New Tuner

[itsWeLLeR]

Hey, I'm Dakota. I'm 23 and I've been researching and looking into tuning and may possibly want to pursue it as a career. I was just curious on if there were anybody in WNY that might be able to help me out? I'm just looking for a place to start and get my foot in the door. I am going to take all of tuning courses in HP Academy but was wondering if maybe there was anyone in the area that had any information for me or even could show me and/or teach me a few things. I pick up on stuff very quickly and I'm very motivated to get into this field. I'll take any and all advice, tips, tricks anyone can give me. Thanks

[04silverado6.0]

Buy all 3 Greg Banish books.

[2xLS1]

Advice - Pick another career and do tuning as a hobby or side gig. It's not something you read about then start tuning for hire. It takes years and tuning a lot of vehicles to get really good at it. Especially if you don't have a thorough grasp of the mechanical and electrical side of EFI ICE vehicles. The OEMs are locking down the computers on new vehicles more and more, the EPA is cracking down more on modifying and the older ones easier to access are going to become fewer and fewer over time. Then there is the liability side of it.

[04silverado6.0]

That too.^

[edcmat-l1]

Go to tech school. Become a master tech first. Learn how to diagnose common problems on unmodified vehicles before you start modifying them. If you can't figure out UNmodified vehicles you'll never be able to figure out modified ones.

[itsWeLLeR]

Appreciate the responses. Yeah I do realize this is something I'd be invested in long term. I'm gonna start by learning anything and everything I can and then yeah maybe once I actually get started I'd just keep it as a hobby until I feel I've learned and experienced enough to actually pursue it. I was thinking about trade school or taking an apprenticeship just to get my foot in the door and in the industry. What would be a good path to take if I did wanna hopefully pursue tuning as a career one day? Would it be best to be a mechanic, technician, or an engineer?

[itsWeLLeR]

And yes I agree. The first thing I plan to learn is to just simply diagnose and fix common problems. Shouldn't really be tuning anything that isn't well maintained and in good condition in the first place

[04silverado6.0]

Ive went behind a lot of certified techs and fixed vehicles in a few minutes that they couldnt fix in 3 months. Im certified maintenance tech with an associates. We were taught how to diagnose without parts swapping, when your in the maintenance field time is money for the company and slow techs cant keep up. Remember that a symptom of a common issue doesnt always end up being something so common. Looked at a buick for a guy several mechanics said needed timing chains due to a particular code. Out of 7-8 mechanics 2 of us confirmed one of the phasers were faulty and no issue with the chains or sensors, the 2 of us were correct.

[04silverado6.0]

Another good place to start is on a cheap beater vehicle. I started on a 2000 blazer with a 4.3 before moving on to my grandpa's stock 5.3 truck and then onto modified vehicles.

[itsWeLLeR]

That actually sounds like where I'd like to start. Obviously you went to school and such to become a maintenance tech. Would they have apprenticeships or just basic training without schooling for a position like that? I wouldn't mind going to school for a few years but if I can achieve what I'm aiming for without it I'm willing to take that route even if it does end up dragging out a little longer than just going to school would. I also don't want to half ass anything either though because I want to take this pretty seriously as I've gotten pretty passionate about it.

[itsWeLLeR]

And yeah I've been thinking about just picking up a beater and just learning as I go. I've heard some really good stories of people doing such and it seems like it really pays off in the long run. I want to learn everything cars so having my own and being able to get hands on would definitely help me a ton. Just gotta look around and see what I like. Once I get a beater I'll be fiending to learn more

[04silverado6.0]

Nothing like hands on experience.

[Alvin]

Advice - Pick another career and do tuning as a hobby or side gig. It's not something you read about then start tuning for hire. It takes years and tuning a lot of vehicles to get really good at it. Especially if you don't have a thorough grasp of the mechanical and electrical side of EFI ICE vehicles. The OEMs are locking down the computers on new vehicles more and more, the EPA is cracking down more on modifying and the older ones easier to access are going to become fewer and fewer over time. Then there is the liability side of it.

