything else is too rich or too lean.

[AllLostThings]

Ok possible stupid question number 2. It clears codes before it installs the software, this I read. My wheels don't have the TPMS in them. Is this going to be an issue or are we talking about just CEL codes?

[HLR Element]

^ holy crap dude... you went below 8? that's real damn rich...

[Addikted To Boost]

Originally Posted by lsorr1975 Hey guys. Just a quick note on tuning these cars. With the mods I have, basically CAI, Turbo intake, race pipe, HKS exhaust, 1 step colder plugs, I decided to get a few dyno pulls to see where I was. At 4200 rpms my AFR went unreadable (below 8 on the dyno) and I was making 250.2whp. I got my Cobb AP and retuned at the correct AFR which is 12.2 for Mazdaspeed 3's. I pulled again and hit 294.4whp. My question to op is why is your AFR off so much? 14.34 is not a good AFR for making power from our engines. 12 to 12.5 is acceptable. Anything else is too rich or too lean.

So are you saying on your stock tune your AFR went below 8? that doesnt seem right to me. All the logs i have ever done on the stock tune it would dip into the 9-9.5 range but no richer than that. I am guessing hypertech designed the tune to run a little rich to be safe, similar to the stock tune, but they raised the boost a little and adjusted spark advance in order to get more power.

[banditscout]

Originally Posted by AllLostThings Ok possible stupid question number 2. It clears codes before it installs the software, this I read. My wheels don't have the TPMS in them. Is this going to be an issue or are we talking about just CEL codes?

TPMS is an entirely different sensor AFAIK. Even if it clears when you clear the CEL's from the car, it'll come back on. I'm not sure if there's a way to disable it.

[AllLostThings]

Ok cool so it shouldn't interfere...That's all I care about.

[HLR Element]

as to your question on why his AFR is 14.35, its because that was before he hit the gas. 14.35 is normal for just putting around town and is the most economical ratio. If you watch his graph, when he hits it it goes below 12 all the way down to the 9s

[darth vader]

Originally Posted by memin I agree with you some people need to understand this is not a mitsubishi,subaru platform that all you need to do is basically sneeze and you gain well over 30 0r 40 hp. This platform does not has the high development as evo and sti .

achoo! CAI + DP + RP + stock tune, easily 30-40 horses. That wasn't too hard, was it?

This mother is so corked up from the factory, it's very surprising, given its high level of factory advertised HP. The driveability IS a pretty explosive with that setup, I'm hoping this tune helps even the power up high a touch, which is where the stock tune falls flat.

[lsorr1975]

Originally Posted by Addikted To Boost So are you saying on your stock tune your AFR went below 8? that doesnt seem right to me. All the logs i have ever done on the stock tune it would dip into the 9-9.5 range but no richer than that. I am guessing hypertech designed the tune to run a little rich to be safe, similar to the stock tune, but they raised the boost a little and adjusted spark advance in order to get more power.

Yes. It was the factory tune. When I pulled, the AFR dropped to 8 (which was the limit on that particular dyno) and stayed there. As far as the 9 to 9.5, every one on these engines will tune and perform differently. They don't always act the same with every mod. That said, 14.35 AFR is not too rich, it is too lean and if they are raising the boost AND advancing the spark on a leaned out engine look out. You run "safe" being a little rich, not a lot lean. Did you ever post your dyno numbers? I am wondering what your best pull is being at a 14+ AFR.

*Note* I am not trying to hate on the Hypertech. I have never used it and I am not saying it is bad. I am saying however that a 14+ AFR is not a proper tune for these cars to make the power that they are capable of.

Originally Posted by HLR Element as to your question on why his AFR is 14.35, its because that was before he hit the gas. 14.35 is normal for just putting around town and is the most economical ratio. If you watch his graph, when he hits it it goes below 12 all the way down to the 9s

I did see that and you are correct. A normal AFR is 14ish driving around town. But a properly tuned Speed3 will hit 12.2 to 12.5 AFR when you hit the gas and stay there even at WOT. It should never dip into the 9's. If it does you are throwing too much fuel and you will not make the proper power.

[Addikted To Boost]

I have never had the car dynoed so im not sure what the difference would be. My only guess is that hypertech didnt want a super aggressive tune that would risk people's engines, so they decided to make it safe by running rich. The richness may also keep temps down inside the engine as load goes up. As far as the 14 AFR's, that was when i was just cruising along getting ready to mash the gas, I had not floored it yet.

[Addikted To Boost]

I added a log with boost, and yes i was using my girlfriends computer, so disregard the window talking about how to use a cuticle trimmer, because i know one of you smartasses is gonna say something eventually

[iracer7]

Originally Posted by smakdown61 I like when people claim "I can go xxmph in x gear now!". You could always go xxmph in x gear.....you can just get there faster now. Your speed is directly related to your gear ratio and engine speed.

lol, the car is electronically limited to 155, if you used the stock redline this says you could go 179 with the ms3 gear...if the car had enough power to get there.

