KDMax-Pro Tuning--NOW YotaWerx Tuning

shotgunbilly420 · Apr 16, 2022

PapaRee[OP] said: ↑

I have gotten a few questions about switching to 87 octane gas from Premium.
I switched from 93 octane to 87 octane about 3 tanks ago. Gas mileage is still the same and power is still there. I have not felt a difference.

Happy Easter everyone!!
Click to expand...

I feel a huge difference in performance when I go to a lower grade of fuel . My theory is I'm at sea level

PapaRee · Apr 16, 2022

fyrmng said: ↑

This is my review of the KD Max Pro tune. My tune was installed by @TWTaco. These are my observations based on my truck, my driving style, and the my driving conditions…YMMV.

Me and my Taco

I’m an active retiree who enjoys the outdoors. My truck is a 2021 Tacoma TRD OR DCSB 4x4, AT. My truck is a stock daily driver other than some accessories. I came to Tacoma from 2 V8 1/2 tons and a diesel powered 3/4 ton. The previous trucks were used to tow a boat. I no longer own the boat and no longer tow on a regular basis. I was looking for an Offroad worthy vehicle for camping and getting to some remote trailheads. I was considering a Jeep Wrangler. The test drive and reliability history had me looking elsewhere. This brought me to the Tacoma.

I took delivery in July of 2021. The truck fit my needs but, like many, I was disappointed with the drivability issues. I drove the truck for 5k miles and decided to look into tunes. After searching and reading many threads on TW I settled on the KD Max Pro tune. Lucky for me, I lived 15 min from @TWTaco. After a few texts we met and I had my tune installed. The following are my observations of my truck running stock(5,500 miles), Normal(1,500 miles), and Lite Tunes(1,300 miles).

Stock Factory Tune

Not going to spend a lot of time here. If you drive one you know what I’m talking about. Yes, I test drove it and I knew of it’s quirks but I was willing to settle for reliability and off road ability. One of my regular routes is a 98 mile round trip. Several trips and I was getting 20.8 mpg consistently wether I was using radar cruise, regular cruise, or my foot. Around town in my hilly area I was getting 14.8 mpg.

Normal Tune

After talking with Dave I opted for the Normal Tune. It checked all the boxes and I drive like an old man. It’s my daily driver and I live in an area with a lot of rolling hills, traffic, and tight streets/parking lots.

The difference from Stock is immediately apparent. Throttle response is increased but not what I would call hair trigger touchy. Acceleration is smooth as are the shifts. IMO, what makes this tune is the recalibration of the transmission shift points. Gone are the short shifts that would cause laggy acceleration. The rolling hills that would cause downshifts/gear hunting are now driven without drama from the engine/trans. The throttle response combined with the shift logic had my truck driving like it should have from the factory. Engine and Trans now work together instead of against each other. This tune really shined on my route. On the highway with regular cruise set at 70 the truck would hold speed on most grades with a 6-5 downshift. No more unnerving 6-4 downshifts. After doing my round trip 4 times my mpg was 22.4…an 8% increase. I’ve also towed a 12’ utility trailer loaded (3,400 lbs) and still managed17.8 mpg. It should be noted that these are highway miles. My mpg in town(15.2), while increased, is not as dramatic (3%).

Lite Tune

While I was happy with the Normal Tune the throttle was a bit sensitive for someone who doesn’t drive the truck often (wife) or someone who drives a Tacoma and hops in mine (service techs). For this reason I tried the Lite tune.
I would describe the Lite Tune as stock throttle response with all the benefits of the improved shift strategy. If my truck had come like this from the factory I would have been a happy owner. The rolling hills in my area did require more throttle input but shift strategy was still spot on. I drove the Lite tune for 1,300 miles. I drove my round trip 4 times using cruise control and mpg was 21.2 an increase over stock of 2%. Around town mpg was statistically unchanged from stock. I did not get a chance to tow with the Lite tune.

Conclusion

I think most will agree that the engine / transmission combo in our 3rd Gens leave a bit on the table. The tune allows them to work more in unison. I do not have any experience with the Sport Tune but I think each tune has purpose for different owners.

If I drove a stock truck, lived in fairly flat area, and didn’t tow or only towed light infrequently I would lean toward the Lite tune.

