JET DST aka. Tuner Cats OBD II any good ?

[EagleMark]

EFI Live licenses to VCM ID so you can change OS or year or VIN? What I was told on HP TUner is it's license is to Year Make Model, this way you can get unlimited for that Year Make Model with three 2 credit tunes and they accumulate, or just buy 6. VIN would have to match Year Make Model.

[mekkis]

You are very likely correct in that regard, I have no experience using HP Tuners on that level. I only use it for 2/3 bar OS, E40 PCMs, and Cobalts. The actual licensing procedure for single license stuff is VCM ID, however it makes sense that there are OS and VIN restrictions to limit certain "streams" that haven't been purchased.

[RobertISaar]

There's always this option:
http://www.tunercat.com/obd2/dealerkit.html

This allows uploading / downloading of flash calibrations. After you've got the cal you'll still need a way to tune it. If you can find a TP definition file then the tuning's covered with TP. Plus the reflash tool allows reading / writing everything TC supports. If you can find an older trial version of HPT that saves files in binary mode you'll have a way to tune all sorts of OBDII vehicles for just the cost of the reflash software.

There are some V6 specific tools out there as well. One was popular on the GAGT forum. Maybe I have a copy of that software somewhere? I'm using a freeware scanner called UVScan. There are others. UVScan allows you to define your own PIDs although so far I haven't had the time to play with that. I tried using the version of mxscan available from Moates' site. Reading the download page leaves me with the impression that it should be fully functional. In my case it won't connect and I'm not really interested in pursuing it.

this is pretty much the only route i'll even consider at this point... as far as V6 specific, tinytuner covers editing the 3100/3400/3800 applications, which covers a lot of the stuff i ever intend to play with.

[pmkls1]

All of those other options still end up costing the same as the HP Tuners setup and don't offer any functions that I need. I've went through the parameters and flags that can be changed and am satisfied with it's capabilities. I'd rather spend the $500 on a single solution and be done. So far, I haven't seen any specific problem with HP Tuners that would lead me to change my mind.

[mekkis]

All of those other options still end up costing the same as the HP Tuners setup and don't offer any functions that I need. I've went through the parameters and flags that can be changed and am satisfied with it's capabilities. I'd rather spend the $500 on a single solution and be done. So far, I haven't seen any specific problem with HP Tuners that would lead me to change my mind.

If you only want to do one car, and it is not one of the LS2+ era ECUs with the matrix math solution in place of the VE table, then you are correct. If you want to do more than one car, ir it is a newer PCM, then HP Tuners is the most expensive and lacks fundamental support that EFI Live has.

[Hog]

You can start with TunerCat OBDII RoadRunner cheaper then that if you don't buy all the tdf, but have to buy a RoadRunner. I think it's the only way to buy TC OBDII now? Still get the flash cable and WinFlash, can buy the .tdf seperate.

I like my TunerCat OBDII, no licences per PCM!

You are right, the only way to buy TC2 new is to buy it with a Roadrunner. Its $1750 for ALL VDF's plus the cost of Roadrunner if you dont get ALL the VDF's(vehicle definition files). TC2 is $505 with 1 VDF plus the cost of Roadrunner. There are 34 VDF's available plus 2 TCM's plus Westers Diesel TC2 VDF's. Sure has grown a lot since 2005 when it had around 6 VDF's.

I agree with Lextech, I am so happy I bough Tunercat OBD2 back in 2005. I got it for $345 new through a FSC group buy. Wester's Garage even sells a TC2 VDF for the Duramax trucks and the 6.5 and 6.5TD. You cant read the diesels though.
VDF's are still $80 and you get John's top notch 100% great customer support. Support up into 2013 now.

