Good day, I am new to the forum and new to Tuning in general, I am reading and searching about all I can. I find the resources and information here invaluable and enjoying learning all I can as I read. I do have some questions for the members:
1- I have a 2008 Pontiac Solstice GXP I am looking to tune my car it is completely stock -- as far as I know, I purchased it used 2 months ago. The car shows 105 Kpa WOT (translated to non-metric is 15.22xx PSI) for the turbo boost which places as I understand it right in the expected value from the manufacture i.e. GM. I do not have 3-bar sensors I have the original ones on the car (some posts suggest these are 2.75 BAR sensors my understanding it was 2.5 bar sensors on the 2007 and 2006, my 2008 has the larger range), so this "suggests" to me this car is stock as was provided/built by the factory.
2- What is the 'legal or copyright status if any??' on the content of the GMPP tune -- i.e. the data itself the file provided by GM or having someone read a car ALREADY equipped with the GMPP tune using a HPNI2 scanner? Would the file provided for my Solstice assuming I took it (the car) to GM be the same one used for all Solstice or LNF engines for that matter, say a Cobalt or other similar engine ? Would some one who already has the GMPP tune or chevy (since Pontiac is gone) be able to provide me a GMPP tune (*like I purchase the data- assuming this is all the same for all basic GMPP tunes??) and I simply write it to my car? Or does GM set values specific to EACH individual car if done at the Dealer. I want to learn - with the intention to 1st understand and 2nd do this myself.
3- As I understand it the GMPP version of a tune requires the 3-bar sensors, I can easily purchase these and install them -- the 2 of them with adapter cables so I do not need to solder, easily for really very little cost. along with a GMPP tune with the usage of my purchased MPVI2 programmer (which I already have), this would be sufficient to 'install ' configure a REAL or equivalent GMPP tune?
4- I have purchased the HP TUNER MPVI2 (once again excuse my newbieness?? and yes I am reading all I can and trying to learn all I can' -- my understanding is I can 'download for lack of a better word' aka: read the content of the my current ECU and by running my car WOT in 3rd and normal driving can log the data of my current 'non-tune' or manufacture tune - correct?
5- is this TUNE should I change my manufacture tune to a new one, be re-loadable back to manufacture state? assuming I do not change something that literally breaks the ECU or the engine? I understand that the specific GMPP tune requires the 3-bar sensor and the car should not be run with the wrong sensors should I use this data -- yet many other TUNES do not require it.
6- many a company online offers 'their' TUNE -- I find all this fascinating, but want to understand what a tune really implies? there are many 'hardware -- aka: charge tubes, CAI, new intercooler, etc..' changes, I often read contradicting information where some insist on required changes; specifically for my car; and other says do not waste your money -- just get the tune. A easy one to note is the 3-bar sensors, the GMPP tune needs it, but other 'suggested' tunes to me do not. Yet I read an excellent WRITE UP right here on HP TUNERS where this person (I apologize his name fails me now - please excuse me) explains in GREAT Detail why the 3-bar sensor makes sense and should be used. I do not see why it is not used on all tunes -- simply because of the math this 'tuner' person suggests that the 3-bar sensor would be needed because the lessor ones would not handle the boost at 22psi and up.
7- I noted an excellent article that shows STOCK vs. TUNED LNF settings in a rather lengthy post here on HPTuners -- the poster clearly shows the STOCK numbers vs. the tuned numbers - - is this tune workable on a Solstice? from what I 'believe I am reading ' this person did this work for a Cobalt SS -- but as once again; please excuse my ignorance here; is the same engine I am running or very similar to my engine in my Solstice is this correct or I am out to lunch here?
I apologize in advance for the lengthy posting and the numerous questions. I very much wish to learn, I purchased my Solstice as a father/son project to spend time with my son working on the car. I am software eng/ embedded system programmer by profession so scanning and editing the functions / data of the ECU greatly interests me, and I really want to understand what these numbers mean.
I am hoping to talk to others whom have done the same thing to their Solstice's I am sure I am a little late to the party seeing this is 2019 and my little roadster is now going on 12 years old -- but it is really a fun car.
thank you for your time
Charles2010