Thoughts needed on tuning process!!

[speedyWS6]

Hi Guys..,

Firstly, apologies for this being rather a "broad" question but i need to know some basics about tuning my 2000 WS6 successfully. I may ramble on a bit during this but please bear with me with all of it!!

I have had the car over here (UK) for a few months and all has been ok i guess! The previous US owner installed SLP right thru, LT's / hi flow cats / Y / Loudmouth 2. ( i realise some of you knock SLP, but it has this stuff installed and has to stay! ) It had a tune by the previous owner courtesy of a Diablosport predator (which he let me have) I have read here that these are really not the best solution for a good tune?!) and i do not want to pursue this method.

I had a cat go really rattly and horrid and after subsequently gutting both cats because of this following advice from another thread, it still drives ok, but has a pretty nasty drone at 1500-2000 ish when on the gas and is a pain. To this end i have ordered and am about to collect from the depot some of the hi flow metallic content cats from Race Parts Direct in MO via ebay.

I am not convinced that it was running at it's best when i got the car here and the cat thing has, i think, just "confused" it even further and once i get the new hi flow cats installed it will probably hold up a white flag and cry out "enough already" !!

Now.... to the tuning. I don't have the luxury of somebody like the well respected Steve at "tuned by Frost" to be able to turn to, because mail order tunes like his simply don't exist here in the UK. Soooo i have a guy an hours drive from me who has a dyno tuning company and if you should fancy a look it is www.readperformance.co.uk (moderators...if this direct link is dis-allowed, i apologise!!)

Do you guys think that he, or somebody such as this will "get it" or will i end up driving a WS6 with a tune that belongs with an earth moving machine!! I have read that a tune can be aimed at all sorts of required end results and the parameters and approaches are just endless! This just concerns the hell out of me as i don't want a tune that idles like cr*p and all hell breaks loose at far higher revs!! I am just after a car that runs and drives smoothly for a daily driver. I wonder if there are any "pertinent" questions you think i should ask to "weigh him up" and see if he knows his stuff from his responses??

I have read here that the term wideband is often used for more general tuning (correct, or nonsense)

Getting there guys!! Am i right in saying that the tune put into a PCM has a few miles to be "learnt" to run correctly or is it a quick thing to happen? Only reason i ask this is that when my rear O2's had a different reading to deal with after gutting the cats it took around 30 miles for the SES light to come on.

OK... i'll stop there and i really do welcome ANY and ALL suggestions/comments/thoughts on my situation as it will not be a cheap affair and i want to spend wisely!!

Thanks in advance for any input

Trev... )

[bills98ta]

I know that the HP Tuners isn't cheap, But, if you had it, you can e-mail your tune to Frost for him to edit and e-mail it back to you. Plus, you wouldn't have any down time !

[speedyWS6]

Bill...,

Thanks for the good suggestion, but alas my budget will not spring for that!!

I figure for that money ( maybe less) as long as the guy near me knows his stuff i will be OK?!

Whilst i am typing and not actually related to your excellent idea... (question to anybody) How "secure" is a tune once it is programmed in to the PCM?? What i mean is...can it have any mad moments and revert to factory settings in any way?? Perhaps with a battery disconnected, for example?

Thanks

Trev.. )

[pajeff02]

Any chance you can talk to some people who have had their cars tuned at the same shop -- see how they made out and if they recommend that tuner's services?

If the car is going to be dyno tuned, it should really be on a load bearing dyno. This way the tuner can populate the volumetric efficiency table quite easily and make the necessary changes to correspond to your modifications. It is also important that the MAF be properly calibrated in the tune as that is what reads the volume of air coming into the car. Lastly, everything needs to be in good working order -- plugs, wires, air filter, O2 sensors, etc... to get the most out of your tune.

Just a thought. Frost now has a service whereby he will upload a tune to a PCM he has at his shop and mail that to you. This would eliminate any turnaround time since you are overseas and it is not a whole lot more than his regular mail order tune.

[speedyWS6]

Mmmmm...,

Thanks for this reply Jeff, and it is very interesting to say the least! I had no idea that doing a mail order tune with a PCM from his stock was an option as i thought this would have been very tricky/ awkward?!

I have to say that i would love to pursue this method and i will be contacting him to find out more about all of it! Just one thought though, i cannot see a phone number on his site anywhere. With the best will in the world i would have to talk directly to him and fully understand the process and i don't think this would work very well with a "complete this form" situation!?

And... as always.... any thoughts and advice gratefully received to help me make an informed decision!

Trev... )

[Cutlass]

just send PM's to him on this site. To me, it sounds like you have a mostly stock setup with full exhaust. That is his mail order specialty and you'll be happy. And its not too expensive. Its all around the best solution.

[pajeff02]

Frost also has an e-mail link on his website. I used that a couple of times when I was asking questions prior to my mail order tune.

[speedyWS6]

Hi all,

I have sent Steve a detailed email on my requirements for my tune and i await his response!

Cutlass..... after a lot of reading on this site i do get that this sort of tune will be along the lines of his "bread and butter" work and you are right...pretty much a stock set up with a full exhaust and lid!

keep you all posted

Thanks a lot guys

Trev... )