Some of the best car tuners in the country can be found in the Houston area as Houston is a hub for performance shops. So in what situation would you need a car tuner? When you add performance modifications that increase airflow, power, or both such as headers, nitrous, a supercharger or a turbo, you will need a custom tune.
A tune is done by recalibrating a vehicle’s ECU (engine control unit), also known as a vehicle’s computer, to meet certain performance goals. Your vehicle’s ECU is programed to work within the parameters set by the factory. These parameters are often on the safe side and not intended to push the limits of the vehicle. When you change the stock parts out for more powerful aftermarket bolt-ons then the ECU must be optimized to handle the modifications. The goal of a tune is to not only make the vehicle operate correctly, but to also take full advantage of the new performance parts.
A dyno tune is done by recalibrating an engine’s ECU on a chassis dynamometer, more commonly known as a dyno or chassis dyno. A dyno is an incredibly useful tool in any performance shop. With this machine, car tuners are able to see exactly what power the vehicle is making and make any necessary adjustments. Once the adjustments are made, the tuner is able to run the car on the dyno and see the results of their adjustments. This process from start to finish and changes made to optimize your vehicle’s ECU is what make up a dyno tune.
There is a way to tune a vehicle without a dyno, but it’s not as consistent or safe. Street tuning is going to give you the most accurate horsepower number when it comes to environmental factors and vehicle load. However, it’s illegal to do wide open throttle tests on the street. Plus, it’s not exactly easy or safe to be adjusting the tune on the laptop as you’re driving. For these reasons, many people will tune at the track if they’re able to do so.
The most common method of tuning a vehicle is a combination of dyno tuning and street tuning. A tuner will usually spend some time on the dyno making sure everything is calibrated correctly. Then they will take it for a drive on the street just to make sure there’s no hiccups under normal driving conditions while monitoring the vehicle on the tuning laptop. Once everything checks out the car is ready for delivery.
You will need to provide your tuner with all of the vehicle information like the year, make, and model as well as what kind of fuel it uses, what engine it has, any performance modifications, and any existing problems with the vehicle. It is important that your tuner knows all of this information so that you can receive the best tune possible.When you come in for a tune at our facility we take all of this information down up front so that all you have to do is sit back and relax.
We pride ourselves in having one the most diverse service offerings out of any performance shop in the Houston area. Whether you have a classic car, a carburetor, a Holley EFI system, or wanting to convert your vehicle over to E85, we are ready to tackle your project.
