Thanks for the video on this interesting topic. I purchased a 2015 WRX new in 2015 and monitored DAM, Feedback Knock and Fine Tune Knock for almost 6 years on my Cobb Accessport. This is what I have learned. First of all, DAM and Fine Tune Knock are learned preventative features that only indicate that the engine has pulled timing to be safe. If you have a low DAM or Feedback Knock reading it does NOT mean the engine is knocking. Feedback Knock alone indicates possible knock, with a very safe threshold. Feedback Knock is accumulated into Fine Knock Learn, which then accumulates into DAM. Positive Fine Learned Knock increases DAM and negative decreases it. Unless you reset the ECU every week or so, the constant small Feedback Knocks will accumulate into Fine Knock Learn and then into DAM. From what I have seen, it is almost entirely a function of driving conditions and fuel quality. When I first installed the Cobb, I ran the 93 tune and the DAM was always at 1 for a few weeks and then it drops. I loaded the 91 tune and DAM still drops after a few weeks. The 91 octane tune runs significantly richer and I really noticed the difference in fuel economy and lower performance. The engine knock preventative system mean you do not have to sacrifice performance and keep the engine safe because it adjusts timing to compensate. I would say, forget about it unless the DAM drops below 0.4 for an extended period. Then reset the ECU, the DAM will be back to 1, but monitor it and the other knock sensors. I have had a DAM drop to 0.43 and it jumps back to 1 then next week with no explanation, change in fuel or anything. DAM was at 1.0 for the entire pandemic which must have been due to only conservative driving in the suburbs but dropped again after a couple of days of high speed crazy commuting with stop and go. The car did not change, only the driving.
Even is the car wasn’t tuned, there will still be knock or possible knock. That’s why we have fine knock learn system to constantly adjust DAM to prevent or limit knock.
That’s the thing, I’ve asked a lot of tuners and they say that can go up past that. Unfortunately it can either be knock or not because there’s a lot of factors. My highest has been close to 10 and I’ve data logged and taken it to my tuner and says everything checks out fine. But regardless one should always pay attention and take care of the car tuned or not.
Here's the biggest problem with 93 octane (or high octane, in general)... The cycle rate in which the gas station refills their tanks with fresh high octane. The vast majority of people who drive combustion engine vehicles use low, regular octane; usually 87. While the minority use high octane. That tells me that high octane sits underground for quite a while before it's fully replenished. This can cause impurities such as water and other contaminants and, in my opinion, is the reason why a lot of the WRX demographic and other performance drivers complain about bad gas quite often. Then, there's the guy at my local Shell with the brand new STI who I witnessed pumping 87 in his car the other day... So, there's that.
I had this bad/old gas issue once with VP race gas (for a motorcycle). Regarding 87, 91, and 93, I think they make 91 by mixing the two at or near the pump. If that is true, then the 93 is getting cycled through more than you might initially think since it’s being used for 91 as well.
Everytime I use a 93 tune it knocks like crazy. I switched too 91 tune and car seems happier. I think the gas is unreliable know matter where I get it. 93 gas is never 93 gas. So running 93 tune for me in Florida is a risk.
I live in Florida as well and I’m stage 2 about to go into stage 3 and I run 93. Gas is a big determining factor but there are a lot of other things that cause knock and make the computer think it’s knock. Gas, weather conditions, and road condition are all factors. COBB even states it the number go up and down.
I run the 91 tune over the 93. Ran a couple tests of it with the same 93 gas and the same route and my knock was consistently 1.4 or 2.8 on the 91 tune. On the 93 tune it got up to 5.6 a couple of times and 7.8 then I just pulled off and reflashed to 91.
Hey Charles! As soon as I ran the 93 with 93 in the rain, my dam dropped to .85ish. Switched back to 93 gas on 91 tune and haven't had a single issue since!
WRXGarage same here! Seems like the way to go for overall car health. Im currently ust waiting to get some more parts in and then I’ll switch over to a pro-tune.
WRXGarage I had to switch down to 91tune yesterday. For the first time I saw my DAM hit 9.83 and was shook. Not sure if it was bad gas or what. Re-flashed it to a 91tune, and not the DAM is back to 1.0 ima run the 91 tune for now with 93oct gas....just to play of safe.
