Diablosport Predator,,,any experience with them?

**Firebirdjones** · 01-24-2007, 10:05 AM

I realize this has probably been talked about many times, but after searching I only found general questions.
I have been looking into it, the U7198 model specifically.
It seems to have alot of features, including playing with fuel and timing tables, disable and/or adjust the torque managment as well as play with shift points on the autos. I also see it is capable of reading diagnostic codes and disabling some of the P-codes.
I read where it can also store up to 5 custom tunes, this sounds like a nice all around hand held unit that does alot with minimal hassle.
I am seriously considering picking one up to play with on my 02 SS.

Anyone use it? Have you seen any differences in quarter mile times or mph? Pros/cons?
I don't plan on a cam change or anything drastic inside the motor, so a simple tuner may just do the job for me. Any thoughts before I lay down the money?
I have a laptop, and have tuned on my 88 Iroc burning chips and what not,,,,but I find that most software is not very user friendly and quite frankly and pain in the ass to find your way around. So I tend to shy away from LS1 Edit for this reason, plus I don't think alot of the extra things offered with LS1 Edit will be used in my case, and the diablo seems to have all I would need in a convenient package. Anything else I am missing? Larry.

**Firebirdjones** · 01-24-2007, 05:06 PM

Wow, no experienced diablo users in here?
I have done searches but the poll seems to be out on this one, kinda 50/50.
Oh well.

**89LX** · 01-25-2007, 02:19 PM

I have the Diablosport Predator and it will do the things you listed. It has a performance tune which I installed and a stock tune re-install if you change your mind. I posted a question earlier on what are good known parameters for timing,fuel etc. and received no help. The instructions come with how to change all these characteristics but don't offer any recommendations. Shift points, CAGS removal, speed limiter, 02 disable, eg. are all self explanatory and work as advertized.

**Firebirdjones** · 01-25-2007, 04:54 PM

Ya that kinda worries me, buy something and find no help to use it. Sounds like a nice piece for a handheld,,,does alot of stuff that most hand helds never did in the past.
So how is the performance tune? Any faster? Can you change anything from the performance tune or do you have to go back to stock? It would be nice to have a performance tune to start with and tinker from there, it would really help the computer dummys like me that have a hard time finding my way around or even understanding the damn abreviations everyone uses.
I am curious how the performance tune performs on it,,,as far as,,,does it automatically make the fans work with a 160 thermostat? Does it get rid of torque management? Does it raise the automatic shift points? Or is this stuff that has to be done on your own in a more custom tune? Larry.

**89LX** · 01-25-2007, 05:20 PM

Here are the basics it will do:
The Predator was created with one thing in mind, POWER!
Average power gains are in 15-20 RWHP range in the cars and 20-30 RWHP in the truck line. The Predators additional power makes itself noticeable immediately with an increase in power that starts in the low RPMs and builds into a frenzy at the high RPMs.
A Predator equipped vehicle will notice significant improvements in drivability. The additional power and improved shift patterns created by the Predator tune will yield quicker acceleration, firmer shifts, better mileage and improved towing characteristics, whether it is in town or out on the highway towing an 8,000 lbs trailer.
The power increase in the lower RPMs will yield a better throttle response; help maintain speeds on inclines and towing. The wider power band that the Predator creates will be particularly noticeable in city driving, where speeds constantly change. The mid-to-upper power increase is extremely useful on the highway when passing slower vehicles and to quickly maneuver out of emergency situations.
The increase in MPG is a byproduct of maximized engine efficiency, the improved timing curve and air/fuel ratio creates a more complete combustion, i.e. the engine extracts more power from each molecule of gasoline.
Predator tunes re-map the

Fuel Curves
Timing Curves
Torque Management
Extend Speed Limiters
Extend Rev Limiters
Disable CAGS (Skip Shift)
Part and Full Throttle Shift Points
Shift Timing
Shift Presure
DiabloSport Performance tunes require the use of Super Unleaded / Premium grade fuel only, like carried by Amoco/BP, Sunoco or Mobil.

Go to and download the manual...Jim
http://www.diablosport.com/index.php...d=17#downloads

**Firebirdjones** · 01-26-2007, 02:41 AM

Thanks, I read all that from their website. What I would like to know is,,,,,is all that hype really true? Coming from someone that actually uses it?
I have a feeling that once you install their performance tune you can't work off of that. And if some of the things in the tune are not optimized, like shift points or fan on/off temps then I have to go back to square one, meaning throw the stock tune in there and start from scratch.
In stock form the computer is programmed to shift at 5750, how far is that raised? 6100, 6200? Can you vary from the performance tune or are you stuck with what they give you? Larry.

