2007CalSpec

Anyone else here hate the fact that the S197 needs a handheld tuner just to tune your car? Those things are so expensive and not everyone can afford them. Whatever happened to just plugging in a performance chip? I also miss the old days of wrenching to tune your car. You could just slap something on and turn a few screws totune the car. None of this custom 87, 97 tune and such. Damn technology! I guess that's the price we pay these days. I guess what I'm wondering is why the S197 is so sensitive to intake changes. Were the previous yearMustangs the same way? Don't some cars ECM's adjust for intake changes automatically?

The S197 is like a woman.She'll burn a hole in your wallet but you still love her. [8D]

ThumperMX113

Nope. just buy a Xcal2 or Xcal3. I've already used mine on 3 vehicles.

MantaDreams

yeh and the unfortunate thing is that the computer and the software that runs modern cars is primitive... ancient by todays computer standards. way overpriced for what you're getting. I can undertsand these tuners being expensive at first. but really.

Chris07GT

I feel the exact opposite. I think it's pretty cool that I can just plug in this device and change the tune, axl ratio, rim/tire size, etc., plus data log. All that for afew hundred bucks seems pretty reasonable to me!

Bluestar

I think the first time you put a 93 Octane Tune in there, you'll say WOW this Tuner was worth every .

rshamekh

I was born in this technology world!! So, I think it's a pretty good idea ..

And as Bluestar said .. it will be worth every penny when you tune your car ..

acascianelli

The only thing I think is stupid about tuners and tunes is that I can't write my own without the expensive *** Diablosport CMR software.

I feel kind of bad for my Audi/VW buddies who have to pay $400+ just to have a tune installed on their cars. Takes about 5 minutes to do and you're left with nothing but a reciept and a lighter wallet.

Orion_240

No, I just hate the price!
I think it's incredible innovation and it allows owners to customize lots of things in their computer-operated car. Setting new shift points, being able to take advantage of higher octane gas, changing A/F ratios, changing tire sizes, rpms, the temp that the fan goes on... not too bad! Beats the heck out of those old chips!

rmays06

Ya I'm not really understanding how someone could actually not like a tuner, first you had to REALLY bolt on parts and if you didn't have the right combo or set everything up right you were tearing the motor up again and starting over, then the chip era came and you spent $150-$200 for a single chip and that was it, now you have way more options, you can get a canned tune, play with spark, fan adjust, change the rpm limiter, adjust octane, turn off your speed gov.....now I think about that, man that really sucks you have to do all that to have a great time in your car, man get one and then repost your thoughts....right now it ain't flying.
BTW used ones are going for as cheap as $200, not bad considering a full tank of gas cost $60.....lol

Gene K

Its not the air intake itself its sensitive to. Its the fact that they change the size of the sample tube. These cars use a slot meter that bolts into the side ofthe Sample Tube which is the"neck" of the airbox that connects to the intakeduct.

Used to we bought a CAI seperate from the MAF and when we repaced the MAF it was calibrated to send the correct signal to the ECM for the size injectors we were running and the amount of air flowing through the MAF.

Now since the Sample Tube is the primary restriction and is built into the airbox the better aftermarket air intakes use a bigger MAF Housing (Sample Tube). Once you bolt the Slot Meter into this larger tube what happens? It sees the sameamountof air hitting it as before but has no way of knowing the volume of air is actually much highersince thepassage is now 33% larger. It thereforetells the PCM that25% less air is flowing through the passage than is actually occuring.

Why doesnt the PCM correct for this? At full throttle it couldnt anyway since it runs to rich for the Narrow Band O2 Sensors its equiped with to be effective.
At part throttle it sees its running way to lean for the amount of air coming by the slot meter and assumes either the meter is bad or there is a massive air leak in the intake tract downstream of the meter, throws a code and goes into failsafe.

The aftermarketsells other options. Some such as the K&N that have carefully calibrated Sample Tube Sizes to lean out the AFR toapproximately the right point for optimum power without going to far. This allows you to run it without a tune. However if you get a tune it will give upconsiderable power (due to undersized sample tube) compared to the "Unrestricted Intakes". Other intakes ship with a "Restrictor" to go in the tube to allow them tobe used without a tune and then it can be removed to eliminate any power loss when tuned.

Why not just use the old style MAF + CAI? It would cost more money and the aftermarket sensors (low cost ones anyway)in general are not as accurateas the factory slot meter.

The primary advantage to the tune isnt the 10 rwhpit gives you. Its the fact that it eliminates torque management, allows higher rpms, gives much faster throttle response, etc. In otherwords it goes from feeling like a faster version of Aunt Tilda's Cadillac to a modern day 428 CobraJet. Even though an Intake and Tune show roughly equal numbers on a dyno the tune will pickthe car up 3/10 vs the CAI picking it up a 1/10. Its all about the car beinguncastrated.