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Is a tune necessary

Bobo

SM 2022
SM 2021
Full Member
Joined
May 15, 2021
Messages
18
I just bought an 03 Z71 AV about 6 months ago. So far I have a cat back dual exhaust with a magnaflow muffler, flow tech ceramic headers, new aftermarket wires with "upgraded" coil packs, and a cold air intake. My question is, is a tune worth it, or am I good with what I have. The shop I went to said I should so that the parts will work better together, but I would only be able to run 93 octane after the tune.I'm honestly looking for better gas mileage hence why I also did an electric fan conversion. Any thoughts at all would put me at ease from the dreaded biting my nails worrying about what I should do.
 
I can guarantee you that any tune involving a 93 octane requirement is not going to help you in the fuel efficiency department.

It would squeeze some horsepower out of the engine, but you haven't made any major changes where you NEED a tune. Mods such as cam shaft changes, stroke changes, larger injectors, throttle body, nitrous, or forced induction being the major ones. (Unless it was running weird with the new exhaust). You have however done enough where you could do one of you wanted it. Which doesn't seem to be the case.

If the exhaust was designed right, your other mods sit outside the scope of your engine's computer. The cold air intake is Infront of the mass airflow sensor, and your coil packs are still controlled under the same tune. You've just given them better electronics. It won't hurt you not to get one. You just won't see any performance gains from the install. Which, to be fair, the majority of folks dropping that stuff onto and engine would be looking to do.


Not to mention you'd be paying a whole lot more for premium octane, which would wipe out your savings from any mileage gains.
 
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If you want better mpg... then electric fan will help otherwise it is all about driving style (acceleration & braking).

You will not see gains much more then 10% or 1-2 mpg which in the grand scheme of things in negligible or 28-56 extra miles per max fill up.
 
Agree with all of the above. You could get a tune to maximize your parts combination and eek out a few more ponies, at the added expense of possibly having to run higher octane fuel plus the cost of tuning; or you can have the tune optimized for your parts with fuel economy in mind; or don't do anything other than drive it and enjoy the sound of your new parts. :)

-Scott
 
Agree with all of the above. You could get a tune to maximize your parts combination and eek out a few more ponies, at the added expense of possibly having to run higher octane fuel plus the cost of tuning; or you can have the tune optimized for your parts with fuel economy in mind; or don't do anything other than drive it and enjoy the sound of your new parts. :)

-Scott
 
Decided against tune I kinda thought the same as y'all with the tune not being significant with what mods I have, but can't get the fans turned on because the CAN system is somehow messed up and they can't get into the ECM. I'm trying to figure out how to use ls Droid with Tunerpro or PCMhammer and bench top tune it
 
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