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Custom tune vs canned / dyno results

16K views 25 replies 14 participants last post by  adurm 
#1 ·
I've poured through the community dyno thread.

I've also read through that entire 43+HP from a CAI and custom tune thread.

Seems to me from what I can tell, custom tuned cars respond way, way better than canned tuned cars.

I'm looking for feedback on the bold statement.

I've read a lot of opinions that if you just do CAI, Headers, Exhaust on a 3.8, you can just use the canned tune. That makes no sense to me when a custom tune+CAI produced remarkably more HP than anyone would think, and had sheets (finally) to back it up.
 
#2 ·
I don't understand why none of the people who currently offer "tuning" solutions hasn't answered this yet. It seems like a valid question.

From what I understand the "only" method is to send your ECU to a tuner and have them flash the EEPROM. Which could maybe be a gimmick and there really IS a way to tune on the fly while strapped to the dyno. A tye of system similar to Hondata, LS1 Edit etc...

I could be wrong though. I am also curious as to what software these shops are using to provide "custom" tunes.
 
#3 ·
Well, while the possibility exists, I'm not really doubting that PA/SFR (BTRcc seemingly as well) can do custom tunes...

What I'm doubting is the idea that a canned tune is all that useful. As many have said its more about the TCS, Redline, etc improvements. If that's true for you, then a canned tune is the bomb.

When someone has dyno's taking a CAI+Custom tune to 40+HP, and both mods are known good for something like 25 - For me, a canned tune is a waste of money, if this is indeed true.

Seems like exhaust+cai+custom tune should be worth 60+ HP, if you can get ~45 from a CAI+custom tune.
 
#4 ·
Custom tunes will always give better results than a canned tune. A canned tune has to be safe enough to work on a wide range of cars with different mods. You have to either leave some power on the table or risk damaging the engine. This is why I always preach getting a custom tune over a canned tune.
 
#5 ·
:gc-smiley-sign-i-ag

There's a lot of variables involved when tuning. Ambient temp, altitude, fuel delivery, etc with that said a custom tune will always give u more power (it's specific to ur car and mods)
 
#7 ·
realize that EVERY car is different. so Like people said a canned tune has to be safe enough for the motor. no knock. no misfires. A/F ratios perfect. Fuel trims. Spark tables. it NEEDS to be done with a custom tuner.

And we would we would right now. but apparnetly the ECU is still locked and no one has really cracked it. only a piggyback tune from what I have heard. if we were able to crack the ecu we could have a program like HP Tuners and others where we could do this ourselves. but its not in the cards yet.

Once we do get to that point some serious HP/TQ can be met.

My custom tune on my turboed cobalt was 50+ HP and 70+ TQ. on just an intake and Tune.

so the possibilities are there. just need the ECU to be cracked.

custom tune>canned tune. FTW
 
#8 ·
Lets not blow this too far out of proportion. With the tunes available to the 3.8 at this time, you pretty cant do much better than the canned tune. i got the most WHP out the stock canned tune and when we started the custom we couldnt do better. Just saying with the 3.8 there isnt much as far as custom.
 
#9 ·
I have a custom PowerAXEL tune and love it..can I tell you if I gained more HP with it, no. But I would still recommend it every day plus twice on Sunday.

But, as people have said, it is not available on a daily basis. Canned tunes still provide a much needed boost to these cars over stock. The best $ for $ mod you can get.
 
#10 ·
I've got a canned SFR tune. Would I spend the extra $$ for dyno time, plus however long it took them to get it tuned correctly for an extra couple of hp? Probably not. Not worth it unless you are looking at new cams.
 
#11 ·
Jay even told me that a custom tune isn't worth it, maybe you can squeeze another 1~2whp, but it's unlikely. The canned tune does quite a bit for this car, it adjusts the TCS, so that way you can launch much better, it improves throttle response greatly, it also added power. Make sure you specify the octane, he has different tunes for varying octane numbers and tunes tailored to the mods you have as well.

I used the 93 octane tune and contrary to my initial belief, it adds power, I tested it myself.
 
#12 ·
Custom tune will most likely yield better results than canned tunes.

