Some misinformation has popped up recently and I’d like to take a moment to address it. A couple of posts have hinted that GIAC programs are incompatible with after market diagnostic tools. This is simply not true. In the interest of dispelling other misinformation about GIAC products, this thread aims to clarify GIAC product features.

GIAC products do have over 20 years of Porsche software tuning experience behind them. GIAC is about 6 years into development on the DFI engine platform and GIAC’s software for 997.2 and 991 Turbo models produces the most reliable, fastest, and most powerful options of any custom or off the shelf tune currently on the market (with ECU-controlled turbos).

GIAC products do not put software tuning capability in the hands of retail hardware tuners AND call that a custom GIAC tune. When you buy a GIAC tune, we want you to know you are getting 20 years of experience and months of R&D. There may be a market for the “tune it in a day” at the local retailer tool; and, if GIAC ever offered these kinds of products, GIAC would make it clear that the end product to the enthusiast is limited to the tuning skill and experience of that local retailer who buys the GIAC tuning tool. GIAC will never blur the lines between this type of tune and a GIAC tune.

GIAC products are not released without proper development and testing. Proper development and testing is not done in a day and often takes months. We believe that having full control of a DME, goes much deeper than just being able to adjust tables. We develop and employ our own in-house data loggers to ensure the development data we collect is as accurate as possible, with the highest sample rate that the DME can sustain. Our engineers have worked on the road course, at the drag strip and at the ½ mile to ensure that our tuned vehicles are both powerful, and reliable in multiple environments.

GIAC software tunes are as compatible with data logging and error code handling as the OEM programs in the DME. If your logger can log an OEM program, it can log a GIAC program.

GIAC software is designed to maintain highly sensitive knock sensors. You need knock sensors and, if they are working properly, they should show at least some small level of activity if your car has been tuned properly. Even, stock cars can register some level of knock activity. GIAC development delivers calibrations that maximize potential power for a given fuel and hardware combination, while maintaining safeties, like knock sensors, that protect the motor from detonation. Over the past year, we have seen an increase in the number of cars that come to us from other tuners with substantially desensitized knock sensors. These engines will detonate but show no knock correction in the logs, giving the driver a false sense of security. In an ECU with desensitized knock sensors, logs will show zero knock and zero knock correction; but since these ECU cannot detect knock, it also cannot take the appropriate actions to protect the motor.

If you have any questions about GIAC, please use this thread as an opportunity to have your question answered.

 

Austin why don't you just make a comparison to Cobbs new release. There have been a half a dozen recent posts with resellers looking to position the new Cobb Access point. GIAC clearly has a well respected product with proven results and a following with the 991 platform thus far.

Cobbs offering is interesting because they allow tuners to offer custom maps for the Accessport but also the ease of preloaded Stage 1 and Stage 2 maps, directly through Cobb, on a hand held the end user can deploy themselves through the OBD port. GIAC may offer the ability to use the OBD port but the issue is very few GIAC dealers have the tools in house resulting in a removal of the DME which costs more money and time.

Your go to market strategy is obviously different than Cobbs. Where GIAC has a network of dealers do the install Cobb allows the end user to use preloaded maps or custom maps. It also appears to be less money with similar results for HP and TQ. What are the key differentiators with Cobb that you want to address in this separate thread?

 

i have been trying to get a GIAC tune for weeks for my 991S NA car, the dealers i have called have either not called me back or have zero experience with the 991S NA car. very irritating

 

I noted the need for a direct comparison in another thread on the subject of Cobb vs GIAC. Long paragraphs with a lot of technical discussion may be instructive to experienced tuners, but to the average TTS owner are not necessarily instructive. Yes, there may be valid variables that make direct, absolute comparisons of dyno readings unreliable, but not necessarily on a relative basis. Maybe I am naive to expect an objective comparison, but without it I will just stay stock or go with an easily reversible tune. Just have heard from too many turbo owners who are disappointed with tuning.

 

Wow. Their expectations must have not been achieved or bad tune, I guess. What about the tune disappointed them?

