NightmareTA

iTrader: (20)

Like the title says, whats the normal time period to really start understanding using the software? I'm pretty computer savvy and I know engines inside and out, so I am just curious if it's a quick learning curve, or a slow one. Hoping to tune a heads/cam setup and my personal turbo 5.3 car.

wait4me

iTrader: (10)

Just lots of reading is needed and playing around on your personal car with little baby steps at a time to understand what you are doing and how it affected the car.

I'm not trying to sell you on our software but go to EFIlive.com and download our software. We include some bin files that you can look at so you can see how the computer is laid out and how the tables work. We have descriptions for the values when you click on them to show you what it does.

It will let you know what you are getting into for when you purchase your software.

Some places will give you a cheap or free starter tune when you buy software from them. That will help you get an idea of what tables are needed to be tweaked for your specific mod set.

redtan

iTrader: (5)

I've had it for almost 4 years now and still learning and finding new things in the tuner that I didn't know or need to know before.

To be able to tune all that will take quite a bit of reading and testing.

NightmareTA

iTrader: (20)

My car has a tune done by a local guy in it already, so I am basically going to start off by working on improving the driveability end more than anything, and that should help me get familiar with it. A buddy of mine also bought a very in depth (and expensive!) DVD on how to tune cars, so I plan on watching that a few times as well. Thanks for the info!

A local guy has had his copy for 3-4 years now as well and he is tuning turbo cars with good luck. I have a few people I know locally that have a lot of experience with HPT, so if anything, I have a few go-to guys if I get stuck. Did you feel like doing basic adjustments was relatively quick to learn?

smokeshow

iTrader: (17)

I've been tuning for 3 years pretty consistently and still learn new stuff often. Coursework in control systems has helped me understand some of the finer points. Makes you appreciate all the hard work those engineers do

BLINGOLE

iTrader: (5)

Seems like you never "pick it up" you just kinda always get better.

NightmareTA

iTrader: (20)

Sounds like it's going to be a learning curve for sure. I hear that HPT is the most user friendly one of them all which is good. I'm just at the point where paying $400+ every time you need a tune is getting old. With a turbo car like mine, it's pretty beneficial to be able to make changes on your own!

sweet-94z28

iTrader: (30)

I picked up on what the different tables change in the LS1 style computers pretty fast. The new E38 PCM and the 6L80 trans are kinda tricky because there are a lot more parameters to adjust. I definitely agree that it is a lot of reading then trial and error. I always save the tune file as a different name every time I make a change so then if I liked something before I can revert back.

Learn as much as you can about the scanner though as that is your best friend. If you learn to use it and the data it gives you, you can pretty much dial anything in. I really like being able to ride with someone 1 time, make changes 1 or 2 times, then have them come back smiling ear to ear because their car is running so good.

NightmareTA

iTrader: (20)

Thanks for the info sweet-94Z28! I actually just put an order in to HP tuners, so my copy should be here in the next week or so! Can't wait to start digging in to it.

Monte4ever

iTrader: (2)

Let us all know how it goes. I'm almost ready to purchase the HPTuners software myself.

kenp

iTrader: (9)

You should take this advice from wait4me.

As far as learning goes, if you don't have any experience, you're starting in the 1st grade. Over time you can achieve an elementary understanding, then a primary understanding, and maybe a secondary understanding. The guys at the post-graduate and PHD level are fanatical devotees and/or do it for a living and do it well.

got-a-ls1

iTrader: (12)

its not extremely hard, but it is very over whelming when you first open the software haha.. you just need to get familiar with everything and what it does. my small piece of advice to you is this... save your tunes with specific names, including things you have edited. i find this way you dont get a tune with a **** ton of changes/experiments that you have forgotten about.. i will usually read the file out of the computer from a known good tune and make my changes to that... but thats just because sometimes i dont trust myself on the files i have saved.. lol

NightmareTA

iTrader: (20)

I actually had the chance to play with it this past weekend. Hooked it up to my brothers 5.3 swapped 91 firebird which is just a basic LS6 cammed/LS1 intake swapped 5.3 that is otherwise stock. Did two things right off the bat...got his tach output settings adjusted correctly so the tach is now accurate to within 50ish rpm, and noticed that the factory fuel cut was at 5600 rpm. Doh. Thats what you get when you have a mail order PCM sent to you. Raised it to 6200 and the car feels like a new animal.

I really want to start doing some data logging next and maybe trying to mess with making a new VE table since that will be one of the main parts of tuning his new H/C 6.0. Gotta get my practice in while he has the lowly 5.3 in there lol.