LT1 lap top tunners????? 
LT1 lap top tunners?????
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,564
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From: Decatur, TN (N-W of Athens)
None of those 3 are laptop tuners. Those are Power Programmers and according to EVERYONE here, are absolute junk. Which, I'd take their word for 
A laptop tuner, requires, well a laptop! Which is a portable PC (IBM Compatible if you want to get nostalgic), which has software and a cable that connects to the data port on your car. The same port you scan it for Check Engine/Service Engine Soon codes.
A laptop tuner, requires, well a laptop! Which is a portable PC (IBM Compatible if you want to get nostalgic), which has software and a cable that connects to the data port on your car. The same port you scan it for Check Engine/Service Engine Soon codes.
ive been looking into this some, there is a lot of info out there on google especially, but from what ive seen you get a cable, adl something has a usb one for 59 bucks, just google search lt1 scan tool and it will pop up. Then there is a free software you can get to scan your car for the periameters to see if its screwed up. From what i can see you then send those periameters to Lt1edit or tunercats people and they send you the software but what you are really paying for is the expertise they send you, at least some of them do it that way. I think you can also tweek it yourself without going by what they send you.
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Those tuners are actually called hand-helds. They have very limited capability, and can only do what is already programmed into their EEPROMS.
Software tuners, which run on laptops, are extremely flexible. Your car is OBD1, IIRC. I would recommend TunerCat and, of course, a laptop. They allow you to make changes to your PCM, which is tuning your car.
A scanner is a different animal altogether. It reads codes, and normally can reset them. The better ones can also do data logging for you, a very useful function.
If you go this route, you need both a tuner (to make changes) and a scanner/data logger (to see how the changes affect the performance of your car).
For example, in my OBD2 car, I use LT1Edit to make the changes, and AutoTap to log the output so I can analyze the effects.
Software tuners, which run on laptops, are extremely flexible. Your car is OBD1, IIRC. I would recommend TunerCat and, of course, a laptop. They allow you to make changes to your PCM, which is tuning your car.
A scanner is a different animal altogether. It reads codes, and normally can reset them. The better ones can also do data logging for you, a very useful function.
If you go this route, you need both a tuner (to make changes) and a scanner/data logger (to see how the changes affect the performance of your car).
For example, in my OBD2 car, I use LT1Edit to make the changes, and AutoTap to log the output so I can analyze the effects.
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To add to what Kool Aid said.
Auto tap is probably the best for data logging. I have tried many other and they don't have all the functionality (especially the free ones) for reading parameters such as knock (very frustrating). Tunercat is no longer available free it is sold by JET and these programs (Lt1 edit) only allow you to tune your own vehicle they do not come with a tune. That is what PCM4Less and MadZ28 do is sell you the correct tune for your setup.
The tuning programs come with a custom connector that alows you to read and write to the PCM which you cannot do with just a scanner.
Auto tap is probably the best for data logging. I have tried many other and they don't have all the functionality (especially the free ones) for reading parameters such as knock (very frustrating). Tunercat is no longer available free it is sold by JET and these programs (Lt1 edit) only allow you to tune your own vehicle they do not come with a tune. That is what PCM4Less and MadZ28 do is sell you the correct tune for your setup.
The tuning programs come with a custom connector that alows you to read and write to the PCM which you cannot do with just a scanner.
Originally Posted by Stroker396
To add to what Kool Aid said.
Auto tap is probably the best for data logging. I have tried many other and they don't have all the functionality (especially the free ones) for reading parameters such as knock (very frustrating). Tunercat is no longer available free it is sold by JET and these programs (Lt1 edit) only allow you to tune your own vehicle they do not come with a tune. That is what PCM4Less and MadZ28 do is sell you the correct tune for your setup.
Auto tap is probably the best for data logging. I have tried many other and they don't have all the functionality (especially the free ones) for reading parameters such as knock (very frustrating). Tunercat is no longer available free it is sold by JET and these programs (Lt1 edit) only allow you to tune your own vehicle they do not come with a tune. That is what PCM4Less and MadZ28 do is sell you the correct tune for your setup.
Also the best datalogging program for obd1 is datamaster (sold by TTS systems).
IIRC, for the OBD1 cars you do have to buy the cable, which I think I saw for around sixty bucks on the web. But it can be used for both applications, whereas my LT1Edit and AutoTap each have their own cable.
