How did everyone learn to tune?
Originally Posted by foff667
BTW myself & a bunch of others that I've learned from are listed on the Team ZR-1 "don't know how to tune" list so I must be doing something right 
HA see we both can be in a thread and it not get locked. 
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
Originally Posted by ringram
Get a scan tool. It will teach you loads too.
Read heaps, text books are good too as the info is likely to be almost 100% accurate.
Internet info, is more of a debate/discussion. Some points are more valid than others. You just need to filter out the rubbish. Post counts are a good indication at times and forum moderators generally have things figured out. Except ffoff, JK
Read heaps, text books are good too as the info is likely to be almost 100% accurate.
Internet info, is more of a debate/discussion. Some points are more valid than others. You just need to filter out the rubbish. Post counts are a good indication at times and forum moderators generally have things figured out. Except ffoff, JK
Originally Posted by ZL1Killa
.....so its best to do trial and error. MAKE 1 CHANGE AT A TIME.
I never ever saw VCM Suite in person before then, I just read whats here mostly while waiting for it to come in the mail..
You can do it man, just get familiar with all the sensors and what they do and you are half-way there....actually thats like 99% of it, really...
Last edited by stone4779; Jan 21, 2007 at 04:49 AM.
Originally Posted by reject
Yeah I was searching around and then i was looking at all the people that tune, and started wondering...how did everyone learn what they know? did yall learn it on your own? did you have a sinsay (lol) to help you? i've just BARELY started to pick up a tuner and learn how to do this myself, and was needing help. i know this takes a long time to learn. but still....i've always wanted to know how everyone got to where they are at.
yeah i've been reading and sleeping with the info (litterly falling asleep on the keyboard reading all of the topics there are for tuning here and at hpt's website!) trying to stay dedicated to learning it but being 19 lol kinda hard. Stone4779, thanks for the offer, but i'm over here in dallas 
and FOFF667, thanks for the baseline to get me started. i'll be PMing you so that i can do some Q&A to see if what i'm thinking is close to what you did. just to see if i'm on the same chapter as you are. again thanks
so alot of ppl were self tough, makes me feel more confident now!
and FOFF667, thanks for the baseline to get me started. i'll be PMing you so that i can do some Q&A to see if what i'm thinking is close to what you did. just to see if i'm on the same chapter as you are. again thanks so alot of ppl were self tough, makes me feel more confident now!
TECH Addict
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,261
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Originally Posted by reject
Yeah I was searching around and then i was looking at all the people that tune, and started wondering...how did everyone learn what they know? did yall learn it on your own? did you have a sinsay (lol) to help you? i've just BARELY started to pick up a tuner and learn how to do this myself, and was needing help. i know this takes a long time to learn. but still....i've always wanted to know how everyone got to where they are at.
As long as you continue to ask questions and search for answers you'll do fine.
When making adjustments always lean towards the conservative side.
In the beginning I always wanted to jump in and make big changes - for big results! Pretty stupid of me........but I learned (Thank you, Joe Pilla
). There are many ways and opinions to achieve the same end result.
I did much better organizing my thoughts when I used a notebook and actually kept notes on my changes and results.
I was able to tune my car with the help of the guys on this forum and GMPX -back when they said "You'll never be able to tune that cam". It's the only car I've ever tuned.
God Bless NoGo.
This is buried in the stickies ... it's great info ->> http://carprogrammer.com/Z28/PCM/LS1/Holden_LS1.pdf
Cheers,
joel
Last edited by Bink; Jan 21, 2007 at 03:23 PM.
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My suggestion is to not try to understand it all in one shot. It makes it much less intimidating. Start with the simple stuff and learn to navigate the tuning suite dejour. There is plenty of time to get into the more complex adder and multiplier vs speed, MAP, IAT, ECT, RPM, etc. Oh, learn the acronyms or it all looks like a foreign language.
