Written by Joel Paynton Monday, 15 March 2010 11:57
Multi-Horsepower Tunes
It seems everyone has a multi-selectable tuner these days. The option is even provided by EFILive custom tuning software. Just mount a switch on the dash and you can have your choice of 2 or 5 position tuning. Other power programmers offer "switch horsepower on the fly" tuning. For many, it sounds like a nice option to have available. Personally, I think a multi-tune/horsepower selector is just another gadget that I don't want cluttering up my Duramax Silverado.
Now why would I form such an opinion, especially as I sell tunes for a living? In my experience with tuning and engine building, whether motorcycles, cars, trucks, or even snowmobiles, I'm always trying hard to extract that last fraction of horsepower so that the vehicle performs at absolute optimum. I always want peak output and response available with my right foot or the throttle grip. I always want maximum performance, period. Now why in blazes would I deliberately artificially limit that with a multi-selectable tune switch? Why would I want to add the extra step to reach across the dash, physically cranking up the tune level, before passing someone? Why would I want to fiddle with setting the power level up on a tuner at a stoplight so that I can dispense with the young hotshot in a Honda pounding everyone with his 10,000-watt stereo? Why would I want to twiddle with buttons or settings in anticipation of needing all available power? Why I ask, when all this can be accomplished using the very same control we have been using for 100 years – that magical accelerator pedal?
When a customer asks for as much horsepower as his truck can safely handle, that is precisely what I give him. Knowing that level takes experience and considerable long-term testing. However, a properly engineered tune will provide much more relatively safe horsepower than people expect. I have quite a number of tunes out there that run about 100 HP over stock that customers tow with on a daily basis, and have for hundreds of thousands of miles and for many years.
There are a few technical advantages to this approach. For starters, the Allison transmission shift adapts can actually settle in. It takes the average Allison between 2 to 4 weeks of varied driving for the shift adapts to settle into position. Even with the "Fast Adapt" function available on some tuners, it still, in practical terms, takes about a week to settle in. Shift on-the-fly tunes will leave the Allison controller constantly attempting to adapts shifts up or down to match the torque output. This is not just annoying, it can lead to increased clutch slippage on a stock Allison.
Secondly, it is far easier to resist the temptation to "crank it up" and overstress the driveline. Ignoring the warnings on a hand-held tuner or plug in chip is all to easy. The result can be anything from a slipping Allison to a holed piston. I've seen them all, several times. Installing a one-time only tune, preset to safe levels, is a clear deterrent to the temptation to "crank it up".
Now there is the odd guy who uses his truck during the day and races or sled-pulls on the weekend. For this customer, multi-selectable tuning does make sense, providing he is willing to accept the risk of running his truck on the edge in competition. For that reason, I do provide multi-level tunes upon request. For the most part however, your average customer doesn't need multi-level tunes. Of course, we are a society of gadget-hounds, so this simpler approach may not be appealing to our wants. We like to have things to "fiddle" with in our vehicles - just look at the gadget explosion in modern cars and trucks. GPS navigation, Bluetooth, Onstar, Hard-Disk Drive radios, DVD players, pop-up information screens, and so forth. Car manufacturers like BMW pride themselves on the gadget content of their vehicles, and themselves offer multi-selectable transmission settings, stability control settings, traction control settings, and engine power output settings, to name a few. And ever look at the dash of a Honda Civic lately? Looks like something straight out of Star Trek. I tend to chalk up the desire for multi-level tuning to our need to fiddle with gadgets, not a need for anything practical. In the meantime, while the guy in the Ford Powerstroke next to me is busy playing with his Edge power level, I'll just smoke him with my right foot.
