Time for a dyno tune?

[midnightdriver]

So as my sig states and many posts, i currently have a bama chips custom burnt chip for my car, including the lasts updates on parts. All has been well, except for now i am running into certain things in the tunes. Mostly the fact that in the 91 race and 91 performance (haven't tried street) I now seem to be getting engine rattle. Its weird, i have run these tunes since Aug with no problems, and now these last 3 weeks, I have gotten engine rattle, several times.

I get the rattle in 3rd and 4th, from 2500rpm to 4000ish rpm. Like when rolling into the throttle getting up to speed, if i quick stab it, it will rattle for a split sec and then nothing but normal engine noises. I can drive the same pattern over and over and sometimes it does it and sometimes not, there is no consistence to the matter. I thought maybe bad gas, but now have been through 3 tanks and still doing it (3 separate stations too). However, the engine during this rattle does not skip a beat, nor lose any power.

Do you think its detonation, because it doesn't really sound like it compared to the videos i have watched? Or do i need to listen to music more often and just know that these engines are loud? I have not contact bama yet, as i want to here from you all first.

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 38176]

I get the same thing with my BAMA 91 tunes every now and then (although it seldom happens since it got cold outside). It's detonation. I had to go back to the 87 tune during the hot summer because of it.

 

[Maxpowers]

Unless your ipod somehow is changing your power level, I'm not seeing any reason for a dyno tune. Call Bama and see if they will write you a different tune.

 

[midnightdriver]

I get the same thing with my BAMA 91 tunes every now and then (although it seldom happens since it got cold outside). It's detonation. I had to go back to the 87 tune during the hot summer because of it.

Thats opposite of me, it started to happen when it started to get cold outside, interesting.

Well I talked to Bama today and they said that it seems odd to happen as it gets cold, the lower temps want more timing and said that i can go into the parameters and simply pull a degree or two from the global spark since it is not saved in the tuner but saved in the tune itself. But i did go and clean my mass air, IAT sensors and checked over all my hoses to make sure i did not have a vacuum leak anywhere,. Plus i check for dtc's, but there where none.

I am completely confused.

 

[Deleted member 38176]

Does it sound like a shaking a tin can that has a few pebbles in it when you lightly get on the throttle, like going up a slight hill?

 

[midnightdriver]

Does it sound like a shaking a tin can that has a few pebbles in it when you lightly get on the throttle, like going up a slight hill?

Maybe? I mean if i had to describe it, to me it sounds like more of a loose exhaust system, like on my old truck when the exhaust tip hold down bolt worked loose causing the tip to rattle at certain engine loads.

This happens, for example the other day i was coming back from a friends house, getting on the freeway. I went through first, then 2nd, and into third and held third while merging (approximately 50mph) . As i merged, i rolled in the throttle to pass then punched it. As soon as i punched the throttle, i heard the rattle, for a split second and then nothing but my exhaust. Its very faint though, and you have to know what it sounds like to pick it up, otherwise i would not have noticed it.

 

[midnightdriver]

So little update

I opened up the race tune on my hand held and took 2* out of my global spark and what a difference. Not only does the car seem to run better, but i can't feel at all a power difference. Too much timing actually fights the engine and i think that might have been happening with my car. And to test it, i put the car in 4th at 35 mph and did a full throttle pull to 65mph. It was smooth power increase with no engine rattle,. I plan to call bam a on Mon and tell them to take some timing out of my tunes, even though on my handheld its gives me the option to upload the tune I modified or reload the default tune. That way I won't have to worry.

Oh and one more thing to add, the race tune with the reduced timing is way more street able, no more jumpiness but its still very aggressive, and i really like it now probably even more.

 

[Deleted member 38176]

Good to hear

 

[midnightdriver]

Well and update, I loaded the 91 race tune last week and won't you know, I still got some rattle, however it was extreme brief compared to last time. This time the rattle occurred around 4800 to 5200 rpm as I went from full throttle to closed throttle (road course turn) back to full throttle again, maybe 2 to 3 secs on the brakes. I am getting annoyed at bama now, I mean come on, like just what I want to do right now is build a new engine. I know I may be over reacting a little since stock engine cars can rattle (for those readers I am referring to detonation) but I think I am dropping their tunes.

What you guys suggest, I am looking at Brook speed, Tillman speed or VMP?

Thanks

Oh and one more thing, I figured out that the bama tune, too much timing is not really the root of the cause, but rather they are running cars leaner then other tuners it seems which is kinda b.s. I mean for what, 5 more hp at peak that won't be used 95% of the time.

End rant

 

[Deleted member 38176]

Yeah I too am quickly becoming dissatisfied with BAMA. It is as though there is no attention to detail in their tunes. Free tunes for life? Well, you get what you pay for

 

[bradfier]

I know it sounds dumb but you’re putting in the correct fuel with the tune right? I had a 93 octane Dyno Tune by Johnny Lighting Performance and noticed detonation when I lugged the motor, I started mixing in 100 octane fuel and the detonation went away. I know you already said it but it sounds to me like your running lean at high RPMs which is very dangerous, that’s how you get to rebuild your motor. I recommend an air/fuel gauge and if you have the money go with a wideband. You should be able to add a percentage of fuel with your hand held device, I would try adding 20% and some higher octane fuel then see what happens.

