HPT or PCM4less

G

greekrockstar

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Joined
Jan 21, 2012
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I posted this message on the 'other site" a while back and didn't get any responses so i'm hoping for more luck here.

Any tuners using HPT in Illinois, specifically the Chicagoland area?

Looking to get a tune. Was going to go the PCM4less route but if i'm paying that much i rather pay a little more for a 'personalized' tune as opposed to an assembly line type tune. Not knocking PCM4less as many have spoken highly of them but i don't believe PCM4less has taken into account all the variables from vehicle to vehicle.

If my thought process in regards to an out of the box tune is incorrect please feel free to chime in.

Thanks for your input.

By the way love the new site! :thumbsup:
 
greekrockstar said:
I posted this message on the 'other site" a while back and didn't get any responses so i'm hoping for more luck here.

Any tuners using HPT in Illinois, specifically the Chicagoland area?

Looking to get a tune. Was going to go the PCM4less route but if i'm paying that much i rather pay a little more for a 'personalized' tune as opposed to an assembly line type tune. Not knocking PCM4less as many have spoken highly of them but i don't believe PCM4less has taken into account all the variables from vehicle to vehicle.

If my thought process in regards to an out of the box tune is incorrect please feel free to chime in.

Thanks for your input.

By the way love the new site! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Fast motor sports Is in woodstock, Ill
 
Well I can only chime in for PCMFORLESS as they are they only 1 of the 2 that I have any experience with.....and I suggest you go to their site and fill out the spec sheets (or whatever its called)....because I had to fill out like 5 pages worth of stuff including what octane gas, what height above sea level, tow or not, choices of shift firmness, on and on.....for my tune. :biggrin:

In Other words I think you might be impressed how much info they really take into account for your TUNE. It costs nothing and does not commit you to anything to fill out the sheets. The way they work, once you fill out the spec sheets AND make a payment....your tune is processed. I know this because I paid and then filled out the sheets (reverse of normal). :redface:

*I also like that I got a extra PCM, so I still have the original if ever any problems of for some crazy reason I want to switch back. I like options. :biggrin:

**Also. also like that I got my patches for fan codes at same time for FREE. :biggrin:
 
greekrockstar said:
Looking to get a tune. Was going to go the PCM4less route but if i'm paying that much i rather pay a little more for a 'personalized' tune as opposed to an assembly line type tune. Not knocking PCM4less as many have spoken highly of them but i don't believe PCM4less has taken into account all the variables from vehicle to vehicle.
If my thought process in regards to an out of the box tune is incorrect please feel free to chime in.
Click to expand...

I am planning on getting the PCM4less tune that also comes with HPTuner so I get the pcm4less tune then email me and then I can use HPT to modify/edit or switch to stock and what not. A friend of mine had HPT and no base tune to go off of and it took him and I over a month to just learn hpt software and it took him all summer to get a tune that would not harm the Trailblazer or be less efficient than stock.

I would go through pcm4less and then do your own adjustments because they know a lot of information on our vehicles already and it takes a long time to learn the in's and out's of this software and one little mistake could cost a lot more than any tune or software.... Just my :twocents:
 
It comes down to this, do you want to learn to tune your truck? If no, then PCM4Less, Wait4Me, FAST Motorsports, myself, etc are all great options. If yes, then HPTuners/EFILive is the way to go. But remember, no one is going to spoon-feed you a tune if you buy EFILive/HPTuners. I have no problem offering advice and a simple base tune, but Im not going to tune your truck for you.

I personally spent around 4 years getting my 02-05 I6 tune exactly how I wanted it. Yes, thats overkill and I was learning along the way, now it'd probably take me a week or so plus any dyno time. A majority of people buy a tune + hardware package from a vendor then tweak the tune a little to fit their own truck.
 
Had my door modular programmed this weekend at a local chevy dealer. Pcm is about 45 mins north of me. The tech that did my program said his buddy wanted to take his car to there dyno for his set up. There wait time to get in and get a tune for your personal set up is about 3 month wait. So with that said i would have to say what every they send you would have to be top shelf.
 
greekrockstar said:
I posted this message on the 'other site" a while back and didn't get any responses so i'm hoping for more luck here.

Any tuners using HPT in Illinois, specifically the Chicagoland area?

Looking to get a tune. Was going to go the PCM4less route but if i'm paying that much i rather pay a little more for a 'personalized' tune as opposed to an assembly line type tune. Not knocking PCM4less as many have spoken highly of them but i don't believe PCM4less has taken into account all the variables from vehicle to vehicle.

If my thought process in regards to an out of the box tune is incorrect please feel free to chime in.

Thanks for your input.

By the way love the new site! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Like a few other have already mentioned, our tunes are pretty "personalized" since we have quite an in-depth ordersheet you have to fill out.
 
