To tune or not
 

I have some time during the winter storage months to determine whether or not to get a tune in the spring (Uprev or Ecutek) with the mods that I currently have:

• Berk HFC and CBE
• R2C CAI

I am not too concerned what brand of tune I may use (although there is a Uprev tuner close by), but whether or not I will see any benefits in HP gains or drive-ability. As of now, the car runs great and the A/F ratios seem to be where they need to be (using the Torque Pro app), and the MPG is terrific (~ 30MPG on the freeway).

So, my questions to those who have tuned:

1) Would you do it again?
2) Are the HP/drive-ability improvements worth the $600 charge?

I hate to mess up what I have just to get a few HP. I appreciate any insight to those in the know...

If you love what you have then leave it.

I personally love my ecutek and would hate to not have it.

Whats your AFR at wide open throttle? Getting 30 mpg to me indicates you are probably too lean and conversely maybe too lean at WOT. Im no expert so wait for others that are.

Do it again, uprev yep.
Worth it, maybe. Aside from firmer shifts in the 7at and the idle being 800 rather thsn 600 and the cooling fans coming on earlier i never felt an extreme 600 dollar wow this is worth it feeling.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

:iagree:

I had an UPREV done about a year and a half ago and it has made a huge difference to me. More responsive, quicker blips on the SRM and defnitley more HP.
Looking to add some more power currently.

I was without my Ecutek tune for a couple days after selling my bolt ones and putting it back to essentially stock but with motordyne exhaust. It was such an enormous difference in throttle response alone I actually hated driving the car - so I didn't. Wasn't going to update the tune u til after the supercharger install, but it was so bad that I asked Seb for a canned tune that only considered the exhaust. BAM! It was alive again.

I literally could not drive the car without Ecutek. The difference is just astronomical, even with just basic upgrades. Once you do it, you won't look back.

As to Uprev bs e item, I've had both and if stock is 0, and Ecutek is 10, Uprev is about a 6 on the scale. Just to offer some perspective from someone who has had both.

More responsive, quicker blips, car feels alive. HFCs kind of smelly but bearable. So worth it. It wasn't so expensive where I was trying to figure out if the gains were worth the money, like CAIs.

They may have put fake part's on your car..... ;)

This one will gulp it up!http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2017...76aa99ef57.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If they did, I'm taking my Sentra in next...#fakepartsgofast:rofl2:

Extra 5hp for $500...???;)

200

don't leave out the custom air guide.

Mult's, I apologize from getting off topic on your thread.
I had my 11'base touring A/7 dyno'd locally on a Dyno-Jet before any mods were performed & the result's were 271hp/4th gear pull & 275hp/5th gear pull (5th hit speed limiter of 156).
Those number's were probably average for stock (-K&N Drop in's).
I added the basic Z1 CAI & Fast Intention's resonated TP's and 18" resonated 2.5"TDX CBE,,,I noticed an increase in power & a really exotic exhaust note...
No check eng. light's came on during the 600mile's of driving before i had tuned.
Took it to Z1 Motorsports on a warm muggy Late May 16' & made just over 290whp on their base line pulls (AFR was low 12:1's)....after JonP Tuned it with the Up-Rev'; it put down an additional 20rwhp...& was another noticeable (seat of the pant's gain).
Sitting just over 310 & Lusting over the Z1 header's (that i can't get yet) I up-graded my CAI & had a good friend fabricate my crash bar...I do all my install's/so everything went back in place (exactly) including all of foam on front..(minus very small slit cut in foam to slide over the cai bracket's i fabricated to hold them up)...Just waiting to see how bad the IRS is going to treat me this year & Header's,ported upper & lower's will be next & then a RE-TUNE....Shooting for 340'ish.
My ~Z~ also netted 25/26mpg all of the time w/29mpg being the best on road trips & 23 being the worst...Currently average 24mpg & the best i've seen since was 27 & 21mpg for a worse....so lost about 2mpg after mods/tune...but gained right at 40rwhp in 4th gear pull.
I also drive it harder than before...so that can contribute to the mpg loss...
I would do it,if it was mine for a few reason's;;; Knowing you're getting the most from your mod's/Knowing that you engine is operating in the correct AFR range & No more speed limiter ( ;) )....You will notice a difference in power.
Just my 2cent's & I Apologize for bs'ing on your thread w/Z-Girl 12.

