2015 Subaru WRX – New Accesport Features and Accesstuner Updates! Realtime Flashing, Launch Control, and Flat Foot Shifting!

2015_SUBARU_WRX_GEORGEBUCUR-1 (1)

If you’ve owned an earlier model turbo Subaru you know that COBB is the premier provider of aftermarket tuning and hard parts.  We constantly evolve to meet new demands and strive to lead the industry.  Part of that evolution includes adding Accessport custom features to further enhance your vehicle’s ECU.  We’re happy to announce that Realtime Flashing is now available for both 2015 Subaru WRX CVT and 2015 Subaru WRX MT vehicles. Launch Control, and Flat Foot Shifting are now available for the 2015 Subaru WRX MT only at this time. You may have heard of these features before but how do they benefit you in the real world?

SUB-004 Accessport Firmware Updates (1.7.2.0-10435)

Realtime Flashing

If you’ve ever had your car on the dyno, you know dialing in a car and fine tuning can take some time.  With other tuning tools, the car must be turned off, the ECU reflashed, and then another pull made to see what changes have occurred.  This not only makes the final tuning result more suspenseful but can also add significant cost to tuning your vehicle.  Time is money.  With COBB’s Realtime map flashing, you can save both.

It is important to note that modification changes (for example going from Stage1 to Stage2 with the addition of an upgraded downpipe) still require a full reflash.  Luckily, even a full reflash of the ECU is quick – taking under one minute.

Aside from saving with your local Protuner, there are also benefits to Realtime flashing you can use.  Being able to switch maps on the fly is a convenient feature.  A few situations where this could be beneficial include:

Other Drivers – Whether it be a teen-aged child, an inexperienced friend, the spouse with too many accidents, or that grin-y valet guy, you can use Realtime map flashing to enable a more suitable map for specific drivers.

Changing conditions – If the weather turns for the worst, the road surface becomes poor, or any other reason your tires no longer inspire confidence, it comes in handy to have a map that offers less than the peak performance.  Switching to a lower octane map provides that ability.

More MPGs – Optimal tuning will typically increase the miles per gallon you achieve.  Even with our performance tunes, many report an increase in MPGs.  BUT, it must also be paired with optimal driving.  And let’s face it, it’s difficult to stay out of the smile inducing high boost zones with the added power on tap.  The Economy Mode map removes the driver’s ability to create excessive fuel demands by limiting the amount of airmass that can be generated.  Additionally, fuel during Wide Open Throttle (WOT) conditions as well as ignition timing are optimized in Economy mode to aid efficient combustion.  This results in minor gains in fuel economy, while preventing a heavy foot from robbing gas from the tank.

At the Track – If you’ve been to the drag strip, you know it’s not always who has the most power but who can get the most power to the ground.  Using Realtime map flashing to quickly change between different boost levels, different Launch Control RPMs, or other custom tunes that adjust several other parameters provides limitless options; one of which will surely get you your best ET!  For those concerned most with drag racing over daily driving, Realtime map flashing offers better test and tuning sessions.  Without having to constantly turn the car off to re-flash the ECU, you can get more passes in, and dial in your car much more quickly.

Launch Control

It’s tough to be a car person and not have the occasional drag race cross your mind.  Whether it be at your local track, or a desolate road in “Mexico”, lining up against a friend (or nemesis)  to see who is faster never gets old.  When those times come, we all want every advantage we can get!  Launch Control (LC) is one of those advantages.

It can be difficult to hold the RPMs steady to get a good launch, especially in a manual transmission car.  COBB’s Launch Control allows you to floor the gas pedal at the starting line and hold a specific RPM!  This enables the potential to build boost off the line and allows for more consistent launches.  This value can also be adjusted to adapt to the current surface, tires, power, or weather conditions!

To use the feature, make sure the car is stationary and cruise control is off.  You can then set the specific RPM demonstrated in the video below.  This setting will maintain until you cancel it, change the map, or reset the ECU.  Keep in mind the minimum setting is 2500 RPM.