@@WRXGarage why are you worried about the stock clutch i know most people are not like me i beat the shit out of my car i've launched mine at the dragstrip about 20 times at 4500 rpm im at 30k miles clutch is still good 93 tune best 0-60 4.43 seconds
Yes it's definitely safe! The guidelines programmed into the ots tune will drop DAM way before any damage happens. That being said, no matter how good the quality is, you're more likely to see DAM drops with 93 gas on 93 ots tune than with 93 gas on 91 ots tune
I may try reflashing my 2014 subaru wrx from stage 1 93 octane to stage 1 91 octane. The car has not been feeling the smoothest in power and in between shifts so i will give it a shot. My D.AM. has never been below or above 1.000
So like 4 months ago I picked up a 2019 Subaru WRX is the Cobb Accessport a good first investment for a mod or should I lean towards something else?? Also would this void my warranty? And also is this Accessport really worth it?
The Accessport is the beginning gateway to start modding your car. It's pretty much impossible to do any performance mods without it. That being said, just the Cobb OTS tune from the AP is worth it on these cars. The driveability for daily driving and the way shifting feels is 10x better. As for warranty.. technically yes it does void it. Subaru of America is usually pretty lenient about it and a lot of dealerships won't care either. Some dealerships will take it really seriously.
Just purchased a 2020 wrx , first thing I got was a new exhaust. Really interested in getting Cobb access port now, anything i should be aware of before getting it as I don’t want to mess up a brand new car nor void my warranty.
The AC compressor kicks on and off even when it’s off? Or did I misunderstand that? I definitely notice more knock when I have it on though and generally avoid using the AC if I can. It kind of drives shitty in general when it’s on.
@@WRXGarage yeah I noticed that. 😕 it’s pretty annoying when it’s constantly raining here and fogs up my window. Should I worry about it this much? Or is the knock every now and then not a big deal? I just don’t wanna put strain on my car if I don’t really need to.
How was your road noise level? Did you have headache or fatigue after the drive? It could be my conti DWS06 ['19 base w/17s], but the car transmits a lot of low frequencies in the car/seat. Resting my head on the headrest has the most negative affect.... Thoughts?
K03sport unbalanced wheels/bent rim making a first order vibration that you can feel. My uncool IMPALA was doing that for a while until I got new tires lol
Don't have any personal experience with the older eras but I do know that rev-hang has always been an issue across all Subarus! So I bet stage 1 tune would make the car feel better
Is is a WRX? I noticed you didn't specify. If it's not turbo charged there's nothing to really tune for. Naturally aspirated engines can be tuned with more aggressive cam lobe shapes, headers, injectors, etoh misting or NO2 but that's a very different type of modification than what you're seeing here. Sad to say the base Impreza engine isn't worth a panel filter. It won't hurt it but you will see 0 improvement. The best thing in that case is go ape-shit lightweight, obviously don't create an unsafe situation for yourself or other cars but if you're stuck with a small untunable engine, "adding lightness" is the way to go.
Just installed 93 oct stage 1 on my 2020 wrx. Just curious on the reliability of the car in general. For that 50k+ in your odo already Did have any problems before? Anything broke down?
No issues yet.. fingers crossed. I do oil changes every 4k miles, and trans fluid every 6-8 months. If I were you, I would not use the 93 octane tune. Run the COBB 91 stage 1 even with 93 gas in your tank, it'll improve reliability and reduce knock.
soo i have a 2019 wrx and im trying to upload a new file and i just cant drag and drop for accessport it saying itll overwrite a file???? is this normal???
@@cayzerjin128 think of it like this: a 50 50 mix would be about 92 octane which would still be prone to early ignition when in full boost on the 93 octane tune. I would try and fill up at about 1/8 of a tank and then switch the tune.
Did you use 93 fuel for both 93 and 91 tune or did you use 91 fuel on the 91 tune and 93 fuel on the 93 tune? On reddit people were suggesting using he 91 tune on 93 fuel. Do you have any advice on this?
