Questions about Bama Tune
06-21-2009, 07:30 PM
#12
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 11,962
No issues with the rest but this is my experience with your number three above:
"3) Can't start the car up cold and drive off smoothly. If I do that with the Brenspeed tune, the car jerks and is not accelerating smoothly and sometimes backfires in the intake."
I have no backfires and I can start the car up cold and drive off smoothly...as a matter of fact, at first, until I got used to the throttle response, I was just depressing the accelerator just a bit and taking off like a bat out of hell.
The throttle response from stop is fricking incredible, so I had to "train" myself to pull out slowly. I mostly enjoy getting on a ramp on the hwy
No, I did not have to buy 89 octane with the stock tune/stock air box--87 oct was just fine. But, remember, we may have the stock MAF but not the stock air box. The Granatelli filter is less restrictive than the stock air box, hence, more air, thus the need for a tune.
"3) Can't start the car up cold and drive off smoothly. If I do that with the Brenspeed tune, the car jerks and is not accelerating smoothly and sometimes backfires in the intake."
I have no backfires and I can start the car up cold and drive off smoothly...as a matter of fact, at first, until I got used to the throttle response, I was just depressing the accelerator just a bit and taking off like a bat out of hell.
The throttle response from stop is fricking incredible, so I had to "train" myself to pull out slowly. I mostly enjoy getting on a ramp on the hwy
No, I did not have to buy 89 octane with the stock tune/stock air box--87 oct was just fine. But, remember, we may have the stock MAF but not the stock air box. The Granatelli filter is less restrictive than the stock air box, hence, more air, thus the need for a tune.
06-21-2009, 07:59 PM
#13
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Ohio
Posts: 36
I have the bama tune and LOVE it. i had the brenspeed tune first and it was ok at best. Not bad but not great. Bamachip tune has so much power but does use more gas. It breaks the tires in any gear where when i was stock it would only break lose in 1st and maybe 2nd. with the bama im in 5th and drop it to 4th and if i gun it i can spin the tires! Plus bamachips tunes are only 50 bucks! well it was when i bought it
when you look at the sct box that says more power less fuel, that is talkign about the sct tunes that comes with the tuner, not custom tunes.
when you look at the sct box that says more power less fuel, that is talkign about the sct tunes that comes with the tuner, not custom tunes.
Anyway, I have the Bullitt CAI with Brenspeed tune. I'm using the 93 Octane race tune and I don't have any of the problems mentioned. Actually, I find my car to be more responsive and smooth when cold! I picked up a little bottom end. No doubt, better throughout the band. If you are having trouble then give Brenspeed a chance to work with you. I'm very happy.
Al
06-21-2009, 08:05 PM
#14
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 638
I have the bama tune and LOVE it. i had the brenspeed tune first and it was ok at best. Not bad but not great. Bamachip tune has so much power but does use more gas. It breaks the tires in any gear where when i was stock it would only break lose in 1st and maybe 2nd. with the bama im in 5th and drop it to 4th and if i gun it i can spin the tires! Plus bamachips tunes are only 50 bucks! well it was when i bought it
when you look at the sct box that says more power less fuel, that is talkign about the sct tunes that comes with the tuner, not custom tunes.
when you look at the sct box that says more power less fuel, that is talkign about the sct tunes that comes with the tuner, not custom tunes.
this done on a dyno?
at the flywheel or rear wheels ?
those are mighty impressive #'s for relatively minor mods
06-21-2009, 11:16 PM
#15
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 1,679
My Bama experience...
Got a tune for a C&L Street CAI. No other mods. Made the car feel like a V6 and mpg was cut by about 50%. That right there is enough to make me not recommend them. Hate to say that. But turning a Mustang GT into V6 performance with race car fuel economy should never ever happen.
Called Bama and got an adjustment. After the adjustment, mpg improved to 2-3 mpg worse than stock and performance was roughly equivalent to stock.