In my opinion, the PCM4less tune is outstanding right from the start. The beauty of also having a HPT setup is then you can scan the vehicle with the new tune running, send them the data and they will fine tune your file based on the scan output. Then you simply flash the new updates to your PCM. Very close to a custom tune.
 
deepblue said:
In my opinion, the PCM4less tune is outstanding right from the start. The beauty of also having a HPT setup is then you can scan the vehicle with the new tune running, send them the data and they will fine tune your file based on the scan output. Then you simply flash the new updates to your PCM. Very close to a custom tune.
Click to expand...



I couldn't have said it any better myself!
 
@Marshall
Now, I'm confused.

I bought the EFILive Autocal tune from PCM4L...
The guys here are referencing HPTuners PCM4l tune?

What is the difference in the two products that you offer?
 
06Envoy said:
@Marshall
Now, I'm confused.

I bought the EFILive Autocal tune from PCM4L...
The guys here are referencing HPTuners PCM4l tune?

What is the difference in the two products that you offer?
Click to expand...

I'm actually not that familiar with EFI Live, so I can't really compare the two. HPTuners is software that is loaded onto your laptop.

You've been talking with Kelly lately, so ask her what the differences are.
 
HPTuners is the full blown tuning suite (full hardware + software). EFILive's AutoCal is designed for remote/mail order tuning and can read/flash/datalog/clear codes just like EFILive's FlashScan V2 or HPTuners MPVI. However the difference is that you MUST be working with a tuner to use the AutoCal, your AutoCal is linked directly to your tuner's FlashScan V2. You tuner builds a tune file, saves it with their serial # in the tune file, then emails that tune to you. You copy the tune to your AutoCal then flash it to your vehicle. You can read/scan/clear DTCs on unlimited vehicles, but you cant build your own tunes. That's the biggest difference, you cant build your own tune and flash it. The AC unit is designed to replace having to mail your PCM/ECM/TCM into a tuner, they ship you an AC unit with a baseline tune, you flash it, datalog, then email the log to your tuner. They adjust it and send it back.
 
ScarabEpic22 said:
HPTuners is the full blown tuning suite (full hardware + software). EFILive's AutoCal is designed for remote/mail order tuning and can read/flash/datalog/clear codes just like EFILive's FlashScan V2 or HPTuners MPVI. However the difference is that you MUST be working with a tuner to use the AutoCal, your AutoCal is linked directly to your tuner's FlashScan V2. You tuner builds a tune file, saves it with their serial # in the tune file, then emails that tune to you. You copy the tune to your AutoCal then flash it to your vehicle. You can read/scan/clear DTCs on unlimited vehicles, but you cant build your own tunes. That's the biggest difference, you cant build your own tune and flash it. The AC unit is designed to replace having to mail your PCM/ECM/TCM into a tuner, they ship you an AC unit with a baseline tune, you flash it, datalog, then email the log to your tuner. They adjust it and send it back.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the answers.
I believe I understand it better now, but I have a few more questions.

If I buy the PCM4L HPTuner STD software+a tune, what are the odds that I can edit/change the preexisting EFILive tune in my truck from the PCM4L Autocal that I just installed?(Not that I want to or will, but is it possible) How about using up some of the other 6 credits for editing the preexisting PCM4L tune in my wife's TB?

Sorry for the thread hijacking, but I'm very much interested.

As for the OP, I think his answer is if he wants to play with the tune, then buy the HPT+tune, otherwise just buy the PCM4L tune on a replacement PCM?

PS, I've emailed Kelly, but havn't received a reply yet.
 
06Envoy said:
Thanks for the answers.
I believe I understand it better now, but I have a few more questions.

If I buy the PCM4L HPTuner STD software+a tune, what are the odds that I can edit/change the preexisting EFILive tune in my truck from the PCM4L Autocal that I just installed?(Not that I want to or will, but is it possible) How about using up some of the other 6 credits for editing the preexisting PCM4L tune in my wife's TB?

Sorry for the thread hijacking, but I'm very much interested.

As for the OP, I think his answer is if he wants to play with the tune, then buy the HPT+tune, otherwise just buy the PCM4L tune on a replacement PCM?

PS, I've emailed Kelly, but havn't received a reply yet.
Click to expand...

No prob.

If you already bought an AutoCal, I wouldnt spend the $$ again to buy HPTuners. Its up to you in the end, but you'll have essentially paid for an AutoCal that's now not worth anything to you.

You should be able to read out the tune that you just flashed in with the AutoCal with HPTuners, modify it, and flash it back (for 2 or 4 credits, whatever HPT charges). You can use the other credits for the other TB as well. Or you could just buy another VIN license for $125 for your AutoCal and use that.
 
Thanks for all the responses guys. I appreciate Pcmforless chiming in as well. Im still on the fence about which route to go, spring is around the corner so i need to make a decision fast.

Thanks.
 
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