 

The years of experience we provide with a calibration does set us apart. Our gains with no other hardware added, on the same octane (93 octane to 93 octane and both curves are in over-boost mode), are 33 horsepower and 60 ft. /lbs. of torque at four wheels.

Stage 1, 93 octane, no hardware upgrades:


We could have run more boost down low but opted not to in order to keep Exhaust Gas Temperatures around stock levels in the upper RPM range.




I would prefer just to discuss our products, but to answer your question, I took a look at their website and referenced their published dyno plots. Unfortunately, I could not find a "like to like" comparison for their "OTS" stage 1. There is a stage 1 dyno plot on their site showing a 15 hp and 107 ft./lb. gain but the stock run is on 91 octane and the performance run is on 93 octane. This is difficult to compare since our testing doesn't involve mixing octane for pump fuel to pump fuel comparisons, as just adding higher octane can improve power with out changing the DME flash. Additionally, the plot does not say if both curves are in sport overboost mode.

Our stage 2 is calibrated specifically for an exhaust system upgrade, nothing more. I didn't see a "like to like"� that I could compare to that. In any case, our stage 2 power gains are significant and our real world data has shown that as well. We have stage 2 991 Turbos that trap close to our 9 second 997.2 Turbos in the half mile (CPI GUY's car trapped 165mph at Airstrip Attack). We have upcoming calibrations that utilize additional upgrades and are significantly more powerful than our current offerings. These are all specific calibrations for varying hardware levels meant to give our customers a large number of options dependent upon what they wish to add to their car. On top of that, we're extremely transparent in our releases with exactly what you're getting, and what hardware you need to get there.

Power differences aside, it looks like Cobb offers some interesting accessory options to the public that other companies keep in house. I think GIAC and Cobb are two very different tuning companies, targeting different niches in the market, and that is good for everyone.

 

Austin,
What is the performance gain difference between Stage 1 and Stage 2 on the Turbo S on pump gas?

 

Austin, my dealer wiped my flash w/ the recent update, how much is the reflash and have you made any new updates to the file since I went stage 2 this spring?

 

Dinan never charged me for a reflash when the dealer wiped my Dinan flash from my now departed F10 550. Certainly hope that is the same for GAIC (of course an up charge if one gets another stage or enhancement of their flash is a different matter like when I added the race gas file).

 

From my understanding you can reflash at any time for no charge.

Whether you want to go from stage 1 to stage 2 or need a reflash to stage 1.

Adding a new map like race or valet is obviously different.

 

Here's a dyno sheet from Stage 2 on pump gas, for comparison's sake. Most of the cars we have dyno'ed come in closer to 560 in hp, but I chose this sheet since it's the lowest, to be fair.

 

Tom was the IPD plenum on that car? Do you have a stage 2 dyno sheet with the tubi street exhaust (the one with high flow cats)?

 

No IPD on that car. I have the dyno for the street exhaust somewhere, I'll have to dig it out of the dyno computer for you. When I find it I'll post here.

 

I have asked this is another thread without a reply.

What is the process to retune the car due to a modification pending you had a GAIC tune and wanted to change to say non vtg turbos or wanting to run race fuel and it's not currently supported by their tune?

As I mentioned that GAIC did not provide custom tuning and was met with much resistance, there have been several people also suggesting this.

Do you in fact provide custom tuning support, if so what is that detailed process like?

 

Here's why the "custom tuning" support thing can be confusing, or maybe why you're getting conflicting information. You have to keep in mind that GIAC tunes are offered through their network of installers, which is huge. However, GIAC also offer tunes for BMW and VW/Audi. Some of the installers on their dealer list (which may coincidentally be the closest one to you) may have the ability to install the tune on your car, but they may not necessarily be Porsche specialist. So having them facilitate a custom tune may not necessarily be the best idea.

However, a lot of them are Porsche specialists, like Champion, AWE, etc. If someone approaches me for a custom tune the process is simple. We discuss the different options and determine what the goal is. We then bring the car here, install whatever parts are required, and then perform the custom tuning on our dyno. Datalogging while on the dyno and during road testing is all part of the process. The same process can be done at quite a few GIAC Porsche specialists as well as GIAC themselves.