**Firebirdjones** · 01-26-2007, 02:52 AM

I guess to sum it up,,,,,an easier question would be,,,,,is this thing all that it is hyped up to be? Anyone actually see a quarter mile time difference with it? My experience in the past is the hand helds have not been worth the plastic they are made with,,,,but my experience goes way back, I am hoping they have improved over time, and it seems to have more functions than most of them I have seen. Larry.

**rotwiler** · 01-28-2007, 05:22 AM

I have been running using a Predator since early 03 on my 02 Z28 A4. I gained over 22 rwhp with it and about the same tq. On the same dyno and the same day. When you add in the performance tune, then you can go in adjust things. I found with my car stock at the drag strip I would bouce off the ref limiter(it solved that issue), after I put on Long tube headers I went in and adjusted air fuel on a dyno using a wideband o2 and worked great. I need to send mine back to Diablosport and get a update that has more features, just been lazy. My car is putting out about 350 rwhp and all I have are the LT headers with high flow cats, fipk and catback. Stock with only a lid my car put down only 284 rwhp, with the addition of the Predator it put down 306.1, after the catback and LT headers I'm right about 348rwhp..I'm at work so no #'s here.. But I know the 284 and 306.1 are correct.

**Firebirdjones** · 01-28-2007, 07:31 AM

Aaaaaha,,,thats what I like to see. Glad to see back to back comparisons right on the spot. Substantial Hp gains for sure. Even a custom tuner in my area told me a custom tune would only yield me about an additional 15-20 rwhp so this Diablo sounds like it's doing a decent job.
The local tuner here also told me that you don't see most of your quarter mile gains in the HP department when tuning the A4 cars, but most of the ET gains come from eliminating the torque management and raising the transmission shift points, the added HP is a small part of the equation.
You answered my HP question and thats what I was looking for. You sound like a happy customer.
I would also love to see track time comparisons between stock and Diablo tunes,,,,since it's so easy to do right on the spot I am surprised more people have not experimented with this.
I am really balancing on a fence right now,,,should I go diablo or go with HPtuner? Tough decision. Larry.

**Street Lethal** · 01-28-2007, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

I have a laptop, and have tuned on my 88 Iroc burning chips and what not, but I find that most software is not very user friendly and quite frankly and pain in the ass to find your way around....

If your already fluent w/burning chips, believe me when I tell you... using HPTuners will be an absolute breeze. I used to burn chips myself, still do every now and then. There's no comparison.

**0rion** · 01-29-2007, 11:02 PM

What are your mod plans for the car? If you have plans down the road for more than just bolt ons save yourself the headache and money and buy a full editor like HPtuners. If you don't plan to go past the bolt on stage then the predator will work for you. I use both. I use edit on my f-body and a predator on my GTO just because the GTO will never get past the bolt on stage and it's not a car I plan on keeping forever so I can resell the predator and get a little of my money back. I use a g-tech to test mods and picked up ~3 tenths with the predator in the GTO. The GTO is an auto and adjusting the shift points made the 1-2 shift almost scary. That thing really pops 2nd. I tell people that I let drive the car when they get on it to make sure they're pointing in a straight line because the 1-2 shift surprises you.

**Firebirdjones** · 01-30-2007, 02:42 AM

Well, I plan to keep this car. I am the type of car guy that buys and keeps everything.
As far as what my plans are? Right now since the mileage is low and the car runs great, only simple bolt ons for now. Possibly headers would be the wildest bolt on for quite a while. As mileage gets higher and time goes on and gets to the point where I have to do a motor for it,,,,then I may go with a mild stroker setup, smallish cam, smallish converter, and keep the car very drivable. This may happen in a couple years or maybe several years down the road, it just depends on how good the car is to me and how much I drive it.
In other words, if the engine doesn't give me any reason to go inside of it, I plan to keep it buttoned up. No camshafts, no cylinder heads etc....and when the time comes, the whole engine comes out.
So ya I guess you could say just bolt ons will get me by for a few years, then later on things will need more serious tuning. Problem with this plan of attack, is when it comes to computers, they are always updated, changed, something better comes out every year it seems. And what I buy now won't have any support 3-4 years from now. I have seen that happen many times when it comes to computer software.
So do I buy diablo and hope it does okay,,,,or by HPtuner and do some mild tuning now, hang on to it for later down the road when I need more serious tuning? Larry.

