what tuning software is best for me?
02-14-2011, 12:39 AM
#1
what tuning software is best for me? okay, i am not going to get crazy here. i want to scan and log my system when there is a problem and be able to send that to a good tuner that knows what is going on. i would like to be able to adjust shift points (partial and full throttle), transmission locking speed into overdrive, fan temps, gear change adjustments, and monitor engine and coolant temps, etc. i will not be doing a whole tune for myself. i already have an aem wideband hooked up to the car as well. will hp tuners vcm scanner do what i am looking for or do i need hp tuners vcm suite? i will be using macbook if a computer is needed (i don't know if that can be used with any hptuners software?)
02-14-2011, 08:37 AM
#2
You need the full blown suite if you want to be able to make changes to shift points/fan temps, and speedo stuff for gear changes...or any other changes at all...the scanner can only scan, and temporarily override things while scanning.
I haven't heard of anyone running it successfully on a Mac with Parallels...which I think is the software that allows you to boot Windows...I guess it could work, but I'd ask support@hptuners.com before ordering.
For the stuff you want to be able to change on your own, EFI Live or HPTuners will work...but since you mentioned you want to pay a good tuner to initially tune the car before you make changes, you MAY want to ask them which package they prefer...then you can just e-mail files back and forth (your stock tune to them, their modded tune back to you, and should it need any changes you're not comfortable with making on your own and so on) without worrying about compatibility...they're not using raw .BIN files anymore, when they read the flash out, they save it in their own file formats, so you can't swap files between software suites (unless you have both suites, and a PCM to flash the file into...flash in with EFI Live, read back out with HPTuners and vice versa.
I haven't heard of anyone running it successfully on a Mac with Parallels...which I think is the software that allows you to boot Windows...I guess it could work, but I'd ask support@hptuners.com before ordering.
For the stuff you want to be able to change on your own, EFI Live or HPTuners will work...but since you mentioned you want to pay a good tuner to initially tune the car before you make changes, you MAY want to ask them which package they prefer...then you can just e-mail files back and forth (your stock tune to them, their modded tune back to you, and should it need any changes you're not comfortable with making on your own and so on) without worrying about compatibility...they're not using raw .BIN files anymore, when they read the flash out, they save it in their own file formats, so you can't swap files between software suites (unless you have both suites, and a PCM to flash the file into...flash in with EFI Live, read back out with HPTuners and vice versa.
02-14-2011, 11:23 AM
#3
TECH Senior Member
First, I tried EFILive on WinXP on Fusion on Mac OSX and it worked fine (cal only flash worked fine)...
Then, I tried EFILive on native WinXP booted using Boot Camp and it worked fine (as expected, same as an WinXP laptop/PC), file opening seems much faster compared to Fusion.
I prefer running on native WinXP booted from Boot Camp since I don't trust the extra layers that the virtual machines (Fusion, Parallels) introduce (they slow things down a little and consume memory)... you don't want a failure during flashing (altho EFILive can recover without any problems), the less layers you have the less the probability of failure.
I can't speak for HPT but I imagine it works just fine on WinXP on Fusion/Parallels, and it will definitely work with WinXP booted from Boot Camp.
Fusion = virtual machine running on Mac OSX capable of running virtual WinXP.
Parallels = virtual machine running on Mac OSX capable of running virtual WinXP.
Boot Camp = partition manager software that allows you to natively boot Mac OSX or WinXP.
Then, I tried EFILive on native WinXP booted using Boot Camp and it worked fine (as expected, same as an WinXP laptop/PC), file opening seems much faster compared to Fusion.
I prefer running on native WinXP booted from Boot Camp since I don't trust the extra layers that the virtual machines (Fusion, Parallels) introduce (they slow things down a little and consume memory)... you don't want a failure during flashing (altho EFILive can recover without any problems), the less layers you have the less the probability of failure.
I can't speak for HPT but I imagine it works just fine on WinXP on Fusion/Parallels, and it will definitely work with WinXP booted from Boot Camp.
Fusion = virtual machine running on Mac OSX capable of running virtual WinXP.
Parallels = virtual machine running on Mac OSX capable of running virtual WinXP.
Boot Camp = partition manager software that allows you to natively boot Mac OSX or WinXP.