If I lived in a hilly area, had a moderate lift/tires, towed often or carried a payload often I would think the Normal Tune would be perfect. After driving the Lite tune for 1,300 miles I went back to the Normal Tune. It fit my driving style and who doesn't want better mpg. I realized that it is a rare occurrence that someone else drives my truck. If someone needs to drive it I let them know the throttle is more sensitive.

I would think the Sport tune would be great for the BIG lift/tire trucks, rigs with permanent added weight (armor, bumpers, camper shells), or the owner who wants some added punch.

If you’re looking for a tune you owe it to yourself to reach out to one of the KD Max tuners and talk to them. @TWTaco answered all my questions which made the process enjoyable and informative. I’ll venture to guess that most here on TW have modded our trucks in some way. How many mods have you paid for and removed or swapped out? I’ll bet you spent more money on those mods than this tune will cost you and this Tune will CHANGE your truck! For this owner...hands down the best money I've spent on my truck!
Click to expand...

Great feedback! Thanks brother!!

TacoTime55 · Apr 16, 2022

fyrmng said: ↑

This is my review of the KD Max Pro tune. My tune was installed by @TWTaco. These are my observations based on my truck, my driving style, and the my driving conditions…YMMV.

Me and my Taco

I’m an active retiree who enjoys the outdoors. My truck is a 2021 Tacoma TRD OR DCSB 4x4, AT. My truck is a stock daily driver other than some accessories. I came to Tacoma from 2 V8 1/2 tons and a diesel powered 3/4 ton. The previous trucks were used to tow a boat. I no longer own the boat and no longer tow on a regular basis. I was looking for an Offroad worthy vehicle for camping and getting to some remote trailheads. I was considering a Jeep Wrangler. The test drive and reliability history had me looking elsewhere. This brought me to the Tacoma.

I took delivery in July of 2021. The truck fit my needs but, like many, I was disappointed with the drivability issues. I drove the truck for 5k miles and decided to look into tunes. After searching and reading many threads on TW I settled on the KD Max Pro tune. Lucky for me, I lived 15 min from @TWTaco. After a few texts we met and I had my tune installed. The following are my observations of my truck running stock(5,500 miles), Normal(1,500 miles), and Lite Tunes(1,300 miles).

Stock Factory Tune

Not going to spend a lot of time here. If you drive one you know what I’m talking about. Yes, I test drove it and I knew of it’s quirks but I was willing to settle for reliability and off road ability. One of my regular routes is a 98 mile round trip. Several trips and I was getting 20.8 mpg consistently wether I was using radar cruise, regular cruise, or my foot. Around town in my hilly area I was getting 14.8 mpg.

Normal Tune

After talking with Dave I opted for the Normal Tune. It checked all the boxes and I drive like an old man. It’s my daily driver and I live in an area with a lot of rolling hills, traffic, and tight streets/parking lots.

The difference from Stock is immediately apparent. Throttle response is increased but not what I would call hair trigger touchy. Acceleration is smooth as are the shifts. IMO, what makes this tune is the recalibration of the transmission shift points. Gone are the short shifts that would cause laggy acceleration. The rolling hills that would cause downshifts/gear hunting are now driven without drama from the engine/trans. The throttle response combined with the shift logic had my truck driving like it should have from the factory. Engine and Trans now work together instead of against each other. This tune really shined on my route. On the highway with regular cruise set at 70 the truck would hold speed on most grades with a 6-5 downshift. No more unnerving 6-4 downshifts. After doing my round trip 4 times my mpg was 22.4…an 8% increase. I’ve also towed a 12’ utility trailer loaded (3,400 lbs) and still managed17.8 mpg. It should be noted that these are highway miles. My mpg in town(15.2), while increased, is not as dramatic (3%).

Lite Tune

While I was happy with the Normal Tune the throttle was a bit sensitive for someone who doesn’t drive the truck often (wife) or someone who drives a Tacoma and hops in mine (service techs). For this reason I tried the Lite tune.
I would describe the Lite Tune as stock throttle response with all the benefits of the improved shift strategy. If my truck had come like this from the factory I would have been a happy owner. The rolling hills in my area did require more throttle input but shift strategy was still spot on. I drove the Lite tune for 1,300 miles. I drove my round trip 4 times using cruise control and mpg was 21.2 an increase over stock of 2%. Around town mpg was statistically unchanged from stock. I did not get a chance to tow with the Lite tune.

Conclusion

I think most will agree that the engine / transmission combo in our 3rd Gens leave a bit on the table. The tune allows them to work more in unison. I do not have any experience with the Sport Tune but I think each tune has purpose for different owners.

