98WhiteLsX

I paid 600 dollars for a dyno tune and got back what appears to be a base tune with only a few tables messed with. The trans shifts like crap and the engine start up and idle quality is terrible. The tuner said that's the best he can do. Does someone out here have a similar tune I can copy? Or can help me? I really dont have it in the funds to pay another 500-600 for another shop to tune it. I already had to file a lawsuit against the one shop.... :/

AgFormula02

iTrader: (13)

Post the current tune as well as more details on what is done to the car.
Also, what shop did you take it to ?

ChopperDoc

I don’t charge that much, and I’ll take your car for a week and make it perfect. I stand behind my work. If you are near KY or TN maybe we can talk. It depends on my time investment, but really, 600 is more than I’ve charged a lot of folks for more work. Just for a tune… well that’s easy stuff. I also usually loan out a car in the meantime. Keep in mind though, the folks I do that for I know fairly well. I’m in the 300-400 neighborhood and I do the entire tune, to include cold starts and any nagging weird issues. That’s why it takes me a week. I really need to vet it all out and try to make it fail.

ChopperDoc

Also, there are a **** ton of tables that “should” of been “messed” with. Hit me up for tune advice, or if you’re nearby, maybe we can work something out.

gametech

iTrader: (1)

Unfortunately, this is too common. Some "tuners" simply copy/paste a file that they either found on the internet or stole from someone, and hope it works. Most people don't know the difference. There have even been cases of "tuners" building what appeared to be a good internet reputation based nothing but lies and thievery. The only way to know for sure is to use someone who's tunes have proven track results. Look up racing results, and query who tuned their cars. Most people do their own, but the ones who use another person are proud to tell you when they find a good tuner.

low2001gmc

iTrader: (148)

Sad to hear. May help if you also list your location. Good luck with progress...

Che70velle

iTrader: (6)

I can relate. I paid $1000. I was there at 6 am and pulling out at 20 after 7am. Three pulls. I had to open the laptop and move ignition table around to make the car idle in the parking lot. Tuner walked up to my window while I was adjusting the timing to get it to idle and told me I’m wasting my time without an AFR gauge…that’s when I decided I needed to learn how to tune. High end shop. Not going to say names here. Read my engine build thread if you want to know who it was. Last couple pages of build. This hobby Is full of thieves.

Kawabuggy

iTrader: (1)

Chopper Doc has it right.. I tune my vehicles myself, and it takes WEEKS to iron out every small detail and have a polished tune in the end. These guys that attempt a "tune" in an hour, or even a couple hours.. Well, there has to come a point in time where YOU the consumer realize that a vehicle just can't have a PERFECT tune in such a short period of time. Can they get it close? Sure.. Can they make it run in a couple hours? Sure. Will it have every hiccup permanently removed? Not likely. This is why I won't tune for money for other people. If someone needs help I'll charge them to license the tune and then help them as best I can. If it's going to take hours, I simply tell them that they need to either learn how to tune it themselves, or they can pay me for some time so that I can log it and make the necessary changes to get it right, and it will take multiple days. No short cuts.

Zmg00camaross

iTrader: (11)

I see you are in Georgia. I can guess who it was.

gametech

iTrader: (1)

Myself and a neighbor once took every weather change as an opportunity to tweak his OLSD tune on the street for almost a year. Have not touched the tune in about 15 years, and the only problems were a few toasted transmissions and a rusted turbo header. This truck went from Houston to Daytona, to Cleveland, to anywhere in between with no problems. Other than blown transmissions, it has done just as well long distance towing as running 1/4 mile times. You just can't do that in one weather condition on the dyno. Dyno tunes are a good starting point or end point, but they miss everything in between. And that is only if they are done properly.

ddnspider

iTrader: (26)

Ouch....I had heard good things about them too.

smokeshow

iTrader: (17)

Hell it takes weeks to iron out one small detail....and a few years to get them all. Least that's how long it took when I did it in Detroit Can't do frozen cold starts in the summer and can't do hot soaked starts in the dead of winter...so that alone prevents doing it in less than a year. All boils down to the level of quality you want. I have guys who pay me several thousand dollars to go through their cals with a fine toothed comb and get everything I possibly can. But I also only toon a handful a year... Quality isn't cheap, and cheap isn't quality.

rpturbo

iTrader: (47)

This is just all too coming of a story. I'm sorry it happened. Keeping their name off of your thread, isn't helping the next guy on here. I know it's hard to bash someone, sometimes, but if that's their attitude, then spell it out.
ON the plus side, chopperdoc has always been one of the most helpful guys on the forums. If I were going to pay anyone to tune my stuff, it would be him, or someone like him (and I don't think I know of anyone else) that I would trust.
My shitty tuning experience, forced my hand. Now, I'm doing tuning myself. I don't do anything part way. I'm actually glad I had a bad tuning experience, in the long run, it's saved me gobs of money, and helped lots of people I know.
But if it's help you seek, post up a list of everything, I mean everything about the mechanics on your car, a log, and a tune. The more info we have, the better.

Bspeck82

if the people around you suck that much it sounds like it's time to buy hp tuners and take a course with efi university.

ChopperDoc

This is my new favorite post on this forum. I’m glad I’ve been helpful to folks on here. I think I remember when you were learning, and I’m glad to see you are proficient now. It means a lot and I’m glad to have been a part of that.

In other news, the OP has left the chat lol.

02*C5

iTrader: (1)

My experience is this tuners come in two categories. Great recommendations and great track record. Go with track record period. Tuners who are recommended tend to lack where tunners with track record tend to deliver.

ChopperDoc

Wouldn’t great recommendations be a result of great track record? Just a thought.

G Atsma

Recommendations are good as long as the track record backs it up.

02*C5

iTrader: (1)

not always you can look up and down this board and so many people take their cars to "highly recommended" tuners and end up in here needing help.

What's even better is when then they are told that a tuner with a good track record is a few hours away and they still try and circumvent the system and try another "highly recommended" tuner to be right back in here.

Old Buzzard

Same outfit stiffed us with a tune.
Had to have corrections made, in order to get the car out of the parking lot, and onto the trailer...$600 later.
Was told "no more hotrods". Seems the Vette, Camaro, CTSV crowd is his fav.