SCT VS Predator

SCPuncher2

New Member
Sep 15, 2006
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Irvine CA
I have seen alot of people ask what is the best solution to get performance out of their new mustang. Almost always a flash tuner like SCT xcal2 or Diablo Sport Predator have been mentioned.
I have personally used both now and I do have some opinions.
With out a doubt both of these tuners are worth every penny you spend and the performance gains are significant. It does seem how ever that most of the people in the 2005+ forums enjoy their xcal2 more so than the Predator.
I first had the xcal2 and was pleased with it ease of use and the support I got from the vendor that I bought it from. Then I was told by a local speed shop to try the Predator since he sold both and was happier with his Predator. I gave it a shot and wow was I ever suprised at how much of a difference their was for the 2005 V6 Mustangs.
My Predator came with three tunes just like the xcal2 but in addition I went to a dyno tune shop and spent an extra $250 for 2 hours of tuning. I checked around to see if there were and better deals in Southern California and almost everyone else wanted $500 flat rate no matter how long it took.
To make a long story short I saw gains of 35HP at the rear wheel using a 91 octane dyno tune and a MAC CAI. But that was not the best part. The improvement that I got from the adjustments with the fly by wire throttle were incredible. No more pressing on the gas and praying you don't get killed by the semi truck before the gas kicked in. I was also very pleased with the auto tranny adjustments. I too can now burn rubber from a dead stop even with the traction control on.
The xcal2 offered some of the same improvements but not nearly as much as the Predator. The real proof was when my wife sitting in the passenger seat on a trip down PCH one day said " WOW the car is much smoother and quicker than before ". I knew then it was going to be the predator for me and I sold my xcal2 on the internet.
I am not sure if it was the Dyno tune that made the diffirence or was it the Predator it self but there was a difference.
I recomend to all to try it for your self and see if you too end up saying that the Predator tuner makes the 2005 Mustang V6 perform like it should have from the factory. I love my V6 now and I do not have GT envy as much as I used to.

Regards,
SCPuncher2
 
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Thanks for the info. I was going to start a new thread about tuners. Wanting to know if anyone has got a better tune for the stupid throttle by wire. I hate when taking off and the car nose dives. car takes off better at half throttle . where did you get the predator and the tunes? Isnt it like the sct2 where vendors are putting their own tunes in it? I bought a sct2 from modular depot and was not impressed with it, I am sure their tunes sucked.
 
The way the stock tunes work for the Predator was explained to me as this.
1. When you plug the tuner in to your cars port it will read the Factory settings and make a copy of them and save it as your original stock tune.
2. The tuner then takes the information that it just downloaded from your car and it will create three Diablo Sport Predator Stock tunes. These three tunes are 87 octane tune, a 91 octane tune and a performance tune that is really a 93 octane tune. All of these tunes are based on the original Ford tune that the Predator downloaded when it was first pluged in.
You can either load one of these tunes and go about your business of enjoying your cars new performance or you can modify these tunes using your tuner and save your new tune to the Predator as a custom tune. Or you can do what I did and go to a local dyno shop that uses the Diablo Sport Predator Tuner and have them hook your car up to a dyno machine and create a custom performace tune that is specific to your cars setup. If you have any type of modifications such as a cold air intake or a super charger they will be able to tune your care to its peak performance and save it to your Predator.
This is what I did with my Predator and I was very happy with my results. Now that my dyno shop has this cutom tune information they can create any type of new tune that I might want (such as an 87 octane tune) and e-mail me the new tune and I can download it to my Predator and retune my car with it and not have to go in to the shop. I have since had two other custom tunes added to my Predator making a total of 5 tunes in my Predator and I have a very wide spectrum of tunes I can use for my car. So if I want to take my cold air intake off and reinstall the stock air filter box I can do so and not worry about having any check engine lights come on since I would load the correct custome tune from my Predator to match what ever set up I wish to drive with that day.
I was lucky to find a great dyno shop here in Southern California. Their name is GRC Performance and they have a web site at www.grcperformance.com and it will explain more about what they do and how they can help you. Umberto Gizzi is very good at what he does and he has a great reputation in the auto industry.
I would have to say that I did not go to a dyno shop whith my original SCT xcal2 I just used the stock tune it came with from the company that I bought it from. But man oh man was there a big difference between the two brands when I drove my car home that first night after getting my dyno tune I could not help but burn the tires at every stop and I admit it I took my car well above the legal speed limit when I got on the I-5.
I hope this answers your questions about the Predator.
 
If you read the policy on mfg warranties in the Diablo sport Predator manul it says that their product will not void any mfg warranties if you use either their stock tunes or get custom tunes from a CMR dealer on their list. They do have you read a disclaimer and press an accept or deny buttom before you can use the part of their soft ware that lets you load tumnes or modify tunes. The disclaimer basicly say that if you use the tuner to adjust your engine beyond the safety parameter it is your own fault if you cause damage to your engine.
I spoke with my local FORD dealers service agent and he said that they have not had any problems with predator that have been used properly. He also said that it would be a good idea to return your car to the original Ford factory tune before you bring your car in for any service just in case they have to reflash your cars copmuter for updates etc.
You can get more info on all of this by contacting Diablo Sport or a local Predator dealer.
 
Dyno tuning with just a CAI is a waste of money. To anyone thinking of getting a tuner, make sure you have plenty of references for the people you buy it from. Not all tunes are created equal! I have experience with VMP Tuning and they do a great job with the xCals.
 
dhthomas40 said:
Has anybody used these two tuners on automatic transmissions to modify shift points and/or firmness?

I have used both on an auto, used to have the pred and switched to the XCAL2. Back then, my tuner said the there were more tanny adjustments with the XCAL2. From a user standpoint, I was not able to modify my shift pressure with the Diablo, but was able to with the XCAL2 up to 25%. I found this annoying as one way to get some better ET's at the track is to jack up the shift pressure.

I recommend you go with what your shop is most comfortable with. Because it comes down to custom tuning. Most shops perfer the XCAL2 for the S197.

Both are high quality pieces, though the Diablo uses a serial cable and external power supply (that you have to buy separate) to hook up to your computer. The XCAL2 is usb and can draw its power from the computer.
 
I have used both the Diablo and SCT and I prefer SCT over Diablo. The dyno-tune was the difference. Had the tuner tuned the car with the X-Cal, you would have likely seen the same gains.

I am not a fan of Diablo as they have had a harder time tuning the S197's. I have heard of more cars having tuning issues from Diablo than SCT and I personally know of a Diablo horror story that I have never seen or heard about from a SCT tuned car. What I do know that when a hand-held tuner and CAI does cause your engine to go boom, Diablo will not step up to the plate and help you with the repair bill.
 
I just heard that Bama Chips now uses the Predator tuner as well as the xcal2. I am going to see if I can buy one of their tunes for my predator and see if I was wrong about my old SCT xcal2. I have never seen so many mustang owners with nothing but good things to say about an after market product. I guess if you guys like it soo much perhaps I will sell my Predator and buy a new xcal2 when I get the chance.
Anyone know someone that wants to buy my Predator so I can join the xcal2 band wagon?

Regards,
SCPuncher2