I would like to learn how to do a SD tune on my 2000 LS1 Camaro with a pro charger. I got a quote from the tuning school I would need two of their books at over $1000 for the pair I was wondering if anyone knew of a cheaper resource to learn from.

 

Three places:

1. Youtube
2. Here
3. HP Tuners Forums

I am going to make a guide soon breaking it down barney style. Just haven't got around to it, as I am beginning to feel obligated to some degree here to fill in some gaps out there. The knowledge is out there, trust me. It's actually very complicated if you REALLY want to understand it down to the smallest detail, like formulas dealing with molecular airmass, because no **** that's a thing... 0.28705 actually. See? Got that **** from memory. All from the internet. It's just a matter of how much time you want to spend learning this stuff. Seriously though, that's some really advanced **** you don't need to know right now.

To tune the VE I have you covered there, as do others too if you don't like mine. Please, I am always open to suggestions and constructive criticism. So far haven't had any though, so I take it I'm doing good here to start out with guides.

I think I told you in your other thread already that this was an option. I second it completely because that's what I did years ago and I am SO glad I did. It's made me not afraid of that witchcraft in the magic box under the hood, as well as a better mechanic because I know what ALL the sensors do. Helps with troubleshooting and so on.

I also said you probably need a new PCM since yours is locked. Not much you can do about that. Since I know your setup, I HIGHLY recommend disconnecting your boost entirely while you learn. This will also help later when you're ready to tune for boost, since you will have a good VE table to start with.

If you are serious and you want to buy the software, go ahead and order a wideband now.

Here is a list of widebands that have transform functions supported by HP Tuners:

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That's literally out of the scanner. So that's a decent start. I use an AEM 30-(I don't remember the rest, but it's the second one on the list lol) and it works great for me. Any of these will work just fine. This also means you need to buy the PRO version. Don't complicate this with math from some other input like the EGR or A/C pressure switch. I've seem a lot of that lately. Save the headache, buy the PRO version and have the input readily available directly to the MPVI unit. It's also more trustworthy this way as voltage matters, and lots of things can affect that.

If the WB has a serial input, you can use that too direct into your laptop.

Plenty of folks are willing to help you learn. Just ask questions and don't be shy of criticism. It's how we all learn. I still learn something new almost everyday I am on here or dealing with tunes.

 

That’s some great information. Thanks. I’m looking forward to learning. I got a aem 30-4110 wideband so should be good to go.

Is there any good reading material? I like the idea of those $400 books so I can sit on my couch and read but way too expensive.

 

I watched your 2 videos the other day. They were good and very informative. But when you put text on the screen leave it up a sec or two longer. I had to pause it to read it because it was on and off the screen to fast. Other I thought they were some of the better videos on the subject.

 

I was really trying to keep the videos short and sweet to the point. I know I should of left a few of the screens up longer. Saw that after the fact, but I too am still learning... lol. I will do that in my next video, which I am working on today. I see a ton of other guides that seem to ramble on and miss lots of important information, or get confusing because they keep talking about something sidebar without completely explaining it. My mind works in ways that have to include why and how. Next guides are going to be on idle, and general overview of the tune itself, and how the tables relate to one another. Should be good for beginners since it's stuff that lots of us that have been doing it awhile and have read about to the end of the internet and back take for granted because of curiosity and wanting to know that "how" part. I have to try and remember what it felt like the first time I opened a tune and had no idea what the hell I was looking at.

Now I can actually lay out the math and how the PCM finds values for one table or another. That there comes from simply wanting to know more about it, the researching until satisfied with an answer. I've spent my entire morning actually pondering if there is a way to calculate the Charge Temperature Bias table using one of the GMVE maths and rearranging the formula. Since this is temperature and airflow related, it might be possible to start with a constant (a well tuned VE at operating temp) and then rearrange the formula to actually give a Bias number, then calculate that back into the table for cold starts since airmass is greater when it's cold, which is where the problem is with that table 99% of the time. I am also working on an EQ ratio correction table too, again for cold starts.

As you see some of us just can't leave a good running car alone and just accept the tune as "close enough" LOL.

The problem I am having is that GMVE always comes out to 4 digits, which is AWESOME for tuning 4th gen PCM's VVE (08 and up pretty much), it doesn't exactly work for our older 3rd gen P01's and anything with a 2 digit VE table. I'm all ears if someone has the 3rd gen VE formula laying around, because it seems difficult to find for some reason. One that produces the 2 digit VE number, if there is such a formula. I fear it might involve reversing the table VE % calculations and converting them to cylinder airmass values instead of the percentage of "efficiency" which is what that table represents.

Unfortunately on the overview one there, it's kicking my *** trying to keep it as simple as possible, but when talking airmass models, it gets pretty complicated pretty quick with the physics of that, and the math involved to show it/prove it.

Well anyway, yeah, that got out of control pretty fast lol. I know you want the book Benz, but trust me, there is a **** ton more information online if you are willing to look for it and hunt the answers down, as you see my brain teaser laid out above here. Guys like Bluecat and Marcin have been amazingly helpful in breaking this stuff down to an engineering standpoint and my mind tends to be fueled by the same curiosity as they are. We all owe them for many of the breakthroughs over the years, and I intend to bring some of that information to the table for you in the simplest format I can. That's becoming a real challenge though, to keep it simple, because it's just not lol.

 

Love the video on the YouTube.

I wish more people would explain like you did what the abbreviations mean. You made it as simple as possible. Very easy to understand.

 

I have slaved all day working on a video for you... lol. Basic concepts, introduction to tuning pretty much. I'm really glad you liked the video. Hopefully this one will put some of the pieces together for you even better.

 

i love vids that provide great information and lack self promotion. You quickly get straight to the subject. And you didn’t try to sell me merch. Which I would gladly buy lol

 

Finally got it finished and posted:


Maybe I could start selling merch now LOL.

 

The HP Tuners site has a very good glossary of tuning terms and acronyms that I have copied and found the need to supplement. I will probably add to it a little more after reading this thread. Good. Stuff. Here.

Rick

 

Wow you did s great job. Gonna have to watch it a few more times. Some great information. Need to find someone in Yerington NV that I can pay in beer to learn me.

 

Hey Chopper Doc, can you elaborate on that last part? I have an AEM (30-4110) UEGO which works well but only bought the "Standard" MVPI years ago when I purchased HPT. How would someone go about taking the output on the wideband and converting it to a USB, and then having HPT Standard read that?

I found this link over on the Evo forums:
https://www.evoxforums.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=21747

Looks like this USB to serial adapter will work:

And just chop a male to male serial cable in half, strip the wires that you need for your WB...



Is it really that easy?

 

Can't say I've had to do the serial adapter setup since I bought the PRO version, but that is certainly worth a try. Hopefully someone else that's ran that can chime in here.