Whos tuning with SCT Advantage?

[Regulars520]

I'm looking to pick up the SCT Advantage software to tune my 99 Cobra. Recently did a complete upgrade to my setup and I want to handle the tuning myself. I'd like to get some feedback on how easy to use the software is, what kind of guides come with it. I'll be buying Lasotas package with his guide but Im curious of what comes from SCT. Any feedback, advice or thoughts on this software would be very much appreciated.

 

[Black02GT]

Nothing, the Advantage software is actually downloadale from their site, but can't even look at it without the licensing USB dongle. There is a help file that has general efi and a ford specific one that has heavy overlap with Don's book. Don's CD of videos is pretty good too but just an animated version of the book really and the book is more detailed.
Someone gave me this link http://www.rothfam.com/maf/doc-project/tuning_the_maf.html (sorry who gave this to me can't remember for credit) it gives a good technique for mass air transfer calibration. Also once you have the software you can get access to the SCT forum that has a lot of archived info cobra specific. The link above shows what most of it is, make logs and see if what's happening matches you target. If not change the value by the percent difference.

The software is daunting at first since there are a huge amount of things you can mess with, but really only have to mess with 10% of it. Getting the car to run and even getting WOT dialed was easy enough. I found the on/off throttle and transitions back to idle when you clutch in the trickiest part. The software comes with value files for most of the common aftermarket parts and Don sets you up with a base file. The base gets the car running, you start at idle, log and adjust then do the same for free revs, then low load cruising, and keep progressing untill your WOT. In my experience the amateur tuning guys love to chat about it and are very helpful.

This is my experience as a noob myself, only a few months in but I'd do it again without a doubt. Just be prepared to be super patient, make small changes, and don't get carried away.

Don LaSota, Eric Brooks from Brookspeed, and Justin from VMP all help out the amateurs a lot.

 

[Regulars520]

Nothing, the Advantage software is actually downloadale from their site, but can't even look at it without the licensing USB dongle. There is a help file that has general efi and a ford specific one that has heavy overlap with Don's book. Don's CD of videos is pretty good too but just an animated version of the book really and the book is more detailed.
Someone gave me this link http://www.rothfam.com/maf/doc-project/tuning_the_maf.html (sorry who gave this to me can't remember for credit) it gives a good technique for mass air transfer calibration. Also once you have the software you can get access to the SCT forum that has a lot of archived info cobra specific. The link above shows what most of it is, make logs and see if what's happening matches you target. If not change the value by the percent difference.

The software is daunting at first since there are a huge amount of things you can mess with, but really only have to mess with 10% of it. Getting the car to run and even getting WOT dialed was easy enough. I found the on/off throttle and transitions back to idle when you clutch in the trickiest part. The software comes with value files for most of the common aftermarket parts and Don sets you up with a base file. The base gets the car running, you start at idle, log and adjust then do the same for free revs, then low load cruising, and keep progressing untill your WOT. In my experience the amateur tuning guys love to chat about it and are very helpful.

This is my experience as a noob myself, only a few months in but I'd do it again without a doubt. Just be prepared to be super patient, make small changes, and don't get carried away.

Don LaSota, Eric Brooks from Brookspeed, and Justin from VMP all help out the amateurs a lot.

Thanks bro, lots of good info there for me. :beer:

 

[crfrider16]

I took the plunge into self tuning last year. I bought sct prp from Don lasota, along with his book and dvd, and also the book from Greg Banish.

Before I even touched the laptop, I literally took a good month or two and just read it all cover to cover a million times. The hardest part is jumping in. There's a learning curve, no doubt, but you can do it. I had zero tuning experience, besides understanding how engines run, ie fuel, timing, etc. And I was able to build a tune from scratch. My car is a turbo making 600+ hp on pump gas, and drives like a dream.

Do it and don't look back! You'll never be a slave to a turner's schedule again!

 

[cj428mach]

I love being able to self tune but I really don't like SCT's stuff, In the 1.5 years I've had it I've had my hand held lock up twice both after updating the xcal then flashing it. Once I was able to get it fixed over the phone after 3 nights of being on hold after I got off work. The other time I had to mail it in and cost me about $90 bucks.

i think I'd look at a binary editor based solution, like a quarterhorse and BE, then burn a chip after its all said and done. The big advantage to this is tuning on the fly. I have this setup on my streetrod and it literally takes 15 seconds to make the change in your laptop and flash the pcm while its running. You get to see the immediate effect your tune has rather than shutting the car off, reloading a tune to the hand held then reflashing your car to try to see if it made a difference.I also love looking at my datalogs in eecanalyzer as I find it so much easier to read than in livelink.

The Binary Editor/chip does have its downfalls as they say the chips only last like 20 years, so flashing your pcm is the better solution.

I need to do some more researching but the next time I get banged by SCT I think I'm going to go with Package #1 on here.
http://coretuning.net/shop

as I think thats the best overall solution.

$650 seems hefty, but honestly an Xcal is $3-400 new and then advantage is another $400+.

 

[projectslideway]

Love mine, would never go back. Used only Don Lasota's package, book, and DVD... He has even helped personally answer misc. questions. If I had to do it all over again I would just buy the book; as the DVD seemed more geared towards navigating the software which most computer-savy folks shouldn't have a problem with. Nothing but A+++++ from Lasota.

 

[Black02GT]

cj428mach has a point, being able to tune on the fly would be nice. I went with SCT because it's arguably the most user friendly but having to go through the tuner is a pain. I would like Binary or Quarter now I know what I'm doing but don't know if I would have be as happy starting with that.

 

[BO TY KLR]

I have the advantage 3 software and love not being tied to a tuner that's hours away, or waiting for their email for days. I bought the don lasota package a few yrs back. He can build a base startup tune that you can work off of. Things I hate most is being tied to sct "glitchy" handhelds. And their horrible wait times if you need to try and work that out. I'd rather go to dentist than call their "helpline"!!

 

[BeanCrusher]

duh duh duuuhh, dun dun daa da da dat daaaa dun dun datada dun dun datada "You are number 31 in this queue, please wait to be connected" The music is seared into my brain

Just starting with SCT as well, and truly, getting the software installed and talking with the hardware and the car is a tremendous PITA. If you get it all working without calling for support, go buy a lottery ticket.

 

[Regulars520]

Hey guys thanks for all the input. Things have slightly changed some since I last posted. I bought a dyno for my shop and I need to make sure whatever software I do get will be easy to use to tune not only my own car but others. (Fords only) No I wont be tuning customers cars anytime soon. We will be doing mostly test hits and tuning of non efi or ecu controlled vehicles until I get some education behind me in the new era of tuning computers.

So with that in mind, any suggestions?

Whatever company's software I use I will need to be able to get licenses in order to tune cars other than my own

Ease of use, something that will not require my customer to spend 2o million dollars in hardware on top of tuning costs, etc...

Those of you local to me that tune your vehicles and have a feel for the software I would be willing to trade some dyno time for some of your time with teaching me the software.

 

[lowranger96]

I'd look into Binary editor/Core tuning dealer package. It's about $2000 but I'm pretty sure that's way cheaper than the sct stuff, gives you the ability to basically tune any mustang.