1. All cars run similar from factory but never the same.
2. All cars respond similar from factory but never the same.
3. With misc. bolton's or other modifications, custom tuning can help smooth out the powerband and maybe squeeze out some extra power
4. Canned tunes will always be on the safeside due to minor differences each car can have, thus the powerband and max power may decrease.
5. Custom tuned cars can also have lower HP/Torque numbers than those with canned tunes but even with lower numbers, it will most likely beat and outlast the canned tunes because it has been tuned for optimal powerband, response, timing, and AFR for that particular car.
6. numbers don't mean everything. I wish more people realized this
 
#13 ·
I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised that there's not more useful info here. It was like pulling teeth to get info out of the guy with the car, out of the tuner, and the shop was almost non-existent.

I found the thread here that talked about the same stuff, and there's just as little info there as well.

If I were PA, and I had legit dyno's and a tune to prove CAI+Tune=+43 HP, I think it'd be on a billboard somewhere way up high in neon lights.
 
#14 ·
You sound like a spoiled little brat with that statement. If you did your own homework, you would already know about the issues with cracking the ECU in these cars. So you expecting more information than has already been posted is just a bit ignorant on your part.

And, BTW, I got over 20WHP on my tune, and a few others have as well.


End rant/
 
#19 ·
There was a problem cracking the 2011 ECU's a long time ago but that time has passed.

I have dynoed each upgrade I have made and posted it around here.

Basically, 19hp from the SFR flash.
 
#21 ·
This is one of the toughest decisions for me. I hear a lot of good from both but its like, I should probably go custom tune due to the sheer fact that I would have to send off my ecu because there is no close "Canned tuner" around me. Thats another $300 on top of the tune itself if im not mistaken.
 
#22 ·
PM with what you are looking to get out of it and I can shoot you some information.

Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#23 ·
I've posted it before but attached are my dyno results all on the same dyno under very similiar conditions.

The lowest numbers are completely stock. The middle numbers are with all my bolt-ons and a canned tune. The highest numbers are just going to a custom tune (same tuner btw).

IMO, canned tune is just an easy way for the tuner's to make money (no additional tuning) and offers minimal benefit to the end user.

Also, at 6500 rpm my modified car makes 50hp & 50 tq more than it did stock at the same point on the powerband! Not to shabby!

 
#24 ·
Hey Suns, I see in your sig you got some bolt ons. Am I correct in assuming the RC2 is the intake and the CNT is the exhaust. Grimmspeed the thermal spacer or the intake porting? Also what is the OBX gear?

Im asking cuz I wanna get a custom tune, too. I want to see how close I might be to your stats.

Thanks!!!!
 
#25 ·
R2C is the intake and the best one imo.

Grimmspeed did the balance porting, ceramic coating, and sold me the phenolic spacer for the intake plenum. My intake is often cool to the touch when I open my hood since this mod. This mod before a custom tune is the main thing I attribute to my very meaty midrange.

My exhaust is the CNT but the old style 3" one. I know for a fact that the large single exhaust makes more notably more midrange while only losing a couple of hp up top compared to dual exhausts. The only comparable exhaust still in production is the MDX.

The OBX is just an inexpensive pulley. You can run the more expensive ones but there is no reason too. Also, the only one that even makes any difference is the crank one as it's the largest diameter and weighs 4#.

The only mod I've added since then is that I insulated the intake piping. It use to be on 100 degree days after I was stuck in traffic the car would run pretty poorly for about 30-45 seconds when I would try and take off. Now there is none of that. It definitely worked.

Compare my dyno graphs to comparable dynos w/ similiar mods and simiiar peak hp numbers and then look in the midrange and see that I dominate those other engines in the midrange. That's mostly because of the Grimmspeed mods and the single 3" exhaust system.

Have fun modifying your GC. It's a lot of fun and not too pricey, at least in the beginning.
 
#26 ·
right on. I gotta find a dyno shop around daytona beach. Im running lightweight pulleys, magnaflow exhaust, injen CAI and a thermal spacer right now and I have no clue what each of those added or took away. I need something that keeps the wheels from breaking loose. Or I need to learn to drive like a boss.

thanks for your input.
 
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