If I drove a stock truck, lived in fairly flat area, and didn’t tow or only towed light infrequently I would lean toward the Lite tune.

If I lived in a hilly area, had a moderate lift/tires, towed often or carried a payload often I would think the Normal Tune would be perfect. After driving the Lite tune for 1,300 miles I went back to the Normal Tune. It fit my driving style and who doesn't want better mpg. I realized that it is a rare occurrence that someone else drives my truck. If someone needs to drive it I let them know the throttle is more sensitive.

I would think the Sport tune would be great for the BIG lift/tire trucks, rigs with permanent added weight (armor, bumpers, camper shells), or the owner who wants some added punch.

If you’re looking for a tune you owe it to yourself to reach out to one of the KD Max tuners and talk to them. @TWTaco answered all my questions which made the process enjoyable and informative. I’ll venture to guess that most here on TW have modded our trucks in some way. How many mods have you paid for and removed or swapped out? I’ll bet you spent more money on those mods than this tune will cost you and this Tune will CHANGE your truck! For this owner...hands down the best money I've spent on my truck!
Click to expand...

TOO FUNNY!!!

I drive like an old man too!

I also live in flat land Delaware.

Since reading through your assessment, I have learned that your experiences feel similar to what I haven't been paying attention to. Make sense?

I've driven stick-shift and determining which gear to be in is a great experience! I controlled the RPMs once I got out of first gear. I down-shifted when I wanted to slow the car down so as not to put too much stress on the brakes.

Driving an automatic takes all that input away from the driver...and I'm ok with that...probably because my wife doesn't drive stick-shift which leaves me the sole driver of our car.

So, the automatic is a treat in a sense that I give my heal & toe a rest...even though an auto doesn't get better gas mileage than a stick-shift.

I'm getting to my point...seriously!

I would opt for the Lite Tune considering I don't tow much of a load with my HF trailer. I don't plan on doing the TRD Lift as I was leaning towards a couple of months ago...so my Sport has no mods.

The only throttle complaint I have is when I launch my Sport. It takes a second or two before it reacts. But when it does, the power is decent (for what my experience level is) in acceleration.

Appreciate your thoughts/perspective on the TUNE.

fyrmng · Apr 16, 2022

I feel you @TacoTime55 I had a deposit on a OR Premium MT. In the end I opted for the AT. It is my daily driver that I plan to keep forever and I may have just ordered a 2022 Mustang GT...with a 6 Spd! Hoping to work on heel/toe by Christmas!

fyrmng · Apr 16, 2022

TacoTime55 said: ↑

I would opt for the Lite Tune considering I don't tow much of a load with my HF trailer. I don't plan on doing the TRD Lift as I was leaning towards a couple of months ago...so my Sport has no mods.
Click to expand...

The Lite Tune is a good call if your wife drives your truck. The Normal throttle isn't "hair trigger" but it will surprise some. I found the Normal Tune suited my "old man" light foot. I'm not a slow poke but I try and drive "coffee cup on the dash" smooth. Modulating the throttle with a light touch seems natural with the Normal Tune.

TacoTime55 · Apr 16, 2022

fyrmng said: ↑

I feel you @TacoTime55 I had a deposit on a OR Premium MT. In the end I opted for the AT. It is my daily driver that I plan to keep forever and I may have just ordered a 2022 Mustang GT...with a 6 Spd! Hoping to work on heel/toe by Christmas!
Click to expand...

I'm glad I learned how to drive a stick-shift. Both our daughters were determined to learn and did it in their early years!

The lucky car was a 2000 VW Beetle Turbo! That little 1.8L was fast!

I actually enjoy driving my wife's 2017 Elantra. Being low to the ground and able to see granules of the road in a fast-paced spirited conveyance is awesome!

It's great to own specific-type vehicles geared for special challenges of the day. I'm very happy to hear you will be doing the heel/toe soon.

All the best!

TacoManOne · Apr 16, 2022

fyrmng said: ↑

The Lite Tune is a good call if your wife drives your truck. The Normal throttle isn't "hair trigger" but it will surprise some. I found the Normal Tune suited my "old man" light foot. I'm not a slow poke but I try and drive "coffee cup on the dash" smooth. Modulating the throttle with a light touch seems natural with the Normal Tune.
Click to expand...

