How Much Should I Pay For Custom Tune

[neo]

I have a Xcal2 box and I email a tune house and told them I want a custom tune and that I have a flash box and here is there answer

Dyno time is $140hr, & a full edit can take between 6 & 8 hours

Does this sound right I know these guys have done a few turbos so cant see why it would take 6 to 8 hours?

Edited 22/10/09 03:55 PM by neo

[Robos F6]

For what I have been told by tuners is that a Cal 2/3 should take 3 hours as they only have to tidy up the tune on the Cal software. Im not 100% certain but maybe some tune shops prefer to start from scratch but others not. I to have been quoted $300 for a tidy up tune and $800 for a full tune, both on Cal software. Other tunes like VCM suite you generally get charged for a full tune as there is no base starting point.

[XR64LT]

I know Autotech charge around $550 for a custom tune and CV charge $580 as per their web site

[ravenhard]

I know Autotech charge around $550 for a custom tune

You must have got a deal off them, last time I check about a month ago they were charging $770

[messna]

HPF charge 795 and do a great job

[neo]

thanks for the replys guys ill keep asking around and see what prices I get cheers.

[BFHOON]

just remember if you pay penuts you oftern get monkeys.

give c&v a go, they have never let me down.

[IH8TOADS]

Most big tuners will have an arsenal of tunes and value files on hand from similar vehicles they have done. A tuner using SCT software should be able to grab a chosen base file / strategy file for the vehicle and import their own custom calibrations (normally saved as value files). You can build a rough tune very quickly this way, and from there it's just making minor modifications to suit the cars particulars. Just remember though....most tuners would have spent hrs upon hrs building their value file base, so even though it may only take a few hrs on the dyno for a good tune...your paying for intellectual property that the tuner has acquired over some time...yrs etc.

If the car is on the dyno for 6 hrs....that's about 30 WOT runs (assuming you can load and run about 5 flashes per hr). That's a lot of dyno runs. Spending a total of 6 - 8hr's on a tune is acceptable IMO, but I doubt all of it would be dyno time...maybe half. In the end of the day, if they're spending all day on your car then they are most likely going to get it pretty sweet :-) In regards to the peanuts....most certainly holds true for tuning Stick with one of the big names and you won't be dissapointed I'm sure.

[Buf-Phoon]

Good post mate as I'm sure there is a common misconception that every tune is started from scratch.

For context , imagine some of the major shops that have tuned hundreds of these cars ( since 2002 ) with every conceivable combination

of mods. They will have a pretty good base tune for most cars.

As said a few hours dyno time a good tuner will have it pretty spot on

[Xrfranjo]

its not how much its going to cost... its how fast do you want to go.......