OVtune vs pedal commander

Not listed as one of your options, but, I’ve had a positive experience with this:

https://www.dz-custom-innovations.com/products/shiftsense-pro

 

The software alone should come with sample tunes you can use. The tune pack is only if you want prebuilt performance or eco tunes or features like gearlock.
The sample tunes included in VFTuner should give the throttle response of Pedal Commander and shift response of Shift Sense Pro.
2 in 1.

Then later down the line, you can tinker and fine tune the tune to your liking.
VFtuner also gives a bunch of other options, like the ability to increase the charging voltage and duty cycle from the alternator.

 

Here are Rafael from OV Tune's replies to some of my questions. It looks like I would need to buy both, unless I knew how to create my own tune? (I have no idea how to do that).



[Rafael from OV Tune wrote me the following]

If you would like to tune your vehicle on your own (and getting advise from other TacomaWorld forum members or tuners), you have to purchase these two (2) items:
https://www.ovtuned.com/collections/vf/products/vf-tuner-software
https://www.tactrix.com/index.php?o...=17&vmcchk=1&Itemid=53&redirected=1&Itemid=53

If you would like to tune your vehicle on your own and/or edit our pre-made tune files and/or you just want to upload the tunes we have made, you have to purchase these three (3) items:
https://www.ovtuned.com/collections/vf/products/vf-tuner-software
https://www.tactrix.com/index.php?o...=17&vmcchk=1&Itemid=53&redirected=1&Itemid=53
https://www.ovtuned.com/collections/vf/products/tacoma-3-5l-vf-tune-pack

Our business operations before was to provide tuning. So when the customers bought from us, it was just one whole package. The tuning program (not ours), cable (not ours), tunes (ours).

However, since April, we transitioned to providing tuning platform/solutions (aka tuning program). Basically, we created a program that will let you tune your vehicle. And the tuning will be up to you.

So, not all our customers would want our tune, some of them would want to tune on their own, and therefore we had to separate the products/services.

If you bought just the tunes, those are just files. And it would mean nothing to you if you're not able to flash/upload that to your vehicle. Therefore, you would need our vF Tuner and hardware. As mentioned before, you can just have vF + hardware if you want to do it on your own, which is fine and some of customers opt for that. However, due to public demand, we had to release the Tacoma Tune Pack in order for customers who just want to be able to enjoy the tunes that we made before.

[My reply]

Can you help me understand why the need to buy both the VF Tuner and then the tunes? Did it used to be that way, or did they used to come together? It would not work for me to just buy the tunes and hardware without the tuner, correct?

[Rafael's reply] Our business operations before was to provide tuning. So when the customers bought from us, it was just one whole package. The tuning program (not ours), cable (not ours), tunes (ours).

However, since April, we transitioned to providing tuning platform/solutions (aka tuning program). Basically, we created a program that will let you tune your vehicle. And the tuning will be up to you.

So, not all our customers would want our tune, some of them would want to tune on their own, and therefore we had to separate the products/services.

If you bought just the tunes, those are just files. And it would mean nothing to you if you're not able to flash/upload that to your vehicle. Therefore, you would need our vF Tuner and hardware. As mentioned before, you can just have vF + hardware if you want to do it on your own, which is fine and some of customers opt for that. However, due to public demand, we had to release the Tacoma Tune Pack in order for customers who just want to be able to enjoy the tunes that we made before.

 

The key point is here, the Tune pack is mainly for those that came from the OVTune flash manager.
This is for tunes like 1.05 or 2.0 with 87/91/93 and performance/OLE/gearlock etc.

From my understanding, VTuner is standalone software with sample tunes already built in. The Tactrix cable is also necessary to connect your laptop to the ODB2 port, unless you already have one.

The Tune Pack is OPTIONAL and only if you want a setting/tune that was premade for a purpose ex. 91 octane with gearlock and max performance.




It is confusing cause there is a lot of similar terms that can be mix up and misunderstood.

One:
OVTune is the company not the software or program.

Two:
Their first Tacoma product are TUNES only.
The software and the cable to flash to the ECU is commonly referred to as OVTune.

Three:
Due to #2, their transition to VFTuner has confused some.
In actuality, flash manager is OVTune's (Front GUI) but the software that flashes is 3rd party (P5F and PCM)
The cable is also 3rd party (Tactrix) but customed Orange for OVTune.

Three:
VFTuner is now a full OVTune software/program/product. And I believe it is best to forget about "OVTune Flash Manager"

 

Awesome! I will by the Tactrix cable and just the software. Thanks Rainoffire! I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

You can also refer to this thread for more info.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/vf-tuner-for-the-3-5l-tacoma.662948/

Everyone is also still learning more and more about VFtuner.
I believe there are also shared community tunes in the thread that you can use also

 

My biggest thing is Toyota being able to see what tune I am running. Is it as easy as flashing to stock before heading in or does vftune leave a trace like almost all other flash tunes do? Cobb claimed the access port wasn’t visible to Subaru but we have determined that was a lie

 

Your dealer most likely can't see that you have tuned your truck.
@OVTune has also mention it.

I would guess if you brought it to an actual Toyota Center or similar, they would have tools to deep dive into the ECU to see changes.

But the read out even from techstream wouldn't show any changes.

 

+1 for pedal commander. I think everyone here that is hating on it doesn't have one or hasn't been in a truck long enough with one to appreciate it. Also it does something that NO ONE has mentioned, which is offers you a dampened throttle via the ECO mode, which is going to be A LOT more useful off-road that having more hp at the wheels, all you are gonna do then is watch them spin.

 

I’d would wait to buy OVtune until final products are completely finished.

 

why? Is there something dangerous about it? Is there a chance that I'd buy it then a better version comes out and I get stuck with an old shitty version?

 

Here's the option I went with... PC on my Tundra.

 

I am trying to understand why not both a throttle controller and an ECU tune? Tune the ECU to the most useful general purpose parameters, then adjust throttle response on-the-fly with the throttle controller.

OR, how about using both a throttle controller and a transmission controller, with or without a tune? Adjust both throttle response and transmission shift points on-the-fly.

What am I missing?

 

IMO no need to spend 300-350$ on a throttle “booster” when same can be achieved by flashing your ECU for 200-250$

YMMV.

 

Not how it works..

 

hell no

 

Shift Sense Pro and Pedal Commander
Not sure how it could be any better - and easily removable!