New to HP Tuners

[bizz]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to HP tuners but not new to cars or computers. I just recently purchased a 2009 Tahoe with the 5.3 and after reading a bunch decided I wanted to disable the AFM to help avoid lifter failure. After researching what it would cost and what I wanted to do I decided to purchase HP Tuners and do it myself. Now I have all the capabilities of HP Tuners at my disposal and I'm wondering what else I can do to make this thing more efficient run better, etc. After doing some research it seems foolish to even bother with messing with the fueling and timing without a wideband.

Is there anything else I can do via HP Tuners that doesn't require a wideband? I'm not against getting a wideband but I don't really want to do a permanent install of one on the vehicle and all the clamp on ones says to only use on dyno runs and not for driving around the streets. Since this isn't a high HP car I don't really want to pay for dyno time. Has anyone here installed a permanent one on a Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade etc? I looked under the vehicle and the way the Y-pipe is it seems damn near impossible to install one before the cats unless I put it right next to the stock ones?

Thanks for any input on this.

-Matt

[Turbostangs90]

Im sure you could improve the transmission functions such as firmness of the shifts, shift points, etc. With a wideband could probably improve the power of the engine to an extent...but whats it worth to ya is for you to decide. But I would say that learning on that platform would be best to tinker with before messing with something that is making more power and/or more complicated. Getting your feet wet so to speak.

The Goat Rope Garage on youtube has alot of very understandable videos on youtube messing with HP tuners.

[jjs]

You can tune it with the stock oxygen sensors as well, just not WOT tuning. You can dial in your VE tables though.

[kingtal0n]

Almost every single table can be customized. I've spend the last three years data logging and personalizing the character of engine and transmission to be exactly how I want. Make it start easier/faster, less battery time. Make the trans shift firmer to save the clutch materials (less slipping) but not too firm. Add a performance mode switch (some computers have momentary ground activates performance button you can use to change between transmission maps while driving). Change the idle to be smoother or make the engine behave differently, like adding throttle cracker to cruise areas to make the engine seem to use less throttle position (it makes the car feel like its more powerful when you barely have to touch the gas pedal to cruise and gives more meaning to the pedal's whole range of motion).

Just start reading every single table and most of them are intuitive, you can probably guess some basic things and experiment with the rest.

Some of the tables aren't even used by some factory computers but still very useful, like the fuel prime pulse and soak timers.