Thanks for the video on this interesting topic. I purchased a 2015 WRX new in 2015 and monitored DAM, Feedback Knock and Fine Tune Knock for almost 6 years on my Cobb Accessport. This is what I have learned. First of all, DAM and Fine Tune Knock are learned preventative features that only indicate that the engine has pulled timing to be safe. If you have a low DAM or Feedback Knock reading it does NOT mean the engine is knocking. Feedback Knock alone indicates possible knock, with a very safe threshold. Feedback Knock is accumulated into Fine Knock Learn, which then accumulates into DAM. Positive Fine Learned Knock increases DAM and negative decreases it. Unless you reset the ECU every week or so, the constant small Feedback Knocks will accumulate into Fine Knock Learn and then into DAM. From what I have seen, it is almost entirely a function of driving conditions and fuel quality. When I first installed the Cobb, I ran the 93 tune and the DAM was always at 1 for a few weeks and then it drops. I loaded the 91 tune and DAM still drops after a few weeks. The 91 octane tune runs significantly richer and I really noticed the difference in fuel economy and lower performance. The engine knock preventative system mean you do not have to sacrifice performance and keep the engine safe because it adjusts timing to compensate. I would say, forget about it unless the DAM drops below 0.4 for an extended period. Then reset the ECU, the DAM will be back to 1, but monitor it and the other knock sensors. I have had a DAM drop to 0.43 and it jumps back to 1 then next week with no explanation, change in fuel or anything. DAM was at 1.0 for the entire pandemic which must have been due to only conservative driving in the suburbs but dropped again after a couple of days of high speed crazy commuting with stop and go. The car did not change, only the driving.
One thing to add, if your fa isn’t walnut blasted it will cause dam to drop, no matter what tune. Because the ecu won’t every read correct air ratios
My top trusted fuels from top to bottom: Shell, Mobil, Sunoco, Citgo, finally Valero are on my fuel trust meter.
Even is the car wasn’t tuned, there will still be knock or possible knock. That’s why we have fine knock learn system to constantly adjust DAM to prevent or limit knock.
Yes, agreed. But DAM drops should not be happening frequently, nor should any knock feedback values higher than -2.81
That’s the thing, I’ve asked a lot of tuners and they say that can go up past that. Unfortunately it can either be knock or not because there’s a lot of factors. My highest has been close to 10 and I’ve data logged and taken it to my tuner and says everything checks out fine. But regardless one should always pay attention and take care of the car tuned or not.
Here's the biggest problem with 93 octane (or high octane, in general)... The cycle rate in which the gas station refills their tanks with fresh high octane. The vast majority of people who drive combustion engine vehicles use low, regular octane; usually 87. While the minority use high octane. That tells me that high octane sits underground for quite a while before it's fully replenished. This can cause impurities such as water and other contaminants and, in my opinion, is the reason why a lot of the WRX demographic and other performance drivers complain about bad gas quite often. Then, there's the guy at my local Shell with the brand new STI who I witnessed pumping 87 in his car the other day... So, there's that.
At the end of the day... My guess is that bad 93 will always be better than good 87, especially with a tune.
I had this bad/old gas issue once with VP race gas (for a motorcycle). Regarding 87, 91, and 93, I think they make 91 by mixing the two at or near the pump. If that is true, then the 93 is getting cycled through more than you might initially think since it’s being used for 91 as well.
u always have to put high octane on turbo engines only
Everytime I use a 93 tune it knocks like crazy. I switched too 91 tune and car seems happier. I think the gas is unreliable know matter where I get it. 93 gas is never 93 gas. So running 93 tune for me in Florida is a risk.
Agreed!
I live in Florida as well and I’m stage 2 about to go into stage 3 and I run 93. Gas is a big determining factor but there are a lot of other things that cause knock and make the computer think it’s knock. Gas, weather conditions, and road condition are all factors. COBB even states it the number go up and down.
same in pennsylvania, most people i know get knocks on their OTS 93 tune so switching to 91 around here is also a move.
@@KingZD1 yep
The new tune from Cobb v361 seems like i have more smooth power anyone else?
I run the 91 tune over the 93. Ran a couple tests of it with the same 93 gas and the same route and my knock was consistently 1.4 or 2.8 on the 91 tune. On the 93 tune it got up to 5.6 a couple of times and 7.8 then I just pulled off and reflashed to 91.
Hey Charles! As soon as I ran the 93 with 93 in the rain, my dam dropped to .85ish. Switched back to 93 gas on 91 tune and haven't had a single issue since!
WRXGarage same here! Seems like the way to go for overall car health. Im currently ust waiting to get some more parts in and then I’ll switch over to a pro-tune.
@@charlesc8477 👀 Kevin will be doing a protune this summer. Stay tuned 🤙
WRXGarage I had to switch down to 91tune yesterday. For the first time I saw my DAM hit 9.83 and was shook. Not sure if it was bad gas or what. Re-flashed it to a 91tune, and not the DAM is back to 1.0 ima run the 91 tune for now with 93oct gas....just to play of safe.
