FAQ: How to tune the PCM? (Series II SC)

98riviera98 wrote:

-SSAC
-1.9RR
-3.15 pulley

Those are your mods? Nothing else???? (injectors maybe? list everything please) 1.9s are not enough support to run a pulley that small. Sorry bud, not gonna happen, unless you know a tuning god. I tried for a long time to run a 3.2 pulley with the same (plus 42.5 injectors) and never got it to work. Too much heat from the S/C. You can dump all the fuel you want (I showed 10.5 A/F on the dyno at one point) and it doesn't get any better. Your scans look just like mine from my 3.2 pulley (only you have more KR).

Your only options are:
more fuel
less timing

but I don't think it's going to help much.

I got the Gen V and a 3.3 installed and the N* with the LQ4 maf.. can someone ballpark a MAF table for me please with my mods??? I'm guessing mine is out of wack

Did you load the LQ4 MAF table? I would start there.

98riviera98 wrote:

I got the Gen V and a 3.3 installed and the N* with the LQ4 maf.. can someone ballpark a MAF table for me please with my mods??? I'm guessing mine is out of wack

Start with DHP 1.5 and scan. Then tune. Then scan. Then tune, etc., etc.

AA wrote:

98riviera98 wrote:

I got the Gen V and a 3.3 installed and the N* with the LQ4 maf.. can someone ballpark a MAF table for me please with my mods??? I'm guessing mine is out of wack

Start with DHP 1.5 and scan. Then tune. Then scan. Then tune, etc., etc.

alright.. i have the DHP 1.5 on and the LQ4 tables in... ill post me real questions later after phucking with it a lil more.. thanks guys

ok, i finally got my DHP power tuner and need some help with where to start. the tuner came with the box and two cables. one was the usb interface and the other was the car interface. now there was no software disc. can this software be downloaded? i have a 96 riv that i'd like to do a scan on first to get a baseline. then i want to gradually get into tuning and then into modding. i know the 96 isn't the easiest to work on from reading on this site, but apparently people have done it.

so a step by step would be great. and i'm also trying to get access to the powertuner site, but as of yet i have been unsuccessful.

A couple things:
This is a recent topic. Search is your friend.

Start by joining DHP's powertuner forum. Ownership of the box entitles you to forum membership. On the forum are all the downloads you need, and you will get your activation info through there.

http://www.powrtuner.com/index.php

Your ownership needs to be transferred, I think the previous owner needs to also go on that forum and PM the mod stating the sale/transfer. His membership will be cancelled and yours approved. I forget exactly who he's supposed to contact, but it's in the first few 'public' threads on the forum.

There are tuning guides, step by steps, etc all at the forum.

Once you are up and running, there are a few of us here with some DHP experience who can help you get rolling.

i've registered over there and i'm waiting for approval from the mods. currently it tells me i have no permissions to view anything yet. i also emailed jeff at his gmail acoount to hopefully speed things up. if he's not the guy then let me know who is as i'm eager to get started.

OK guys, I hope I am not gonna be too ridiculed here, but I have no idea what OBD1or OBD2 means. I would also like to get a code reader but I have never decoded an SES light or tuned my car using a PC. Most of the work I have done on the Riv has been maintenance, or replacing things like the water pump or oil pan gasket. How do you decifer a code once you get it? I am not even really sure where the code reader plugs in, but I believe its under the glove compartment? Up here there are no shops or parts stores that do free code readings. Anyway, I little 101 on code reading would be great as well as what brand of code readers are good. Thanks!

BMD wrote:

OK guys, I hope I am not gonna be too ridiculed here, but I have no idea what OBD1or OBD2 means.

On Board Diagnostics
meaning you can scan via the OBD port under the steering column inside the car
OBD1 is used with pre-1995
OBD2 is 1996-current
im not sure what exactly changed between OBD1/2, i think they just made it easier to work with cause diagnostic troubleshooting on an OBD1 car is a PITA.
most scanners/code readers are both OBD 1 and OBD 2 compatible

97 park ave wrote:

BMD wrote:

OK guys, I hope I am not gonna be too ridiculed here, but I have no idea what OBD1or OBD2 means.

On Board Diagnostics
meaning you can scan via the OBD port under the steering column inside the car
OBD1 is used with pre-1995
OBD2 is 1996-current
im not sure what exactly changed between OBD1/2, i think they just made it easier to work with cause diagnostic troubleshooting on an OBD1 car is a PITA.
most scanners/code readers are both OBD 1 and OBD 2 compatible

OBD-2 or -II is used on '96 and newer. '95s use this odd hybrid though, OBD-1.5. If you have a '95 it can be very difficult to scan. They also used OBD-1.5 on some '94s - my '94 Regal was not scannable by anyone with a regular OBD-I scanner, you had to have a special adapter and special scanner.

I would not say that most scanners do OBD-I, most scanners do OBD-II. OBD-I is generally left to the professionals, with the exception of the 'code flash' where you can make the SES light flash in code for the error message. None of the last gen Riv's have OBD-I. The '95s are OBD-1.5.

But all this doesn't matter to BMD's question, because you have a '96 so an OBD-II scanner should work.

Oh OK , thanks for the response guys. Just a few quick questions...

Do all OBD-II scanners work on all makes and models or just for GM models?

Any particular brand that you guys feel works better?

Also, once the scanner finds a code, how do you de-code it?

