Hi guys --

I've been lurking for a while and just learning a lot from everyone, such as how great a deal you guys are all getting on your new cars! So, let me start off by saying that my butt dyno just isn't very sensitive. Honestly, if I drive a 997.1 6spd vs a 997.2 spd, I can't tell the difference in a straight line. I think all the extra cushion makes it so I just don't feel anything like 20-30 hp!

Instead of lurking, I've decided to share my experience with the Softronics flash upgrade I just purchased.

1. The purchase
Paying was easy . Dan made that part really simple for me. I didn't sign up for 90 day same as cash or anything, I just sent him money through paypal. I got back a confirmation and an invoice / receipt. Softronics actually took care of shipping, and all this happened while Dan was out of town, so I had no idea when the cable shipped. I just happened to come home one day and there it was. It took 3 business days from the time I ordered to the time it arrived.

2. My first attempt to use the software
For some reason I thought this was going to be complicated and I read all the instructions, carefully. The Vivid site had a lot of good information, but the Softronics guys have moved ahead a bit and there are some doc issues. Namely, if you click the download links for the initial reader, there is an implication that you need to choose the right file to install. There's only one file. I finally just picked that file and moved on.

The software starts up and doesn't look super snazzy, probably because somehow my computer was blocking images. I didn't bother to do any type of diagnostics on that, it was working otherwise.

I hit two problems during this first step:
#1 -- cable seating : I didn't do a good job of seating the cable. If you buy this package, make sure you seat the cable correctly. Attach it to your computer first, wait for it to finish installing just like the Vivid site says, and then attach to your car. Make sure it's a good solid connection. Turn ignition on and check that the green light on the cable is on. If you get strange messages like "VIN is blank" you probably didn't connect your cable.
#2 -- cable was not "activated." The Softronics guys have to activate the cable before it can be used. Just give them a call and they will take care of it remotely, it takes about 10 minutes and they will call you back. Dan helped out here even though he was out of town and this problem was basically solved as soon as I told him about it.

I moved on to attempt #2 after the cable was activated.

3. My second attempt to use the Softronics software.

Took me about 5 minutes. Connected the cable, started the car, and started the software. It was really really fast. I had to fudge some of the instructions again, because the actual software didn't have the prompts for name, email, etc. that I was looking to fill in. Instead, there was just a "fill in this box" form at the end. Knowing my luck, I probably downloaded the wrong stuff and that's why my software looked slightly different from what was documented. However, besides the little glitch here (and I just filled in my details complete anyway) ... everything worked flawlessly.

I went to sleep and didn't think about this project because it was Friday. Figured the Softronics guys would be back in the office on Monday and I could take a look then.


4. Monday morning (today).
I woke up, did my routine, and finally checked my email. There were my updates from Softronics. I figured I had a few spare minutes, and even though the docs say this process takes 20-30 minutes ... well, I had that much time! So, I took a look at the instructions, which included things like "put your car on a charger while you do this" and "connect your computer to a power source so it doesn't power down." I altered some of these directions (I did connect my car to a trickle charger just for kicks), such as dropping the power connection for my laptop. Instead, I made sure the computer wouldn't go into standby.

By the time I finished just putting the computer down in my car it was at 6% completed. I went inside and got ready for work, which took me about 10 minutes. I came back outside, and it was already at "finished." I opened up the garage, cycled the ignition, and started the car. I let it warm up for a few minutes while I packed up my computer and put away my trickle charger.

That's it .... done, everything worked perfectly.


*** Driving impressions ***

I drove the car to work today, and I didn't get a lot of opportunity to stetch it out and see how it performs. What can I tell you so far?

- I requested sport mode on, which is fun for me.
- Car seems to run & drive better subjectively. See above.
- It's eating a tiny tiny bit more gas.


I'll post some more here as I get to see how this really feels later. I might try to do a dyno trip and see what the car looks like right now before I make any further mods.

 

Please do share if you do get on a dyno. Although you won't have before and after runs, so it will be hard to say what gains were had.

 

I was thinking I'd reflash to stock before I did it so I could have a baseline on the same day. Considering how fast it is it seems reasonable.

 

Good feedback thanks!

 

thanks for the write up!

 

I made the same thinks 5 days ago and everything went well.I haven't feel something yet because i haven't made to many miles to see clear if i have more power or not but my first impression isn't as i expect...but will see.I am thinking to go for dyno!

 

OK, last night I went out and tried it out for real. I then dropped by the dealer and tried out a brand new demo '09 S just to see if I could feel the difference there. Here's my impression:

- overall, driveability it up
- there's certainly more response at the top end
- there are minimum improvements at the bottom end really
- I still really can't tell the difference between the two cars, although I'm sure the new car is faster. But heck, if I drove a corvette with its monster torque I'd think it was faster. I know it's really not, but ... it feels faster.

I'll reflash to stock when I go up to get the dyno done, but based on the feel of the car I expect the same results that Vivid posted. It's cooler where I live, and my car is RWD only, so there might be some mild differences.

For the price paid:
-- great service from Dan & Vivid
-- Softronics is also super responsive
-- sport mode fun factor is high
-- I'm pretty happy with the product.

I'll be heading to Stasis next week to get dyno results for you guys. Will post them here.