My wife likes the normal! But she likes the power for sure. Her VW Golf Alltrack is a 6 sp manual with an extra 65hp courtesy of APR Tuning. There are KD Max tunes for everyone. That's what I like about it.

PapaRee · Apr 17, 2022

Happy Easter everyone!!
Enjoy your time with your loved ones!

Chunk · Apr 17, 2022

TWTaco · Apr 17, 2022

Chunk said: ↑

Click to expand...

lfcq8 · Apr 18, 2022

First post and a new member,
i have a 2020 taco trd pro. got the car imported to the other side of the world, KUWAIT. 33" tires 1"westcott lift, and 5.29 nitro gears.
truck would max out on the highway at 140KPH. contacted @TWTaco who was very helpful and guided me thankfully to update my ecu tsb and load the tunes file.
the truck now holds gear better, you feel the power, and the best thing is I'm not limited in top speed.

TWTaco · Apr 18, 2022

lfcq8 said: ↑

First post and a new member,
i have a 2020 taco trd pro. got the car imported to the other side of the world, KUWAIT. 33" tires 1"westcott lift, and 5.29 nitro gears.
truck would max out on the highway at 140KPH. contacted @TWTaco who was very helpful and guided me thankfully to update my ecu tsb and load the tunes file.
the truck now holds gear better, you feel the power, and the best thing is I'm not limited in top speed.
Click to expand...

Glad to help Athbi.
Its nice to hear your enjoying your truck on KDMAX-PRO+.

wahoobie · Apr 19, 2022

KDMAX Pro tune event with Chris from Tacoma Tuning, LLC this Saturday in Montvale, VA - time slots open after 4 PM....
Montvale Park - Montvale Park, Montvale, VA 24122
map: https://goo.gl/maps/PHKuipeeQC9jEScZA
FB event: Please msg me with questions or for details - Facebook is not required for signup/attendance.

Phich · Apr 19, 2022

You know a tune is making a genuine impact on a Tacoma owner when they contact you many months after they have been tuned to tell you how well the truck is running.
Guys in the KD network expect the almost invariable text praising the tune 1-2 hours post-tune, or a few days later, but the literal months-later messages and texts are pretty damn common too.

I have been tuned with a KD creation since the KDMax was called Kruiser and I still, well over a year later, feel relieved every time I get in my truck to go on a 1000 mile round trip or to simply go get groceries.

When I was on stock tuning with just Bilstein 5100's and 285/75's I would get 15-17mpg in and around town and about the same on the highway, conditions depending.
All versions of the KDMax given me better.

The Pro+, however, takes the gold.

This is very common now even on 295/70's and a mid-heavy-setup:

WalkingTornado · Apr 19, 2022

Is there a tuner for the North Jersey area currently? I messaged one I found using the search function but never got a response.

PapaRee · Apr 19, 2022

WalkingTornado said: ↑

Is there a tuner for the North Jersey area currently? I messaged one I found using the search function but never got a response.
Click to expand...

Allan @xXgOdLyXjEwXx
I will pm you his contact information.

WalkingTornado · Apr 19, 2022

PapaRee[OP] said: ↑

Alan @xXgOdLyXjEwXx
I will pm you his contact information.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

shotgunbilly420 · Apr 19, 2022

Phich said: ↑

You know a tune is making a genuine impact on a Tacoma owner when they contact you many months after they have been tuned to tell you how well the truck is running.
Guys in the KD network expect the almost invariable text praising the tune 1-2 hours post-tune, or a few days later, but the literal months-later messages and texts are pretty damn common too.

I have been tuned with a KD creation since the KDMax was called Kruiser and I still, well over a year later, feel relieved every time I get in my truck to go on a 1000 mile round trip or to simply go get groceries.

When I was on stock tuning with just Bilstein 5100's and 285/75's I would get 15-17mpg in and around town and about the same on the highway, conditions depending.
All versions of the KDMax given me better.

The Pro+, however, takes the gold.

This is very common now even on 295/70's and a mid-heavy-setup:

Click to expand...

When we get in the warmer months I see the better results of this tune. During colder months ,doesn't matter what tune I upload these trucks hate the cold . I'm a firm believer in running premium fuel . I get the best results no matter what when I can get my hands on ethonal free premium . I live at sea level so I get the full effect of this tune and any other tune . I'm a constant follower of all tunes . I'm addicted. I can say kdmax pro + modified to my taste ,thanks to great customer service . These guys really get you dialed in. Kreg and Jeff can we possibly see what to look for in the future release of next vf tuner version in detail? What can we expect with what will be released with the updated vf tuner ?

