So I've purchased the z1 3 inch intakes along with the ported plenums and 75mm throttle bodies. I know I'm going to need a tune for the 3 inch intakes. The local tuning shop i used for my charger now only tunes standalone ecu's and I'm not dropping $2200 for a daily driver with bolt ons, at least not on an ecu. I've been looking around for another tuning shop thats local and found one that seems to only do ls engines and another hasn't every answered my emails. Looking at remote tuning options I'm not sure what would work for me. I know admin tuning is preferred but i don't a laptop to work with for the data logging, z1 seems ok but I've heard their remote tuning service is hard to work with, any other suggestions? I'm not against sending my ecu out for tuning either.

 

Really? I didn't know that. I mean, opinions will vary, because that's what opinions do. He certainly has built a small business from nothing into something, and that says something.

Two respected names that have been used often by people on this forum are Seb at Specialty Z, and Eugene at Enthusiast Auto Care.


If you log with a bluetooth connector, you can log with your phone. However when you go to apply the license (ecutek) and all new maps, you will need a laptop. Unless something has changed in the last couple of years, that's a hard requirement when remote tuning.

 

Admin tuning is the one I've heard mentioned the most on here, i know not everyone will have the same opinion on who's the best or worst. To each their own though. I'll have to see if theres a way around the laptop, i don't have the money for a laptop and a tune. I honestly considered driving it down to z1 to get it tuned but I'd imagine its not good driving a car thats not running properly 7 hours across the country.

 

7 hours isn't a bad drive, plus you'll get tuned based on dyno logs all same day. Just have them install the parts as part of the project.

If money is really that tight, then perhaps good advice would be to plan on this project in the Fall, and set aside money each month until then.

 

Drive would be pretty long for me but i could do it. Would that hurt the car though driving that far with it not being tuned properly? I planned on installing everything and then driving it to the local shop but as i said they no longer tune stock ecu's. I know it'll run rough with the 3 inch intakes and the maf sensors not reading right.

 

I was looking on the z1 website last night, apparently you can do everything with your phone. Data logging and uploading your tune. May end up going with that.

 

I'll list a few tuners that's pretty popular.

Nick at SOHO Motorsports - Monroe, NC

Jon at Z1 Motorsports - Carrollton, GA

Martin at RS Enthalpy - Riverview, Florida (He travels to different cities for tune sessions but can do remote tunes also)

Eugene at Enthusiast Auto Care - Concord, CA

Sebastian at specialty z - Simi Valley, CA

Moncef at Admin Tuning - Houston, TX

Hal at Dynosty Tuning - Louisville, KY

 

Since there seems to be no geographical constraints on the recomendations (other than nothing OCONUS i guess) let me recomend....

Frank at Hills Garage
EcuTek Master Tuner Shop
6350 South Hanover Road Unit A
Elkridge, MD 21090

Tel: +1 410-540-9199
Email: fhill@hillsgarage.net

 

Louisville isn't too far from me. I'll look into that. Like most people I'd prefer to take my car to someone who's familiar with nissan/Infiniti cars. The 3 tuning places near me that are well rated have their own specialties, one does ls engines, one does evos, and the other does subarus. Though I'll probably take mine to get dynoed at one of those places after the tune.

 

The list i posted are shops that specialize in tuning VQ engines.

 

If you're taking your car to a shop to get tuned, they're going to put your car on their dyno for data logging so they can tweak the tune and measure the effectiveness. Hence the phrase "dyno tuned". There's no point doing it all over again afterwards.

Maybe because you're excited about plans, but it's like you're not really reading the comments here. Yesterday I suggested you bring your parts to the tuner and have them installed on-site, instead of driving around with fcked up MAF readings, and that went right over your head.

Sometimes it takes a while to learn what you need to learn on a new project, and that's OK. Don't rush into decisions until then.

Also, here's some good advice: getting your car tuned is not going to be transformative. It will be incremental, so temper expectations accordingly.

 

Your best bet is if using ECUTEK to look up their tuner directory and find the closest to you.

3 in intake + bigger throttles settings can be challenging if the ecm doesnt want to play nice and it would require more of a hands on approach.

You might have a local tuner who's just not as popular as the latter but capable.

 

I see what you said about having the stuff installed at the shop but i figured it'd be cheaper for me to do it. As for driving around with the maf sensors not reading right i already gave my jwt intake to a buddy who needed one since his stock one was cracked pretty bad so i have to either remote tune or limp it to a shop. I agree dyno tuning is best and more accurate but thats not always an option for everyone. I honestly wasn't prepared for all this, i used part of my tax return to get the 75 mm throttle bodies not thinking i needed a bigger intake to go with it and then i bought the intake and decided if I'm going to get tuned i might as well do whole intake set up so i got the ported manifolds and here we are. Also i was banking on that place i took my charger because they've done good work on my buddies vr6 turbo jetta as well as other cars even though they specialize in evos but as i mentioned they no longer do stock ecu tuning unless its an evo.

 

Has anyone had any luck finding CARB compliant tuning solutions in CA under the new "tuning mandate"?
https://www.thedrive.com/news/41606/...oday-heres-why

Uprev offers a CARB compliant tune: https://www.uprev.com/secure/uprev-carb-cal.html

But I cannot find anyone (even the 370 crowd) that has used it...and when you call them to discuss, they seem somewhat uncertain as to what this particular tune entails.

My 2013 is also not supported because they screwed up when submitting the paperwork to CARB.

 

The enthusiast auto care twin turbo kit for the vq37 comes with a full ecutek tune and is now carb legal under EO # D-873.