ESS Software Owners...Update on your experience

onesixeight · 2nd August 2008, 05:15

Hi Guys...

I'm planning on sending in my DME for the ESS upgrade next week.

I know a number of you posted some great reviews, but I just wanted to get an update now that you've been able to put some mileage with the new programming. Please let me know your findings.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

tjav8b · 2nd August 2008, 09:16

No difference to the original gains from the first day installed to 1000 miles for me. Its good to a 10 hp max at best. It has been proven that all software is about the same. Go for the cheapest.

andrewsherman · 2nd August 2008, 13:26

I disagree. I am still very happy with the software and I feel the best benefit of the ESS tune isthe improved shifting. I have noticed that on a couple of occasions when really pushin my car, she started to run hot. I have the pulleys as well, but those were consistent in causing the car to run two neeedle widths hotter. Now I was about half way to the next "point" on the guage and it would heat up when I was running hard and then cool if a mellowed out. This happened twice and I do not know if it is realted to the tune. Anybody else with ESS experiencing an increase in engine temp?

Dylan Thomas · 2nd August 2008, 18:45

andrew - Would you agree with tjav8b's assertion of ~10 h.p. increase? How improved is the shifting? Improvement in D mode too?

tjav8b - Any shift improvements?

How does the software handle red line rpm? Any other pluses or minuses?

Thanks guys.

onesixeight · 2nd August 2008, 20:08

Thank you all for your comments.

As Andrew said, the shifting is one of the main reasons going for the tune. While I've started to learn how to drive it pretty smooth now, I'd take any software to smoothen it out.

The heat comment concerns me a bit as I live in Hawaii. I also plan to install the pulley kit. Two needle widths doesn't sound too hot though, but I haven't had my car for very long and haven't really driven it hard.

andrewsherman · 2nd August 2008, 20:11

I can't give you any reliable measurement of HP increase. My butt dyno is decidably unreliable. I am planning on a dyno day in 2 weeks and ten I would be able to tell what the aggregate increase was from pulley and software. Not very helpful in isolating the ESS gains, but all I have. I think ESS may have done before and after dynos aomewhere on the board. I does feel faster and there seems to be more usable torque in the lower ranges.

The shifting improvement was significant. Enough to justify the cost in and of itself.

As far as redline, I had mine increased to 8400 (you can choose 8500 at your own risk). What I really like is that the redline on the HUD moved up, but they left the yellow line the same, so it leaves you with a larger, more usable "shift zone". I have been able to peg redline shifts much better with this setup. The engine spools up so damn quickly, that the factory yellow zone is far too narrow to be usable. I didn't really notice the deficiency until I had the wider area.

tjav8b · 3rd August 2008, 05:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewsherman

I disagree. I am still very happy with the software and I feel the best benefit of the ESS tune isthe improved shifting. I have noticed that on a couple of occasions when really pushin my car, she started to run hot. I have the pulleys as well, but those were consistent in causing the car to run two neeedle widths hotter. Now I was about half way to the next "point" on the guage and it would heat up when I was running hard and then cool if a mellowed out. This happened twice and I do not know if it is realted to the tune. Anybody else with ESS experiencing an increase in engine temp?

Disagree with what? I didn't say I was not happy with it, I am. There just hasn't been any change since I have put some miles on it and let it "adapt". Onesixeight, the shifts, especially downshifts improved nicely. Don't worry about driving in the heat. I did 20 min straight on the track last weekend whipping the ponies to south Texas 100 degree heat. The max temp I saw on the gauge was the 3/4 mark. Just don't expect some crazy power increase. It will feel faster but it is mostly due to a more sensitive pedal, like a sprint power booster. I tested acceleration with a V-Box and got about a .10 gain.

Onesixeight...Buy the software, ultimately you will like it.

Black M5 · 3rd August 2008, 13:41

Like everyone has mentioned about all the benifits, everything is smooth here yet im not sure if my redline has been bumped to 8400. My engine cuts off at the original redline. One suggestion is that the tech meter isnt moving fast enough thus showing just 8250 where in fact it is 8400. I need to reconfirm at higher gears but this is my intial feeling about it.

andrewsherman · 3rd August 2008, 13:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjav8b

Disagree with what? I didn't say I was not happy with it, I am. There just hasn't been any change since I have put some miles on it and let it "adapt". Onesixeight, the shifts, especially downshifts improved nicely. Don't worry about driving in the heat. I did 20 min straight on the track last weekend whipping the ponies to south Texas 100 degree heat. The max temp I saw on the gauge was the 3/4 mark. Just don't expect some crazy power increase. It will feel faster but it is mostly due to a more sensitive pedal, like a sprint power booster. I tested acceleration with a V-Box and got about a .10 gain.

Onesixeight...Buy the software, ultimately you will like it.

I disagree witth the statement that all software is the same and you should just go with cheapeast. The rest of what you have written isn't entirely consistent with that statement either.

M V10 · 3rd August 2008, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjav8b

Disagree with what? I didn't say I was not happy with it, I am. There just hasn't been any change since I have put some miles on it and let it "adapt". Onesixeight, the shifts, especially downshifts improved nicely. Don't worry about driving in the heat. I did 20 min straight on the track last weekend whipping the ponies to south Texas 100 degree heat. The max temp I saw on the gauge was the 3/4 mark. Just don't expect some crazy power increase. It will feel faster but it is mostly due to a more sensitive pedal, like a sprint power booster. I tested acceleration with a V-Box and got about a .10 gain.

Onesixeight...Buy the software, ultimately you will like it.

I´m thinking about doing this Software upgrade and just wanted to know if it´s worth it? What´s new and what do you get from it?