PapaRee · Apr 19, 2022

shotgunbilly420 said: ↑

When we get in the warmer months I see the better results of this tune. During colder months ,doesn't matter what tune I upload these trucks hate the cold . I'm a firm believer in running premium fuel . I get the best results no matter what when I can get my hands on ethonal free premium . I live at sea level so I get the full effect of this tune and any other tune . I'm a constant follower of all tunes . I'm addicted. I can say kdmax pro + modified to my taste ,thanks to great customer service . These guys really get you dialed in. Kreg and Jeff can we possibly see what to look for in the future release of next vf tuner version in detail? What can we expect with what will be released with the updated vf tuner ?
Click to expand...

We are waiting to see what the new software brings. We are hoping for some new features just like everyone else. Once the update is out and we see how/if we can improve the tune, we will post here with information.
I would love to see a way to make an ECO tune that does not affect drivability too much. I would also like to have a gear lock in SMode option.
There is also supposed to be an EROM that adds some features to any tune, but I read that it was going to be a beta for 04b04 only at first.

trdquoc · Apr 19, 2022

WalkingTornado said: ↑

Is there a tuner for the North Jersey area currently? I messaged one I found using the search function but never got a response.
Click to expand...

+1 for @xXgOdLyXjEwXx

Log in or Sign up

Welcome to Tacoma World!

KDMax-Pro Tuning--NOW YotaWerx Tuning

#5341
shotgunbilly420 OG Owner 249+ mi club/Tacoma enthusiast

#5342
PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5343
TacoTime55 TT58

#5344
fyrmng Member

#5345
fyrmng Member

#5346
TacoTime55 TT58

#5347
TacoManOne YotaWerx Authorized Tuner

#5348
PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5349
Chunk I smell Ice Cream!

#5350
TWTaco Well-Known Member

#5351
lfcq8 New Member

#5352
TWTaco Well-Known Member

#5353
wahoobie TidewaterCustoms.com

#5354
Phich Porkchop Express

#5355
WalkingTornado Kind-of Known Member

#5356
PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5357
WalkingTornado Kind-of Known Member

#5358
shotgunbilly420 OG Owner 249+ mi club/Tacoma enthusiast

#5359
PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5360
trdquoc Well-Known Member

Products Discussed in

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

Welcome to Tacoma World!

KDMax-Pro Tuning--NOW YotaWerx Tuning

#5341 shotgunbilly420 OG Owner 249+ mi club/Tacoma enthusiast

#5342 PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5343 TacoTime55 TT58

#5344 fyrmng Member

#5345 fyrmng Member

#5346 TacoTime55 TT58

#5347 TacoManOne YotaWerx Authorized Tuner

#5348 PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5349 Chunk I smell Ice Cream!

#5350 TWTaco Well-Known Member

#5351 lfcq8 New Member

#5352 TWTaco Well-Known Member

#5353 wahoobie TidewaterCustoms.com

#5354 Phich Porkchop Express

#5355 WalkingTornado Kind-of Known Member

#5356 PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5357 WalkingTornado Kind-of Known Member

#5358 shotgunbilly420 OG Owner 249+ mi club/Tacoma enthusiast

#5359 PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5360 trdquoc Well-Known Member

Products Discussed in Entire Site Forum: Performance and Tuning Thread: KDMax-Pro Tuning--NOW YotaWerx Tuning

#5341
shotgunbilly420 OG Owner 249+ mi club/Tacoma enthusiast

#5342
PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5343
TacoTime55 TT58

#5344
fyrmng Member

#5345
fyrmng Member

#5346
TacoTime55 TT58

#5347
TacoManOne YotaWerx Authorized Tuner

#5348
PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5349
Chunk I smell Ice Cream!

#5350
TWTaco Well-Known Member

#5351
lfcq8 New Member

#5352
TWTaco Well-Known Member

#5353
wahoobie TidewaterCustoms.com

#5354
Phich Porkchop Express

#5355
WalkingTornado Kind-of Known Member

#5356
PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5357
WalkingTornado Kind-of Known Member

#5358
shotgunbilly420 OG Owner 249+ mi club/Tacoma enthusiast

#5359
PapaRee [OP] Pro Tuner

#5360
trdquoc Well-Known Member

Products Discussed in