04avalanche

needing help finding the right setup for my car. i have a 97 z a4. just bought the programmer, any help is greatly appreciated.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Well first thing you do it return or sell off the programmer assuming it is a Hypertech type unit. They are absolute garbage, buying one even used and cheap is a mistake.

Custom programming is cheaper and better so long as you use a good guy. Hell for the price of the hypercrap you can get real tuning stuff and have actual control over things.

04avalanche

yeah its a hypertech. ive been reading evryones comments about them. i just bought the damn thing. i wish i had known. also bought the 160 stat. might see if i can return.

04avalanche

how do i find out who does it(computer tuning) in my area.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

What is your area?

04avalanche

central indiana

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Let me send out an email to a friend.

madz28 is up around Chicago but I think I can find someone closer.

04avalanche

thanks for the help.

Teal94Z

yeah i have heard that some people lose hp using the hypercrap

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

For like half the price, you could've ordered a tuned PCM for your setup, from either MadZ28 or PCM4Less. Mail-order tunes are almost as good as dyno tunes and I've heard from some people that theirs are basically dead-on.

rgemtb492

I fell into the same trap you did with the Hypertech tuner for my 96 z. It did NOTHING for my car and immediately had to take the program off as soon as I got NO2. WHere are you at in central indy? I live in western Hancock county

04avalanche

i live in anderson. i might use the programmer for awhile and tinker with it. i just put the 160 degree stat in it. can i leave it in and not use the programmer?

koolaid_kid

iTrader: (21)

For an A4, you can do the following things:
Turn off the top speed limiter
Change the gear ratio
Change the tire size
Change the shift points
Change the rev limiter
Change the fan temps to match your 160 stat

The "performance" tune is useless. I ran it at IRP, both with and without, and there was no difference in performance.
Since you have a 97, the only real tuners available are Lt1Edit and Tunercat. I bought LT1Edit because my tuner told me to. If I had it over again, I would buy Tunercat. Both are $500, and also require a separate scanner package and a laptop computer.
Best of luck.
p.s. If you do use the HPP, it locks to your VIN. You have to take it back to stock before you sell it.

RickyMartinZ28

iTrader: (5)

I have the hypertech unit.

It does lean the car out a little bit, which mine needed after the LT install. And when I take the tune out it runs a little rich and loses a little bottom end power. I think it helps with my situation since I have a decent sized cam and whatnot.

-Rick

And yea you can run the 160* stat without the powertune. Just select the temp in the programmer and program it in.