WA tuners and SSTT (Dual topic)

[BMWDave]

Are there any out there? I've now put over 1,500kms on my new toy and she's really starting to free up and i'm enjoying myself even more. Obviously, i'm reading up about you Melb guys and girls with Andrew @ SoutherBM and the fantastic support he provides for products like the AA processor and was wondering if there is any such tuners/support on the west coast.

At this point, i'm leaning towards the SSTT as a simple solution to my chase for more horsepower. While the results have been modest compared to what Andrew and WAY have managed, the lack of any known support over here doesn't really leave me with many options....unless there's people over here I don't know about!

Velocity motorsport (commercial section) in the US has a good deal on the STT and with the exchange rates being fairly favourable, it looks to offer bang for buck for minimal to no support required.

Thoughts, comments, recommendations, suggestions!
:drinking:

[Kris]

Go for it! SSTT is tried and tested. Just check it works on v81

[WAY]

I think SSTT works on v81. Kris, how's your JB3 going? You didn't want to tell us what you were testing on this part of the forum, but you went and posted else where that you are putting on JB3! Haha

[Kris]

I did? I've never posted I was testing a JB3. And I have no JB3 to test..

I've always stated I wanted to use a JB2 and JB3 though...here, and elsewhere.

[WAY]

Maybe I read it wrongly then? :iono: Sometimes I just skim through posts...

[Jase]

Yeah Dave,

I agree on SSTT also. As I am in Brissie we don't have the luxury of Andrew's support ( in way of local support) either so I think SSTT looks to be the best option for us. I am waiting till I get my new Tyres first, cause after having experienced SSTT on the runflats I can tell you traction is hopeless.. It is also only a modest power upgrade so the other tunes must be crazy!!!

[qship]

Has anyone actually installed an sstt in Australia? Anyone with experience here?

[AussieRacer]

qship, didn't you have a SSTT you were going to fit?

[SimonB]

:iono: Am I the only one wondering what the hell SSTT is?

[WAY]

SimonB, SSTT is a chip. And not the type you can eat either lol.

For those in Melb, I've said this before, but I would suggest that you spend the extra few hundred dollars and go with Andrew's tried and tested Active Autowerkes chip for our local conditions. It is so easy to install something like SSTT or JB3 or whatever it is, and do it wrongly, and have issue with limp home mode or CEL or fault codes. The problem for those of you who have no choice but to do it yourselves (non Melbournians for example!), is that you can't actually detect fault codes unless you have a dianostic tool. So the next time you visit your dealer for servicing, they are going to see it.

[DTNJNQ]

Way, but won't the BMW dealer also see the active autowork chip?

[WAY]

Of course if you leave it there, the dealer will see it. What I mean is that we know for sure that AA chip doesn't give you fault code (but I believe this is the case with SSTT and JB as well), but more importantly if Andrew was doing it, then he will know if something was wrong and fault code is thrown. So what I am saying is that it has nothing to do with the chip, but the fact that an expert installer is doing it for you.

[DTNJNQ]

Is the AA easy to take out for when the car needs to be taken to BMW for a services?

[WAY]

I believe it is a 15-20 min job, but I will leave Andrew to comment.

[Kris]

Wayne, the SSTT or JB3 dont give fault codes. Where did you get that from? What do you mean the AA is 'tested' for local conditions? Did Andrew reprogram the chip or is the eeprom or whatever inside there specifically written for our fuel/conditions/altitude? I doubt it but could be wrong.

Andrew, did you write this software inconjunction with the standard 135 AA map?


Any half decent BMW workshop with a GT1 can check for the presence of codes...I suggest researching the differences between the type of chips JB,SSTT,AA,Proceed. They vary ALOT.

[Timbo]

Wayne actually did say that they don't give fault codes not that they did

[WAY]

Originally Posted by Kris

Wayne, the SSTT or JB3 dont give fault codes. Where did you get that from? What do you mean the AA is 'tested' for local conditions? Did Andrew reprogram the chip or is the eeprom or whatever inside there specifically written for our fuel/conditions/altitude? I doubt it but could be wrong.

Andrew, did you write this software inconjunction with the standard 135 AA map?


Any half decent BMW workshop with a GT1 can check for the presence of codes...I suggest researching the differences between the type of chips JB,SSTT,AA,Proceed. They vary ALOT.