If you are getting 30 mpg, then I doubt it will be worth it to you just for the few extra HP. As others have mentioned, driving enjoyment will increase with a tune but, once again, if you are getting 30 mpg, probably not worth it.

I don't know about you, but I don't buy Z for gas mileage 🤐

Thanks for all of the input...you've told me what I probably wanted to hear. While I do like the way the Z drives and the great mileage it's been getting :driving:, I feel that there is something missing, especially on the few occasions that I track it. It seems that there is at least a little bit more that can be squeezed out of the few mods that I already have.

If I can get the better driving experience that most of you have talked about, it is probably worth the $$$ to make it happen. I am probably leaning more towards Ecutek, but with the limited tuners in the area, it may be harder to "get er done".

I got my EcuTek tune when I was fully stock except for R2C intakes. Absolutely I would do it again. Go with an e-tune from Seb at Specialty Z if you can't find a knowledgeable and experienced local tuner.

The throttle response alone is worth it. It is very prominent. And the 3rd gear rolls from 20-80 mph are noticeably quicker. I also noticed better gas mileage on the highway (when I'm not driving on the 85 mph toll road). OP doesn't live in the south really, but the tune can adjust the fans to come on earlier which is helpful in hotter environments. Just my experience - I've had my EcuTek tune since May 2013 :twocents:

I did find a Ecutek tuner in Louisville, KY which is about a 6 hours drive for me. They are called Dynosty and seem like they know their stuff. Now, all I have to do is wait for Spring :happydance:

I am slated for January 13th with Logan. Can't freaking wait!!!!!

Dynosty has done good work for a number of forum members :tup:

Everyone keeps listing peak numbers (which did gain) but really I saw the biggest jump at mid rpm torque and hp. I think I was about 20 hp and torque more over stock at 5500rpm and saw gains as low as about 3000. So real world drivability and usable power was a gain. I was hesitant to do the ecutek tune at first but after having done by Seb it really is nice.

P.s. If you don't already have a scan tool for full vehicle codes then the ecutek is pretty dang nice as it doubles as a vehicle wide scan tool (not just obd2).

They DO know their stuff. They are serious car guys and are into what they are doing.
They did my exhaust install and UpRev a little over a year ago.
I just got a quote from them to add headers and switch over to Ecu Tek at the same time.
I'm seriously excited about it. :excited:

I finally bit the bullet and scheduled a tune with Dynosty...

Since I don't get to Louisville too often, I asked Logan if they had anything available on the Wednesday before ZdayZ. So, I plan on driving from Cleveland on May 16, spend the evening in Louisville and then on Wednesday morning at 8:00AM, Dynosty will perform the EcuTek tune. When they are finished, I can head over to Fontana for ZdayZ...

Cool.

I guess if I'm going to have them do work on mine, I'd better get it scheduled if I want it done before Summer's over.

When you go in the first door I believe you'll turn right. If not, you'll be going to a Crossfit gym with some really scary "chicks". :icon17:

Throttle response if anything is worth every freaking dime.

You had better hurry...they are scheduling about 4-6 weeks in advance...

@BBQdDude

So, how did your tune work out? I am psyched to be getting mine done in May :excited:

Does an uprev tune improve MPG at all?

I would definitely say yes; as it will put your Air/Fuel ratios in check...as you are more than likely running rich.
Before adding my heavier wheels/Tires...avg was 24/25 & 28/29cruising 70-75 on a trip.

My experience was an overly rich a/f ratio with two mods, intake and HFC's. So much so I felt like I needed to tune. My dyno was nothing extraordinary but it did show my a/f ratio in the low 10's, even high 9's.

The results after tuning are a noticeable midrange and top end punch that I didn't have before. I could feel the engine falling on it's face above 5500 rpm due to the air fuel ratio. I haven't strapped it to a dyno yet with the tune but the traction light will come on in the first four gears (7AT) under hard acceleration.

