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Open Flash Tablet Review - came from JB4
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08-07-2013, 09:36 AM | #1 |
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Open Flash Tablet Review - came from JB4
Quick background - I've had my 08 135i (6mt) for about a year, 100% stock at the time of purchase. The first mod and only mod I have purchased up to this point has been the Jb4 Piggy Back unit. As soon as I installed it, I put a few gallons of e85in and set it to Map 5. Wow! The car pulled strong and roasted my new set of Hankooks in less than 5k miles. Now, I NEED TIRES!
Got some Michellin PSS's and traction was no longer an issue. The car ran great, but I have to say, it didn't run great every time I hit the gas. The JB4, while a great value for the $, had it's issues. I know the G5 helps in many areas, but it's still hacking the ECU and for this reason it will never be a consistent tune. JB4 Likes: - Gauge hacking - Boost gauge, in dash code reading, gauge sweep on start-up - On the fly map switching - Autotone Map Dislikes: - Inconsistent power delivery. It sometimes hit the power band hard, and sometimes it felt like it was dragging a bit. It also fluttered a bit throughout the powerband. It had it's moods. - The power seemed to shutter between shifts for some reason. It would occaisionally fall on it's face unless I shifted extremely fast. I'm not trying to race every time I hit the pedal though, so this was a major turn-off. - In 6th gear, lightly pressing the pedal to change lanes, it would boost higher than necessary, yet the car would not move much. I would need to down shift to gain a little speed with little pedal effort. It seemed to be pushing more air, but not delivering the power to the wheels as you'd expect at 12-15lbs of boost at 2500rpms. At the end of the day, I recognize the JB4 is mostly a boost controller that is essentially hacking the ECU outside of it's normal operating values. And because of this design, it has power delays and inconsistencies. This is not ideal for my daily driver. Now - I have for the first time flashed my ECU with the Open Flash Tablet - Stage 1 OFT map. After a few days of driving around with it (no JB4 - uninstalled), here are my thoughts. I should note, I've had a Cobb AP on my last ride (STi - built engine, upgraded fuel, turbo, etc) and even had it pro-tuned. It's not apples to apples to a BMW, but it is worth noting that the Cobb OTS flash, and even had Cobb Pro-tune it, compared to the previous OpenSource tune I had it was a bit watered down. Wasn't impressive to me at all, albeit safe, just not as fun and didn't perform to my expectations for the setup I had. Having this experience has kept me from installing a Cobb on the BMW. Back to this OF Tab - The very first thing I noticed was how responsive the throttle was just putting around town in the lower RPM range. The best I describe it as is it felt like I had a V8 under the hood. The low end power was night and day, no joke. I mashed the pedal after she warmed up and felt the power all the way to redline. It was extremely smooth, and had no fluttering at all. I shifted to second and the power transitioned smoothly without any hesitation like I experienced with the JB4. Simply put, the car felt like it was stock with regard to the consistency and smoothness of the power band, only MUCH faster. This is all I ever wanted in my daily driver. On the highway, I barely push the pedal in 6th gear to pass a car and it immediately, and i mean IMMEDIATELY pulls without hesitation or fluttering. With the JB4, you would hear the turbos spool but it just wouldn't get up an go. You had to either downshift or push the pedal more. All around, it is the most driveable tune I have had and am thoroughly pleased. She feels faster, smoother, and much more consistent. Every time I floored it, it feels the same as the last time I floored it - aside from a little heat soaking in this 100+ Texas heat - it is unbelievably consistent. And, with all the current and planned features for the OF tablet, and I know I will have all the features that I had on the Jb4 and then some. So all and all, for the money - it is an absolute steal and a huge upgrade from the JB4. Way to go Shiv/Vishnu - I am impressed! Sorry for the long post - I just wanted to provide all my thoughts for consideration. Thanks guys! Last edited by n54door; 08-07-2013 at 11:14 AM.. |
08-07-2013, 10:10 AM | #2 |
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Good review... makes me want one.
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08-07-2013, 10:30 AM | #4 |
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great write up, hope this is all honest and true. Although I did have Cobb AP on my BMW and has nothing but issues, but that was do to having bad VANOS solenoids so I'd go into limp mode almost after every heavy pull. Either way, I just don't feel like Cobb would be a good match up for BMW as you have stated.
JBx is piggyback which isn't something I'm really into, I the OS Tablet looks very cool and the price is incredible. Can't wait till next week when I can purchase one without putting strain on my wallet. Hopefully I have the same experience as you did! |
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08-07-2013, 10:52 AM | #5 |
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Thanks for the review but just to clear something up the way the G4 operates and the way the G5 ISO operates are completely different. Inconsistent power delivery and lag during manual shifts were not uncommon G4 complaints which lead to the G5 ISO development. Also for what it's worth I expect at some point in the future the JB4 will be able to flash your DME directly so you get the best of both worlds with it.
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08-07-2013, 10:59 AM | #7 |
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OpenFlash tablet
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08-07-2013, 11:19 AM | #8 | |
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Updated the review. The car is stock aside from the Open Flash Tablet. Stage 1 flash. Last edited by n54door; 08-07-2013 at 11:27 AM.. |
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08-07-2013, 11:24 AM | #9 | |
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Mike |
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08-07-2013, 11:59 AM | #10 |
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Great review. At the end of the day everyone has their opinion. I personally don't have experience with the JB products, but I have used COBB OTS and PROcede. I have to admit, the OFT (Open Flash Tablet) OTS maps are much better than COBBs. PROcede didn't have the same issues as JB and I was very happy with my PROcede. Just needed a change a pace to keep things interesting. It's nice to have options and Rombinhood and Shiv really knocked it out of the park. Great job guys...
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08-07-2013, 12:11 PM | #12 |
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Seems about the same review from everyone getting an openflash tablet I myself have had nothing but fun since getting my tablet.. And to all those who try to knock the openflash in my opinion are just ignorant and probably havnt even driven in a oft car.. I honestly dont care about this supposed "free flash" thats coming out, i dont expect anything for free plus a "free flash" will not have the customer support that shiv and the whole vishnu team offer.. I have personally spoken to Shiv on a few different occasions and his customer service so far has been second to none. Anyway OP enjoy the tablet there are many great features and maps to come!
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08-07-2013, 12:29 PM | #13 | |
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Thanks for the fantastic review. We really appreciate you taking the time to write that. Definitely working hard on this end to keep things moving forward |
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08-07-2013, 01:24 PM | #14 | |
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Thanks for all you do Shiv, I'm excited for the future of this project. Last edited by n54door; 08-07-2013 at 02:38 PM.. Reason: spell check |
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08-07-2013, 04:54 PM | #16 | |
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You could always stack the OFT with the Procede, though and get what appears to be one of the best combinations of tunes available for our cars. |
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08-07-2013, 04:56 PM | #17 | |
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2-step/NLS is not supported by the OFT alone. It has no i/o to control additional relays/solenoids. That would be the job of the Procede. |
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08-07-2013, 05:06 PM | #18 |
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Its possible to free up a pin on the DME and reprogram it for that purpose, however it would be much easier and faster to get a piggyback for sure.
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08-07-2013, 05:13 PM | #19 |
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I was referring to the Tablet not having digital I/Os to control ignition relays. The factory DME, with some work, could have some outputs reassigned to control a relay. But like you said, that's a lot of work may not be worth it given other options.
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08-07-2013, 06:08 PM | #21 |
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How much E85 are you able to run?
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08-07-2013, 06:13 PM | #22 | |
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