OVTUNE real world testing and results.

I was curious about how OVtune would effect mpg and performance on my setup and so I tested stock, base and performance.

Testing vehicle: 2017 double cab 4x2 with 265 70 17 Falkens(Get about 1-1.5 mpg less than stock) running 93 octane gas.

The loop I chose to test it on is almost 8 miles and is a mix of suburbs with a couple of stop lights here and there, and a 3 mile highway section so I feel it's great for real world testing.

*Clarification: MPG test is simply aiming to compare how different tunes fare over the exact same route with varied driving conditions, not aiming to compare several tank averages which would all include different impossible to replicate routes.

MPG on a short varied route​

To my surprise, there wasn't a huge difference between all 3 tunes.

I was expecting 87 base to perform a bit better and 87 performance to be worst but .1mpg is.. well nothing.

Performance​

I also performed a 0-60 testing on 87 performance and 93 performance. This is a real life conditions test, just smash on the pedal and go. No traction control off or brake torquing, etc.

All were performed on the same ramp leading up to a highway, flat surface.

Timer starts the moment the pedal is mashed to account for throttle delay as well.

87 Perf: 8.20 secs


93 perf: 7.73 secs



I did not do a test on 87 stock this time but I just reviewed old footage of a failed test on the same testing location(I did not stop the vehicle completely before mashing on the pedal)

87 Stock: 8.50 secs (With advantage of lighter tires and starting from about 3mph)
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I might add some other results If I test anything else but I hope this will helps some of you curious about (mostly) consistent testing and the results.

 

How many tanks of gas did you go through before you did your test?

 

I had been running ovtune (87 and 93 perf) for over 1000 miles now but for this test none, flashed one after the other. I did take this into account and from my previous testing, there wasn't any tangible difference in mpg's after a couple of tanks of running 87 and then 93. It stayed consistent from the very beginning.

The only thing that did actually affect my mpg was the bigger/heavier tires.

 

2017 TRD Pro, 2" lift, 33" tires, OVT 1.05 91 performance gear lock tune with 92 octane Costco fuel, lots of miles on the tune, driving against a 10mph wind on mostly flat road.

 

An 8 mile test is not a accurate way to test the different tunes. Was the truck up to temp? All the tunes will suck if the truck is not up to temp. I noticed with mine that the mph suck until the truck is at operating temps. An 8 mile test is like running a 1/4 mile and then just multiplying it time 4 and saying that is your mile time. How many miles did the truck have on the tune before the test. All the tunes take 2 or three tanks of gas before the tune has settled. Just my opinion but I hope you enjoy the tune and good luck.

 

I could go pull mpg numbers from Fuelly for each of the revisions I’ve run since November 2017, but I’m kinda lazy

 

You won't get accurate MPG results with that small of a sample pool. The fuel and ignition trims take a couple hundred miles to settle in, thus the mileage will be affected during this period. The problem with running these tests over a few hundred miles becomes the ability to maintain constants and remove variable which will skew results.

 

Need to let the tunes settle a bit for a true test.

 

The truck will benefit more with a set of gears 4.88 or 5.29’s than any tune can provide....the 3.5 doesn’t make any torque under 2k that’s why it’s gear hunting.

 

@SC4333

I ran the tune for over 1000(close to 2000 actually) miles before the test and the mpg results are in line with what I have gotten before, only difference is I ran all 3 today one after the other.

I let the vehicle idle 10 mins right after flashing and it's a mix with suburban roads with a bit of highway driving so of course it's not gonna be great but as I said, it's supposed to mimic real world conditions and not perfect flat highway mpgs.

Taking into account the fact that I have heavier tires and the speedo is off so in reality I got right around 19 mpg in each of those tests, I believe it's a good representation.

I have never gotten any discernible difference in mpg on this route after running each tune for a couple of tanks and this is including Stock(10k miles), TSB(>15k miles), 87 perf(>1000 miles) and 93 perf(1000 miles).

I did however experience a difference in driveability, but mpg? Not so much.

 

Gonna be honest, it’s not a very thorough/well structured test. There’s a lot of discrepancies you’re trying to overlook such as not giving the tune time to settle between flashes and only driving 7 miles to gauge your mpg

 

If you ran all three tunes in one afternoon you don't understand how the tune and learning process works. The ten minute idle is just for the idle learn process. Do a test on a tune right after you load it is nonsense. Loading one tune after another is just making each load worse than the previous one. The tune is not a load and all is changed, it is a learning process that take time to settle. Sorry but you don't understand the tune or what happens when you load it.

 

Thanks for posting your test results. So, do you still think OVTune is with it? I’m debating.

 

You would be correct if this was my very first time running the tune but running it for so many miles and the mpg not really changing disagrees with you and 87 performance is what I had been running previously, I only installed 87 base and stock today.

The only thing that changed was drive ability and tip in settling down as I mentioned.
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Lol at people getting defensive about my accurate mpg results when in reality it's very impressive considering the tire size and testing route. As I mentioned, real life mixed conditions results, not hoping on to an empty highway and running at 60mph for 100 miles.

 

Good first attempt. I think the MPGs need to be based on several tanks and averaged.

 

Tunes settle? Seems like software parameters change instantly, as does the computer adjusting to them.

Not sure if I’m a pleb or that comment is full of shit.

 

Absolutely, my mpg didn't really change much after running 87 performance for a couple of tanks vs stock and the driveability is improved quite a bit. It is easier to get bad mpg on the performance tunes since the throttle makes it more tempting to have more fun and drive spiritedly but when driving absolutely normal, it's stays around the same.

Acceleration results also show a decent improvement of both 87 and 93 perf vs stock and you can also feel it if you try and accelerate while already going fast(think of trying to pass someone on the highway), without mentioning a big improvement in power delivery due to changes in throttle control.

 

Thanks for doing the test. I for one decided to purchase this tune for the sole purpose of improved driveability. I'm surprised to see the amount of talk about "mpg"? What also puzzles me are those with 285/70 or + tires wondering why their mpg sucks.

 

Thanks and my only issue with that would be that I wouldn't be driving the exact same route over a whole gas tank which would create more variables than a short route with mixed highway and street environment.

As a contractor that drives all over the place and around 500 miles or more a week, the places that I go to and traffic/routes can vary quite a bit.

 

True that’s why multiple tanks are needed. You’ll basically average you real world driving. Just an idea.

When I did mpg tests for gears I ran like 12 tanks and averaged them and they were all mixed driving.