There has been a lot of good advice posted on here, but I will disagree with one thing. Ignore post count, because there are quite a few post ****** who have some ludicrous post count, but very little good info. If you see advice from someone who seems credible, but the advice sounds fishy, research it further. As was said multiple times above, take any internet advice with a grain of salt. Noone here is going to pay for your blown motor, so tune in small steps. The scanner and your engine sensors will be your best friends now. If you ignore them, it will cost you. If you listen to them, you get nearly free extra power and driveability.
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 299
Likes: 41
From: Detroit, Murder City
Originally Posted by gametech
Ignore post count
Noone here is going to pay for your blown motor
Noone here is going to pay for your blown motor
The best guys are the ones who never stop learning. There's always something new to learn about and ever increasing layers of complexity. My advice is read every book and take every class you can get ahold of. Lots of the concepts about tuning apply to every engine with a spark plug, so don't be so closed minded as to only look for LS1 tuning info either.
Originally Posted by reject
Yeah I was searching around and then i was looking at all the people that tune, and started wondering...how did everyone learn what they know? did yall learn it on your own? did you have a sinsay (lol) to help you? i've just BARELY started to pick up a tuner and learn how to do this myself, and was needing help. i know this takes a long time to learn. but still....i've always wanted to know how everyone got to where they are at.
Outside of research, I think I learned the most with LT1 Edit back in 2001-2003 era. Getting my LT1 car setup just right.
As with all things everything is getting more complicated. My LS1 car era came with more disposable income then my LT1 car. So I've been able to buy nicer software (HPtuners) and nicer tuning tools (AEM Wideband) and so I've been able to take a leap forward on my tuning in terms of time spent. The histogram feature of HPtuners cut about 2 weeks out of the time it would have taken to tune with the wideband by eyeballing. The wideband cut about 1 month out of my street tuning time.
Just make sure you understand the fundamentals. I'd start by learning the EFI system from then 89-93 Ford Mustangs. Just on paper. If you understand the basics there, then it will make translating that information to the LS1 EFI type system a lot easier. As it is a more complex system.
Originally Posted by Doc
How? Read, spend, experiment, interpret, get confused, see the light, repeat.
It only seems like a few people on these sites really know what there doing, while others are still trying to figure out! (me)
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 564
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From: Omaha, NE
Started in late 80s as a hobby converting carbed Detomaso Panteras to DPI EFI before EFI was cool. Started own chassis dyno tuning business in '91' and just retired 15 yrs later. I went thru three stages as I look back at it, first 5 yrs I knew it all, first to respond to anyone's EFI questions, learned alot on customer's cars. Second five years, slower to answer questions, learned every car is different and finally realizeing how much I dont know, but getting to be a good tuner. Last five years, learned to let the first five yr guys do most of the question answering, still learned alot every day and got to be a real good tuner, had solid 2-3 wk tuning backlog. Now retired since 12/31/06. Will be part time consultant for the new dyno owner.
TECH Addict
Joined: Jul 2002
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Originally Posted by yobabiesdaddy2001
I second that!
It only seems like a few people on these sites really know what there doing, while others are still trying to figure out! (me)
It only seems like a few people on these sites really know what there doing, while others are still trying to figure out! (me)
Originally Posted by Bink
I disagree. There are MANY competent "Tuners" on this board. There really aren't many secrets anymore - if any.
LOL.
Looking for a tuner.
Originally Posted by trumperZ06
one definition of an "expert"...
Any salesman more than 50 miles away from his manufacturing plant!
Any salesman more than 50 miles away from his manufacturing plant!
Another is anyone who knows more than you do.
But mostly go by the Golden Rule:
Make each mistake only once. Learn from it and never make it again. Then move on to the next mistake.
I wish more people would read these documents:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/pcm-diagnostics-tuning/287094-read-me-first-tuning-docs-ve-maf-ses-lights-faqs-more-01-31-07-a.html
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,036
Likes: 1
From: Lake Zurich, IL
Originally Posted by koolaid_kid
I wish more people would read these documents:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287094
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287094
so do I LOL
this post will be added to that sticky tomorrow.... there are only so many times you can say "read read read" heh and this thread meets those requirements
