Upsolute Chip

[jl911tt]

I just got back my ECM today from Upsolute/Vivid racing. Everything worked out great easy transaction and removal/installing was a breeze. However, everyone is telling me to change the plugs before I use the car and I need some opinions. The car is a 01 with 6300 miles on it so I am sure the factory plugs are not worn out by no means. Does anyone have an opion on this issue or would you just drive the car and if it does not have any problems just disregard the spark plug change? Thanks for any help or opinions!

[Loren]

There is a TSB on this dated 9-28-01.

Basically Porsche changed the heat range from a 5 to a 6 on cars build after August 14, 2001. Any and all replacments are to be the newer plug (heat range 6).

The correct plug for all TT and GT2 is 999.170.195.90.

[est8esq]

I'm interested in upgrading w/ the Upsolute chip. I spoke w/ my local Ohio dealer and he honestly told me no one has ever upgraded an '05 Turbo S. The price of Upsolute as compared to everyone else seems to be a bargain. Just because our cars are worth over $100K doesn't mean we should pay crazy prices "just because."

Anyone have an ideas whether or not my car will enjoy the gains I'm hearing about or am I just wasting my time?

[wross996TT]

Here's the deal. The upsolute chip will get you some nice gains (60-70hp) and with exhaust and maybe intake...close to 70-85 hp. The problem is that if you ever decide to go further you start all over again (with a differnt program/chip). So you have several options...GIAC has an ECU program that can be flashed onto the ECU without removing it and they have a flashloader that will allow you to switch between multiple programs. Kevin @Ultimatemotorwerks has a programmer that does that as well. The advantage to Kevin's is the program is in the programmer...no need to remove the ECU or go somewhere for the flash and he supports multiple options/upgrades. So Upsolute may be just fine for you....but if you decide you want more later....then you will pay.

[dchesrown]

Here's the deal. The upsolute chip will get you some nice gains (60-70hp) and with exhaust and maybe intake...close to 70-85 hp. The problem is that if you ever decide to go further you start all over again (with a differnt program/chip). So you have several options...GIAC has an ECU program that can be flashed onto the ECU without removing it and they have a flashloader that will allow you to switch between multiple programs. Kevin @Ultimatemotorwerks has a programmer that does that as well. The advantage to Kevin's is the program is in the programmer...no need to remove the ECU or go somewhere for the flash and he supports multiple options/upgrades. So Upsolute may be just fine for you....but if you decide you want more later....then you will pay.

What is the cost of the chip?

[wross996TT]

Here's the deal. The upsolute chip will get you some nice gains (60-70hp) and with exhaust and maybe intake...close to 70-85 hp. The problem is that if you ever decide to go further you start all over again (with a differnt program/chip). So you have several options...GIAC has an ECU program that can be flashed onto the ECU without removing it and they have a flashloader that will allow you to switch between multiple programs. Kevin @Ultimatemotorwerks has a programmer that does that as well. The advantage to Kevin's is the program is in the programmer...no need to remove the ECU or go somewhere for the flash and he supports multiple options/upgrades. So Upsolute may be just fine for you....but if you decide you want more later....then you will pay.

What is the cost of the chip?

I have heard around $600

[jl911tt]

I just last week sent my ECM to Vivid racing (Dan) and he flashed it and I had it back in 2 days. I am extremely happy with the results and have put 500 miles on the car and no problems at all. The flash was 700.00 and well worth the money. The Upsolute in NC and also Vivid in Az will just flash the ECM which requires no opening of the ECM which was great with me.

[skymast]

thx for the info, mine is on the way monday. did you do the diverter valves as well?

[jl911tt]

thx for the info, mine is on the way monday. did you do the diverter valves as well?

Yes, went with Baileys divertor valves from Brandywine Porsche.

[Joecardog]

Nice testimonials about the Upsolute ease of install & customer service, but what about actual seat of the pants butt dyno results? I have a 2001 TT and live in Phoenix and am thinking about going the Vivid Upsolute route. Their web site shows about 100 bhp gain at flywheel. Would those of you who did the upgrade agree with the gains or is it all made up hype?

I just got back my ECM today from Upsolute/Vivid racing. Everything worked out great easy transaction and removal/installing was a breeze. However, everyone is telling me to change the plugs before I use the car and I need some opinions. The car is a 01 with 6300 miles on it so I am sure the factory plugs are not worn out by no means. Does anyone have an opion on this issue or would you just drive the car and if it does not have any problems just disregard the spark plug change? Thanks for any help or opinions!

[skymast]

I just got mine back from rene at upsolute today. Seems to work well and I can tell a big difference. Even though I have an 02, I changed the plugs plugs (myself) based on mileage. Based on some of the $$$$s I heard for a spark pug change, doing it myself basically paid for the upsolute chip. The ECU upgrade is the easy part, trust me!