Thanks

I think all your answers are in this thread. I like AutoTap, as far more than a code reader, but a scanner too. For reading codes, the cheapo Actron $30 OBd-II code reader will tell you what the code is. The 'free code scanning' offered by our local auto parts chains use no more than this cheezy code reader. It will tell you the codes. Then you have to figure out what the codes really mean, which can be a whole different topic.

For basic code readers, that's the whole point of OBD-II - a code is a code, and any code reader should be able to read any make.

Thanks for the advice guys

deekster_caddy wrote:

I like AutoTap, as far more than a code reader, but a scanner too.

What is the difference betwenn reading a code and scanning?

BMD wrote:

Thanks for the advice guys

deekster_caddy wrote:

I like AutoTap, as far more than a code reader, but a scanner too.

What is the difference betwenn reading a code and scanning?

You have to scan the computer to get the code. A true scan tool can read the actual sensor values, and display them, in real time. A code reader usually just reads the codes. It may or not be able to clear the codes.

LARRY70GS wrote:

BMD wrote:

Thanks for the advice guys

deekster_caddy wrote:

I like AutoTap, as far more than a code reader, but a scanner too.

What is the difference betwenn reading a code and scanning?

You have to scan the computer to get the code. A true scan tool can read the actual sensor values, and display them, in real time. A code reader usually just reads the codes. It may or not be able to clear the codes.

Cool, thanks Larry!

BMD wrote:

LARRY70GS wrote:

BMD wrote:

Thanks for the advice guys

deekster_caddy wrote:

I like AutoTap, as far more than a code reader, but a scanner too.

What is the difference betwenn reading a code and scanning?

You have to scan the computer to get the code. A true scan tool can read the actual sensor values, and display them, in real time. A code reader usually just reads the codes. It may or not be able to clear the codes.

Cool, thanks Larry!

Yes, and some more advanced, like AutoTap, or other Tuning software, can not only read one sensor, but can record multiple sensors over time, so you can follow your engine's operation and see if it's running too rich or too lean, what the timing and throttle position and many other things, all at the same time. Then it can be exported as a file and shared to others of us who can help you figure out what performance tweaks you need to make next!!

If you are considering spending a few hundred, you can get a full fledged tuning program that can read the PCM's control file, make edits and re-upload that new file to the PCM, that's a tuner. Most tuners can scan multiple sensors at once. But now we've gone way past your original request

deekster_caddy wrote:

Yes, and some more advanced, like AutoTap, or other Tuning software, can not only read one sensor, but can record multiple sensors over time, so you can follow your engine's operation and see if it's running too rich or too lean, what the timing and throttle position and many other things, all at the same time. Then it can be exported as a file and shared to others of us who can help you figure out what performance tweaks you need to make next!!

If you are considering spending a few hundred, you can get a full fledged tuning program that can read the PCM's control file, make edits and re-upload that new file to the PCM, that's a tuner. Most tuners can scan multiple sensors at once. But now we've gone way past your original request

Yes, but still, this is very informative and interesting, thanks!

how long does it usually take for a "average" tune..you know eliminate knock..change shift points..pretty much to do all the things a company like intense or zzp would do if you sent it in..im thinking not more than maybe 30 mins??

It depends on how good you want your tune to be.

If you know what you want to do, have a base BIN to start with, and have access to a dyno like the pros do, you could tune the car within an hour, but for the average person starting with a stock BIN, you want to take it slow, making very fine adjustments each time. This is so you won't hurt the engine or trans if you make a mistake. The whole process can take several hours or even a day to get it just right.

Also, a lot of how you tune the car has to do with your personal preferences over a long period of driving. Some settings may seem right at first, but later you change your mind. You will notice some things like trans shift pressures and fuel trims can take several miles to break in, so you can't always just set it and go. And anything you change on the car means a change to the tune, so for a really perfect tune,it can take days or even weeks. If you look up my tuning log, you can see a preview of how this works (yours may go faster, depending on your learning curve, and how much time you have to spend).

is there a limit to the number of different cars you can use a tuner on? If not I wonder if I could drive to one of you guys and throw some cash to have mine tuned?

rivman96 wrote:

is there a limit to the number of different cars you can use a tuner on? If not I wonder if I could drive to one of you guys and throw some cash to have mine tuned?

HP Tuners requires the purchase of credits to tune multiple vehicles while the DHP PowrTuner can tune numerous cars for "free".

well if any of you guys with a DHP live in or around NC I'd be happy to throw you a few bucks if I could drive out to you and have you tune my '96

Cameron, if you are ever down in FL Devin can tune your 96' for a fee. he has done mine and a few others cars. he's quite good at getting the fueling right with the narrow-band.
he has a few of my 96's tunes too which may be a good place to start with.

I have spent a good part of the day researching KR and performance mods. specifically the "moding 101" page. from what i understand assuming the computer reads 0KR the spark advance should read between 15-17 degrees of spark advance. if someone could please verrify this i would appreciate it greatly.

Anyway i hooked up a friends scan tool to my riv after reading these pages. the scanner i used was not able to read knock retard so i decided to see what my spark advance read to calculate if i have any knock in my engine. the scanner read -22 degrees of spark advance????? my car seems to run decent and i cannot hear any ping of anysort. i am also running 91 octane. although it does seem to have a slight backfire through the exaust. my question is what would cause such a change in spark advance? bad knock sensor? extremely high levels of KR? coolant temp sensor?

I just got the car a few weeks ago and acording to the previous owner had a used engine installed. i do not know if it is a rebuilt engine. if so would it be possible the timing chain is off by a tooth or is that crazy talk.

-also there is no dtc's in my computer