Ok, so I finally have one. It's Compaq's new top-of-the-line notebook.

These may sound like dumb questions, but I am completely new to this side of car tuning. So I'm asking what programs I should look into. My ecm/prom/everything is all stock at this time. I know that dosen't allow for a lot of adjustments, but I have to start somewhere. I would also like to be able to diagnose problems as well. If I can get the hang of this now, by the time I upgrade to better stand alone systems I will be much better off.

I know I have a LOT to learn here. I don't need anyone to hold my hand, but as a beginner to this aspect of car performance, I would like a nudge or two in the right direction.

Thanks a million,
Max


PS- My apologies if this in the wrong section.


Edit: I just did some more searching on here and came up with some names such as; winaldl, tuner pro, datamaster, ect.... Are these reputable/user friendly programs?

 

Laptops are cool. Once I finally purchased one several years ago to tune with that's all I use.

I ASSUME that you will be tuning the 8 cyl RS. If so check out this thread as anything I will tell you will be repeating this great "for TBI" thread.

Later.........DM

 

Yes, my attention is focused on the 91 RS, but I'll doctor the grocery getter too!

Also, I've been studying the stickys for hours now. There is SO much info to learn here. Like I said above, I like to think that I am very capable in the other area's of tuning (mechanical tuning). I would just like to hear some advice from people who have done this before. Some of that "I wish I would have known this when I started" information. So that I may get a better jump into this, and possibly bypass a few of the beginner stumbling blocks. No tip is too small, lets hear everything.


Max,

 

My best advice on my experience with tuning hardware are dealing with Rbob and Craig Moates. They both have top notch products and support. I had usb converter issues with my laptop and after buying Moates usb box it never surfaced again.

 

DM91RS,

Thanks for the advice, I"ll look in to that when I start purchasing hardware.

 

If you want to tune stock TBI software use Tunerpro/scannerpro, otherwise you could look inte RBobs www.dynamicefi.com.

Thumbs up for moates, Rbob, and Mangus!

 

Please tell me it is not Vista.

 

myvmax1 even without buying any hardware you can go ahead and download Tunerpro and start getting familiar with the tables and seeing the settings for your car.

Download http://www.tunerpro.net/

Then install Tunerpro.

Next download an XDF file to load into Tunerpro do you can "read" your bin.

http://www.moates.net/files/3)%20Bin...8746_TBI_A.xdf

Open Tunerpro and under XDF select the one above.

Then go to.....http://www.moates.net/files/1)%20Sto...%205%20SPD.bin

and download the bin listed above. It is my stock 91RS 5 spd bin. It should be the same as yours unless yours is a Calif. version.

It's actually easy as 1-2-3 as long as you have a bin to start with. Unless you can read your chip but then you'll have to spend some money....haha.





[Edit I just noticed that a link did not make it on my first post above] It should have been this:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...free-tune.html

That is a very good thread. I wished it had been around when I started.

 

Not to hijack his thread but can I ask; why not Vista? Reason I ask is because, I'm new to tuning and have a new laptop as well, with Vista.

 

Maybe it was a coincedence but my new lappy(2007) was Vista and my existing auto tuning programs were not completely supported by Vista. I use EBL, Prominator, and Tuner Pro. I ended up putting XP Pro on Lappy and all is now good. Also new Lappy's are USB. You may need a serial/USB or a creation of a real Parallel Port as some use that.

 

...It was a struggle to get my Win98 working cleanly with my Autoprom. When I got my Vista laptop last fall; it hooked itself right up to the Autoprom. I still use the win98 laptop in the car (don't want to ruin the new one since I keep dropping the old one)--but the results I got from playing with it inside makes me like vista better than 98.