[Addikted To Boost]

Originally Posted by iracer7 lol, the car is electronically limited to 155, if you used the stock redline this says you could go 179 with the ms3 gear...if the car had enough power to get there.

Man i wish the first four gears had the same final drive ratio as the last two, it would be fucking sweet to be able to run third gear all the way out to 100 mph

[Fa5t]

Originally Posted by iracer7 Hypertech - Max Energy Sport - Programmers - StreetSideAuto + coupon code vette = $357.58 shipped. Cheapest place I've found it, might get it for that price.

Same link with cupon code "Camaro" $348.82

[AequitasVeritas]

Originally Posted by 240mazspd3 damn, they advertise +68HP/+38TQ gain. Mazda Power Programmer - Hypertech someone needs to get to a dyno and verify

Original Hypertech tune.



The new CAI tune installed.

[iracer7]

I just installed mine today, could definitely feel the added power. I don't understand why it wouldn't update on my computer though. Software installed fine, but when I went to update it wouldn't recognize the tuner being plugged in even though the usb and the usb plug on the tuner were definitely plugged in. Updated fine on another computer though? The usb ports on my computer work fine, don't know what the issue is. I just took it for a small ride around the neighborhood and you can feel the power, the bov is also noticeably louder.

[Addikted To Boost]

Originally Posted by iracer7 I just installed mine today, could definitely feel the added power. I don't understand why it wouldn't update on my computer though. Software installed fine, but when I went to update it wouldn't recognize the tuner being plugged in even though the usb and the usb plug on the tuner were definitely plugged in. Updated fine on another computer though? The usb ports on my computer work fine, don't know what the issue is. I just took it for a small ride around the neighborhood and you can feel the power, the bov is also noticeably louder.

i had kind of a quirky issue like that when i tried to update mine the first time too. I tried to update it and it loaded this little like 30 kb file and said it was done, then when i hooked it up to the car it said it needed an update in order to reflash, so then i retried to update it, and then it downloaded like a 1 MB file and loaded that on there. Then mine loaded fine with no issue.

[AequitasVeritas]

Since I was a beta tester back in Nov. 09 and I had opted for Mazda not to do the ECU update for emissions, they did not have my map in the system. Took them about 3 days, including Thanksgiving, to get my map uploaded for me. I'd have to say that was pretty damn fast!

[jcrystal]

For those who have had the Hypertech for a while, what has been the impact on MPG, assuming similar driving style?

[spec2k5]

Has anybody switched from the AP to the Hypertech? I am curious what your impressions are. What map were you running on the AP when you switched?

[banditscout]

Originally Posted by spec2k5 Has anybody switched from the AP to the Hypertech? I am curious what your impressions are. What map were you running on the AP when you switched?

I did. I went from Stg. 1 + SF to the hypertech. The HT tune feels noticeably smoother to me, and the powerband feels a little more linear. I was hesitant to buy this thing, but seriously I don't think you can go wrong. A few guys have posted logs, and there are some dyno's floating around as well if you're curious.

[AequitasVeritas]

Originally Posted by jcrystal For those who have had the Hypertech for a while, what has been the impact on MPG, assuming similar driving style?

I just filled up yesterday. with 90% city driving, not really staying out of it, i got about 23 mpg.

[leadf00t]

Originally Posted by banditscout The HT tune feels noticeably smoother to me, and the powerband feels a little more linear

I think this sums it up well.

I love the way 1st & 2nd gear feel now when just trying to drive normally around town. The power band is great compared to stock. I think the dynos starting to pop up show this is a cost effective tuning solution for people who have just a few bolt on's, and when you're ready to make the move to bigger bolt on's then you just sell it, and buy a tuning solution that allows for a custom dyno tune.

[jcrystal]

That actually sounds very good for city driving. The question is, how different is that from stock tune? I really like to push my MS3 on the track and autocross courses, but for driving around town I'd rather keep getting decent mileage.

Originally Posted by AequitasVeritas I just filled up yesterday. with 90% city driving, not really staying out of it, i got about 23 mpg.

[AequitasVeritas]

Originally Posted by jcrystal That actually sounds very good for city driving. The question is, how different is that from stock tune? I really like to push my MS3 on the track and autocross courses, but for driving around town I'd rather keep getting decent mileage.

I never really measured the stock mileage. I am sure it is a little better.

[darth vader]

Originally Posted by banditscout I did. I went from Stg. 1 + SF to the hypertech. The HT tune feels noticeably smoother to me, and the powerband feels a little more linear. I was hesitant to buy this thing, but seriously I don't think you can go wrong. A few guys have posted logs, and there are some dyno's floating around as well if you're curious.

It really does sound like it can't be beat, if you're staying with a can of tune-a.