This is good advice.

Start slow. This is complicated stuff without good guides on how to do it put together in one place.

I'd say a good math background and being very comfortable with Excel or some other spread sheet is a pre-req. Most of my job is diagnosing things unrelated to tuning.. SO you'll need to be proficient there too.

[moesmopar]

Hey man im from WNY too, amherst, but i moved to hosuton. Im learning now too and al ic an say is just go at it and go head first with an open mind. And every car is different.

[moesmopar]

and get a beater to test on, i made the mistake of testig on my peronal vehicle and blew up my daily car with 3d printed parts lol

[edcmat-l1]

That actually sounds like where I'd like to start. Obviously you went to school and such to become a maintenance tech. Would they have apprenticeships or just basic training without schooling for a position like that? I wouldn't mind going to school for a few years but if I can achieve what I'm aiming for without it I'm willing to take that route even if it does end up dragging out a little longer than just going to school would. I also don't want to half ass anything either though because I want to take this pretty seriously as I've gotten pretty passionate about it.

Going to maintenance mechanic school won't teach you anything about how ICEs work, or automatic transmissions, etc. I'm sure you'll get some overall mechanical skills out of it but it's not automotive. If you're that passionate about it you'll want to learn on the platform you want to work with. It only makes sense.

If I wanted to work on bowling alley equipment (quite mechanically complicated BTW) I wouldn't go to automotive tech school.

[2xLS1]

I started learning about ICEs working at a lawnmower shop at age 14 in 1969. Yes I am dating myself here.

[edcmat-l1]

I started learning about ICEs working at a lawnmower shop at age 14 in 1969. Yes I am dating myself here.

I was a small engine mechanic for a minute. And I would not have pegged you for older than me LOL

Worked in multiple machine shops starting at the age of 17. Worked in my best friend's dad's machine shop at 17. He has been my mentor and "second" dad my whole life. Still very good friends with him.

My dad was a diesel engineman. I remember walking over two story tall ship engines when I was 7 or 8. I thought everyone wore army green and smelled like diesel fuel. LOL

I have quite the colorful background, life history but any more than that would seem quite braggadocios.

[2xLS1]

I was a small engine mechanic for a minute. And I would not have pegged you for older than me LOL.

i did it for 5 years all through high school then for a few summers after that when in college. There were a few older guys that worked there and kind of mentored me how to turn wrenched and then work on cars. One guy was a former heavy line mechanic at a GM dealership. I never worked on cars to make a living but had the car hobby and hot rodding since I learned to drive. My career was as a electronic maintenance technician for a major telecom manufacturer. When they moved my job to Mexico in 2002 and closed our plant I retired and combined my electronics background with my car hobby and started the EFI tuning. It was a learning curve at first but with my background I was able to pick it up pretty fast. Chassis dynos were just appearing around here at a few local shops and I had just bought a couple of 4th Gen LS1 Camaros that I was modding and they needed tuning. I went with a friend to Ed Wright's shop in Tulsa OK to watch him get his 02 Trans Am tuned and when I saw what Ed was charging and how little time he spent on it I thought I would buy HP Tuners and maybe do it part time to supplement my retirement. I eventually got very busy tuning around here both at my house and freelancing at a lot of shops that would install parts but didn't know how to tune. I never advertised and all my business was word of mouth referrals. With all the headaches that I know come with doing this I'm not sure I would have ever wanted to have my own shop doing this full time to make a living. I honestly don't know how some people do it. For me it was always 75% fun hobby doing it and 25% make a little money on the side to supplement my retirement. I've really cut back on what I do the last couple of years because of age and health but still do a little if it is going to be easy. And yes I turned 69 years old this year.

[04silverado6.0]

Not saying its the path for everyone but having many electrical classes, physics, 2 college math classes really helps me day to day. Not counting the mechanical and electrical experience from the job. When a ase certified mechanic cant fix a electrical issue the vehicles usually come here to get diagnosed and fixed within 30 minutes.