Spinning out of the hole?  Lower the RPM!  Bogging?  Raise it up!  A good launch is crucial for fast and consistent ETs.  Having a couple of tenths advantage in the first 60 feet of any race can mean the difference in winning and losing even if your competition has more power.

Flat Foot Shifting

Technology has come a long way when it comes to transmissions and many super cars are now only being offered with an “Auto.”  Even if these high-tech transmissions are capable of shifting faster than any human, many of us still prefer kicking in a clutch and grabbing gears manually.  In a race, are we giving up anything other than the timing it takes to shift when challenging an Auto driver?  In turbo car, the answer is most definitely yes.  But, Flat Foot Shifting (FFS) or “No-Lift to Shift” is a great way to overcome some of the disadvantages.

The graph above was done at WOT and inspects boost recovery after a shift under the two different conditions.  Using FFS, boost never falls below ~10.5psi on the shift; on a regular shift, boost falls down to essentially full vacuum (-9psi).  Shifting with the throttle plate fully opened allows for boost to be retained and for power to recover nearly instantaneously after engaging the next gear.  This is as close to a DCT-style shift as any manual car will ever get!

All of these features are available NOW with qualifying firmware and updated OTS maps (v200).  Update your SUB-004 Accessport in minutes using Accessport Manager to automatically load firmware AND updated maps (included in firmware)!

Check out this video to see how to implement these features and to see them in action:

 

Accesstuner Pro Updates (1.9.1.0-10435)

Subaru Accesstuner Pro receives some major updates with this release!  2015 WRX 6MT/CVT Realtime Tuning, Fuel Injector Start of Injection and Pressure tables, DTC Description integration, ECU Selection Filtering, and Wideband O2 sensor communiction improvements are all part of this major update!

Realtime Tuning

This is a COBB exclusive feature you’ve come to know and appreciate with previously supported Subaru vehicles.  We’re very excited to release Realtime Tuning for the 2015 WRX 6MT and CVT in hopes of greatly improving workflow when tuning these vehicles!!

2015 WRX & 2014+ FXT Injector Timing and Fuel Pressure Target Tables

The following tables have been exposed and added into Accesstuner.

  • Fuel Injector Start of Injection (Cranking)
  • Fuel Injector Start of Injection (Homogeneous) Alternate (Aggressive Start)
  • Fuel Injector Start of Injection (Homogeneous) Main
  • Fuel Injector Start of Injection (Homogeneous) Main Compensation
  • Fuel Injector Start of Injection (Homogeneous) Main Compensation Activation
  • Fuel Pressure Target Main
  • Fuel Pressure Target Cranking
  • Fuel Pressure Target Warm-up 1
  • Fuel Pressure Target Warm-up 2 (Idle) – 2015 USDM WRX ONLY
  • Fuel Pressure Target Warm-up 2 (Non-Idle) – 2015 USDM WRX ONLY
  • Fuel Pressure DTC (P0088 TOO HIGH) Delay
  • Fuel Pressure DTC (P0088 TOO HIGH) Threshold (Actual – Target)
  • Fuel Pressure DTC (P0087 TOO LOW) Delay
  • Fuel Pressure DTC (P0087 TOO LOW) Threshold (Target – Actual)

Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) Descriptions

We have added the complete DTC name as well as descriptions (tool tips) into Accesstuner in order to help expedite handling trouble codes!

dtc_descriptions

tool_tips

ECU Selection Filter

The addition of an ECU Selection Filter will help narrow down the ever-growing list of supported Subaru ECUs when opening Accesstuner Pro!

ecu_select

 

As always, for any questions about these features or anything else COBB related feel free to reach out to our Customer Service Team at http://www.cobbtuning.com/support/


2 responses to “2015 Subaru WRX – New Accesport Features and Accesstuner Updates! Realtime Flashing, Launch Control, and Flat Foot Shifting!”

  1. Hi, when is Cobb going to offer a Intake system for the 2015 WRX 2.0L engine?

    • It’s something we’re hoping to offer soon! Unfortunately we’re quite a ways behind the rest of the market on that item.

      Marshall@COBB

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *