Noob Question: How does tuning work?

[fmars62]

How exactly does tuning work? I know if you bolt on a new turbo and stuff you can't just drive it you have to get it tuned so it will work right. But do you take your car to a dyno and then they tune it from there? And does tuning fix the bugs that the car has? thanks.

 

[92AWDHX40]

tFixing the bugs no that comes first,

1 goals for car
2 pick a route you want to go
3 supporting or tuning mods, applications
4 Tech Guide: 1G 4G63t Upgrades - DSMtuners

 

[LiquidX]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-tuning-ecu/406033-tuning-solutions-you.html

 

[92AWDHX40]

Ah i like gonna save that one.

 

[my dreamt dsm]

Street tuning so called "tuned by myself." Go to the street and do a few pulls. And if you don't have much knowledge or you're rich. You go tune at the shop for like 100 bucks an hour.
Basically it tells the ecu. Look homie we got a new part. In order to work with this part you will have to do this and that to make it work with everything else. Cohesion, collaborate, teamwork, together!

 

[fmars62]

but cant i go somewhere and get my car tuned? dont they usually so that stuff at dyno's?

 

[LiquidX]

but cant i go somewhere and get my car tuned? dont they usually so that stuff at dyno's?

What you are missing is the fact that you need a tuning solution to tune your car. Without something to tune the ECU with then there is nothing that you can do to tune your car regardless of where you go.

Upping the PSI to lean out your fuel to achieve X.X:1 ratio is terrible as the injectors are no longer pulsing and are 100% maxed out (this means you will cause damage).

So, no tuning until you have a tuning solution for your vehicle.

98/99 black plastic ECUs are flashable. Every other ECU needs either a piggy back (SAFC) or needs to be chipped, you can also go with a standalone ECU like the AEM EMS.

 

[JusMX141]

but cant i go somewhere and get my car tuned? dont they usually so that stuff at dyno's?

You cannot "tune" a factory ECU in stock form without a piggyback tuning device or a way to flash the ECU if you're lucky enough to have a flashable '98/'99 ECU. That being said, a shop cannot make changes to your ECU's settings without one of these devices.

 

[4g63dreams]

But how do you even begin to tune if you were to do this alone?

 

[92AWDHX40]

Read through some of the tuning set ups for one, begin reading, and look at your goals and budget so forth, you have to start somewhere. Lots of information out there to read.

 

[MidShipCivic]

This simply cannot be explained ( on your current undestanding it has to be taught). What is it? Tuning is an ability to directly control the engine.

Learning how to do it requires complex understanding on the dynamic of an internal combustion engine.

This shouldn't turn into a 10 page topic on explaining .

 

[4g63dreams]

I responded before I read. Sorry :x,

Is there any "simulation" type of program that runs an engine theoretically so you can tune virtually before you actually tune?

 

[NickF509]

But how do you even begin to tune if you were to do this alone?

There is a lot of good books out there on amazon for relatively inexpensive. It takes a lot of time and theory to be able to tune well. I'm not sure if the AEM EMS program lets you download it and run it without it detecting a vehicle connection but this is a good way to look into what you would need to understand to be able to tune effectively.

It's not ipod easy, you don't get to say I have this car, and these mods and want to go this fast, bing, done .

 

[HURRICANE HAVOK]

ok new to the turner stuff what is the best one to pick if i want to get my car in the high 9.s. my friend on his 3kvr4 have a APEXi Super AFC NEO in shit car. do i need one of then to get in the 9.s. Cus that cam with the car, and we looked it up and that cost alot.

 

[Jon91TSi]

ok new to the turner stuff what is the best one to pick if i want to get my car in the high 9.s. my friend on his 3kvr4 have a APEXi Super AFC NEO in shit car. do i need one of then to get in the 9.s. Cus that cam with the car, and we looked it up and that cost alot.

 

[ed1380]

At $200 a Neo isn't expensive. You can get a cheaper safc for $100 and they'll work almost the same. But your not going into 9's. Or 10's with a safc

 

[HURRICANE HAVOK]

i know im not going to make 9's on that i know turbo , cams, pistons and all the good stuff gets u there. i never and to turn up the car i put the motor in my friends 3kvr4 2 diff times and so did the turbo work on it. just never turned it at all. so what im saying is what is best to run on a 9's 1g i put in 400 away for a good ecu like thing. just dont know what to get.

 

[Jon91TSi]

i know im not going to make 9's on that i know turbo , cams, pistons and all the good stuff gets u there. i never and to turn up the car i put the motor in my friends 3kvr4 2 diff times and so did the turbo work on it. just never turned it at all. so what im saying is what is best to run on a 9's 1g i put in 400 away for a good ecu like thing. just dont know what to get.

Ecmlink is probably your best choice. It uses your existing ECU eprom or not. If it is EPROM it will need to be socketed, if it is not it will need to be converted. ECMtuning offers both of these services. An ECMlink ECU will get you into the 9's if that is your goal. There are many other options as well, AEM, MoTEC, Megasquirt,Haltec, etc etc etc. You need to research before you decide to drop your coin on a tuning solution because each one has different things it can bring to the table to suit your needs.

 

[HURRICANE HAVOK]

Ecmlink is probably your best choice. It uses your existing ECU eprom or not. If it is EPROM it will need to be socketed, if it is not it will need to be converted. ECMtuning offers both of these services. An ECMlink ECU will get you into the 9's if that is your goal. There are many other options as well, AEM, MoTEC, Megasquirt,Haltec, etc etc etc. You need to research before you decide to drop your coin on a tuning solution because each one has different things it can bring to the table to suit your needs.

what do u mean by converted???

ok so would a neo work to get me there or is that diff from what u r talkin about.

 

[Tfitch90]

i know im not going to make 9's on that i know turbo , cams, pistons and all the good stuff gets u there. I never and to turn up the car i put the motor in my friends 3kvr4 2 diff times and so did the turbo work on it. Just never turned it at all. So what im saying is what is best to run on a 9's 1g i put in 400 away for a good ecu like thing. Just dont know what to get.

what the f*ck did he say ?

 

[MidShipCivic]

I really don't understand why do you keep answering him just let it be he obvious hasn't read a thing in this thread.

 

[Jon91TSi]

what do u mean by converted???

ok so would a neo work to get me there or is that diff from what ## talkin about.

If your ECU is a non-EPROM ECU, it can be converted to accept an EPROM chip. Without the EPROM chip there is no way to flash a different tune to it.

No, there is no way a NEO would get you into the 9's. It doesn't have the ability to control an injector that big, nor does it have the ability to control timing which is an essential part of tuning. You have a lot of reading to do.

 

[HURRICANE HAVOK]

If your ECU is a non-EPROM ECU, it can be converted to accept an EPROM chip. Without the EPROM chip there is no way to flash a different tune to it.

No, there is no way a NEO would get you into the 9's. It doesn't have the ability to control an injector that big, nor does it have the ability to control timing which is an essential part of tuning. You have a lot of reading to do.

ok thank you i will look that up now

 

[Mrdocprofessor]

There are lots of standalone systems out I am a fan of Megasquirt. Its cheep and has good support in the dsm world

 

[fmars62]

alright guys thanks for the replies and stuff and sorry for my late reply i have been very busy lately