Long time lurker, first post: I am a bit overwhelmed by all of these mods and products and tuners telling me so many different things so....

I have a basic question for you oh experts here:

I want to open up my 997TT tiptronic with a few mods that will in no way impact reliability whatsoever. I am not trying for insane HP gains since for me 500-550 is more than enough -- famous last words...

Okay here's the Q's:

1. Best ECU flash -- was told giac was best only to be contradicted by apr then told porsche dealer flash is best and on and on it goes...)
2. Best air filter -- a KN w/out any grease on the paper or some such thing seems to be best bang for buck and by far so.
3. Best diverter valves -- tuner A says avoid piston design due to yearly cleaning etc. while tuner B says sealed piston is best and most reliable w/ zero maintenance ever.
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4. If i do the 3 above, will exhaust really help matters? I prefer quiet ride.
5. Any other inexpensive small tweaks that I'm missing? (don't want to mess w/ suspension yet)

Thank you all in advance!

 

1. GIAC seems to have the larger following but for the most part a 'level 1' type of flash they all cant differ that much.
2. Run the stock filter, IMHO unless your swapping out turbos the paper filter is fine.
3. I like the EVOMS ones. They include them in their ECU flash so you can save some $$ there and kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
4. Exhaust is a must IMO to keep the EGTs down. Do that first, then flash. Check out the Miltek for quiet sound, lots of power.

 

1-EVOMS
2-Stock is ok
3-EVOMS
4-AWE or Tubi RACE

 

I don't know what your experience is, but the first and best mod I would recommend would be a high performance driving class. I recently took the Skip Barber class at Laguna Seca. It was great fun and I'm sure it would give you some first hand insight as to what mods you would want for your car.

 

thx guys! so let's say i get the EVOMS -- do i need to tell them about the exact exhaust i'm using so they flash accordingly???? For e.g. i get the AWE exhaust do i tell EVOMS this and they custom flash to that exhaust? Or do these chips recognize the changes and adjust on the fly?

THX!

 

No problem.
Also get suspension bars and then coilovers the stock suspension sucks...

 

FYI, no matter what you do you're going to affect reliability. Don't kid yourself.
Speaking of reliability. K&N filters need the oil to help filter out the small particulate matter and dust. It might seem meaningless, but filters are used for a reason, too. If you are that concerned about reliability then I wouldn't recommend taking the risk (however small it may be) for such a negligible power gain.

 

mperfect: i understand re: filter. my ducati mechanic told me never to use kn filters due to grease and another porsche tuner told me he degreases his filters before selling them and that by merely using his kn you can get 12+hp gains -- fishy to me...a reputable tuner tho.....

most everyone is saying reliability from ecu and diverter valves and exhaust are not affected. intuitively, if you increase performance you may affect reliability -- but all these tuners are actually saying you INCREASE reliability and even get better gas mileage w/ ECUs. I'm at a loss here and hence have started this thread to get a handle on all of this.

 

I can relate to the frustration of so many choices . Due to the hypersensitive nature of this topic I can give an opinion via PM if you wish . Keep in mind that I am not an "expert" (just a dude with a car ) .

 

yrralis1: would love to get your opinion w/in this topic, if you don't mind.

 

+1

After that, work on the weakest link in this car...the suspension. Power is plentiful unless you plan on drag racing every teen that pulls up to you. The car is much more enjoyable even with simple tweaks like alignment.

 

much thx! guys -- lots to consider.......

and yrralis1 wow man that was super-helpful. seems like light comp. HRE wheels in the same size as stock (to not mess w/ design too much) would really start things off wisely....then exhaust diverter valves ecu and done. suspension is worked on after driving school.

very happy i stumbled into the 6speed.

 

I know you were probably looking for the opinions and comments from end users, but I just wanted add my .02.

There are a few reasons why we prefer G.I.A.C. over the competition or doing our own software. Please keep these two in mind.

G.I.A.C. is the ONLY software tuner that currently has switch able programming for the 997TT. We can offer you multiple programs (as many as 5) and the ability to toggle between them. Probably the most popular is a stock mode for trips to the dealer. Simply hit a button and all of your timing, boost, and fuel maps correct back to stock.

For an example of how easy it is to switch, check out this video:
http://awe-tuning.com/media/multimed...lashloader.wmv

Another reason we sell G.I.A.C. is because there is no other aftermarket ECU calibrator tuning Motronic as safely and effectively as they are. What separates them is that not only do they calibrate in house (adjust timing, fuel, boost maps), but they write the programs they use to do all of this.

***All factory safeguards remain in place. Nothing is turned off to achive the desired result*** They are tuning as Bosch would. Simple as that.

There are other reasons as well. Email me if you want to discuss further.

mike@awe-tuning.com

We have yet to change the air filter on our 700/750 car. It has served us well.

I would retain the stock air box if you do decide to change. I do not recommend any open element filters on this car.

Jury is still out on this one. We have yet to see the need to replace the DV's. even at the 750hp level. They don't seem to be problematic like the DV's on the 996TT's.


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How quiet? There are some exhausts that are louder then others. We tend to design and market our products for the type of client not necessarily looking to attract the wrong attention to themselves. Subtly is the key...

Will it help? Heck yeah! Software and exhaust alone with get you to a reliable and safe 600hp on pump fuel!

You have it all pretty much covered. Start with that and I think you will be very pleased with what you have done.

If you want to talk further, just let me know.

 

+10. I agree that the weakest part of this car is the suspension. Car felt ok at first but after a few months I realized that it is set up way way way too soft. It leans, squats (with acceleration), and dives (w/ braking) like a boulevard cruiser. Ok if that's what you want; for me, I was ready to trade the car in for a GT3 until I changed the suspension to Bilstein PSS10.

Of the things I like about my car: HRE P40 Wheels (probably first customer in the US ), PCCB brake, Cargraphic Exhaust, I would rank suspension change the number one priority. Hope this helps and have fun modding.

The other thing that I've noticed is that the car subjectively feels more powerful and much quicker once the suspension is tightened up. For example, I no longer routinely hit that Sport button every time I am in the car.

 

I'll echo what BBYWU said - go with some advanced driving courses before you invest much money into mods. I'm not saying not to mod, but every person has individual driving abilities and you may find after a course or two/three that you want suspension and wheel/tire upgrades first.
I may be wrong about what you'll choose first to upgrade after some advanced driving classes, but no one will argue that upgrading your driving skills is the best way to dial in on what you'll find a priority to upgrade first on your sled. And who can't use more driving skills? Hope this helps.
Good luck in whatever choice you make.