Grimlock

I met up with some guys with Corvettes in a local club over the weekend and we got to talking about dyno tuning as we were at a Dyno Day. With my current Charger, the way to do it is to buy a Diablo Predator handheld tuner. You can then use a canned tune (they offer 4 out of the box canned tunes). And if you want more, you head to a dyno tuner and they do a custom tune and load it into your Predator. Then if you want to go back to stock for SMOG or warranty you just pop the stock tune back using your handheld unit.

The guys at the meet said that with a Vette you don't get a handheld tuner, but go straight to the Dyno Tuner and have them load it directly. SO nobody out there is using anything like a Diablo Predator or Trinity in their Vettes?

uberC5

I have a Predator for my 02Z. It works alright. Most useful for tuning out CAGS and changing your fan temps. Will read codes easier then thru the DIC, and has some limited datalogging and self tuning built in.

I uninstalled it recently for a few reasons, none of which had to do with me not liking it. IMHO, this motor needs a wideband to tune properly. I don't have one, so it wasn't worth it for me to do any serious tweaking with the tables. Also, I plan to have LT's, an x-pipe and electric cutouts installed over the winter, along with a cam after that. Not something the Predator is the ideal tuner to handle. I will have a reputable shop install, dyno, AND road tune that combo.

Grimlock

On a bone stock car, does the Predator offer any real gains? Can you even gain 10hp? On a SRT8 you can gain close to 15hp, but I assume a Z06 has a more aggressive tune from the factory than a SRT8 and won't gain nearly as much.

Toque

My tuner has my tune on file, and has tweaked it for me here and there for over 5 years. (Intake/Heads/Cam/Headers etc...)

I need to get that tune file to save it on my home computer (in case his file gets lost).

There is no reason to go back to a stock tune for emissions. I would damage my motor very quickly if I went back to a stock tune...

Its a bit of a waste spending money on a tune on a stock car. I would wait till you add headers, and an intake. Then you NEED a tune because you will likely be running too lean.

Toque

Grimlock

I doubt I will ever be adding headers to my car since SMOG laws are crazy in California. I doubt there are any legal here, but I suppose I could be wrong.

nstyzo6

SCT & Diabolo are tuning device that hold multiple tunes and can tweak a few perameters with in the tune.

Its more common with vettes to take the car to a dyno tuner, most use a software called HP tuners they hook there computer to your car and adjustments from there and have your tune save in there computer.

Trust me I wondered the same, I had a nitrous mustang and had 3 tunes saved on my SCT that I could switch pretty quick: Street tune, Nitrous tune, 1/4 mile tune. On the Nitrous tune the car ran sluggish cause of timing tooken out...so I would only upload it when needed. I would hate to go to the shop to switch tunes each time I needed to.

bud miller

had my 04 tuned last yr..was well worth it...no headers since i live in kaliforneia..with the CAI(blackwing), air bridge, and granatelli MAS, and cat back
did almost 380 to the rear wheels..well worth the tune..i figure almost 28-30 rwhp bump...and it passes smog..


bud

uberC5

I think it was maybe 10hp, but I had no before dyno to compare it to. My AFR was pretty rich, but I was just doing the dyno to make sure the tune was safe enough. I de-married the Predator shortly after. A real tune with a wideband is the only way I'll go now, especially as it seems the LS6 gets fickle with bad AFR's

IABLKZ06

Can you can hook a wide band to the Predator, datalog a run and then tweak the tune accordingly?

uberC5

I would say no. There is no place to input the WB data stream. You could probably log both(WB to a laptop, Predator to itself), then try to match them up on your computer. If I was going to seriously self tune, I would get HP tuners and a wideband. I'm sure it integrates a lot more seamlessly(though I have no direct knowledge of this).

The Predator, while useful, is very limited in it's tuning ability. I believe that there are professional tuners that can dyno tune you with a wideband, and then load a more comprehensive tune into the Predator, but you yourself have very basic tuning with just the handheld.

Edmond

What does a wideband do? I'd like to get into tuning but know almost nothing about it.

uberC5

The OEM O2 sensors in the exhaust are there mainly for emissions control, to give catalytic efficiency to the computer. When tuning, you need a wideband O2 sensor which will give you much finer resolution and sensitivity to dial in your AFR's.

Grimlock

I guess the Dodge world is just different. If you want to modify your Charger at all, a Predator is pretty much required. If you look at any supercharger kit out there for a Modern Charger, every one comes with a Predator. When you get a custom tune, they use the Predator hooked up to a laptop and dyno.

G.Rossman

I would not plan on getting much out of a can tune, and would not run a can tune on anything more then a CAI and catback. If you want a tune go to a tuner that has a dyno.

Paul 75 L82

IMHO you need a Dyno for the best tune.