WRX dyno did not go well...

[@paulmarsdensr1095]

A very interesting find on the WRX. A great video brother.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Thanks dude. Excited to see how the car feels after we add some power mods and a pro tune!

[@davidrobinson6495]

At 150,000 miles, you might want to do a compression and leak down test. Also have the valves and injectors cleaned. Tuning may not come out right if you’re tuning on top of problems.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

I planned on walnut blasting my valves but I didn’t think about cleaning my injectors, that’s a good idea!

[@malvodasnipa]

With a Cobb Ap, and a couple bolt ons and a protune I got 310 to the wheels. These cars respond well to bolt ons with a proper tune.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Wow that’s really impressive! was this at sea level? I’m hoping to be around 300whp. too much more power and the transmission won’t be happy

[@SCarolinaX]

Man yeah! Since my car was pro tuned it has been a dream!

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Who did your time?

[@SCarolinaX]

SD Racing in Greenville, SC.

[@xil3ntkha0s]

Pretty much confirms that the stock tune is trash. Especially if you're going to track it. Might be fine for DD but even if the car isn't going to be tracked (and fully stock) protuned/etune is where it's at.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Yup agreed! Stock tune is fine for a couple on-ramp pulls on your way to work. Anything beyond that and a tune is a must!

[@kapa8835]

Great video thank you! I want to tune mine so I can't wait to see those canned tune videos

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Awesome I will make it happen 🫡

[@blueridge8992]

I’d really like to see a dyno of Cobb’s Stage 1 (not Stage 1+) before you install anything else on the car. It’s meant for stock cars and in my experience it runs really great, much better than the stock tune. One thing to keep in mind is that the ECU learning takes longer than most people think before all the long term corrections are set in stone. It would be ideal to drive the car for a few weeks (until you stop seeing FBK and FKL corrections) before doing the dyno runs. I really think that 90% of VA WRX owners would be happy with just the Stage 1 and an axle back for the first couple years of ownership. I’m just curious what the dyno numbers are on that setup.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Sounds good I will try and show the results of Stage 1 and stage 2 OTS tunes on the dyno!

[@ivtec4fun55]

My EJ is very similar, had to flatten the timing @ 4800-5600 to keep that knock area at bay. Also some of the low end putting around town had some very high timing (50+) which caused some intermittent knocks. Once you see the timing maps, you'll see what I mean, I've looked at a lot of factory WRX maps and wow they really are messy, not smooth, I think they just put junk tunes on that pass emissions. I'd rather not let me ECU see a knock then pull timing, so I go in and pull the timing for it, adjust fuel in those areas, and move on.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Interesting that the EJ has similar tuning problems. Subaru definitely left a lot to be desired in terms of tuning but as you said it’s probably mainly for emissions. Excited to see how the car feels with a better tune and some more power! 💪

[@ivtec4fun55]

@@FosterJohnsonMedia Another assumption I have is that they are both boxxer engines of similar size and output, so the airflow and volumetric efficiency issues are probably close on both engines.

[@someguyonyoutube9220]

I've done quite a bit to my wrx since ownership (a couple weeks under a year). Got it at 39k miles and already put on 31k... I do have a full turboback exhaust with the cobb SF intake and AP with a protune and it pushes 277 bhp and 310wtq. Car feels amazing and have had 0 knock problems or detonation, I really want to get the car onto the track but since it is my commuter, I've been trying to avoid it 🤣 Also, one of the best mods you could get is a 3 port boost controller as the stock EBCS (electronic boost control solenoid) is quite horrible at managing the boost. I have the dyno sheets if you would like to see the difference between tunes :)

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Absolutely EBCS makes a big difference in getting good tuning! glad to hear you are enjoying your WRX

[@ZZPxFTW]

bhp isn't whp. Different measurements

[@jamal3121]

I ran my 2020 WRX stock for a year with just a Catback. Lost to a STI at my State SUBiE event last year and that’s all it took for me to start nodding. Now I’m close to my HP goal of 350 with stage 2+ mods and a E30 tune.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Dang 350 whp sounds nice! that is my goal

[@connordunckel8544]

For anyone interested in buying one of these id recommend having a couple grand set aside for a better intercooler, boost controller and pro tune. I say this as someone who’s daily driven one for 4-1/2 years

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Especially if you buy a dirt cheap one like me 🤑

[@connordunckel8544]

@@FosterJohnsonMedia oh god yeah there’s your first clue, I’m sure it’ll turn out good. Just don’t expect gobs of power from this and treat it well you should do fine

[@aoarw]

Been tuned by Ron at phatbotti tuning for 2 years and I definitely feel more confident with the reliability of the car.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Yeah I can literally feel the car pull timing sometimes when I do a pull. Not good. Excited to get a better tune on here!

