Svashtar
10-29-2017, 05:56 PM
As you can see from previous threads in this forum I was looking for a new tune for my N/A car. Since I bought my '03 new in 2004 I've run a 1725, which was actually an OK all around tune, a first gen DR tune, which was unstable to say the least, the car never shifted cleanly and there were a lot of "unsteady" dead spots, and then got a DR "upgrade" in 2009 or so. This was on an old 9100 tuner.
The second tune was better, but the shifts were still brutal. And after the Level II trans rebuild and PI3000 TC install, believe it or not I actually felt like the car was slower! I couldn't explain it, it just felt less responsive. Tighter, and stronger, but slower, like I had to put in more power to get the same performance. And I can count on one hand the times I chirped the tires at WOT. Not spun the tires, just chirped them once briefly on a shift. I figured my MM was just making less power than most and there was nothing I could do about it.
I finally got the bread together after my recent maintenance stuff to contact Marty the other day with specifics about my car, and to order his tune on an XCAL4. Service was great and shipping only took two days across country. Now I have a new problem, for the first time I have this burning rubber smell all through the car now, LOL!
:burn:
Last night I took it out onto a back road and floored it, and there was no "chirp," just the car trying to fishtail and one long continuous burn of the wider 265/50 Nitto's I have back there! 13 years and 114,000 miles, and the very first time that has _ever_ happened. (Of course I had to try it 6 or 7 more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke! [emoji3]) A 10 mile test drive turned into 50 miles of fun driving, and probably took 3000 miles off the life of the tires. My ScanGauge is also showing better mileage than I've seen since the car was bone stock.
The all around drivability is way better than anything I had before. Nice firm shifts, but the tach doesn't go up to 3000 RPM on every green light before slamming into second so hard it feels like the tranny is dropping to the pavement. The car is WAY more responsive, and just all around faster. (One of the reasons I stupidly kept the stock tune on after the last smog was even with the speedo off I liked it more than the DR shifts, and the 15 mpg mixed mileage was killing me.)
I'm always late to the party, but better late than never. I'm kicking myself now for not getting in on this years ago, as I'm sure by now I would have saved the cost of the tuner in gas mileage alone.
BTW, I tried WOT from a full stop, 20 MPH, 40, 55, 70, all ranges. Not a single dead spot like I used to get, no lagging, surging, just smooth effortless acceleration, no matter where I punch it. It finally occurred to me that I have a decently fast car, LOL! (At least for an N/A car, can't compete with you SC guys, but it's nice to get the most out of what you have!)
Anyway, outstanding investment, thanks Marty! You really know your stuff!
:bows:
The second tune was better, but the shifts were still brutal. And after the Level II trans rebuild and PI3000 TC install, believe it or not I actually felt like the car was slower! I couldn't explain it, it just felt less responsive. Tighter, and stronger, but slower, like I had to put in more power to get the same performance. And I can count on one hand the times I chirped the tires at WOT. Not spun the tires, just chirped them once briefly on a shift. I figured my MM was just making less power than most and there was nothing I could do about it.
I finally got the bread together after my recent maintenance stuff to contact Marty the other day with specifics about my car, and to order his tune on an XCAL4. Service was great and shipping only took two days across country. Now I have a new problem, for the first time I have this burning rubber smell all through the car now, LOL!
:burn:
Last night I took it out onto a back road and floored it, and there was no "chirp," just the car trying to fishtail and one long continuous burn of the wider 265/50 Nitto's I have back there! 13 years and 114,000 miles, and the very first time that has _ever_ happened. (Of course I had to try it 6 or 7 more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke! [emoji3]) A 10 mile test drive turned into 50 miles of fun driving, and probably took 3000 miles off the life of the tires. My ScanGauge is also showing better mileage than I've seen since the car was bone stock.
The all around drivability is way better than anything I had before. Nice firm shifts, but the tach doesn't go up to 3000 RPM on every green light before slamming into second so hard it feels like the tranny is dropping to the pavement. The car is WAY more responsive, and just all around faster. (One of the reasons I stupidly kept the stock tune on after the last smog was even with the speedo off I liked it more than the DR shifts, and the 15 mpg mixed mileage was killing me.)
I'm always late to the party, but better late than never. I'm kicking myself now for not getting in on this years ago, as I'm sure by now I would have saved the cost of the tuner in gas mileage alone.
BTW, I tried WOT from a full stop, 20 MPH, 40, 55, 70, all ranges. Not a single dead spot like I used to get, no lagging, surging, just smooth effortless acceleration, no matter where I punch it. It finally occurred to me that I have a decently fast car, LOL! (At least for an N/A car, can't compete with you SC guys, but it's nice to get the most out of what you have!)
Anyway, outstanding investment, thanks Marty! You really know your stuff!
:bows: