tuning with hp tuners

**CamaroKidZ28** · 09-27-2009, 06:52 PM

My friend has an 06 GTO and just bought hp tuners. he bought it to learn with so he doesnt really have any experience tuning. I have a 00 z28 stock. he told me for 100 bucks he'd use some credits for my car. is there some basic standard changes that i can make or is it all trial and error(requiring tuning experience) if so, will i get any real improvements over stock?

**rel3rd** · 09-28-2009, 08:29 AM

Even a stock vehicle with a stock tune will benefit from meticulous tuning, not to mention you can make changes to make the car run, drive, shift, to your liking. After spending lots of time fine tuning my old 2000 SS, I also tuned my 2002 Silverado daily driver, and it's amazing just how far off a "stock" tune is from an actual "tune". There's a LOT more to tuning with a REAL tuning setup like HPTuners, than the YES and NO questions on a generic $400 handheld programmer. Because of that fact, there's also a lot more ways for a tuning newbie to screw up as well.

Just my opinion, but if your friend has no experience tuning, I wouldn't be the guinea pig.

There's tons of good info here from Frost (and others), tons of info at other LS1 sites, and of course tons of info at HPTuners site. Soak it up like a sponge because just when you "think" you know a little something about tuning, you'll find out you don't know diddly...read, read, read....then read some more.

Good luck!

.

**bene** · 09-28-2009, 09:48 AM

For basic changes like speedo calib, gear and such it's fine to do but other than that leave it to the pros.

**Frost** · 09-28-2009, 10:33 AM

If you have any questions about specific items, post up.

**98Hardtop** · 09-28-2009, 10:47 AM

You will be surprised at what kind of gains you can get on a stock car. Granted it won't be anything big, but it can be from getting a little bit of hp, running smoother, adjusting shift points, etc.

I gained almost a full second off my ET with no additional mods done to my car except Frost tuning it.

**tep98ws6** · 09-28-2009, 10:50 AM

I don't know how others feel about this, but I think HP Tuner is best for a dyno tune, it's kind of a pain in the butt if you're doing on the street yourself, esp WOT... but it is do-able.

**0rion** · 09-28-2009, 03:49 PM

I would do the reading yourself and help him so you know what changes are being made and why. I wouldn't just turn the car over to him but everyone has to learn one way or the other. The first thing he's going to notice is how much different your pcm is than his. A simple MAF tune though shouldn't be too tough for you guys to do. Are you an a4 or m6 car?

**Frost** · 09-28-2009, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by tep98ws6

I don't know how others feel about this, but I think HP Tuner is best for a dyno tune, it's kind of a pain in the butt if you're doing on the street yourself, esp WOT... but it is do-able.

I think it's the best and only thing (other than EFILive) to do it with.

**tep98ws6** · 09-28-2009, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by Frost

I think it's the best and only thing (other than EFILive) to do it with.

For what, dyno or street? I'm not very credible as I just started tuning this past summer. So don't listen to me anyhow

**Frost** · 09-28-2009, 09:16 PM

For ALL.

**tep98ws6** · 09-29-2009, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by Frost

For ALL.

i am enlightened.
i do really like HPTuner vs LS1Edit ... it's a very good program

***Ed Blown Vert*** · 09-29-2009, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by tep98ws6

i am enlightened.
i do really like HPTuner vs LS1Edit ... it's a very good program

Shoot, everything is better than LS1Edit. I got rid of it a long time agao.

**tep98ws6** · 09-29-2009, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by Ed Blown Vert

Shoot, everything is better than LS1Edit. I got rid of it a long time agao.

i was sick of it after one pull.

***Ed Blown Vert*** · 09-29-2009, 06:22 AM

At the time, it was the only thing out there.

But now I only use HPTuners and EFILive

**CamaroKidZ28** · 09-29-2009, 06:24 AM

I have a stock M6 '00 Z. so no changing shift points for me. that probably would've been the easiest thing to figure out how to do. let me give a few more details. He hasnt even touched his car's tune with it. he's just been playing with the scanner and tryin to find out where to start as well. so i wouldn't be turning my car over to him. we'd kinda be learning together. that being said, someone mentioned tuning my MAF. cool.....how? i have some ideas on WHAT to play with...its how to mess with them. what to change on them. correct me if i'm wrong but basics would be stuff like Air/Fuel, Timing. questions would be what should i set my timing to? will HP tuners allow me to set something too extreme that it harms my car? what should i alter on my air fuel, and to what?? this is the type of info i'm trying to seek out. i know every car may react differently to different settings but if someone could give me a window of numbers to play with that'd be a start....unless of course someone wants to tell me exactly what to change and what to change it to..... (: but that might be asking a bit much i suppose haha

**0rion** · 09-29-2009, 07:46 AM

The first thing to realize is that tuning without a wideband is more of a guessing game than anything. You can tune via the trims but for wot you'll be using the stock O2's voltages and that's just not an accurate or correct way to tune a car.
Yes, you can damage the car tuning but if you make small calculated changes you'll be fine. Just don't change anything unless you know what it does and why you're changing it. The key to tuning is the scanner and histograms and unfortunately that's the 2 things people have the hardest time grasping.
Start out by getting some logs of the car just cruising around and start playing with those histograms to get the info you need. Here's an mafvsstft histogram that will show the difference between the maf and your stft's. You'll have to disable ltft's in the tune and clear them using the vcm controls in the scanner and log your maf in hz. Get some data logged and then come back and we'll help you decipher what you're looking at.

edit:
it doesn't recognize hst files to upload it so here's a link to where you can dl it from
mafvsstft histogram

***Ed Blown Vert*** · 09-29-2009, 07:53 AM

I second that. I run a LC-1 which makes it easier to tune.

I have been out of it for a while. So I am sending my logs to Frost.
And he sends me back HPTuner files.

With the WB, its easy for him to tune.

**Hi-Po** · 09-29-2009, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by Ed Blown Vert

I second that. I run a LC-1 which makes it easier to tune.

I have been out of it for a while. So I am sending my logs to Frost.
And he sends me back HPTuner files.

With the WB, its easy for him to tune.

**CamaroKidZ28** · 09-29-2009, 08:37 AM

Sweeeet. Thanks for the point in the right direction. I'll hit up that scan asap. approx. how much driving time to get a good log?(thats the easy part, i think the hard part is going to get my buddy's new toy out of his hands for a while...haha

**Firebirdjones** · 09-29-2009, 08:55 AM

I hate computers but owning a 4th gen just makes it a necessity, not just for tuning, but the diagnostic abilities alone will save a ton of cash in the long run. So I dove into Hptuners as well. It takes a while to figure things out, even longer for someone like me that isn't computer savy to begin with.
But these guys will steer you straight. Frost and Orion both have been a huge help in figuring some things out.
The tuning part is easy if you understand what it is you are changing and what that particular motor likes. For me it's just like tuning a carb, but instead of changing jets and using tools, you are punching buttons on a screen,,and that was the hard part for me.

Like has been suggested, get yourself a wideband. I've used it only for wide open throttle tuning and just used the fuel trims for all the part throttle stuff. I've been pretty happy with how the cars have turned out at this point.