Good handheld Tuner?
12-28-2010, 05:15 PM
#3
12-29-2010, 04:25 AM
#8
TECH SAVANT
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Saint Augustine, FL
Posts: 10,938
As most of you are aware there is no more ardent supporter of Special Forces and Delta Force Tuning than myself--however I have come to realise that Special Forces is not the proper product for anyone that is never planning on learning to tune their own vehicle.
SF is a great tuning tool, offering much more flexibility and therefore tuning capability than anything else in it's price range--literally blowing them out of the water from those perspectives.
That said, full use of those capabilities require that the user have more knowledge of how engines and engine control systems work than with the handhelds--especially when the handheld is to be used as nothing more than an holding device/interface for load mail-order/custom tunes obtained from, or created by, someone other than the vehicle owner.
I know several handheld owners (SCT mostly) that got the device when they had their car "dyno" tuned, and have never even once had it connected to the car since then; not for data logging or anything. In a situation like that SF's extended capabilities would be irrelevant, and SCT's ownership of the "let someone else tune your car" market becomes more relevant.
So OP, bottom line, if you are the sort like me who likes to do things yourself (in my case largely to ensure it's done correctly); then the Special Forces package, or even Commando (which includes SF) is my strong recommendation. The Commando package will cost about what a "dyno" tune and a handheld to take home costs; and, YOU will be able to tweak the tune as seasons, modifications, and driving goals change--anytime you like, without spending another penny¹.
If OTH you are not planning on tuning it yourself then one of the other less capable, but likely locally supported, devices may be preferable.
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¹ - I will also once again recommend Greg Banish's book, Engine Management: Advanced Tuning. It provides 80%+ of what you need to know to tune your engine.
SF is a great tuning tool, offering much more flexibility and therefore tuning capability than anything else in it's price range--literally blowing them out of the water from those perspectives.
That said, full use of those capabilities require that the user have more knowledge of how engines and engine control systems work than with the handhelds--especially when the handheld is to be used as nothing more than an holding device/interface for load mail-order/custom tunes obtained from, or created by, someone other than the vehicle owner.
I know several handheld owners (SCT mostly) that got the device when they had their car "dyno" tuned, and have never even once had it connected to the car since then; not for data logging or anything. In a situation like that SF's extended capabilities would be irrelevant, and SCT's ownership of the "let someone else tune your car" market becomes more relevant.
So OP, bottom line, if you are the sort like me who likes to do things yourself (in my case largely to ensure it's done correctly); then the Special Forces package, or even Commando (which includes SF) is my strong recommendation. The Commando package will cost about what a "dyno" tune and a handheld to take home costs; and, YOU will be able to tweak the tune as seasons, modifications, and driving goals change--anytime you like, without spending another penny¹.
If OTH you are not planning on tuning it yourself then one of the other less capable, but likely locally supported, devices may be preferable.
---------------------------------------------------
¹ - I will also once again recommend Greg Banish's book, Engine Management: Advanced Tuning. It provides 80%+ of what you need to know to tune your engine.
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