[Joecardog]

Thanks for the feedback Skymast. I am glad to hear that you can feel a big difference. You know how a lot of those mods go, for example the cold air intakes on almost any car sound cool and are supposed to give gains, but you really can't tell by the seat of the pants. I really don't mind doing a mod if at the end of the day I can say "wow that made a real change!". Unfortunately, most of the time in order to get that kind of satisfaction you need to spend really big $$$ and go through some serious hell to get therer. I hope to hear from others too. Did you do the dv's?

Nice testimonials about the Upsolute ease of install & customer service, but what about actual seat of the pants butt dyno results? I have a 2001 TT and live in Phoenix and am thinking about going the Vivid Upsolute route. Their web site shows about 100 bhp gain at flywheel. Would those of you who did the upgrade agree with the gains or is it all made up hype?

I just got back my ECM today from Upsolute/Vivid racing. Everything worked out great easy transaction and removal/installing was a breeze. However, everyone is telling me to change the plugs before I use the car and I need some opinions. The car is a 01 with 6300 miles on it so I am sure the factory plugs are not worn out by no means. Does anyone have an opion on this issue or would you just drive the car and if it does not have any problems just disregard the spark plug change? Thanks for any help or opinions!

[skymast]

I bought the DVs from EVOMS but have not installed them yet .... its a small place with lots of stuff to remove .... so I will tackle it this weekend.

[slant911]

Skymast,

Dive on in and do the DV's. I was intimidated by the DIY also, but once I got in there it isn't bad. Hardest part is that it's a tiny space and my big hands were raw after the experience. I really took my time and i was done in about 2 - 2 1/2 hours. If you follow the instructions here http://www.turbo911.com/showthread.php?t=287 you will be fine. Get yourself some long needle nose with a 45 degree bend in them. Got mine at Sears (about $12).

One other thing....They show a couple of washers underneath the battery post. That didn't work too well for me. The front valve still rubbed on the back of that post. I went to a local specialty hardware place and got some hard black palstic spacers that were 10MM deep and 2 new longer allen head bolts and in my opinion is a much better solution than the washers.

Edited March 20, 2007 by slant911

[Turbo Mike]

I did my Upsolute chip upgrade a few months ago, the best $600 I spent, you can defiantly feel the difference. I pull 1bar on boost now, before I barely saw 0.5bar. The DV are also a must.

[Joecardog]

Hey Turbo Mike - thanks for the feedback on the Upsolute Chip - That is exactly what I was wanting to know, whether you can really feel the difference. I would be curious to get some 0-60 & quarter mile stats to back up the mod. How much did your exhaust change performance? I hear different feedback, but mostly people just say that the sound was the biggest change and they didn't really notice much in the way of performance. Also, do you like the H&R lowering springs? Did it hurt the ride much and do you notice much improvement in handling?

I did my Upsolute chip upgrade a few months ago, the best $600 I spent, you can defiantly feel the difference. I pull 1bar on boost now, before I barely saw 0.5bar. The DV are also a must.

[SurfCityTurbo]

Hey Turbo Mike - thanks for the feedback on the Upsolute Chip - That is exactly what I was wanting to know, whether you can really feel the difference. I would be curious to get some 0-60 & quarter mile stats to back up the mod. How much did your exhaust change performance? I hear different feedback, but mostly people just say that the sound was the biggest change and they didn't really notice much in the way of performance. Also, do you like the H&R lowering springs? Did it hurt the ride much and do you notice much improvement in handling?

I did my Upsolute chip upgrade a few months ago, the best $600 I spent, you can defiantly feel the difference. I pull 1bar on boost now, before I barely saw 0.5bar. The DV are also a must.

Oh you will feel a difference, a big difference. Before the flash I would only see .6 sustained, and .7 bar peaks. Now I get 1.0 all the time and 1.1 peaks occasionally. I went with the GIAC flash because of the flexibility in programming with the handheld and the upgrade path. I was skeptical too. I had never owned a turbo before, only normally aspirated Porsches. The turbos are SO moddable it's crazy and I'm well on my way to insanity. Get a flash now!

P.S. Once I got rid of the stock exhaust and added the K&N filter the software really caught it's second wind. The stock exhaust is way too restrictive for the software, but the software will improve your performance dramatically even without changing the exhaust. The biggest difference I noticed with the exhaust change was how much faster the turbo spools up. THAT you can feel in your butt big time. I also agree that the DV change is a must. My mechanic said that the stock DV's won't handle the increased boost for long.

I saw a car exactly like mine with the same mods hit 508hp on the Mustang 4-wheel dyno using 91 octane fuel. This is some serious fun. I tend to run a 50% mixture of 100 octane race gas available at the pump which may even get me more hp, who knows.

Edited March 29, 2007 by SurfCityTurbo

[Mikelly]

My car was purchased with the upsolute software, GT1 upgraded turbos (Ultimate Motorwerx) and GT2 intercoolers, along with Bailey divertervalves, and the car's making 510WHP and 532#ft. of torque. I had an issue with the PSM/ABS kicking when I bought the car, and I tracked down the previous owner who sent the PCM back to Upsolute for an upgrade in the software for me... No issues since..