[@aoarw]

@@FosterJohnsonMedia yeah it’s no good for sure, I’m excited to see the progress!

[@hooch1e_dAddy]

Well then.....looks like Cobb OTS is in my QUICK future. Great info indeed, thanks for sharing these REAL but harsh numbers.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Absolutely, hope we can go back to the dyno with some OTS maps and see how they do in comparison

[@stilife1942]

Dude this is awesome content!! It’s from a realistic point of view, we don’t all have 20k to drop on upgrades. See what happens with bolt ons and an access port!!

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Awesome, glad you’re liking the content. I’ll keep it coming! 🤙

[@IvanLuketina]

This is awesome. I've noticed my 19 WRX seems to be happier with a COBB stage 1+ with Sf intake versus stock. Definitely sounds better 😃 I'd be curious to see what the Dyno report showed with an OTS. People either hate them or love them, but Cobbs seems to be safe and dialed in. I'm sure they have hours and hours of research and testing!

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Yeah the Cobb stage 1 and stage 2 tunes are pretty decent. They run a little rich but that’s not too bad of a problem, it’s a bit on the safe side. I will try them out and report back on exact dyno results 🫡

[@xil3ntkha0s]

Nothing against Cobb's OTS tunes but when I was running those maps my DAM would drop to 0.5xx .. got it protuned and car feels much smoother and DAM has not dropped. Every once in a while I'll get the 👻 knock but that's within parameters.

[@IvanLuketina]

@@xil3ntkha0s yeah nothing beats a protune, hope to get one after a couple more mods in the future

[@christopherrogers8316]

@@IvanLuketina get one asap, ud be surprised how u can find a protuner that will offer a tune for around 250$ worth it. running off the shelf tune is NOT good.

[@MouseCIick]

crap.. i really need a pro tune huh? i am running ots stage 1 (mishimoto intake), but i got a tomei recently.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Just depends how you drive the car. If you are beating the snot out of it you really should. For daily commuting you are probably fine

[@omegapharaoh6978]

Please show us them shelf tune capabilities!

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Cobb AP is going on real soon :)

[@br3wcity_killer150]

Bro I just got a 03 WRX and was thinking what to do to give it more power letss gooo

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Bolt on modifications should give a similar bump in performance for the EJ and the FA

[@oneslowwrx4814]

I have a 18 wrx with simple bolt-ons. fuel pump, intake, gs boost controller, turboxs jpipe and remark catback and its e tuned for 91 octane its at about 300 whp virtual dyno so I’m curious to see if adding similar parts will be around the same whp,

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

I’d be very happy with 300whp!

[@charlesparker924]

This content is my favourite. Probably a bit biased as i own a completely stock ice silver wrx

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Ayyyyy thanks for following the build. I’m sure yours is a lot cleaner but I’m slowly getting there!

[@K03sport]

"moment of truth"..... when I had my GTI, you got a tune/flash because you wanted to to make more power....but now w/my WRX, I feel I need a tune/flash because I "have" to make the car more reliable as the ECU is the engine's worst enemy. I use 93 at every fill-up, but I guess that is not enough to overcome timid/cautious engineering

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

With 93 you should be a lot better off than 91. It really comes down to how you drive your car. For street use the stock tune is probably not going to hurt your motor at all but for track driving it needs a tune!

[@daleb8512]

Interesting, I'm catching up, just got my first wrx with 93k on it. Everyonesays ots tunes are trash...are they better trash? Did you ever get the ots tunes?

[@Silbaru]

Really curious to see how good those OTS tunes are!

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Thanks for the feedback! I will make it happen 🤙

[@marioking15prestige]

I have a 2020 wrx currently on stage 1 plus ots where can I get a pro tune that’s what’s holding me back from getting EL headers and j pipe

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Graham from boasted performance is the go to tuner if you live in the Midwest. otherwise Surgleine in Oregon is good as well. If you haven’t bought your header or J-pipe get them at SubiSpeed and use code FJ10 for 10% off your order

[@billiamc3281]

So what you're saying is I should protune my still under warranty WRX.....

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

it’s hard to say if you still have a warranty. That’s really up to you and it will depend on how hard you drive the car and what you use it for. with Subarus if you have any mods other than stock you really should get a quality tune

[@billiamc3281]

@@FosterJohnsonMedia I'm definitely sticking with stock for another 2 years, that's about how long I've got. And I have plenty of 93 where ever I go, I just want a tune cause I hear how much everyone loves them

[@alecrosenberg5393]

What size rims are those?