1. I actually said that others don't give fault codes
2. I didn't say Andrew rewrote the codes for us. I said it was tried and tested for local conditions. The issue with the other chips is that you will likely be the first one to try in our local cars, and if you don't have the support of a specialist then you are taking all the risk yourself.
3. Yes any half decent BMW workshop can check for the presence of codes. But think of it from a practical perspective. If you install a chip yourself, what reason would a BMW workshop help you check the presense of fault codes? So you drive in to a workshop like Andrew's, and you say to the guy "Umm hi there, I have just installed a chip in my car, but I have no equipment to check for fault codes. Can you do it for me?". Unless you know the workshop well, chances are they will tell you where to go. Comes back to what I am saying. You are better off with a product with local support, and this may or may not be Andrew and AA chip. All depends on what is available to you locally.

[Kris]

I'm not sure what you mean, tried and tested for local conditions? Do you mean an aussie installed it and someone drove it around? That's not tried and tested

If you are interested in other products, SSTT,JB,Proceed then you can approach a workshop such as ALS Performance, Peak, those bavarian mob (or shops in Melb) and have them install it for you.

Local cars are no different to US or European cars. They are built in the same factory, but the same people with the same electronics. Only SOME minor changes are completed locally before compliance. If you install an american or european chip into an AU or US car the results will be the same. The only thing that differs is altitude and fuel quality of which will affect the output of the modification.

You would have FULL support of a local if you requested before hand to have them install it for you.

Eg: Approach favourite BMW shop. Tell them you are interested installing X brand of chip and would they be so kind as to install/test for you and assistance in the case where there are issues. That's not rocket science and I know ALS performance (as an example) would be more than happy to help. I'm sure alot of BMW shops in Melbourne would also be happy to help.

My point is, give people the choice. Don't brain wash them into thinking that X brand is the best because a local guy supports it (no offense Andrew). I think almost EVERYTHING is supported locally first if you have the common sense to tell the workshop what you intend on doing first.

If anyone is interested in other chips, I know there are a handful of e90 335 users on e90post.com that have the Proceed installed with much success. These are aussies.

[WAY]

Lets just agree to disagree. I can't imagine ever chipping my car using a product that has no local support. This is not like putting in a new wheels as there are plenty of things that can potentially go wrong. Many years ago my friend had a chip done on his A4 1.8TQ. This is a chip that is well regarded and plenty of people in Europe has used it. Anyway, he had issues with it after installing it himself. But because he bought the chip directly from Europe, he ended up with no support and in the end he gave up. As I said above, it may be Andrew and the AA chip, or it may be something else that you have local support for. It depends on how much risk you want to take at the end of the day too.

I am curious, what chip would you recommend given that you don't care about local support?

[takahashi]

Checking fault code is easy.

Just call me or buy a OBD scanner.

I use OBDkey and when the notebook computer is fully charged, I can get any code in any car.

BTW: Can I say one thing about all the tune comparison. All tune tools or the way they do it are similar. It is the service or the tuner's touch is worth the money. I don't think there will be any better way to tune the car in Europe and in Australia, but tuning it live with Australian fuel is much better than tuning to European fuel.

If a German company comes to Australia to live tune your car, and prepare to back you up if you send the ECU back to them. Why not?

In my case, no one tune Mazda Rotary by writing the ECU ... yet. So a Japanese tuner (KnightSports Japan) came out and tune it real life for me. He gave me his shop address and I can send my ECU to him via EMS free of charge if there is any problem. You see....

Bottom line: Best is to have a good tuner locally, since the fuel you use will be different overtime. Shell now is different from Shell 2 years ago, and I think now BP is the best!.....

[BMWDave]

Wow, quite the discussion going on. WAY, i hear what you're saying, which is why one part of my original topic was "Are there any WA tuners?".

I've done a fair bit of research on the SSTT. Whilst it has been tested and proven not to throw fault codes, i'm sure it could and does happen. With all due respect to Andrew's work and the product he sells, I'm sure it's not immune to fault codes either. When modifying any car away from factory specifications, you would be naive to think that fault codes will not appear. Hey, you might get lucky and never see one, but that isn't to say that they can't happen.

With respect to the SSTT, it's a relatively unintrusive way of modifying your car, simply plug it onto your TMAP sensor. There is considerably less risk to this approach than your method of splicing in a module into the DME harness. All well and good if you have the support like you say, but for those without such support, the risks are higher.

What I like about the SSTT is it works to adjust IAT rather than play with boost and fuel maps, leaving the factory computer to handle all of that work. It's a relatively simple process to install and uninstall and once removed, leaves no traces. It gets modest results for reasonable money.

I'm not sold on it by any means. In fact, i'm hesitant to modify my car at all truth be known. I've been down that route with previous cars and its cost me good money after bad. However, if there are local tuners in WA, I'd quite like to go out and have a chat so I can make an informed decision.

Let's keep the discussion rolling tho :smile:

[WAY]

I completely agree with Taka. That would be the route I would most prefer to take. Maybe in a few years time after I have done all my mods, I will somehow get the car dyno tuned...