Their software seems to do very good things from a performance standpoint. I can defenitely confirm that 1.2 constant boost is capable, as I've seen it on a regular basis. My car was apparently used as their testbed when upstolute was first getting into the 996TT scene. I'd not discount them... They seem to be very involved in tuning these cars and want to provide a good product.

Mike

Hey Turbo Mike - thanks for the feedback on the Upsolute Chip - That is exactly what I was wanting to know, whether you can really feel the difference. I would be curious to get some 0-60 & quarter mile stats to back up the mod. How much did your exhaust change performance? I hear different feedback, but mostly people just say that the sound was the biggest change and they didn't really notice much in the way of performance. Also, do you like the H&R lowering springs? Did it hurt the ride much and do you notice much improvement in handling?

I did my Upsolute chip upgrade a few months ago, the best $600 I spent, you can defiantly feel the difference. I pull 1bar on boost now, before I barely saw 0.5bar. The DV are also a must.

Oh you will feel a difference, a big difference. Before the flash I would only see .6 sustained, and .7 bar peaks. Now I get 1.0 all the time and 1.1 peaks occasionally. I went with the GIAC flash because of the flexibility in programming with the handheld and the upgrade path. I was skeptical too. I had never owned a turbo before, only normally aspirated Porsches. The turbos are SO moddable it's crazy and I'm well on my way to insanity. Get a flash now!

P.S. Once I got rid of the stock exhaust and added the K&N filter the software really caught it's second wind. The stock exhaust is way too restrictive for the software, but the software will improve your performance dramatically even without changing the exhaust. The biggest difference I noticed with the exhaust change was how much faster the turbo spools up. THAT you can feel in your butt big time. I also agree that the DV change is a must. My mechanic said that the stock DV's won't handle the increased boost for long.

I saw a car exactly like mine with the same mods hit 508hp on the Mustang 4-wheel dyno using 91 octane fuel. This is some serious fun. I tend to run a 50% mixture of 100 octane race gas available at the pump which may even get me more hp, who knows.

Edited March 30, 2007 by Mikelly

[Joecardog]

WOW! That is very impressive and good to know about. I appreciate the feedback SurfCityTurbo. I am looking forward to lets the Mods begin!!!!

Hey Turbo Mike - thanks for the feedback on the Upsolute Chip - That is exactly what I was wanting to know, whether you can really feel the difference. I would be curious to get some 0-60 & quarter mile stats to back up the mod. How much did your exhaust change performance? I hear different feedback, but mostly people just say that the sound was the biggest change and they didn't really notice much in the way of performance. Also, do you like the H&R lowering springs? Did it hurt the ride much and do you notice much improvement in handling?

I did my Upsolute chip upgrade a few months ago, the best $600 I spent, you can defiantly feel the difference. I pull 1bar on boost now, before I barely saw 0.5bar. The DV are also a must.

[Mikelly]

Oh, And I'm selling the exhaust that was on my car when it made those numbers posted above... PM me offline... It's a stock system that has been modified similar to the RUF design... $800 shipped.

Mike

WOW! That is very impressive and good to know about. I appreciate the feedback SurfCityTurbo. I am looking forward to lets the Mods begin!!!!

Hey Turbo Mike - thanks for the feedback on the Upsolute Chip - That is exactly what I was wanting to know, whether you can really feel the difference. I would be curious to get some 0-60 & quarter mile stats to back up the mod. How much did your exhaust change performance? I hear different feedback, but mostly people just say that the sound was the biggest change and they didn't really notice much in the way of performance. Also, do you like the H&R lowering springs? Did it hurt the ride much and do you notice much improvement in handling?

I did my Upsolute chip upgrade a few months ago, the best $600 I spent, you can defiantly feel the difference. I pull 1bar on boost now, before I barely saw 0.5bar. The DV are also a must.

[Joecardog]

I'll keep that in mind. I was actually thinking about saving the exhaust money and clean up the stock set up. I will let you know soon if I am interested however. What are you doing for exhaust now?

Oh, And I'm selling the exhaust that was on my car when it made those numbers posted above... PM me offline... It's a stock system that has been modified similar to the RUF design... $800 shipped.

Mike

WOW! That is very impressive and good to know about. I appreciate the feedback SurfCityTurbo. I am looking forward to lets the Mods begin!!!!

Hey Turbo Mike - thanks for the feedback on the Upsolute Chip - That is exactly what I was wanting to know, whether you can really feel the difference. I would be curious to get some 0-60 & quarter mile stats to back up the mod. How much did your exhaust change performance? I hear different feedback, but mostly people just say that the sound was the biggest change and they didn't really notice much in the way of performance. Also, do you like the H&R lowering springs? Did it hurt the ride much and do you notice much improvement in handling?

I did my Upsolute chip upgrade a few months ago, the best $600 I spent, you can defiantly feel the difference. I pull 1bar on boost now, before I barely saw 0.5bar. The DV are also a must.