Redleg

Are custom tunes required after every intake upgrade? And what is the procedure?

For example...I purchase a C&L Intake/SCT Tuner from Brenspeed. I understand Brenspeed sends me the parts and the hand held tuner to reconfigure my car's system.

If I purchase a CMCV Delete 2 months later...does this require me to send the Tuner back to Brenspeed for upload of a new program?

Rinse and repeat again for Headers/X Pipe? Or does the tuner not make a difference since it's exhaust..

Just curious. Cause if that's the case, I would think it would make sense to just order all at same time.

MSgt46270

Any changes to the intake you will need to do a tune. If you just install the C&L intake and run the car, it'll run real bad. I did this with the Steeda intake.
As far as the CMCV Delete, not really sure, but guess you will.
Headers or X-pipe you won't have too. When I installed my JBA shorty headers I didn't have too.

Don't your mods at the same time to save your self some money.

Ford_Dude

From what I've read and been told
You must thave a retune after installing a CMCV delete if you don't you'll get an error code and failsafe mode
and I guess in MSgt46270's experiance you don't really need a tune after headers but I would call Brenspeed because it sounds like he knows
and after reading here and there it sounds like there is a way to load the new tune on the tuner from the computer and Brenspeed can send you a new tune

CrazyAl

CMCV definatley requires a tune. If you don't have a tune you will see an HP LOSS and the engine will go into failsafe mode. Not good!


A tune is a good thing if you get longtube headers. The tune unlocks the real power gains of the headers. A tune is not needed for shorties, becasue shorties don't do much of anything (except drain your wallet).

Brenspeed can Email you updated tune files, which you simply copy onto your tuner with a USB cable and free software from SCT's web site.

Redleg

Thanks for the responses. Brenspeed definitely seems like the way to go. Without calling him (I'm in Korea now, waiting to come home), can anybody tell me how much they pay for the custom tune? From your responses, it seems like if I do the CAI first....then CMCV later....I'll need to pay for 2 tunes. Wondering what that cost is actually like.

Thanks.

CrazyAl

When you buy a tuner from Brenspeed, you get THREE free custom tunes, whatever you want.

If you want additional tunes later, they are $60 each, $100 for 3, or FREE if you buy the corresponding parts from Brenspeed.

If you plan it out right you can get the tunes you want free at the same time you get your CAI.

KCsGT

I've seen several intakes that claim they don't need a tune. For example, Mustang Enthusiast magazine did a how-to several months ago on the Airaid unit. Results were excellent IIRC. I'm a noob on CAI so please forgive me.

-Ken

CrazyAl

We've discussed this a couple of times before.

There are two kinds of "no-tune intakes". The first kind is tuneless simply becasue they aren't very different than stock. Becasue they don't do much of anything, you don't need a tune.

The other kind, like the Granatelli intake, come with a special MAF sensor with a non-standard calibration. This special MAF tricks the ECU into spraying more fuel into the engine to match the increased airflow. That mimics having a tune. This kind works pretty well. The drawback is that if you want to do other mods that require a tuner (like CMCV delete, headers, etc...) then you are in trouble becasue the non-standard MAF doesn't play nicely with most tunes. The other disadvantage compared to a tune + cai, is that the tuneless CAIs cannot alter your timing information, which a tune CAN do.

My advice: if you are just going to stick a CAI on your car and that's it (no other mods), and you are budget concious, then get something like the Granatelli. They work fine.

On the other hand, if you are going to do other mods for which a tuner is either required or is handy, then don't get a "tune-less" CAI.

Also note that for you guys with Automatic transmissions, a tune will also firm up your shifting points, which is something that a tuneless CAI cannot do. If you have a manual trans, a CAI+tune is even more attractive than a tuneless CAI for that reason.