Cobb Accessport V3 Serial Number
As with many high performance vehicles, your Evolution X was delivered from the factory with a conservative tune. By incorporating the Cobb AccessPort V3 and the AMS STX300 Flash, you will unlock the power the factory held back. As the title states I'm selling my Cobb accessport, Spectre short ram intake and CPE rear motor mount. The Cobb accessport comes with the stock tunes as well as the dizzy tuned stage 2 93 map and an e30 dizzy tune. To update: Cobb customer service already black listed my stolen AP's serial number so it will never be unlocked, unless someone went wayyyyy out of there way to do so (and by that point, I guess they deserve it). My replacement AP is coming to me pre-programmed with a stock map that will load onto my ECU only after I 'uninstall' it from the car.
I just installed my Cobb Access Port on my otherwise stock 2016 WRX Limited (I do have winter tires on). I just wanted to share my thoughts on it in case any of you are on the fence about getting one. If you don't know what what an Access Port is, basically it allows you to tune your engine on demand. The files uploaded are called 'maps' and they provide the instructions for how your engine runs. The map I've been running is the 91 Octane Performance Map (only 92 octane is available in my area)
Pros:
Smoother shifting. There is an RPM hang on the stock map and this resolves it
Smoother power. You don't find those pockets of RPMs where you mash on the pedal and it seems to do nothing
Full use of gas pedal. With the stock option, I think 30% compression gives you 100% throttle. The performance map distributes the pedal compression-to-throttle ratio much better
Better sound. It may be because I've had my music off, but it seems to keep the engine in ranges where the engine sounds really nice
On Demand map changes - you can switch between stock, performance, economy (freeway), valet or anti-theft mode. There are variations of each map depending on octane and mods to your car. These are just the out of the box maps, you can add more if you wish.
Can run as low as 91 Octane. I would prefer to use 93+, but when you're on the road sometimes you get stuck with 91. Nice to know I can tell my engine it's getting a lower octane
Easy Setup - From box to install and driving took 10 min. Literally just plug it in, back up your ecu (automatic) and select the map you want to use. Good to go
Extra gauges and 0-60 timing. You can time your 0 to 60 run as well as view some more info about your air flow, fuel mixture and more (I still need to explore)
Neutral:
HP and Torque gains. Cobb claims about an 8% increase for both wHP and Torque. I can't say that I notice it, but I do have winter tires on so I'm not pushing it that hard. I saw a dyno that put the WRX wheel HP at about 220, so with the map you end up around 240 (this is a guess). Not sure if that is really even noticeable.
OTS maps. Off the Shelf maps are never going to be as good as a custom tune. That being said, it's my understanding that some pro tuners will make Cobb Compatible maps for you
Launch Control. This allows you to set a max RPM and drop the clutch on takeoff. I consider it a neutral feature as it's hell on your clutch so I probably won't use it that much.
Cons:
Turbo boost is less noticeable / gone. Before, when you put your foot into it, the turbo kicked in and you were pushed back into your seat. With the smoother power delivery, you dont get that as much. Again, I'm not driving it as aggressively as I normally would as I have winter tires on. If you miss it, you can always load the stock map
Price. I paid $650 for mine directly from Cobb. Included is the cable to hook it up to your car, a face-plate, a car mount and a USB cable to connect to your computer. It's a little expensive if you're only looking for the gains. I'm planning on going to stage 2 eventually (requires Access Port), so this was my first step and I'm ok with the minimal gains. I would have paid about half as much just to get the rev hang fixed, but that's just me.
Warranty Issues - Modding the engine can/does interfere with your warranty. I'm not sure of all the details, but I know it may 'void' some parts of the warranty if it's determined that the ecu mod caused the issue in question.
Cobb Accessport V3 Maps
Just my two cents on the access port but I hope this helps you guys a pretty good idea of what you'd be getting into. If you have any questions I'll try my best to get back to you. Be sure to wave :)
TLDR: Rev hang eliminated, smoother power, better overall drive-ability / enjoyment, 'boost' sensation reduced/gone, perhaps not worth it / better off with a pro tune if you are not planning on going stage 2 or higher