OVTune or KDMAX

I got the OTT tune about 3 weeks ago and here are my thoughts. Throttle response is night and day better. MPG is down about 1.5 mpg but Im guessing that is because of colder weather. The trucks doesnt go into 6th gear unless im doing like 75 on a flat road with a tail wind. It seems that it holds onto the gears just a tad longer than it should.

Does this sound right? My tuner her is great and offered to do it again or install another one if I wanted.

 

If you're not getting to 6th gear until that speed, then that could be the cause of the MPG drop.

IMHO, folks should see 6th at normal highway speeds. With the vF 2.0 Tunes, it will do that and still not be shift happy. It all comes down to the right tuning for the mod level of the Taco and what suits the owners. If you're happy living in 5th Gear, then you gotta live with the penalty that comes with it.

 

Thank you for responding. I reached out to the tuner and he said he is able to have the shift point to a lower speed. Still leaves the feeling of holding onto gears a bit long. Maybe it supposed to feel like that?

 

The vF tunes do not have that feeling, but it is a 'feature' of other tunes.


From my experience, there is a gear holding mode on our Subaru that I intensely dislike, and the folks that I have flashed with have simply said that the AT feels normal using the vF 2.0 Tunes. The adjustments that I mainly use is the tires size option as a global modifier for the AT. This keeps it from being shift-happy but still performing as folks expect.

 

I have the kdmax pro tune. Love it

 

Did you have another tune before? Do you have something to compare the kdmax to? Dont get me wrong this is a huge improvement over stock it just feels like it needs some refinement

Very helpful. Thank you

 

You're welcome!

 

KDMax

 

i did not have another tune before this one But ya you’re probably not wrong. Another tune I’ve seen ppl get is the sibi tune down in socal

 

Hey @danadavenport, specific to your OVT or KDMAX comparison request I can add that I've been tuned since the beginning of OVTune's initial releases. The OVTune 2.0 files and the VFTuner platform have provided base (starter) tunes and licensing from which we do everything. KDMAX evolved from there with what is now feedback from thousands of owners across 45+ resources. That on-going learning and sharing of feedback has helped @PapaRee and @TWTaco (K&D Tuning) bring KDMAX Pro to us all. I can personally attest the refinements of KDMAX since original creation continue to shine as a leading flash we can get for our Tacomas. Should you be looking for KDMAX, or have questions, I encourage you to keep research going to find what works for you best. There are some great reviews and feedback on TW here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...aree-and-twtaco.713699/page-209#post-26723330

 

Just want to ask, what are you leaving out that is shown on that dyno?

I havent tried OV tune, so no comment on that but i can tell you my truck drives WAY nicer than stock on KDmax. She still gets up and goes when necessary.
If i am cruising along and drop the pedal, i immediately downshift and get into higher RPMs. Not sure what the problem is.
I drove my truck for 3+ years, so i know there is a difference, and its not imagined even with daily driving. I think that's the point of the tune, at least for me anyway.

 

thank you very much. Extremely helpful. Just to make sure I’m talking about the same thing. I say OTT but you say OV tune. Is that the same thing? This was from my tuner of what I have.


We went with the Overland Tailor Tune (OTT). Here is a description from John/tuner’s website:

3rd Gen Tacoma Overlander 6.0 Calibration 2016-2022
Overland Tailors "Overlander 6.0 Torque Tune" is one of the smoothest custom tunes available today with specific attention paid to those areas that produce more low and mid-range Torque along with top end performance.

Correcting all the shifting issues in the 3rd Gen along with more power and torque, The Overlander Tune will take your Tacoma to the next level.

 

2.0 gear hunts as much as stock.. KDMPro & OTT are top notch tunes out right now.

 

Sorry, thread topic was "OVTUNE OR KDMAX" -- OTT would be a competitive tune of KDMAX, among others. I cannot speak to it's specific design nor improvements, but all the tunes start from VFTuner and have the ability to vary from each other. Same tree different apples so to speak. I will say I know how KDMAX has improved since the beginning, it's huge support group, and the thousands of trucks on the road we hear back from.....oh and of course my own smiles per mile. I have greatly enjoyed providing services to owners and seen how happy their post test drives were and how months later they are still enjoying every bit of the updates. In fact with the new release many are upgrading and are further impressed on the refinements. There is a competitive market out there and with the continued investments in the KDMAX (now KDMAX Pro as released in Dec).

 

Not in the experience of the folks that I flashed. Again, as you quoted, bumping up the tire size in the tune is the key. It was a hint given to me by other folks not long after 2.0 Tunes were released and has served me well since.

Beyond that, I had folks who were in good shape, made mods that brought back erractic shifting, and I bumped up the tire sized for them to put them back in the good place.

 

What's their website

 

I'm curious if I should bump up the tire size for my truck like 35" instead of 33"

 

If you're on 33s, I would. I have some folks with 33s that are running 37 or so in the tune to account for tire weight, lift, armor or canopy weight, aero (racks and such), etc.

If you feel the transmission is trying to hard to compensate, go up on the radius in the tune. Toyota made it too damn sensitive.

 

My transmission temps on my 70 mi commute stay at 185°F or really close to that so if it was working too hard it would run hotter correct?

 

Yes. I do believe that the temps would be higher if the AT was straining.

Some folks believe that pinning the AT thermostat open helps keep it running in that range, esp with extra strain, like wheeling or towing.