93 with octane booster on the 93 tune
You could also do 0-60 times with your accessport while running each tune
I've thought about that! I'm very hesitant to launch the car on the stock clutch..
@@WRXGarage if you ultimately planned on replacing it does it really matter???😈😈😈
@@WRXGarage why are you worried about the stock clutch i know most people are not like me i beat the shit out of my car i've launched mine at the dragstrip about 20 times at 4500 rpm im at 30k miles clutch is still good 93 tune best 0-60 4.43 seconds
Great video! I cant knock it!
Thank god for texas 93 actually being 93
93 gas with 91 tune is the best/safest!
91 gas with 91 tune is ok.
91 gas with 93 tune is bad!! Never do this one.
Woops! I edited it.
@@WRXGarage Shell has great 93 gas and its reliable 93 from my research.... Would It be safe to run 93 ots tune since I have reliable 93 gas?
Yes it's definitely safe! The guidelines programmed into the ots tune will drop DAM way before any damage happens. That being said, no matter how good the quality is, you're more likely to see DAM drops with 93 gas on 93 ots tune than with 93 gas on 91 ots tune
@@WRXGarage Thank you for the quick reply. Can't wait to help others like ya'll do. Appreciate your time.
I may try reflashing my 2014 subaru wrx from stage 1 93 octane to stage 1 91 octane. The car has not been feeling the smoothest in power and in between shifts so i will give it a shot. My D.AM. has never been below or above 1.000
blown motor
@@itgoes3284 i guess ive driven on a blown motor for 40k miles
@@Tony-tk4ht my name jeff
Great video 👍 do you have any plans on getting the maperformance stage 1 tune?
I've been considering it! But I figure I might just wait till I have some actual power mods and do an etune or protune
@@WRXGarage that's fair. I only have 17k on my wrx so I'm thinking about getting an AP from maperformance to try out there tune. Great videos though 👍
So like 4 months ago I picked up a 2019 Subaru WRX is the Cobb Accessport a good first investment for a mod or should I lean towards something else?? Also would this void my warranty? And also is this Accessport really worth it?
The Accessport is the beginning gateway to start modding your car. It's pretty much impossible to do any performance mods without it. That being said, just the Cobb OTS tune from the AP is worth it on these cars. The driveability for daily driving and the way shifting feels is 10x better. As for warranty.. technically yes it does void it. Subaru of America is usually pretty lenient about it and a lot of dealerships won't care either. Some dealerships will take it really seriously.
@@WRXGarage thank you bro appreciate the fast response. Take care. ❤️
No problem! Shoot us a message on Instagram if you have any questions
@@WRXGarage will do thanks!!
Thanks for this video! you clear a lot of points
do you need to empty the 91 octane and fill it in with 93 octane or is it okay if they mix together?
If youre running a 91 octane tune, that's fine.
i have no problems in Puerto Rico we have movil, Shell, Ecomaxx all grate 93 and only 87 or 93
Just purchased a 2020 wrx , first thing I got was a new exhaust. Really interested in getting Cobb access port now, anything i should be aware of before getting it as I don’t want to mess up a brand new car nor void my warranty.
Well, the accessport automatically voids warranty.
You think it good ideas to use 93 octane from Costco?
You’ve havnt had a problem running a 91 tune using 93 octane
Since I’m in California the most common one over here is 91 can a 91 tune go with 91 octane ?
I’m new to these things and just wanted to be more sure
Yes, 91 octane with 91 tune is fine.
@@WRXGarage thanks for the reply man!👌🏽
The AC compressor kicks on and off even when it’s off? Or did I misunderstand that? I definitely notice more knock when I have it on though and generally avoid using the AC if I can. It kind of drives shitty in general when it’s on.
Yes, having the a/c on will make your car run different.
The AC compressor will kick on if you have the window defroster on too
@@WRXGarage yeah I noticed that. 😕 it’s pretty annoying when it’s constantly raining here and fogs up my window. Should I worry about it this much? Or is the knock every now and then not a big deal? I just don’t wanna put strain on my car if I don’t really need to.
Any knock that shows -1.41 and -2.42 is completely fine. Completely normal, nothing to worry about. As long as DAM doesn't drop, there's no real issue
almost giveaway time lol great vid guys
Yessir!! So close.
Also make sure that your shoes are on and laced, your belt is on and tight, and sunglasses on and clean when you go on road trip. 🤦♀️
why the facepalm emoji?