**Firebirdjones** · 01-30-2007, 02:46 AM

Hey Street Lethal. I tend to agree with you. I have been looking at various screen shots of HPtuner and I like the way it looks, and appears to be easier to find your way around.
I am leaning towards HPtuner more than anything, and just play with it hoping to familiarize myself with it and make some changes. I just hope that if I go this route, and I have questions about how something works, I can get answers rather than arguements. That always seemed to be the problem with TunerproRT when I was learning the ropes on that system and burning chips. It got old real fast. Larry.

**Firebirdjones** · 01-30-2007, 02:56 AM

For example, I always seem to forget how 02 millivolts work.
I know that .450 millivolts is the threshhold, but when the number goes higher does that mean richer or leaner? I can never keep that straight.

Also something new on HPtuner that I never saw on tunerpro is Long term fuel trim and Short term fuel trim.
I know what they are and what they mean, and I have read that target is 0. My question here is,,,and please tell me whether I have this right.

Whether long term or short term, if it is reading for instance +2,,,,,,doesn't that mean the car is running lean by 2 percent or so and the computer is trying to compensate by adding fuel,,,,so in order to bring that back to a targer of 0 I would actually try to add 2% of fuel to bring that +2 back to 0? Am I thinking right? Larry.

**Wesman** · 02-25-2007, 04:42 PM

I wish they made the Predators for the 98 F-Bodies

**jrgswhitels1** · 02-27-2007, 02:08 PM

That fuel mapping you mentioned is correct. It is adjusting to 0 where it is running just lean, therefore, it is adding fuel.

**WARP211** · 03-09-2007, 04:13 PM

If I plan on installing headers on my 02" camaro.. will the diablo work for that.. I mean i can adjust A/F ratio to make it stop runing rich right.. When you add headers it leaves excess of air in the exhust therefore the 02's will see rich.. Right..?? well I hope someone can help me out.. I plan on putting them on but I wana know if I can just use the Diablo.. Without have to get an ls1 edit or hp tuner.. I have plans for a Cam/Heads setup.. But that will be later on down the road.. I know once I get that then I will need a good tune.. like EFI live or Hp tuners..

**Wesman** · 03-09-2007, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by WARP211

If I plan on installing headers on my 02" camaro.. will the diablo work for that.. I mean i can adjust A/F ratio to make it stop runing rich right.. When you add headers it leaves excess of air in the exhust therefore the 02's will see rich.. Right..?? well I hope someone can help me out.. I plan on putting them on but I wana know if I can just use the Diablo.. Without have to get an ls1 edit or hp tuner.. I have plans for a Cam/Heads setup.. But that will be later on down the road.. I know once I get that then I will need a good tune.. like EFI live or Hp tuners..

I don't think the O2's get a false reading, they should be able to read the oxygen content of the exhaust regardless of how much is exiting the engine. After a tune, they function fine.

From my understanding (I'm not a tuner) the reason the motor runs rich is because there is less exhaust left in the combustion chamber after the exhaust stroke. The stock manifolds can't possibly evacuate all the exhaust gasses on the exhaust stroke, so there is always some exhaust left. When the new charge of Air and Fuel enter on the intake stroke, its going to get somewhat leaner due to the exhaust gases that are still in the chamber. The ECU figures this in, and makes the A/F richer so it works out.

With LT headers, much more exhaust can be expelled from the motor after each cycle, so if the incoming charge is rich, its going to stay on the rich side, since theres less exhaust gasses left to lean it out.

Thats just my best educated guess, if someone can explain it for sure please do.

**WARP211** · 03-12-2007, 08:33 AM

Thanks wesman for your input on this.. If anyone else has some more info let me kno guys..

**Firebirdjones** · 03-12-2007, 12:16 PM

Hey Warp,,,I was looking pretty hard at the diablo before I bought HP tuner. Yes I beleive the diablo does allow you to play with the fuel trim + or - 5
It may be enough to help you dial in the A/F ratio after the header install. It also deletes the rear 02's and some other neat features,,,,it's pretty good for just a handheld tuner,,,I was very very close to buyin it,,I don't think you could go wrong with it unless you plan on very serious mods, like large cam, big heads etc....and even then the diablo has the ability to store 5 custom tunes that you can plug in at any time. As long as you go to a tuner that supports diablo, you can have a custom dyno tune for any combo you may have, and they can plug it into your diablo. Check the website,,,somewhere on there they list all the supporting tuners for diablo, hopefully there is one near you. Hope that helps. Larry.