Should I Attempt a SD Tune?
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 299
Likes: 21
From: Phoenix, AZ
Should I Attempt a SD Tune? Im getting rid of my MAF and replacing it with a holley intake with 4150 style throttle body which means I need to do an SD tune.
I have HP Tuners, but I have next to zero tuning experience. I have watched some great videos on youtube by HP Tuners and it doesnt really seem too difficult.
Is it a good idea to attempt an SD as a newbie with no experience as long as I have a good wideband sensor to monitor my AFR's?
Or should I pay for a base SD mail order tune to get me started and then tweak it from there?
Or should I not even attempt it and take the car to a tuner?
I have HP Tuners, but I have next to zero tuning experience. I have watched some great videos on youtube by HP Tuners and it doesnt really seem too difficult.
Is it a good idea to attempt an SD as a newbie with no experience as long as I have a good wideband sensor to monitor my AFR's?
Or should I pay for a base SD mail order tune to get me started and then tweak it from there?
Or should I not even attempt it and take the car to a tuner?
Really not much difference in doing SD vs. MAF other than it takes longer to dial in a SD tune and you have to account for temp compensation more. Just take your time and be conservative.
Im getting rid of my MAF and replacing it with a holley intake with 4150 style throttle body which means I need to do an SD tune.
I have HP Tuners, but I have next to zero tuning experience. I have watched some great videos on youtube by HP Tuners and it doesnt really seem too difficult.
Is it a good idea to attempt an SD as a newbie with no experience as long as I have a good wideband sensor to monitor my AFR's?
Or should I pay for a base SD mail order tune to get me started and then tweak it from there?
Or should I not even attempt it and take the car to a tuner?
I have HP Tuners, but I have next to zero tuning experience. I have watched some great videos on youtube by HP Tuners and it doesnt really seem too difficult.
Is it a good idea to attempt an SD as a newbie with no experience as long as I have a good wideband sensor to monitor my AFR's?
Or should I pay for a base SD mail order tune to get me started and then tweak it from there?
Or should I not even attempt it and take the car to a tuner?
If you did, and you've tuned VE with MAF disabled, then you've basically already done an "SD tune"
I use a MAF-less closed loop tune on my turbo car, using factory O2 sensors for all idle and cruise regions, and only use wideband for WOT.
Personally, as Plan A, I'd probably SAVE the current tune, as-is, then do your MAF-less tune, with the current setup. If you're comfortable with those results, then swap the intake & throttle body and simply tweak it for the new intake setup/parts. IMO, you'll be way ahead of the game, not also possibly fighting new part install issues, and have the option of a simple "start over" reflash if you get in over your head.
If it doesn't work out, with you trying to do the SD/Mafless tune yourself, then you can always reflash the current working tune, and figure out Plan B...
Like ddnspider said above...it'll take a little time, but will gain you some valuable hands on experience.
Regardless, I'd figure that part (DIY or paying someone) out BEFORE swapping parts
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 299
Likes: 21
From: Phoenix, AZ
Did you do the current tune?
If you did, and you've tuned VE with MAF disabled, then you've basically already done an "SD tune"
I use a MAF-less closed loop tune on my turbo car, using factory O2 sensors for all idle and cruise regions, and only use wideband for WOT.
Personally, as Plan A, I'd probably SAVE the current tune, as-is, then do your MAF-less tune, with the current setup. If you're comfortable with those results, then swap the intake & throttle body and simply tweak it for the new intake setup/parts. IMO, you'll be way ahead of the game, not also possibly fighting new part install issues, and have the option of a simple "start over" reflash if you get in over your head.
If it doesn't work out, with you trying to do the SD/Mafless tune yourself, then you can always reflash the current working tune, and figure out Plan B...
Like ddnspider said above...it'll take a little time, but will gain you some valuable hands on experience.
Regardless, I'd figure that part (DIY or paying someone) out BEFORE swapping parts
If you did, and you've tuned VE with MAF disabled, then you've basically already done an "SD tune"
I use a MAF-less closed loop tune on my turbo car, using factory O2 sensors for all idle and cruise regions, and only use wideband for WOT.