 

[midnightdriver]

Yeah I too am quickly becoming dissatisfied with BAMA. It is as though there is no attention to detail in their tunes. Free tunes for life? Well, you get what you pay for

+1, the 87 performance tune runs just is well or not better than the 91 race tune (with no problems). I am going to order a tune from VMP and go from there and plan to stay away from the bama race for good.

 

[midnightdriver]

I know it sounds dumb but you’re putting in the correct fuel with the tune right? I had a 93 octane Dyno Tune by Johnny Lighting Performance and noticed detonation when I lugged the motor, I started mixing in 100 octane fuel and the detonation went away. I know you already said it but it sounds to me like your running lean at high RPMs which is very dangerous, that’s how you get to rebuild your motor. I recommend an air/fuel gauge and if you have the money go with a wideband. You should be able to add a percentage of fuel with your hand held device, I would try adding 20% and some higher octane fuel then see what happens.

Well I told them to tune my 91 race for richer ratio's and less timing last time on the phone and they seem to not listen, so I am not going to use the tune anymore. Not to be lazy but I am not going to run anything more then pump gas on a mild bolt on and tune car, I appreciate the suggestion but to me that seems uncalled for. Bama has lost my business.

 

[AZmustang98]

My Bama mail order tune does the samething very seldom also. Especially when pulling a hill....

 

[Deleted member 38176]

My Bama mail order tune does the samething very seldom also. Especially when pulling a hill....

Mine knocks especially heavy when climbing a hill. Im looking into other tuners at the moment. Torq seems to be highly recommended here and have good results. Their tunes don't break the bank either.

 

[bradfier]

If BAMA starts blowing up cars they will get a bad reputation, most tuners error on the side of caution and run a little richer, but that's the problem with mail order tunes, you dont really know what you get. Look into a wideband air/fuel gauge, it will tell you what your motors doing at each RPM range.

 

[midnightdriver]

Well, I ordered a 89 oct performance tune from VMP yesterday and got it today, which is crazy since on there website they said a couple of days. I have not loaded it up yet but I can say that they gave the option for E10 tuning which in CA most gas is up to 10% ethanol (causes the car to run leaner if not tuned for it). I will update when i upload but i suggest everyone check out VMP since its $60 bucks for one tune, which is not bad.

http://www.vmptuning.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=165&parent=2

 

[AZmustang98]

Mine knocks especially heavy when climbing a hill. Im looking into other tuners at the moment. Torq seems to be highly recommended here and have good results. Their tunes don't break the bank either.

Well, mine has not done it for a while but I have been running it on the 87 Street tune for quite some time.

 

[03_TrueBlue_GT]

I am having the same problem with my Bama tunes. My car does the same exact sound that you are talking about, its around 2500-5900 rpms in 3rd gear through 5th but it does it on 87 and the 93 octane tune. I have not tried the 89 yet. It even does it when I just add a little of throttle in 5th gear while cruising. I called Bama and they told me to clean the MAF, throttlebody, new plugs and all that. I have already done that and then they said to take -2 degrees of the global spark. I did but it still did it like you described. Then I took -3 degrees off the global spark and then the noise is gone. Right now I am running 89 octane in the car right now with the 87 octane tune and the car pulls hard and there is no noise. Its very frustrating so I figured whenever I can Im going to head down and get the car dyno tuned for sure.

 

[midnightdriver]

VMP 89 Oct review

I have to say this tune is way better then the Bama tune, at least on my car. The tune is very smooth throughout the entire rpm band and the throttle response is very sharp/crisp without being touchy or overly sensitive. The tune drives and feels very close to the stock ford tune, except with more power, like VMP took the stock tune and reconfigured it to match my mods without overdoing it. For example, on the bama tune my car use to not like certain rpm's in certain gears but with the vmp (extreme example), I had the car in 5th @ 45 mph (3.27 gears) and the car didn't even hiccup when I accelerated up a tiny hill, just pulled. Power wise, the vmp tune makes way more low end torque and plenty up top, I would say it easily if not exceeds from my SOTPM, the bama 91 race tune. Example, from a 5mph rolling start, I smashed the throttle, spun all of first, all of 2nd and chirped 3rd with stock 3.27 gears !. I have not tested the fuel economy side of it yet, but I am very happy that I decided to get a different tune then bama.

However, I do have one dislike and its rather small, and that is the idle rpm. VMP, set the idle at 800rpm, and the bama was 650rpm. Maybe I am just use the the lower rpm and I know that I can easily change it, but I wonder why they are higher. I plan to give it a couple of weeks before I lower it.

Hope this helps.