A few months later, I got longtube headers and had the tune updated for that. This tune registered well on the butt dyno. I have to suspect that was more about having a better tune than having headers.
However....Bama has yet to give me a tune that will not throw check engine lights with O2 slow response codes. We've tried a couple different things. I buy new O2 sensors, and 3 months later, I get these codes repeatedly.
Fast forward to this week, and....I'm giving VMP Tuning a chance. Tomorrow will be my 1st day with a VMP Tune installed. Fingers crossed on good performance and no check engine lights for O2 issues (or any other issues).
Got a tune for a C&L Street CAI. No other mods. Made the car feel like a V6 and mpg was cut by about 50%. That right there is enough to make me not recommend them. Hate to say that. But turning a Mustang GT into V6 performance with race car fuel economy should never ever happen.
Called Bama and got an adjustment. After the adjustment, mpg improved to 2-3 mpg worse than stock and performance was roughly equivalent to stock.
A few months later, I got longtube headers and had the tune updated for that. This tune registered well on the butt dyno. I have to suspect that was more about having a better tune than having headers.
However....Bama has yet to give me a tune that will not throw check engine lights with O2 slow response codes. We've tried a couple different things. I buy new O2 sensors, and 3 months later, I get these codes repeatedly.
Fast forward to this week, and....I'm giving VMP Tuning a chance. Tomorrow will be my 1st day with a VMP Tune installed. Fingers crossed on good performance and no check engine lights for O2 issues (or any other issues).
06-22-2009, 02:52 AM
#16
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Escondido, California
Posts: 2,018
I have sent the tune back to them once already. I have a Granatelli Cold Air Intake. I asked them about low rpm power and they said the power is there, I just don't notice it like I do in the upper rpms. I say for sure, the power is not there at low rpms. I also asked them about the backfiring and jerky cold take off. They told me the tune is so finely tuned that the car needs to be warmed up to the point of the idle slowing down to it's normal point. How come Ford's stock tune can start up and take right off? Ford's stock tune is never jerky. Everything is pointing to me trying Bama or just throwing in the towel and going back to stock.
06-22-2009, 07:49 AM
#19
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sterling Heights, MI
Posts: 3,792
I have the Granatelli CAI and at first I ran it without a tune and it gave me a good boost in power. But then I got a custom dynotune and had to remove the Granatelli MAS. It gave me another power boost and it runs very well.
Did you try to go back to the stock tune. If it runs ok with the stock tune its probably the Brenspeed tune thats bad. If it runs poorly with the stock tune its a problem with your car not the tune. Brenspeed has a great reputation, you should try to contact them again for help.
Did you try to go back to the stock tune. If it runs ok with the stock tune its probably the Brenspeed tune thats bad. If it runs poorly with the stock tune its a problem with your car not the tune. Brenspeed has a great reputation, you should try to contact them again for help.
06-22-2009, 01:32 PM
#20
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Lewisetta, Virginia
Posts: 788
Wingman75, you have a dyno tune, not a Brenspeed tune.
Just for the heck of it, today I went out to my car, put the wiring harness and the Granatelli mass air sensor on, loaded a 91 tune with 93 gas in the tank and it's running smoother any of the tunes running with the recommended removing of the Granatelli wiring harness and Granatelli mass air sensor. Go figure. I haven't ridden much yet so time will tell but, so far it's smooth and doesn't make that loud struggling sound in between 1.5 and 2.5 rpms.
Just out of curiosity, did that Spydershaft make more or less difference in power than your gears?
Just for the heck of it, today I went out to my car, put the wiring harness and the Granatelli mass air sensor on, loaded a 91 tune with 93 gas in the tank and it's running smoother any of the tunes running with the recommended removing of the Granatelli wiring harness and Granatelli mass air sensor. Go figure. I haven't ridden much yet so time will tell but, so far it's smooth and doesn't make that loud struggling sound in between 1.5 and 2.5 rpms.
Just out of curiosity, did that Spydershaft make more or less difference in power than your gears?