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buccanoles
said:
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Multi Tunes I had never given much thought about the reason behind having 5 or 6 tunes on the fly until I read this article. After reading the article and thinking about it. I think I would need maybe 3 tunes. Valet Mode, Tow Tune, Race Tune and maybe a fuel mileage tune. But the fuel mileage tune might be wrapped up in the race tune. |
jpaynton
said:
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... Skilled tuners can build a 'smooth' tune that scales in power so that it can still be driveable even with race tune power levels. Of course, gauges and a built transmission, along with a lift pump, are generally required to run that much power. |
donny_boy_jr
said:
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... Hi Joel: I am new to Maxxtorque and my ride is a 2005 LLY I love this truck and want to improve its capabilities for daily driver and towing a 14,000 lb fifth wheel. Can you help me out? I have a limited budget and have been doing mods as I go CAI Cat delete and EGR block plate but I am confused about a tuner. I had a Superchips in my Ram Hemi and was satisfied,but with the Duramax I am leaning to an EFI Live set up. Can you install a tune remotely? I live in Ontario. I am sure you have the combo that would suit my needs. Regards Donny Laplante |
jpaynton
said:
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... You are off to a good start! It's no problem to do a remote EFILive tune. E-mail me, joel@payntonperformance.com and we can work out the details. Thanks for reading! |
Tom
said:
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Missed some points While I agree with you on some level, I disagree that the multiple tunes are not useful for normal driving. One comment already made one of my points. Valet mode, for when you dont want the jerks hot rodding your truck. Girlfriend mode or letting a friend borrow your truck mode, so neither of them hot rod it by accident and cause an accident, because they dont drive like their Honda. I also distinguish a difference between loaded or unloaded performance. The timing can be modified based on loading. Depends how much performance you want and what you are starting with. On a DMax adding 100hp might be beyond anyone's dreams of power. If this article is only about DMax, OK, but other vehicles may need special tweeking that is not safe in all climates or conditions to be competitive when you need it, but you already made the case for racers or sled pullers. I do like reading your articles, very informative and educational for many people. You have brought science to the forefront of how business should be done. |
Dave Bracht
said:
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... Joel: Does the K&N air filter for a stock 6.5 Diesel clean the air down to the same particle size as a stock paper filter? Also, I have in the past read about ceramic coatings which can be applied to exhaust parts such as exhauast manifolds. I am wondering what difference, if any, that might make in under-hood temperatures, and whether the fresh-air intake portion of a turbo might benefit from being insulated thermally from the ambient under-hood air temperature. One would think that insulating much of the exhaust system, with the possible exception of the turbo itself, since most of the heat there would come from inside the turbo, one would think, might allow most of the exhaust heat to be isolated until it is away from the under-hood area. I see your testing clearly shows the benefit of keeping the intake air cool and free-flowing, have you had any experience with the ceramic coatings? Another seasonal mod which I have heard about for trailer towing in hot climates is a water mister for in front of the radiator(s). Perhaps this is more of a cheap solution for summer camping trips for your average gas-pot. Have you any experience with this practise? |
jpaynton
said:
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... Typically the K&N or other 'oiled cotton' style filters do not filter down to the same particle size as the factory paper filter in any application. There is information and studies available to read on the difference between filtration capacity. The intake system may be affected slightly by insulating it, however the air spends so little resident time in the air intake that it would seem that it would only make a miniscule change overall. Water misting does work to provide evaporative cooling, Subaru and Mitsubishi are two manufacturers that provide water-misting for the intercoolers of their rally-style turbo cars. My preference - make the cooling system large enough and efficient enough to reject the heat - period. |
bgordon61
said:
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... Joel, I am working with my local GM dealer to install the 2006 LBZ Cold Air Intake per the GM June 4, 2007 Service Bulletin along with the 2006 LBZ Mouthpiece. I had the dealer order the Mouthpiece after recently reading your article of July 23, 2008. Your article solved a “cooling fan” mystery that I have been fighting over with my GM Dealer since I purchased my new 2004.5 2500 HD Silverado with an "overheating" LLY Duramax Diesel. I am interested in a tune that includes the software "Waste Gate" along with provisions that would adjust timing and boost "on the fly" when climbing to higher altitudes with a heavy load. Is there a tune that will give me the best of both worlds: Towing in the cold mountain passes and running empty on flat hot roads in Texas? My truck ran hot on a Colorado mountain pass (11,000 ft.) in July pulling a 11,500 lb. RV and lost five gallons of coolant. My main concern is to not let this happen again. I was monitoring the ECT at around 235-240 degrees when it went into the red in an instant. I pulled over immediately and turned the engine off. I have had it run in the 235 to 240 range in the past pulling a lighter RV but it never got into the red or lost coolant. Is there a possibility that the engine will be damaged when it runs hot enough loose coolant when stopping immediately? Thanks, Bill Gordon |
jpaynton
said:
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... Hi Bill, You will find that the Dmax is fairly resistant to damage from overheating, as long as the engine is slowed and allowed to cool. It's best to leave the engine running with airflow so that the cooling system can stabalize. The only other concern that does come up is a blown head gasket, but this usually leads to a persistent coolant loss in all conditions. I definitely can provide a tune that provides 'best of both worlds'. The LLY has 3 'altitude' ranges that can be tuned for individually, providing very good flexibility for all conditions/altitudes/ambient temperatures. Contact me, jpgmtech@gmail.com for more details. On a side note, it appears that GM has learned from their prior mistakes. The new 2011 Duramax put on quite a showing on a high-altitude test recently. |
jpaynton
said:
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... Hi, I tune gas trucks as well. Have done quite a few of them actually. Check my website www.payntonperformance.com for contact info |
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