'Bama Tune for Dummies or Tuner 101
09-09-2013, 07:06 AM
#11
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 308
That was a good video but just realize, they got about 10-15 minutes of wait time out of it. They had the door open but everything I've read said to have the door closed and everything (radio, lights, etc.) off.
09-09-2013, 09:46 AM
#12
Join Date: May 2013
Location: California
Posts: 29
While I've been researching about gear upgrades on about 5 other forums, I've found that Ford can adjust the computer to handle 3:31 gears. Ford offers the 3:31 gears on Mustangs with the Performance Package. Any gears higher than 3:31 (3:55, 3:72, 4:10 etc) will require a tune as Ford doesn't seem to support these gears. And as any American Muscle rep will be glad to tell you, they ask you something like 19 questions about your car for the Bama tunes you select. Also, the new SCT tuner can hold 10 custom tunes along with the base tunes hard coded on the SCT tuner.
09-09-2013, 10:28 AM
#13
Okay a few things upfront;
I'm 65 yrs. old & my Ricky Racer days are past.
I would probably be running 87 or 89 octane gas.
Would like to feel improved throttle response, low to mid RPM torque feel improvement. With a less sluggish Auto trans response.
Improved MPG !!!!
When I run 89 octane gas, doesn't the stock ford 'puter automatically increase performance?
Where does the 'Bama plug into the mustang ?
Can it mess up my warranty ?
What's the process for changing the 'stangs tune ?
Does the free tunes for life , come with all 'Bama tuners ?
There's probably many questions, I haven't even thought of yet, so feel to just assume my noobie to tuners & contribute all relevant info that I might find useful..
Thanks
I'm 65 yrs. old & my Ricky Racer days are past.
I would probably be running 87 or 89 octane gas.
Would like to feel improved throttle response, low to mid RPM torque feel improvement. With a less sluggish Auto trans response.
Improved MPG !!!!
When I run 89 octane gas, doesn't the stock ford 'puter automatically increase performance?
Where does the 'Bama plug into the mustang ?
Can it mess up my warranty ?
What's the process for changing the 'stangs tune ?
Does the free tunes for life , come with all 'Bama tuners ?
There's probably many questions, I haven't even thought of yet, so feel to just assume my noobie to tuners & contribute all relevant info that I might find useful..
Thanks
You can definitely get a tune to do what you want, you'll just want to let them know that's what you want. Improved throttle response definitely, more aggressive AT tweaks, and some more power. Fuel economy I don't see a huge difference in. That is always far more dependant on your right foot than your tune.
Bama is the name of AmericanMuscle's tuning company, the tuner itself will be an SCT and it plugs into the OBD II port. When you plug it in, it will prompt you to follow a few steps during which it will flash to tune to the computer.
It can definitely affect some parts of your warranty. You can't go in with a tune and ask why your engine is running poorly, obviously, but if an item unrelated to the computer or tune breaks, they still have to honor that warranty. You can always remove the tune and it's not detectable that it was tuned, only that it was reset recently. That's the smart thing to do.
And I do believe that all bama tuner purchases come with tunes for life, but you can double check that on their website. The tuner can hold a couple extra tunes, so you can get one for higher octane and performance, or one for lower octane and more economy but still have throttle response, better AT, and all that.
Now, as far as work done by the dealership, are you talking about warranty work, or work you're paying for, or what? Depending on the dealership, they may or may not work with you more with a tune. I know my dealership does a lot of aftermarket installs and is a little more friendly to that. Like I said before, they won't look at the tune or anything if they are doing unrelated work, and won't void any warranties or refuse any work because of it. I'd just suggest removing the tune before you go if you're trying to get anything engine or computer related then. They aren't going to diagnose with your tune on if it's possibly causing the issue. Just use your best judgement.
And I can't recall if you have to get a tune written for the gears, or if it's an option on the tuner regardless of the tune, but you would need to get a tuner to adjust the speedo after getting gears. You don't have to tune for the gears for any reason than to reset the speedo though.
Maybe that'll get you guys started. Others can fill in where I missed, and AM may even chime in with more info.
Bama is the name of AmericanMuscle's tuning company, the tuner itself will be an SCT and it plugs into the OBD II port. When you plug it in, it will prompt you to follow a few steps during which it will flash to tune to the computer.
It can definitely affect some parts of your warranty. You can't go in with a tune and ask why your engine is running poorly, obviously, but if an item unrelated to the computer or tune breaks, they still have to honor that warranty. You can always remove the tune and it's not detectable that it was tuned, only that it was reset recently. That's the smart thing to do.
And I do believe that all bama tuner purchases come with tunes for life, but you can double check that on their website. The tuner can hold a couple extra tunes, so you can get one for higher octane and performance, or one for lower octane and more economy but still have throttle response, better AT, and all that.
