Auto Tune or Dyno?

  • Thread starter Thread starter "Cooool."
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"Cooool."

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I have the Power Commander V, but having trouble with mapping. Is it better to add the Auto Tune or just take it down to the dealer and have it put on the dyno?

Before anyone says anything, I have called the supplier four times (no names) they have the best reputation but starting with the very first map I asked for, all I get is "it must be your bike". It is not the bike, I made my own map and got rid of all the problems, except I would like to zero the thing in.
 
From what I understand, you should probably do both if you really want it dialed in. I have been told it's best to start with a good base map, then add the AT and let it do it's thing adjusting many parameters. If I were you, I would take the bike in for a dyno and after putting some miles on it, decide whether you really "need" the AT.

I have the PCV and recently took my bike in for a dyno tune. I don't feel the need for the AT module right now as the bike runs great.

Good luck!
 
Lets be fair, to add to your statment with the maps Keith and myself have revised for you to try something just does not add up, I apoligize if my comments came across the wrong way. My comments were something like "there is something going on out of the ordinary with your bike" and this is very well likely the case. As you noted you had XIED's installed and had several issues with them, tried several sets and then removed them. What can happen is that they can skew the ECM's base programming and this will in effect change the PC-V map requirements, to a high degree if the XIED's are not working properly and the O2's providing an improper reference. If you would like to email me the current map you put together I would be happy to take a look at it and provide any assistance required.
 
I'm trying to be fair Jamie. I did not want to mention names, my experience may be out of the ordinary and I did not want my experience to influence your business. Although I have to say being told the problem has to be with my bike the very first time I call for a map and every time after that made me feel you didn
 
I am on my first HD and first PC V. I had a metric cruiser before with the PC III and it ran like a dream... I can't believe how limited the PC V maps are on the PC website... I kinda get the feeling they are not providing too many maps so that everyone with a PC V will need to buy the AT module????
I have been searching high and low for a map that matches my setup and no deal... bike runs pretty good but it is definitely not optimum... i may have to break down and get a dyno done???

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I think dyno tune is the way to go. I'm going to forget all about the guess work and get it done right. The time left to ride a bike this year is getting short and if I don't get the dyno tune I can see myself frustrated the whole time, not worth it.

Who are these people that got a Power Commander and the right map to go with it? How did that happen? Not happening here. I don't see the sense in buying a Power Commander at all. Just do the Stage 1 upgrade and bring the bike in for a dyno, they will flash your ECM and your done. Much better than paying for the Power Commander and having a mess with no help to get it right, then having to add the cost of a dyno to the Power Commander. Screw that, just skip all the extra money you have to pay out and the frustration and pay for the dyno. Lessons learned can be expensive.


Added...I have an appointment for a dyno this coming Tuesday.
 
You can do the a stage one download and have the dealer flash your ECM and they can put it on a Dyno , but all you will get is the chart with you horse power and torque and a AFReading.
They will not be able to manipulate your ECM with out some type of tuning device,you know a PCIII or a SEPRT or one of the many other types of electrical gizmoes available.
If I where you, I would take it to your tuner with your PCIII and have them tune the bike the way you have it.
The odds are way better than a Crap Shoot that you got a pretty good starting point with the info you sent to Jamie and they tried to assist and still willing to assist you.
When my bike was still 88Cui and 203 cams with the PCIII, Jarzz had it tuned in an hour and i was good to go@70HP and 86Flbs of torque.
That was good enough for me then.
Your mileage may vary.
Just my .02 opinion,
Rob
 
My PCV and Auto Tune have my bike running extremely well. Yes it improved on the map that Jamie had sent me. I run it with a switch to run a rich base map for the heat. Thanks Jamie and Fuel Moto you did communicate with me well and I had even bought my PCV from a forum memeber and you still took take of me! Cant wait for another upgrade and no need to run of to the tuner anymore.
 
It would be much easier to find those who haven't been able to locate a correct map, especially among those who purchased from Fuel Moto. Who has obtained a correct map? Me and a few thousand others who've purchased from FM, and that's easy to document by simply doing a search on this forum. I've been through the PCIII, PCV, and now the PCV with Auto-Tune and have never received a bad or even mediocre map from them, although now with AT that is a moot point. If you buy elsewhere you may not be so lucky, and the PC site doesn't have the map database offered by FM.



You are posting misinformation, or perhaps I'm misunderstanding your points. In the first place you can't mount the bike on a dyno and "flash the ECM" without first buying a PCV or one of the flash-based tuners (e.g. HD's SEST). Or are you saying you think a Stage 1 download is comparable to a dyno-tune? Getting the $150 Stage 1 download does not magically equip the ECM to be dyno-ready, nor does it give you an optimal tune. The PCV from FM is $300 with an accurate map, so have you priced other tuners like HD's SEST yet? Are you aware that only a very small map database is available for these and they are for compliant HD products only? Do you know that you'll need to add the dyno-tune to the cost of the tuner?



More misinformation. If you buy any brand of tuner you should be resigned to performing a dyno tune at the outset, that is unless you have a reliable source for maps. Those who purchase from FM get an accurate map in most cases along with help if they need it, but they probably won't.



Go have your bike dyno-tuned and let us know your total cost. You'll first need to buy a tuner, then you'll pay the human tuner several $C's to perform the tune. Then you will need to worry about the competence of the tech doing the tune, as not all techs are created equal. There is at least a reasonable chance that a PCV with a map from FM will be more accurate than a dyno-tune you will get at a local dealer. I'm not taking away from the competent tuners out there, but sometimes I think they are few and far between.



Let us know how much it costs you, and give us a list of what was included.
 
Getting a bike properly tuned is just part of the cost of upgrading it.

The money spent on your Power Commander wasn't wasted. They'll use it to dyno tune your bike. You either need a Power Commander or SEST or something similar. Go price a SEST or Mastertune TTS. None of the tuning devices are cheap.

A stage I download is another thing entirely. You could have that done for about 150 bucks. That's just a canned program that is downloaded to your ECM, supposedly to adjust for air cleaner and exhaust upgrades. In reality, it doesn't do much other than raise the rev limiter.
 
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