How was your road noise level? Did you have headache or fatigue after the drive? It could be my conti DWS06 ['19 base w/17s], but the car transmits a lot of low frequencies in the car/seat. Resting my head on the headrest has the most negative affect.... Thoughts?
K03sport unbalanced wheels/bent rim making a first order vibration that you can feel. My uncool IMPALA was doing that for a while until I got new tires lol
The 17s suck lmao that’s why
Do you think a stage 1 is good for a 2013 Subaru hatchback with everything stock?
Don't have any personal experience with the older eras but I do know that rev-hang has always been an issue across all Subarus! So I bet stage 1 tune would make the car feel better
Is is a WRX? I noticed you didn't specify. If it's not turbo charged there's nothing to really tune for. Naturally aspirated engines can be tuned with more aggressive cam lobe shapes, headers, injectors, etoh misting or NO2 but that's a very different type of modification than what you're seeing here. Sad to say the base Impreza engine isn't worth a panel filter. It won't hurt it but you will see 0 improvement. The best thing in that case is go ape-shit lightweight, obviously don't create an unsafe situation for yourself or other cars but if you're stuck with a small untunable engine, "adding lightness" is the way to go.
I’m
Just installed 93 oct stage 1 on my 2020 wrx. Just curious on the reliability of the car in general. For that 50k+ in your odo already Did have any problems before? Anything broke down?
No issues yet.. fingers crossed. I do oil changes every 4k miles, and trans fluid every 6-8 months. If I were you, I would not use the 93 octane tune. Run the COBB 91 stage 1 even with 93 gas in your tank, it'll improve reliability and reduce knock.
@@WRXGarage trans fluid between 6-8 months? Why tho?
WRXGarage so I could run map 91 octane and put 93 gas ?
Jonathan Gonzalez, this is correct. Safer to run a lower octane tune vs fuel octane. This is also an OTS tune so the more conservative the better IMO.
where you complete stock? and would an aftermarket catback be a problem?
No, at this point I had a catback! Catbacks don't need any specific tune so I used a stage 1 tune which is for stock car.
What do you choose if you live in a state with 92 octane?
92 gas with 91 tune.
@@WRXGarage thanks buddy!
Just subbed. What is your AF correction 1 and AF learning? I have been getting some wild numbers
Welcome to the WRXGarage family! I don't currently track those, only the AFR.
Great video man.
soo i have a 2019 wrx and im trying to upload a new file and i just cant drag and drop for accessport it saying itll overwrite a file???? is this normal???
Try renaming the file before you upload it! Maybe that will work
Just installed 91 octane stage 1. Here in hawaii is ok to pump 92 gas?
Yes! 92 gas with 91 tune is perfect.
Do you need a j pipe or intake for this tune?
No this is a Stage 1 tune, designed specifically for a stock car!
@@WRXGarage so if I have an intake would I run stage 1 on the AP or is there a specific diff OTS map for intake
Intake is stage 1+ tune!
when you tune into 93 octane do you need to empty the 91 gas and put 93?
Yes. Do NOT run 91 gas with a 93 tune
@@WRXGarage do you really need to empty or is it fine if they mix ?
@@cayzerjin128 think of it like this: a 50 50 mix would be about 92 octane which would still be prone to early ignition when in full boost on the 93 octane tune. I would try and fill up at about 1/8 of a tank and then switch the tune.
93 ppttt. 98 standed in Australia.
Nice video that music is hideous though
Did you use 93 fuel for both 93 and 91 tune or did you use 91 fuel on the 91 tune and 93 fuel on the 93 tune? On reddit people were suggesting using he 91 tune on 93 fuel. Do you have any advice on this?
Yes, if you have 93 available the most reliable option is 93 gas with 91 tune!
FA life 💯
So im in the process of learning this whole tune/stage thing. Can I still pump 93 gas on a 91 octane? but not the other way around right?
Yes exactly! You can pump 93 octane gas with a 91 ots tune. But not the other way around.
So if I’m on 91 gas rn and wanna go to 93 that’s fine ?
On a 91 tune, yes! 93 octane with a 91 tune is the most reliable
I'm going 91 tune with 93 gas
That's the best option tbh
This is what ima do
Cuz I’m running 91 tune with 91 octane and I have feedback knock so if I switch too 93 octane it’ll be better right ?
Yes!
👍🏻👍🏻
I noticed the same switching to 93 tune on my STI. But my Ej doesn't sound like a shit fa lol
So if you have an intake do you run stage 2?
Stage 1+ for intake.
👍🏻👍🏻