AA Simon handheld programmer review

I have been interested in a software upgrade, but wanted to try something other than the JB3 or JB4, everyone else in New Jersey already has that on their N54. I saw on the Active Autowerke website, that they have a handheld programmer like the Cobb. The noticeable difference off the start is the price difference between the two units and I was wondering if anyone else had this programmer? Also, how does it stack up against the Cobb or the JB3/4. Is it easily intergrated with the BMW system like the cobb or does it take more experience and troubleshooting? I haven't seen it talked about much on the internet and Im looking for a first-hand review of the system. Thanks!

Not the same thing, AA tune is for N52, while the JBs are for the N54...

I just re-checked their website and they do have one for the N54 motor
http://store.activeautowerke.com/act...imon-p211.aspx

Originally Posted by eric323hemphill

I just re-checked their website and they do have one for the N54 motor
http://store.activeautowerke.com/act...imon-p211.aspx

Well if they've expanded it then I guess that works. I actually have used the simon tool, overall the thing is pretty easy to use, it's just one big hand held unit, you use the laptop to load software you receive from AA onto it, and then take the tool itself and plug into the OBD port next to the driver and it does the flash. It can store a few profiles so you can flash back and forth between stock and tunes, it takes quite a bit of time to do though, I'd say probably 30 to 40 minutes so it's not a "switch on the fly", it's recommended you have the car connected to a battery tender because it would be on so long without the engine running.

Overall, it's very easy to use (don't have to lift the hood, OBD plug in, read and then write with few button clicks), but just not something you'd use frequently. The 350 it cost is mostly for if you are under warranty and want to either flash your car back before going to the dealer or they accidentally erase your tune and you don't want to pay a shop to reload it.

Originally Posted by Cultr

Well if they've expanded it then I guess that works. I actually have used the simon tool, overall the thing is pretty easy to use, it's just one big hand held unit, you use the laptop to load software you receive from AA onto it, and then take the tool itself and plug into the OBD port next to the driver and it does the flash. It can store a few profiles so you can flash back and forth between stock and tunes, it takes quite a bit of time to do though, I'd say probably 30 to 40 minutes so it's not a "switch on the fly", it's recommended you have the car connected to a battery tender because it would be on so long without the engine running.

Overall, it's very easy to use (don't have to lift the hood, OBD plug in, read and then write with few button clicks), but just not something you'd use frequently. The 350 it cost is mostly for if you are under warranty and want to either flash your car back before going to the dealer or they accidentally erase your tune and you don't want to pay a shop to reload it.

Yeah I read most of that from the website but they didn't mention how long the flash takes. Do you have the handheld for N52? And do you know why there is such a cost difference between the Cobb and the AA?

Don't know the difference between COBB and AA unfortunately, but I can tell you that the tool for the N52 and N54 are the same units, the only difference is that when you get the unit, you use it to read your current software from your car, then send that to AA, they modify it, send it back to you, you load it on the tool and flash it to your car over the original software. so the unit itself is the same, the difference is the change they make to your stock files read from the car. If you can find people who doesn't need their tool anymore you can get it at a discount, in fact I don't see why you wouldn't be able to just borrow one even, since the owner (be it N52 or N54) can just load his own file back onto it using his computer after you are done.

I'd prefer to have my own just in case I ever need to have it, but thanks for the info and suggestion

This thread over on E90Post contains pretty much everything you need to know about the Cobb N54 AP.

AA has a well-regarded tune for the N52 NA engine, but Cobb is proven for both gains and reliability on the N54 and a number of other platforms (MazdaSpeed3 and 6, Subie WRX and STi, etc.). Not trying to sound like a vendor (I'm not), but why go with a handheld tune that has relatively little feedback (AA) over one that has a myriad of it (Cobb)?