Our Accessport and Off The Shelf Maps continue to be the best first modification for VB WRX owners.  Turning up the power is effortless and drastically improves drivability as well as the ‘smiles per gallon’ factor.  One pain point of tuning has been the 8+ minute flash time whenever a map change is necessary.   While this may not be a big deal for those who are not flashing often, it definitely slows down custom tuning sessions.  Longer flashes can also be a nuisance for minor tune changes for fuel type, etc..  Today we are excited to change that with the release of Fast Flashing for all VB WRXs!

Our software team has implemented an all-new flashing strategy which reduces flash times by up to 15 times.  Instead of flashing the entire file, the map change process will now only flash blocks where data has changed.  In our testing, we have seen flash times as quick as 30 seconds.  Flashing time will increase depending on the number of changes to the file being flashed. That said,  a full flash will not surpass the standard full flash time of ~8 minutes.  Instances where the full ROM is being flashed (Install, Uninstall, etc.) will still flash the entire file.

In order to take advantage of Fast Flashing, your Accessport must have up-to-date firmware and be using a map file that supports this strategy.  COBB Off The Shelf Maps are updated and custom tune files will need to be re-saved in Accesstuner Pro in order to use this feature.  More on that below.

Vehicles Included

• 2022-2023 ADM WRX 6MT

• 2022-2023 USDM WRX 6MT

• 2022-2023 USDM WRX CVT

Off The Shelf Map Updates

All COBB Off The Shelf (OTS) Maps v220 or newer will be eligible for Fast Flashing.  To access these map files, users can either perform an Accessport Firmware Update or download them directly from the COBB website.

• Stage0 v230

• Stage1 93 v230

• Stage1 Economy Mode v230

• Stage2 91 v231

• Stage2 93 v231

• Vehicle Anti-Theft Mode v230

Note : the first flash with updated files will still perform a full flash (8 minutes), fast flashing will be utilized for any further flashes.

For more information about COBB OTS Maps, visit our Map Notes Page.

Stage 2 OTS Now In Firmware

You may notice the inclusion of Stage2 91 and Stage2 93 in the list above.  We have also taken this opportunity to move all of the Stage 2 OTS Maps into firmware.  Previously, these were only available via download from the COBB website to those not in the state of California.  We have receive dour Executive Order from C.A.R.B., so the maps are usable by customers in all 50-states!  For more information on our Stage 2 Power Package and power gains, head over to this post – 2022-2023 WRX Stage 2 Upgrades.

New Accessport Menu Option

As part of this update, a new option is available within Accessport firmware.  When you enter into the Tune menu option off of the Main Menu, you will now see both ECU Reflash and ECU Troubleshoot.  The ECU Reflash option will utilize Fast Flashing if available while ECU Troubleshoot will always perform a full flash (~8 minutes).

Upgrade your Subaru WRX’s performance with the latest Fast Flashing feature and discover an array of Subaru performance parts available at COBB. Ready to elevate your driving experience? Explore our extensive range of Subaru WRX parts available at COBB.