Now, as far as work done by the dealership, are you talking about warranty work, or work you're paying for, or what? Depending on the dealership, they may or may not work with you more with a tune. I know my dealership does a lot of aftermarket installs and is a little more friendly to that. Like I said before, they won't look at the tune or anything if they are doing unrelated work, and won't void any warranties or refuse any work because of it. I'd just suggest removing the tune before you go if you're trying to get anything engine or computer related then. They aren't going to diagnose with your tune on if it's possibly causing the issue. Just use your best judgement.
And I can't recall if you have to get a tune written for the gears, or if it's an option on the tuner regardless of the tune, but you would need to get a tuner to adjust the speedo after getting gears. You don't have to tune for the gears for any reason than to reset the speedo though.
Maybe that'll get you guys started. Others can fill in where I missed, and AM may even chime in with more info.
AJ06GT definitely pointed you in the right direction and provided you with a ton of great information. I can add to this and give you some advice and answer all of your questions that may still be a little blurry!
1. The tuner plugs into your OB2 port that is located on the driver side, under the dash. It's located in between the pedals and the steering wheel, you can't miss it once you get down there!
2. The real answer is Yes, a tuner can mess with your warranty. This doesn't mean it's going to damage your vehicle. However, a dealership can void your warranty if your car is tuned. If you go in for say a bad starter and it's covered under warranty, they can't say "No we're not fixing it because your car is tuned". However, if something goes wrong with your engine that they can prove is directly caused by the tune, they may argue to void the warranty. I wouldn't worry much about this, we write our tunes extremely safe and we will only add as much power as we can safely deliver.
3. Yes, free tunes for life comes with all of our custom tuners. You're automatically enrolled into this program when purchasing a device from us. Anytime you need a new tune, add a modification, want to datalog etc.. just hit up the Bama team and they'll get you squared away. You can reach them at the contact information in my signature!
I hope this helps clear things up a bit. Feel free to give me a shout if you have any further questions or need some assistance, I'm only a PM away!
-Dan
09-11-2013, 12:39 AM
#14
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Illinois
Posts: 150
Thanks Dan, & I agree AJ & others have made good points.
I have to admit, I thought there'd been more 'Stang owners with the 'Bama tunes that would have chimed in with their experiences!
The part that bugs me most, is that Ford might refuse to honor their warranty [which I plan to extend]
Another question; Any chance the 'Bama tuner could lose the original Ford tune ??
Is the tuner using a battery back-up ?
Thanks
I have to admit, I thought there'd been more 'Stang owners with the 'Bama tunes that would have chimed in with their experiences!
The part that bugs me most, is that Ford might refuse to honor their warranty [which I plan to extend]
Another question; Any chance the 'Bama tuner could lose the original Ford tune ??
Is the tuner using a battery back-up ?
Thanks
09-11-2013, 06:51 AM
#15
No battery backup. I'm sure its solid state, like a thumb drive. As far as gears, If you have an aftermarket tune there are options that can be unlocked. Gear ratio is one of them and you just select the one you want. Same goes for tire revs if you change tire size.
09-11-2013, 07:45 AM
#16
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 308
I have a slight problem with this. I do have a tune and I hope I NEVER come to odds with Ford but, they are warranting THEIR work, not Bama's. If you make changes to what they set the car up for and then that causes problems, I don't think you can expect that they'll pay for the repair. That's just the runs we risk.
09-17-2013, 01:01 PM
#17
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Georgia
Posts: 195
Thanks Dan, & I agree AJ & others have made good points.
I have to admit, I thought there'd been more 'Stang owners with the 'Bama tunes that would have chimed in with their experiences!
The part that bugs me most, is that Ford might refuse to honor their warranty [which I plan to extend]
Another question; Any chance the 'Bama tuner could lose the original Ford tune ??
Is the tuner using a battery back-up ?
Thanks
I have to admit, I thought there'd been more 'Stang owners with the 'Bama tunes that would have chimed in with their experiences!
The part that bugs me most, is that Ford might refuse to honor their warranty [which I plan to extend]
Another question; Any chance the 'Bama tuner could lose the original Ford tune ??
Is the tuner using a battery back-up ?
Thanks
BTW, I'm 66 and still doing high performance driving. Going to Atlanta Motorsports Park Friday for a day of fun. Age is a state of mind.
10-22-2013, 02:14 PM
#19
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 3,666
No, the tuner is pretty solid. Due to adaptive learning, I reload my custom tune every couple of months and never experienced any issues. Over time, the custom tune will learn your driving habits and the tune will not be as aggressive, thus the reason I reload my custom tune every couple of months.
10-22-2013, 06:49 PM
#20
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location:
Posts: 246
No, the tuner is pretty solid. Due to adaptive learning, I reload my custom tune every couple of months and never experienced any issues. Over time, the custom tune will learn your driving habits and the tune will not be as aggressive, thus the reason I reload my custom tune every couple of months.
I have a stick shift, so I don't have trans adaptives, which can get a little wonky.There's a bazillion positions on warranty and not warranty impact, so if that's a real concern for you read up on the Magnuson-Moss act.
Overall, you'll LOVE having a tune in the car. There's so much potential in the V6 that's untapped...it's like having a whole different car - and a GREAT one!