Personally, as Plan A, I'd probably SAVE the current tune, as-is, then do your MAF-less tune, with the current setup. If you're comfortable with those results, then swap the intake & throttle body and simply tweak it for the new intake setup/parts. IMO, you'll be way ahead of the game, not also possibly fighting new part install issues, and have the option of a simple "start over" reflash if you get in over your head.
If it doesn't work out, with you trying to do the SD/Mafless tune yourself, then you can always reflash the current working tune, and figure out Plan B...
Like ddnspider said above...it'll take a little time, but will gain you some valuable hands on experience.
Regardless, I'd figure that part (DIY or paying someone) out BEFORE swapping parts
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 663
Likes: 384
From: South Carolina
What PCM are you running? Some P01 PCM's have two VE tables a primary and secondary. With a failed MAF (or removed) it looks at the secondary VE table first. It's aggravating dealing with both tables when doing SD because the Row Axis is different between the two tables. You have to copy every other row and paste to the appropriate table.
You can switch to the "Speed Density Enhanced" OS to eliminate the secondary table making copy & paste from the scanner so much easier. You do have to do a "Write Entire" when flashing the new OS so make sure the vehicle battery and laptop battery is fully charged and DO NOT INTERRUPT the flash or you'll brick the PCM.
If you only have one VE table disregard my above rambling
You can switch to the "Speed Density Enhanced" OS to eliminate the secondary table making copy & paste from the scanner so much easier. You do have to do a "Write Entire" when flashing the new OS so make sure the vehicle battery and laptop battery is fully charged and DO NOT INTERRUPT the flash or you'll brick the PCM.
If you only have one VE table disregard my above rambling
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 299
Likes: 21
From: Phoenix, AZ
What PCM are you running? Some P01 PCM's have two VE tables a primary and secondary. With a failed MAF (or removed) it looks at the secondary VE table first. It's aggravating dealing with both tables when doing SD because the Row Axis is different between the two tables. You have to copy every other row and paste to the appropriate table.
You can switch to the "Speed Density Enhanced" OS to eliminate the secondary table making copy & paste from the scanner so much easier. You do have to do a "Write Entire" when flashing the new OS so make sure the vehicle battery and laptop battery is fully charged and DO NOT INTERRUPT the flash or you'll brick the PCM.
If you only have one VE table disregard my above rambling
You can switch to the "Speed Density Enhanced" OS to eliminate the secondary table making copy & paste from the scanner so much easier. You do have to do a "Write Entire" when flashing the new OS so make sure the vehicle battery and laptop battery is fully charged and DO NOT INTERRUPT the flash or you'll brick the PCM.
If you only have one VE table disregard my above rambling
Its an 0411 PCM "Red/Blue" from a 2002 Escalade. Not sure if I have one or two VE tables.
Trending Topics
Im getting rid of my MAF and replacing it with a holley intake with 4150 style throttle body which means I need to do an SD tune.
I have HP Tuners, but I have next to zero tuning experience. I have watched some great videos on youtube by HP Tuners and it doesnt really seem too difficult.
Is it a good idea to attempt an SD as a newbie with no experience as long as I have a good wideband sensor to monitor my AFR's?
Or should I pay for a base SD mail order tune to get me started and then tweak it from there?
Or should I not even attempt it and take the car to a tuner?
I have HP Tuners, but I have next to zero tuning experience. I have watched some great videos on youtube by HP Tuners and it doesnt really seem too difficult.
Is it a good idea to attempt an SD as a newbie with no experience as long as I have a good wideband sensor to monitor my AFR's?
Or should I pay for a base SD mail order tune to get me started and then tweak it from there?
Or should I not even attempt it and take the car to a tuner?
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 299
Likes: 21
From: Phoenix, AZ
A base mail order SD tune will be garbage. It will also probably run OK and not blow your motor. An in person SD tune "could" be much better, and may even be perfect for that exact temperature and barometric pressure on that particular day. It should then be obvious that I believe you should do this for yourself. There are just too many variables that need to be accounted for to ever get an sd tune right in one session. As long as you have done your basic homework on safety, there is absolutely no reason to be afraid of doing it yourself. There is ONE BIG CATCH. You will do much better to have a friend drive, so you can monitor your logs in real time. Also, getting your tune REALLY finished is going to involve speeds that are highly suspect on anything other than a legit racetrack or a dyno. Putting aside those warnings, you can do it all by yourself on public roads if need be.