[@jugado219]

Do the cobb tmic when the time comes pls.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

I’ll see what I can do!

[@jbone_malone]

I've wondered if the ots tunes were any healthier. Certainly feels that way. I have had my 17 WRX since new and ran it stock for about a year or so. When I put an ots tune on it, that seemed to fix a lot. But unfortunately I have had the ots tune for quite some time now. It only has 35k miles on it, so I don't think it is that bad off yet. I currently run a Cobb AOS, Cobb big sf intake, and the Stage 1+ 93 sf intake ots tune. I get occasional knock here and there, but it is very inconsistent and I feel unalarmed when seeing it. However, I plan to put a j pipe on and then get a pro tune here soon. Any other ideas?

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

That sounds like a good plan! you will be optimized for your local fuel and altitude with a pro tune so that’s always going to be the best way to go if you can afford it

[@MamunShaikh]

Wow, this is really informative. I’ve stayed away from the accessport since I wanted to keep it factory. 3 years having owned the car im wondering what damage is done already with the factory tune.

[@4corners312]

Had my 19 WRX for 3 years after this November. An had it protune for over a year. Let me tell u this u'll never go stock after tuning it. It's actually more reliable than the sucky factory stock tune. U maintain it right it'll keep u right.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Agreed, most the time leaving it “stock” tends to be the safer bet. But in this case I think tuning is better all around. Your engine will be running a safer map, you can make more power, and increase MPG with a good tune.

[@xil3ntkha0s]

@@FosterJohnsonMedia agreed but the CARB in commiefornia doesn't give 2 shits about people or their car. They just wanna make money.

[@Cichlid_Visuals]

the first pull was actually quite good for stock with that mileage. there was no knock event, that power dip is tuned in. every single fa20 wrx does it on the stock tune. its a very protective tune, its why that engine is so solid still at 145k, a testament to its reliability when left alone. i was a moderator on the WRX subreddit for a time before it turned into an anti free speech shithole, and man, i saw A LOT of OTS fa20 cars go boom. the biggest problem with the OTS tunes is how negligent they are about intake temps, they hardly retard the timing at all, and boost usually stays exactly the same. wind up with a lot of hot cylinder temps and lean conditions with a lot of boost, id either stay on the stock tune, or go pro tune with a few parts to throw at it to make it worthwhile.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Eventually I will get it pro tuned, I’ll probably just show OTS tune on the dyno and then retune it properly

[@brandonpetrilla1731]

Is the COBB Stage 1 91 octane OTS tune ok to run long term with all stock parts?

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

That should be a little bit better than the stock tune. I’ll do some testing in future videos!

[@lilskaters7]

OTS maps are crap as well!! Get a Protune/E-Tune ASAP

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

We will find out exactly how good they are soon when I flash my car and take it back to the Dyno! Long term I am going to get a pro tune from Graham at Boosted Performance

[@DatSas2b]

I've been debating getting a Cobb Access Port for my 2019 WRX but my main worry is how long is it safe to run OTS tunes through it before needing a pro tune? Or should I only get the access port when I have the money to get it pro tuned right away?

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Cobb tunes are pretty decent from my understanding. of course a pro tune will be a little bit better but if you do simple bolt ons and stick with Cobb intake etc. It should run pretty well and I wouldn’t worry about it! I wouldn’t recommend doing stage 3 ots tunes. At that point you gotta get a custom tune

[@DatSas2b]

@@FosterJohnsonMedia Okay great thank you for the help!

[@nikesbeast]

Get a flex tune. Honestly the best thing you can do to this car

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Unfortunately flex fuel tubes are off the table right now until COBB figures that out. But I will for sure do e85 eventually

[@xil3ntkha0s]

Second this. But as he said flex tunes are in limbo right now bc of emissions. From my understanding you would need to get tunes for both pump gas and a separate one for corn.

[@rookietoprobuildz]

I got to take my FRS to Paragon Performance 🔥

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Nice is it boosted? Graham is a great tuner

[@rookietoprobuildz]

@@FosterJohnsonMedia it is! Stop by my KZbin channel.

[@morganelrod1326]

More horses!!

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

Neeeds mo powa baby!!!

[@zyonspop]

Nice. Can you put my wrx on the dyno please lol.

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

I’m sure Graham from Boosted Performance would be happy to get you sorted!

[@Bted__ever]

I got a Cobb ap for cheap, I’m the original owner it’s unmarried 😊

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

That’s awesome. I will be installing mine soon 😀

[@MorganBrown]

At least it sounded good

[@FosterJohnsonMedia]

This is true!! 😂