Unlock Your Engine's Potential - With a PC

Since the introduction of electronic fuel injection systems on mainstream cars, and particularly in the last decade, engine modification has been growing in popularity.

While physical modifications to your vehicle, such as less restrictive exhaust systems, turbocharging or larger throttle bodies can increase power output, the sophisticated software that controls the air/fuel mix and ignition timing can be reprogrammed in a matter of minutes, in some cases resulting in 10 to 20 extra kilowatts at the wheels.

In Australia today there are literally thousands of tuning outfits who can plug a laptop into your car, push a few buttons and Bob's yer Uncle - more power and torque.

While dyno (dynamometer) testing is usually needed to fine tune the increase of power and to measure if the effects are in fact positive (which isn't always the case), such procedures can be done in less than a day, even while you're at work.

Sydney-based rally outfit and specialist Subaru tuners MRT has just finished work on a new factory ECU (engine control unit) based re-tune for the Liberty B4 that requires no more than 15 minutes to load and unleashes in excess of 15kW of power.

"Using EcuTeK software we have the ability to access the Subaru ECU direct, with no chips, soldering or wire mods," said MRT's Brett Middleton.

"This is setting the industry standard for improved Subarus," he added.

MRT targeted the Subaru Liberty B4, which packs a twin turbo 2.0-litre boxer engine, as it's known to be a very good car, albeit with a well documented hole in the midrange.

Brett reckons that its midrange performance and also its tendency to rattle badly with ignition detonation (pinging) is compensated by the (self learning) factory ECU.

Simply put, the engine's computer reduces turbo boost pressure and other performance related settings to protect the engine from damage.

The upgrade available from EcuTeK results in an impressive 15kW increase in top end performance, and significantly reduces the midrange hole at the twin turbo changeover point, while protecting the engine from ignition detonation.

According to MRT, clients who have tested the program also note a lower engine operating temperature and an increase in fuel economy - all from tweaking the stock standard ECU with specialised software.

The MRT crew invested lengthy amounts of time testing cars and dyno tuning to generate a special 'Australian Map' on its Dynapack Chassis Dyno. It has been backed up and tested on many cars with every client expressing amazement at the improvement.

"Every B4 we have tuned has come in with a ECU that is at 50% of its safety map (called the Advance Multiplier), [and] with the new update, this indicator consistently sits at 95%," Brett said.

"We don't know why the Subaru map has so much ignition timing, but it certainly makes our job a little easier to gain improvement."

The updated ECU even has improved safety settings of the Subaru standard ECU. The factory MAP settings take a lot to move into "the safety Map" but with the enhanced map MRT has made it easier for the ECU to protect the engine and allows it to move into the safety map earlier, should it be necessary.

The MRT workshop often sees B4's with all types of modifications, exhausts, boost controllers, interceptor ECU's and more.

However, many often result in turbo failure or an increase in top end performance at the expense of making the midrange void even worse than standard levels.

"Many owners don't realise how easy it is to blow up the primary turbo on a B4, the boost control is incredibly complicated," Brett stated. MRT Performance is the national distributor of the EcuTeK software, well known overseas and especially in the UK where it is used by Prodrive (who along with Ford also part owns FPV) on the enhanced cars it supplies Subaru UK.

For those who want more than 15kW of extra power, MRT offer intercooler, air intake and exhaust upgrade options that further boost performance when fitted with a custom tuned EcuTeK enhanced Subaru ECU.

Other Subaru models re-tuned with EcuTeK software include the Impreza WRX and STi, the Forester GT, and coming next month the fly by wire Liberty GT turbo and Forester XT turbo.

The B4 ECU update costs (inc GST) $1500 plus $50 for a road test and any small changes that may be needed to suit individual cars. MRT reckons that at this value, no other performance upgrade comes close.

The EcuTek software upgrade is just one example of how modern fuel-injected cars can be tuned quickly and safely to deliver more power and return better fuel economy - and for relatively few dollars. As time goes on, development of ECUs will progress and the power gains will increase, while fuel consumption may be reduced at the same time.

Many other cars, such as Ford Falcon XR8s and Holden Commodore V8s, can be tuned or have an extra 'piggyback' chip added to boost performance with a few keystrokes of a laptop computer, and what was once a tuning passion for a select few rev heads is quickly becoming a mainstream preoccupation.