On gas mileage...when you're cruising on the highway, you're in open loop and the ECU is taking feedback from the 02 sensors. It has a target A/F ratio it shoots for (stoich usually) so a "tune" won't affect that. What WILL affect your mileage, and I experienced this first hand, is the throttle hijack and the amount of time you spend hooning the car at WOT with your new power. But seriously, the more aggressive throttle does take it's toll on mileage, especially around town. It is better from a dig (stop) but I don't always like it coming out of a corner or when rolling slowly and then accelerating.

Personally, I like a more progressive throttle and I have two throttle maps, both more aggressive than stock. One is moderate, one is highly aggressive. I'm actually going to lower the moderate to minimal. I'd rather have a more linear ramp up to WOT, especially when it's wet out.

The other benefit to ECUtek is timing control and performance traction control which is better than the VDC system. If it's really nasty out, I'll use VDC.

I also noticed the throttle hijack screws with the transmission's shift logic on the 7AT. I actually liked the 7AT but I also knew how to drive and program it (it's adaptable) to my driving style. The hijack sort of ruins that magic and it can hunt for gears a lot more when not going all out.

And don't forget to have them up the line pressure on your tranny if you have the 7AT. I have a mild bump and the actual shifts are more firm and faster than stock. It won't change the time from clicking the shift paddle to the time it starts to shift but it'll shorten the actual shift time. Doesn't seem to upset the stability of the car. If you have a manual, just ignore this portion.

I was told that a 1-2 MPG increase is likely although, I am not getting the tune done for that reason. When I drove home from ZdayZ in 2015, I was averaging 30 MPG when I pulled into my driveway (all freeway).

Unsure what your bolt-on's are...as I can go 500+ miles on a tank of fuel @cruising speed of 70-75mph.
28,29mpg on Hwy.
24,25mpg spirited driving; all after tune w/CAI,free flowing exhaust w/test pipes.
Ensure that your tire diameter is oem/as a shorter tire will mislead your mpg.
#1 reason for my tune (ensure proper air fuel ratio@wot)
#2 maximize hp/tq from money spent on bolt-on's
#3 felt like I gave it a small shot of nos after tune...as you can see that most people gain 20whp (+ or - a tad) no fuel mileage hurt on my end.
#4 no speed-limiter anymore,,,so no need for explanation here.
#5 knowing my engine is healthier & not leaning or over fueling.
Money well spent!
:)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, it's been a while since I started this thread, but I wanted to provide an update...

Got the Z tuned at Dynosty on Tuesday, May 17th on the way to ZdayZ. Below are some of the final results:

1) With HFC and CBE: 288.45HP and 240.07TQ (tested on a Dynojet from another tuner)
2) With HFC, CBE and CAI: 295HP and 250TQ (approximate numbers from Dynosty on Dynojet)
3) With HFC, CBE and CAI (and Ecutek tune): 312.06HP and 260.58TQ. I am really impressed with these numbers as I was HOPING to get to the 300HP mark.

The car now has a proper A/F ratio at full throttle (was way lean before) and the drivability is markedly better. While driving the "Dragon" I could keep the trans in 3rd or 4th gear more that I used to because of the lower and mid-range power. The throttle response is also more linear and direct than it used to be. The MPG has increased slightly too, but this was not a deal breaker if it didn't.

All I can say is that if this is something you are contemplating, I can say with 100% certainty that I made the right decision. I also want to give a big shout-out to Logan and Hal at Dynosty for their care and concern for me and my Z during this tune. They are professional, courteous and they know WTF they are doing. This is by far the best $$$ that I have spent on the Z to date.

They sure do go the extra mile!

Mine's there now.

Awesome. I have similar mods - RTP, K&Ns with MAF tubes, catback - and am hoping for ~310whp. Scheduled for June 23rd with Hal for an EcuTek tune and cannot wait, will be making the trip all the way from KC. Can't wait to see power under the curve and throttle response improvement, hoping to leave with a much more intuitive and active car.

If your signature has the current HP/TQ numbers, they are almost identical to mine. You're gonna love the car even better now...

Like I've been saying, you're gonna really like Dynosty and the people there. You'll never realize why you didn't get the tune done sooner.

I got there at 8:00AM and was on the road about 10:30AM...

Any places for tunes in north Florida? Is the E-tune worth it with mods being under drive crank pulley, K&N drops, Stillen HFC, and thinking about aftermarket CBE?:driving: