Dallasb84

I'd like to start off with I have no idea whatsoever about tuning.
My experience has been ordering a socketed ecu with a base map from years ago to start the car and drive to the dyno.

Had it tuned with chrome for 400 including ecu jumper and dyno time from mainstream performance in dallas Georgia.

Years later I'm doing it all over on a new project... This time I'm reading chrome is junk. Neptune is junk and hondata v3 is the **** and costs just as much as an aem.

I've talked to a few tuners already in my local.

First shop sells hondata pushes a 500 hondata, and a 500 tune.
Second shop wants aem and cost plus for tune.
Third says he will do it on chrome for 500.

I think these prices are rediculous first off. It seems to me like this area is beating people over the head! (Prolly supply and demand) but still.

I'm going to be running low boost and itb for a goal of 320-400. Simple build really.

What do you guys think?

I'm seriously thinking about using pherable and sending my ecu off for Neptune rtp. Then posting my data log online and trying to dial it in on the oval. As options and cost this seems like my best bet. I can test and tune for $50 at my local track. Cheapest dyno I can find is 250 an hour with no wide band.

Is this feasible? I have all winter to figure it out.

Also, I think it would be cool to learn to adjust parameters and such but realistically I'm about as smart as a brick.

Please don't bash or be negative. I don't do that to anyone so please don't fill this post with trash.

If I get the help I need to go it alone I will also document the journey in hope some other brick out there needs to go it alone as we'll.

Is this a frustrating disaster waiting to happen?

siblues

iTrader: (1)

I would say the pricing is actually pretty good.I get a range from 550-750 in the Tris-state area depending on the ems your using and what needs to be done.I also will have to say that tuning it yourself is a great idea and will definitely make your life much easier in the future.The only problem is that learning on a car that is heavily modified would't be a easy or smart thing to do with your level of knowledge.I would try to learn on a car that is basically stock and I would do massive amounts of research and reading beforehand.

0mtber

iTrader: (2)

The engine management you are using is only as good as the tuner.
You will hear conflicting opinions from every side due to the fact that they don't sell or are not familiar with a particular system etc.

If your looking for a dyno tuner / shop to deal with, find one that has experience & that stands behind their work. Talk to their customers and get feedback from them.

If you are trying to tune the vehicle your self you should invest into a wideband gauge kit like an innovate mtx-l and a tuning system like hondata s300v3.

Tuning at the track is not exactly the most effective way to tune a vehicle.
It can be done, however it isn't how I would recommend learning to tune.

Dallasb84

Yes you guys are 100% correct.

Just for ***** and giggles... Neptune rtp vs hondata from a tuners perspective.... Which is better for the end user. It seems like Neptune is more economical and has more options. I've been comparing on pherables website. And Neptune looks much more promising. Plus it's cheaper.

Dallasb84

Also.... Can Neptune or hondata run forced induction on tps alone?

0HAMOTORSPORTS

Any tuner that says Neptune is junk should be avoided. The Neptune RTP system is an excellent tuning platform. Neptune RTP and Hondata S300 are both very capable tuning systems that are widely supported and work very well.

Crome is a lesser option, but also less expensive for the end user if they plan to have a tuning shop do all of the tuning. The Crome platform has lots of "bugs" that may result in undesirable problems in the end tune. If you can afford Neptune or Hondata S300, it is well worth it.

$500 for a full tune is actually fairly reasonable if the tuner is going to do a full dyno tune as well as follow up with a street tune. If they are only going to do a few dyno pulls and adjust your overall fuel and ignition tables, then you will not be satisfied with the end result.

Learning to tune on your own will help you develop an excellent skillset, but the learning curve is steep. Be prepared to do a lot of studying and trial and error, all while crossing your fingers that you don't make a mistake and damage your engine.

0mtber

iTrader: (2)

Call us at 1-888-236-9831 extension 1 and we can answer questions about each software & hardware platform. You can always email us via our website too.

You can tune either system on a TPS (alpha-n) setup.
I do not feel it is really worth the hassle to setup a turbocharger applications with ITBS.

I would highly suggest downloading the smanager software from hondata.com and neptune from hrtuning.com to compare both software platforms for your self.

Dallasb84

Thanks a lot! I sure will.

OneBadTurboCRV

You will find HONDATA is a lot like CROME's interface. NepTune is a lot different and feels more stripped down. I am a self taught wannabe tuner, and I have used all 3 systems. I have CROME Dealer, Hondata S300 v3 (have had v1 - v3 S300's), and have used NepTune on other people's cars. I am by no means and expert, but I find they all have their issues and glitches.

With CROME you will get absolutely ZERO support and you MUST know all the bugs to tune a car properly and not blow the engine. If someone tells you there aren't ignition bugs or other things along those lines then they are clueless and you need to find someone else to talk to.

With HONDATA you will get OK support - they have a dedicated forum for themselves and eventually respond to e-mails. Updates are extremely delayed and usually drawn out. The S300 is decent and usually does what it is supposed to. I have had issues sometimes with the Bluetooth connectivity on multiple laptops to the point where I just use the cable still. I have also had things not select or change when I modify them on occasion. To be fair, it could be my side of things. The layout on Hondata has gotten better, but still isn't as intuitive or polished as CROME in my opinion.

With NepTune you will see it feels like a bare bones program especially if you have used other platforms previously. Some people prefer that, I personally don't. However, what you WILL get with NepTune is an OUTSTANDING customer support from calling, e-mails, the dedicated forums (and on here), and updates are always quick. JR cares about his products and it shows. If there is a real issue he will fix it NOW, and provide an update. His program works exactly how it should - beautifully.

For a basic N/A engine CROME is fine. If you know what you are doing you can use it on more heavily modified applications. If you want something that performs with more glamor and is reliable then go with HONDATA. If you want something that performs and is reliable but want to save some coin then go with NepTune. Either choice you can't go wrong - if someone tells you different they don't have a clue what they are talking about.

I prefer HONDATA soley on the software side of things. I highly suggest you download both and look at them as well as start changing things and opening different windows / options. CROME isn't really an option unless you have an EXCELLENT tuner who is extremely familiar with its downfalls. Most people will tell you to use whatever your tuner is comfortable with and this is the best advice, but if you truly want to dabble here and there or really polish off part throttle tuning or weather changes, you will want to be comfortable with the software's feel too.

Sorry for the long response and maybe not so detailed, but too many people are biased on this subject and I am not. They all have their negatives and positives. Oh and you can't go wrong with Phearable.net - OUTSTANDING customer service. Also, I have no affiliation with anyone I have talked about whatsoever.

Dallasb84

Thanks everyone. I ended up using the diy phearable base map. Once I dialed in fuel pressure, spark plug heat range, and adjusted mbc. I have left it alone. I asked for a conservative map and she ain't popped yet. I keep her quite rich and all is well. I highly recommend the route I took for a reliable sub 300whp tuning solution. So far a full season on a budget turbo kit and a sub $100 tune.

rice a roni

iTrader: (1)

Gonna have to agree with OneBadTurboCRV,

Crome is ok for NA, I would hesitate using it on boost because of high cam ignition issues.

theYBLEGAL

Uhm, no matter what solution you use, check knock during timing tuning. If you are hard headed enough to use ignition values based off information from another, you kinda deserve it. You should always check for detination. Cromes issues don't make boost tuning impossible or even much harder.

Been there, done that.