As long as the load cap is lifted but remains realistic, as it has been said it does, that'll solve the stock tune ceiling limit.

I remain curious as to how low end will feel compared to my mbc de-limited and Forge red low end. It's basically like a hand grenade down low now, which I love. The top end softness and bouncing off cuts at high load/revs I can live without.

[AllLostThings]

I got mine in the mail and updated and flashed my ECu as fast as I could. Man what a difference!! Even just the idle (as someone else had said) is way quieter and smoother. It's balls out in 1st-3rd. I did a good run in 3rd and the black smoke that came out was obscene. My AFRs were in the 11s before I let off. Mind you all I need my 30k service and I've been meaning to seafoam and get the carbon build up out of the car. I love this thing so far though. Very user friendly and very noticable gains. I had all town driving though and only 10 miles of it. I'll open it up a bit this weekend.

[Claysan]

I also updated and received my Hypertech today. I'm going to agree with "AllLostThings" about 1st thru 3rd. The power gain is most noticeable in those gears and the car now pulls strongly to 6000rpm with no drop off in power. I can't help but repeat what everyone else says about the idle as well. It's just smooth and a little quieter. I'm on the fence about throttle response as I only drove it for about 5-10 min around the neighborhood. I do have a Mazdaspeed CAI for reference. I can't gauge the power gain by the butt dyno cause the car already had torque a plenty. I'll drive some more later and try to post and update. I too was considering the Cobb AP, but I am very happy with this purchase. I even paid extra to get it over-nighted because I'm impatient.

Does anyone know if the ecu needs time to adjust to see even more gains? Just curious.

[superskaterxes]

so what about your tanking AFR's in your log and the 18 psi spike settling to 14? doesent sound very reliable to me.

[TotallyNotAmused]

Originally Posted by Claysan I also updated and received my Hypertech today. I'm going to agree with "AllLostThings" about 1st thru 3rd. The power gain is most noticeable in those gears and the car now pulls strongly to 6000rpm with no drop off in power. I can't help but repeat what everyone else says about the idle as well. It's just smooth and a little quieter. I'm on the fence about throttle response as I only drove it for about 5-10 min around the neighborhood. I do have a Mazdaspeed CAI for reference. I can't gauge the power gain by the butt dyno cause the car already had torque a plenty. I'll drive some more later and try to post and update. I too was considering the Cobb AP, but I am very happy with this purchase. I even paid extra to get it over-nighted because I'm impatient. Does anyone know if the ecu needs time to adjust to see even more gains? Just curious.

Glad you got it ok! I was kinda worried for a sec that they wouldn't get it out yesterday.

[omegaspeed]

who's had the HT tune the longest?........any change with boost dropping from 18 to 14?

[Addikted To Boost]

Originally Posted by superskaterxes so what about your tanking AFR's in your log and the 18 psi spike settling to 14? doesent sound very reliable to me.

my only guess is that they did it for safety, and you know how shitty the stock boost control system is, its hard to keep it from spiking a little bit, i think it settles down pretty quick though.

[omegaspeed]

so is everyone content so far?............. $350 for 45+ whp is a great investment for the ko4........

[Addikted To Boost]

Originally Posted by superskaterxes so what about your tanking AFR's in your log and the 18 psi spike settling to 14? doesent sound very reliable to me.

I tweaked the AFR Scale so that I could see what they were doing a little better, thats why it looks like they are divebombing. It runs a little bit leaner than the stock tune but not much, but somehow they still made it feel like its pulling its ass off all the way to redline.

Originally Posted by omegaspeed who's had the HT tune the longest?........any change with boost dropping from 18 to 14?

AequitasVeritas was their beta tester and he has been running it since back in November i believe, im sure his logs looks similar to mine as far as boost goes as well as AFR's they tuned it safely and didnt want to risk running into lean spots by keeping it in the 10.5 - 11.5 range close to redline. Rich equals safe on any car, and it also keeps the temperatures down inside the cylinders. I will just say don't knock it until you try it because even though it does run a little richer than some might like it still pulls really hard.

[AequitasVeritas]

Originally Posted by omegaspeed who's had the HT tune the longest?........any change with boost dropping from 18 to 14?

I have had it since Mid November. I have not had a single issue with it the entire time I have had it. Granted I have had it on 2 cars since I totaled my original speed3. Still running it and still loving it

[omegaspeed]

where do you update the HT and is it mac compatible?

shyte!!!!! just found there updates and it's only for pc!!!!!!! gonna have to borrow someone's laptop......after I buy

[boardjnky4]

Originally Posted by omegaspeed where do you update the HT and is it mac compatible? shyte!!!!! just found there updates and it's only for pc!!!!!!! gonna have to borrow someone's laptop......after I buy

Are you a tech savy user? You could probably use VirtualBox to run a virtual copy of windows on top of your mac and update it that way.