Westers Garage still has his GMT product which can tune most GM vehicles from 1996-2013. GMT supports the most GM vehciles out of all the tuning suites. GMT supports all 1996-2007 non CAN vehicles for $4100 and $7300 for all 1996-2012 OBD2 CAN and non-CAN vehicles including all diesel support.
Big bucks, obviously aimed at a tuning shop.

peace
Hog

[roughneck427]

Efilive just supported reading for 1996-2007 v6 3800 must be working on something http://forum.efilive.com/showthread....Pre-Release-05

[EagleMark]

No worries, it's not like we are about to enable 3800 tuning in the next release, it's just evaluating interest at this stage.

Not even sure if intrest will help? There's been tons of intrest in 98-00 Vortec trucks for many years and still it is missing SO much. I handed them the info on a silver platter and still no intrest...

[Fast355]

Not even sure if intrest will help? There's been tons of intrest in 98-00 Vortec trucks for many years and still it is missing SO much. I handed them the info on a silver platter and still no intrest...

Well same goes with HP Tuners, there has been interest in the Mopar NGC controllers for years now, they have claimed they have been working on it, even have an example calibration setup in their software download package, still no chrysler tuning......

[mekkis]

Well same goes with HP Tuners, there has been interest in the Mopar NGC controllers for years now, they have claimed they have been working on it, even have an example calibration setup in their software download package, still no chrysler tuning......

... want an .xdf? :p

[pmkls1]

Well, my interest and/or need of an OBD II tuning setup may have just increased a bit. I just bought a '99 GMC Sierra C1500 today equipped with a 4.8 and may be keeping it as my daily driver. If I do keep it then I would definitely want to be able to tune the PCM as the 4.8 would be replaced with a larger and more stout LS engine quickly. This still presents a problem and a question. I still very much want to be able to tune the wife's Grand Prix and there are no plans for EFI Live to support those controllers. So, does anyone know if there is a supported controller that would be compatible with EFI Live and the Grand Prix ? If I could resolve that issue then a new EFI Live system would be on it's way shortly. I still have to inspect and evaluate the truck before deciding to keep it or not. I bought it for $800 because it has some minor body damage and some moderate rust damage, but it does run and drive. I purchased it solely because I knew that I could make a profit from the purchase in one of a few different ways. I really would like to keep it because it would make a good vehicle and I can actually make more money from selling my firebird and my hoard of firebird parts and small block chevy parts. Anyhow, if I could find a way to make it possible to use EFI Live with the Grand Prix that would be a nice solution.

[Playtoy_18]

I saw a post (linked from thread here somewhere) to efilive announcement two weeks ago that said it will support reading 3800's but no promises on tune capability.

*link is 5 post above by Roughneck

[EagleMark]

I saw a post (linked from thread here somewhere) to efilive announcement two weeks ago that said it will support reading 3800's but no promises on tune capability.

*link is 5 post above by Roughneck

http://www.gearhead-efi.com/Fuel-Inj...ll=1#post19801

[EagleMark]

Looks like they have some files you can add for V6 now, still not supported in the build. It's an E20 PCM?

http://forum.efilive.com/showthread....l=1#post185711

[pmkls1]

Yeah, they support reading the PCM's right now, but I can't make out if the E20 is for the 3800 or not. They still haven't indicated wether or not they will support tuning them yet. I was kind of under the impression that the PCM's for most of GM vehicles of that era were very similar and that "theoretically" it may be possible to use something like the 411 PCM in the Grand Prix. This is where the OBD II stuff really confuses me about how the software side works. I know that they don't simply have a mask and a bin, but the whole OS thing has me scratching my head right now. To over simplify things, I am assuming that the OS in the new stuff is similar to the mask/code of the good ole days ? If so, then that would leave me asking, assuming that I could use a supported controller in the Grand Prix i.e. a 411 PCM, what OS would need to be used ? Of course, this may all be a moot point if I could not adapt a supported controller fairly easily. I am not looking to make the car a hot rod (at least not yet). I just really want to make some changes to the TCC strategy and shift settings along with a few minor tweaks to improve performance a little. As far as some of the alleged shortcomings of HP Tuners, it appears that some of them may not be true. BUT, I say that based on my limited understanding of OBD II tuning.