Pre-Tuning FAQs - READ ME!!!

NYSpeed Automotive
1

I decided to take the thread Zerodaze started and expand on how to avoid problems when coming for tuning.

It’s tuning season and a ton of you are coming to us for tuning. Many of you are here for re-tunes for your new parts and we really appreciate your loyalty. I’d like to thank all of your for choosing Innovative Tuning as your tuner of choice. Now onto the matter at hand.

Most of you have prepared your cars well for tuning, but a few have not. I want to explain what needs to be done before your car can be properly tuned. This way everyone is on the same page and when you come in for tuning, you get what you’re looking for.

I have an informal checklist of things to go through before coming in for tuning. Those that follow the checklist save themselves time and money, plus they always get a tune they’re happy with. It’s that simple. :slight_smile:

From that checklist here are the three points that most commonly cause problems:

  1. fix intake side leaks whether they be from vacuum lines, charge pipes, throttle body, manifold(s), couplers, etc. Make sure all clamps are secure.
  2. fix exhaust leaks from the head(s) to the tailpipe
  3. install fresh spark plugs of the correct model and with the right gap. Ask me what is correct and I will tell you. Do NOT use iridiums. I don’t mind changing plugs here if it’s a quick job. If you have an LS1 or other car where it’s not a quick job, do it beforehand.

Those three simple things solve 95% of the issues I see.

Also:
Have the sensors and proper monitoring equipment I’ve told you I expect in the car before coming in for tuning. For some cars there won’t be any. For other setups there will be certain things that I expect you to have to tune the car in a way that satisfies both you and myself as the tuner.

For example, if you want me to tune your car for 12 psi, don’t expect me to do it on a MAP sensor capable of reading to 10.5 psi. cough Honda guys cough:lol:

These sensors must also be installed properly. Someone came in yesterday with wires taped down to a MAP sensor. They were touching each other shorting the sensor out and the car barely drove. I spent a couple hours diagnosing and fixing that issue as well as a massive vacuum leak, leaky valve cover gasket, missing exhaust bolts etc. Normally I will just tell people to come back another day when the car is ready to tune, but in this case the customer needed to be able to drive 3 hours back home so I had to fix it just enough to get them home. In the end they drove 6 total hours, paid for me to work on their car, and it’s still not right because they have more to fix. They could have fixed these issues beforehand, come out once for tuning, and saved some cash.

Next: Don’t show up with a vehicle that’s unsafe to drive. If your tires are chorded, your car overheats, your suspension is heavily damaged, etc. your car cannot be tuned. Remember, it must be driven under light and heavy loads to tune it.

Here are some other common problems:
bad grounds
poor electrical connections
crappy ebay special BOVs not openning or sticking open
crappy cheapo MBCs not adjusting boost properly, spiking, etc.
improperly routed vacuum lines
Have a usable o2 bung for our wideband o2 meter. 96+ cars all have a rear o2 bung we can use unless your aftermarket exhaust did away with it.

There’s more, but if you are unsure of whether your car is ready for tuning or not, please just ask me and I’m happy to go through it with you. If we have a pre-arrangement that I’m going to install sensors or an ECU and then tune the car that’s perfectly fine. If you tell me your car is ready for tuning, it shows up and it’s a mess, I will not fix major mechanical problems on the spot. I have a schedule that I stick to out of respect for my other tuning customers so they get the time they reserved.

Things do happen during tuning and we are prepared to fix minor issues that arise. I have TBolt clamps, couplers, vacuum line, tees, boost controllers, spark plugs for many common cars, etc. in stock to try and fix issues that arrive once the car is here, but again…do not PLAN on fixing things here unless you’ve made arrangements with us.

When a customer comes in for a tune and gets turned away until they fix they’re car, they will be somewhat disappointed. However, I’ve found they’re a lot happier than the ones who argue with me and tell me to just get it as good as possible for now and end up paying for 3 hours of fixing problems, an hour of tuning, and have a car that still runs like crap because more mechanical issues still need fixed. For this reason I’m not doing it anymore. You will be happier as a customer, have spent less money, and other customers will be happier because we’re on schedule. We want what is best for you and I hope you all understand that’s why I’ve put this policy in place.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to tuning your vehicles!

-Mike

2

I see a sticky-in-the-making. well put. :tup:

3

You should definatelythrow out what you can tune…

E-manage, MegaSquirt, etc.

4

he can tune pretty much anything… tuning products are not hard to figure out as long as the person has the software for it…

5

i’m making this a sticky mike :tup:

6

Well said Mike…makes everyones life easier and essentially promises the best possible results. :tup:

7

Well put and i don’t blame you… you guys must go through alot of shit.

See you Tuesday! :smiley:

8

Crossposting this over to wnyDSM. Thanks Mike!!

9

I would have done it myself, but the board seemed to be down this morning. Thanks!

10

Fuel injected piston engines. I don’t tune carbs or rotaries.

11

tell enzo to give u a lesson on tuning rotaries :stuck_out_tongue:

12

I’d like to add some more from today:

Don’t say you know your oil level is full unless you really know it is. For example, 1.5 quarts out of 5 is not acceptable.

Loose snapple bottles or the like are not proper overflow or catch can tanks.

Put filters on breathers rather than having open to the atmosphere where dirt etc. can find their way in.

Secure sensors rather than having them slapping against your manifold etc. Most sensors are fragile and they will not work properly, let alone survive under the wrong conditions.

If you’re going to zip tie a connector on something important like an ignition coil, do it carefully or much better, get a connector that’s not broken so it’s secured properly.

Be sure you aren’t missing bolts in your engine and transmission mounts.

Show up for tuning with PLENTY of gas. If you show up with the gas light on I’m not doing WOT pulls and hoping you don’t run out of gas. Most vehicles don’t get proper fuel flow at WOT at low fuel levels.

There was more, but needless to say this customer spent a lot of money and didn’t get the results they were looking for because the vehicle still needs more mechanical work before it is ready for tuning.

I offer diagnostic services prior to any tuning session. If you aren’t 100% sure that your vehicle is in perfect running order I suggest you have us look the car over first. It will save you money in the long run. Labor time alone is a lot cheaper than dyno time plus labor time. This customer is lucky their engine survived, it couldn’t be tuned, and they spent over a grand in dyno time (the dyno we used is 250/hour plus my time for tuning). The customer spent most of that time getting gas, going to buy spark plugs and installing them, putting oil in it, securing sensors, etc.

-Mike

13

was this on that wrx u were gonna tune?

14

thanks for bumpin this, i forgot about this. now i know what i have to do when i bring it to you .

15

Who it was isn’t important. :wink: I just don’t want to see others make the same mistakes.

16

Why do you say do not use iridiums? What do you recommend for plug type?

What dyno is $250/hr?

17

:tup: