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POLL: OVTune Reviews (3rd gen)

Discussion in '3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023)' started by bshammer0, Feb 25, 2018.

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How would you rate OVTune? (1 lowest, 5 highest)

  1. 1 (MT) - meh

    21 vote(s)
    2.5%
  2. 2 (MT)

    6 vote(s)
    0.7%
  3. 3 (MT)

    13 vote(s)
    1.5%
  4. 4 (MT)

    36 vote(s)
    4.2%
  5. 5 (MT) - best mod, hands down

    70 vote(s)
    8.2%
  6. 1 (AT) - meh

    49 vote(s)
    5.8%
  7. 2 (AT)

    27 vote(s)
    3.2%
  8. 3 (AT)

    61 vote(s)
    7.2%
  9. 4 (AT)

    169 vote(s)
    19.8%
  10. 5 (AT) - best mod, hands down

    400 vote(s)
    46.9%
  1. Feb 25, 2018 at 10:55 AM
    #1
    bshammer0

    bshammer0 [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2016
    Member:
    #201655
    Messages:
    3,359
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brandon
    Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2017 DCSB TRD OR 4x4
    Prinsu, TruckCovers USA, Coverking, OVTuned
    Hi Folks -

    With all the @OVTune threads becoming unwieldy, nothing says clarity like starting yet ANOTHER OVTune thread! haha

    Let's create a cleaner place for newbies to come and see a clear run of reviews from owners of the tunes.

    In line with that if you have specific questions about the tune send a PM to folks who have left a review that interest you so we can keep it from becoming another long q&a thread!

    Please select your 1-5 star rating based on your transmission type and please rate based on the overall PERFORMANCE of the tune relative to the stock tune. This is not a comparison of the truck's powertrain to other engines - we all know the 3.5 2GR is a unique beast, but rather a comparison of your driving experience and power delivery with the stock Toyota calibration as the baseline.

    Please only vote if you are running the tune so folks can have a simple place to come and view the good, bad, and ugly of this popular mod.

    Post should include:
    • Order number
    • Date purchased/date installed
    • Version / transmission of the calibration you're running currently
    • Star rating you give it
    • Any mods that would impact (tires, gears, exhaust, etc.,)
    • Overall feedback of:
    • Shifting
    • Throttle
    • Power
    • etc.,


    NOTE: This thread is for reviews and questions relating to reviews ONLY. If something in a review is of particular interest to you and you want to go deep, guarantee you'll get the help you need through a quick PM to the reviewer. None of us want anyone to live another day with that stock tune...

    Other resources:
    Main development thread to ask install questions, follow development progress, shipments, etc:
    https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2016-toyota-tacoma-v6-ecu-tuning-alpha-release.495735/

    Transmission-specific thread for MT
    https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...anual-transmission-engine-ecu-reflash.515734/

    Transmission-specific thread for AT
    https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...gine-ecu-reflash.515190/page-41#post-17249906

    Cheers!
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2019
    bobfrog02747, Tachord, bigmw and 9 others like this.
  2. Feb 25, 2018 at 10:58 AM
    #2
    su.b.rat

    su.b.rat broken truck

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2016
    Member:
    #193316
    Messages:
    9,874
    Order #1844, June 2017
    2017 Pro MT, ECU 04B12

    i've been with the Alpha since the beginning, and was one of the early users focusing on a need for driveability in the MT trucks. we need a smooth, predictable, controllable throttle to drive a MT well (especially this one!), and Toyota did everything they could to mess that up.

    initially i almost sold the truck due to the misery in driving it in stock form. then i discovered the Pedal Commander, and that saved the day. it was great, but merely a band aid that did not fix the issues in the tune, so i was hoping to find something. then OV showed up on the scene and i jumped in to the Alpha and have used every release since. now on 1.03C for MT. uninstalled the Pedal Commander before using OV, no need to use the two together.

    Pros:
    - the motor's hardware is significantly muted with the factory tune, and it's not subtle. OV's tune optimizes the hardware and you feel this V6 is working by design, with the V6's natural growl and power showing at all RPM, where before with the factory tune you'd have to push it full throttle past 4k rpm and still not see a great result.
    - throttle linearity is dramatically improved. massive change.
    - low rpm power and throttle response is dramatically improved. massive change.
    - low and mid rpm torque is hugely improved, and is obviously evident on the MT's. i can use higher gears much more easily, and haul better as well.
    - quickness of throttle response is hugely improved, and when combined with the power improvements it makes the truck fantastic to drive.
    - gas mileage is somewhere between slightly improved and no change for me. i drive pretty aggressive with power usage so i'm not trying to see good mileage, but the motor is putting out much more power than before and my numbers are roughly the same or slightly improved.

    Cons:
    i would not say there are any actual "cons" or downsides, but things that can be further refined. OV has been continual in his efforts to fix issues, optimize the tune generally, and add features and requests. so, if there's something to improve, my experience is that he will improve it according to his own plan and timeframe. sometimes that's enough and sometimes it's not enough for this crowd on TW. it's been somewhat unpredictable with what he's doing and what's coming, but he's been working continually so most of us are getting benefits ongoing since June, depending on what variant of truck you have. some of the older ECU's and AT's have had to wait much longer for the right development level to benefit.

    my vote was 4 out of 5 for the MT. the tune itself is probably a 4.5... it's not perfect but pretty close. the reason i also vote 4 is because OV's communication and contactability is not always great. many have a hard time contacting him and getting a reply. many on the forum see a flurry of his responses to questions followed by no communication at all. questions are sometimes answered and sometimes not. there does not appear to be a reliable way to contact him and get info not already posted. for all that i give a 4, not a 5. for the thread-watchers it's been ok, but for folk who come to the forum to get quick answers to questions it has not at all been ok, not even close. but i think he knows this, and would make it more "mass release" ready if he didn't have to fly under the radar. Toyota could cause him all kinds of trouble if they wanted.

    things to correct on my truck:
    - the throttle is a bit unstable at around 1-2mm of tip in (when the throttle is just barely pushed past zero). that shows the rpm's going up & down 50-200rpm or so centered roughly around 1300rpm. so, in traffic jams and crawling in first gear at the lowest throttle you can give it, my truck's throttle dances a little. it's not a problem in 4Hi, but some have suggested it needs to be tested in 4Lo, due to the power amplified from the gearing, and that can affect tip in on the throttle possibly. i have not tested 4Lo yet.

    there may or may not be a slight surge of power (just a little bump of it while driving) at around 3000rpm when the truck is cold, but not when warm. i am not sure if this is actually happening, because my truck is setup in a way to exaggerate these things. so i'm not positive it's happening, but i'm mentioning it here because there are others with a similar complaint.

    TL;DR...
    if you have any complaints of any kind with the factory tune from driveability to power then get this tune and get your motor working the way it was designed.

    edit:
    wow this post hasn't been edited since 2018 until just now. v2.0 for MT, 04b14 2.0 SFOB Prem, specifically, is just so damn good. that is all. :thumbsup:
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2020
  3. Feb 25, 2018 at 11:11 AM
    #3
    bshammer0

    bshammer0 [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2016
    Member:
    #201655
    Messages:
    3,359
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brandon
    Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2017 DCSB TRD OR 4x4
    Prinsu, TruckCovers USA, Coverking, OVTuned
    Since October, 2018 my truck has primarily run the updated stock Toyota "04B04" calibration. I tried 1.05 as well as some very early beta tests of 2.0, but ultimately my truck just responded very well to the Toyota calibration. I still have my kit, and as vF tuner gets further built-out I may tinker at some stage and/or if I decide to add weight/gears at some point.

    Though my truck shipped with a horrendous calibration, which was barely improved at all with the "04B03" update in 2017, the last update "04B04" actually addressed my primary complaints. I don't even think about the shifting anymore - it's always in the "right" gear for the job and never lugs, I get good MPGs and predictable acceleration. As of this update, I haven't even run an OVTune test file for >18,000 miles.

    Terrific product for those looking to customize how their truck drives. Mat is a solid tuner who puts his heart and soul into his work, and I still remain indebted to him as I would have sold my truck in the first year had I not had the lifeline of early OVTune releases to get me by with the ridiculous ECU these trucks had the first couple of years. At this point, however, I am happy with how consistent and dare I say, predictable my truck drives (on 93 Vpower gas).
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jul 23, 2020
  4. Feb 25, 2018 at 11:36 AM
    #4
    2016trdtacoma

    2016trdtacoma Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2017
    Member:
    #217908
    Messages:
    1,672
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Trevor
    Utah
    Vehicle:
    OV Tuned 16 TRD OR 6MT
    Order #2405
    Bought: 02/10/2018
    Received: 02/21/18
    Flashed: 02/21/18
    Tune details: 6MT 1.03b 91 octane file
    Overall rating: 5 stars
    Total miles on tune: ~200
    Truck Details: 265/75R16 KM2's. 6112/5160. Progressive 3 leaf AAL

    UPDATE: 3/1/18 Flashed 1.03C Report to follow at end of post.

    Quick Notes:

    Pros:
    -AMAZING throttle response.
    -Absolutely fantastic torque down low
    -Usable 2nd gear at almost any speeds (low end 2nd-4th gears are simply beyond words IMHO)
    -Great power throughout mid to upper 5k band
    -6th gear while cruising is useful!

    Thing to consider/be aware of:
    -Throttle response can be VERY quick and overly responsive in wet/snowy conditions. Easy to break the end loose if not careful which can introduce some pucker factor if you are not careful (however, this is countered by the great torque and power with the use of a higher gear).
    -Throttle chops/cut very quickly when you let off the throttle which causes a clunking in the tranny (perhaps its a byproduct of not being use to the throttle response, and getting use to it may clean up over time).


    Now for a more detail review over the coarse of a few days:

    Ok, just drove up to my dad's, about 25 miles away.
    I took the interstate and the roads were snowy and traffic was slow. Speeds were mostly below 30-40 for 2/3 of the ride.
    Let me start off saying that the throttle response is amazing and the torque down low (at like 1200-1800 rps is night and day) Yes, the response and torque are still amazing as the rpm's climb, but because of the driving conditions, I notices a HUGE difference. More on that in a sec.

    I notice that 3rd and 4th gear were amazing at low speeds. I was in 4th the bulk of the drive and never felt like I needed to downshift to get going as traffic speed up some. I did notice (weather the tune had something to do with it unsure at this point) that I could break the end loose in 3rd gear with moderate-light to moderate throttle. Keep in mind that the road was snow covered and slushy. Not 100% it did that b4 the tune, but I have had the truck in those conditions before and do not recall it braking loose that easily. Not going to lie, that gave me a bit of a heart jolt because of traffic and the conditions. Hence, where my thoughts on 4th gear come in. I decided to shift into 4th to keep the power delivery slug-ish, as it were, to avoid the rear end getting loose. It was amazing. I never felt like I had to shift to 3rd to maintain speed or power as needed based on traffic and increase in speed.

    I did shift into 5th a few times on the trip and it too felt great. Granted the speeds were about 40-45 when I was using 5th, but it still felt great and never overly boggy. I could input some throttle and it would not hesitate or bog like on stoke tune. Yes, If I gave it too much throttle it would, but remember the conditions and speeds were are talking about for this test drive.

    2nd gear is a WHOLE new beast. I can not believe the difference 2nd gear is at low speeds! This is truly amazing to me. The truck felt responsive and eager to give power at low speeds or just lug around. I was able to come to a rolling turn and not even feel like the truck was going to sputter out like on stock tune. It just help the power and torque and off we went.

    I noticed at idle, the truck sits about 600-700 rpm's. (I forgot to plug my OBD plug back in b4 the trip. I will use it for the return trip) It idled smooth and very stable.

    Over all, the truck felt great. I am eager to get out and do some 4lo driving and might try for tomorrow after work for a little bit.

    I will report more on the ride home if I fell or notice anything else.


    Ok, back home:

    I was able to drive at a fairly constant 60-65 mph (roads where still wet and slushy in spots) I drove in 6th gear as soon as I got up to freeway speeds and stayed there until I exited. Truck held speed and rpm's very well and mild acceleration was great (granted I was only about 2100-2200 rpm's going 60-65 so when I did accelerate a bit, it was not a huge jump as I was not in the power bad) but it did pull nicely and consistently.

    I did accelerate hard a few times a when the rpm's were around 2k-2100 @ 60 mph: Truck felt good with good pull and response. Acceleration and pull were not cray as the rpm's were still slightly low, but was very nice.

    @OVTune : The low end response/map/ or what-have-you, 100% needs attention. While I was leaving my dads neighborhood (roads still wet and mildly icy), she broke loose VERY easily. Traction control kicked in more or less instantly and I had to quickly shift into 2nd to maintain forward momentum and in one spot I had to shift fairly quickly from 2nd to 3rd (very mild to normal throttle input).

    I hope the torque and power down low do not change (only for the better :) ) if/when 1.03b get looked at again, but it most definitely needs some tweaking, but it does seem like the throttle response low is the culprit.

    I am trying to be as clean and detailed as I can about this but if you have any questions Matt, feel free to PM me and I will do my very best to offer as much feedback as I can to help.

    I made an effort to shift through the 2-3k band where some were experiencing some shuttering/hesitation. I was not able to experience any at this point but I made sure to shift into 3rd while still accelerating modestly and then into 4th. I will continue to test this on my way to and from work tomorrow.

    I am also going to try and get to an area about an hour away that has some off road areas to play in to test 4lo/4high/locked, etc if there is not an over abundance of snow (pretty sure I still will try a little while I'm out there :) ).

    More to come...


    Ok, back from my drive out to do some off road 4lo testing. I knew there would be snow, so I could not get a real off road 4lo test, but wanted to go have a little fun anyway. Ya'll have to wait till end of March for a real off road 4lo report when I got to Moab and do Lock heart Basin and Elephant Hill.

    First off, before I left work, I let her idle for 15 minutes, turned off the ignition, then started her back up and left.
    The spot was 45 minutes away on mostly highway style roads (with a little city driving to get about), truck has still been awesome. I still can not get over how amazing 2nd and 3rd gears are.

    Got out to the area and it has at least 4-6 inches of snow. Others had been playing in the area as well and the snow was thoroughly tracked out.

    I used 4H first and found that with the snow, it was difficult to maintain rpm's so I quickly stopped and put it in 4lo. I tore through first gear and second pretty fast and ended up playing in 3rd the most. The throttle response was great and the power was just there. Couple that with my suspension set up, and it was a blast. I only ended up out there for about 20 minutes, but it was worth the 2 hour round trip.

    And for a little viewing pleasure:



    3/1/18: Flashed 1.03C. Report to follow ASAP...

    Drove 68 miles after flashing 1.03C and this file is butter!
    Throttle response is very refined and smooth now. Not overly choppy or getting off the line as the previous file was. The power is still the same as before just feels smoother because of the refined throttle map.

    All my above comments are applicable as well as other then the throttle mapping and a small tweak to VVT exhaust/intake. the file is great.

    This truck finally drives like it should have from the factory.

    3/4/18

    Ok, just did my daily commute in the snow. Very similar conditions when I was on 1.03b file and here are some thoughts:

    While driving at 30 mph @ 2k rmps in third gear, I tried to mimic the end breaking loose. It did not. I tried at 25 at around 1500k rpm's, it did not break loose. I tried at 35 at around 2200 rpms, it did not break loose.

    Now here is the interesting part. For all these tests, I started with easy throttle inputs (as before on 1.03b I would break the end loose with very mild throttle inputs) and it was very uneventful. Then I ran each test again and went instantly to ~75% throttle, then pinned it. In each test I was UNABLE to break the end loose.

    So for those who are about to read this next part and say "I told you so" or any other comment of the sort, a suggestion: never start a business of your own. It's called R&D for a reason.

    With that said, @OVTune I think a file between 1.03b and 1.03c would be absolutely the sweet spot.

    1.03b seemed to be the sweet spot for the high end throttle response and 1.03c calmed that down, but lacks the peep and the slight wow factor. However, a file that is right between these two I think would be absolutely amazing.

    I was NOT in 4wd for this test and never felt the throttle inputs were going to break the end loose. It was a very nice commute in these snowy conditions.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2018
    OldSalt-53, TWTaco and bshammer0[OP] like this.
  5. Feb 25, 2018 at 1:13 PM
    #5
    MESO

    MESO Major Modder Vendor

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2015
    Member:
    #148809
    Messages:
    16,295
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    Male
    State of Jefferson
    Vehicle:
    2016 DCLB TRD HELLCAT SWAP
    I'm satisfied thus far. BUT I hope it stays this way and not back to it's old relearning habits. Only time will tell.
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2018
  6. Feb 25, 2018 at 2:10 PM
    #6
    MOC221_

    MOC221_ 3 pedal metal

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2016
    Member:
    #178858
    Messages:
    7,832
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Frank
    Vehicle:
    2019 DCSB Sport M/T Barcelona Red
    vF Tuned; ADM; Core SS
    2016 TRD Off Road Access Cab 4X4 6 speed manual (Canada EH)

    -Build date 09/15, San Antonio plant;
    -No other power adders such as CAI/exhaust;
    -Stock size Duratracs;
    -Stock gearing (4.30:1 axles)
    • Order number 1908
    • Date purchased 14/07/17, first flash 16/08/17 (1.01B M/T)
    • Currently running 1.04R M/T 91 Octane for 04B13 ECU, flashed Sep 2018.
    • 4 star rating, I have a few small issues with this file. It's a holdover until 1.05 releases, as I've just upgraded to 04B13 Toyota ECU code.
    History:

    I purchased my Tacoma in October of 2015, after following the development of the 3rd gen for almost a year. My truck was one of the first Off Road models to land at the dealership (and a manual trans too - woot). Right from the first test drive though, I noticed the truck had a very strange throttle feel and overall power delivery was unlike anything I owned previously.

    Stock tune issues, as I saw them:

    • Throttle delay - this is my biggest complaint with the OEM calibration. I had to literally mash the pedal (and sometimes hold it there) to get reasonably quick response. This made downshift rev matching and taking off on steep inclines challenging to say the least. There was also a noticeable delay when lifting and then getting back into the gas, for example on upshift 3-4 or 4-5. Additionally, the response you got was very inconsistent. All of these factors tended to make the truck more of a chore to drive.
    • Off the line "bog" - If you needed some power in traffic just after getting the truck rolling, a deep stab of the throttle would often result in the engine nosing over, thinking about it for a second, and then deciding to go. That delay IMO, was dangerous.
    • Power delivery - Low end torque was especially lacking in the 1000-2000rpm range. This made using 2nd gear in low speed situations such as parking lots a PITA. I would often just go to 1st. Once wound up, the engine would pull, but with two very distinct "VTEC" like surges at 3500 and again around 4200. I was seriously annoyed with this and the other driveability issues mentioned, but then OVtune found us.
    OVTune review - 04 October 2018 : WILL EVALUATE NEW RELEASE (1.05) ONCE IT DROPS AND I GET SIGNIFICANT SEAT TIME; MTF

    • Throttle delay -
    • Off the line bog -
    • Power delivery -
    Summary
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2018
  7. Feb 25, 2018 at 5:34 PM
    #7
    2016trdtacoma

    2016trdtacoma Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2017
    Member:
    #217908
    Messages:
    1,672
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Trevor
    Utah
    Vehicle:
    OV Tuned 16 TRD OR 6MT
    For those who are voting without offering feedback, perhaps you could come out from your hiding place and share why you gave a 1 star rating or other feedback on why you don't like the tune.
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2018
    Island Style, Mack411, HJM2 and 6 others like this.
  8. Feb 25, 2018 at 7:08 PM
    #8
    Boxerocks

    Boxerocks Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2017
    Member:
    #222907
    Messages:
    83
    Gender:
    Male
    Washington State
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tacoma TRD Sport DCSB Manual
    OV Tuned, OME 887 coils, Headstrong 3 leaf AAL, Bilstein 5100's, JBA uca's, Level8 MK6 wheels, BFG KO2's 275/70R17, mesh front grill, Rally Armor mudflaps
    Order # 2051
    Originally installed September 2017, have been through most of the old versions starting with 1.01
    Currently on 1.03B 87 octane for manual transmission

    I currently give the tune 4 stars, the current version (1.03B) really stepped up the game especially in throttle response and to me finally feels about how I expect it should have felt from the factory, but I think it still has just that little bit more to go to put it at 5 stars and I'm hopeful that OV Tune can get it there. Up until this current version I was somewhat disappointed and if you asked me a few days ago before I switched to the current version I would have probably given it a 2.

    Throttle response: For me throttle response (or lack thereof) was my biggest complaint in stock form so that's what I was really hoping to gain from the tune. 1.03B has finally given a fairly responsive feeling that I think I could be content with. I don't want to sugar coat it too much though; even though it is significantly better than stock, it is still not a quick revving sports car, it still feels very much like a truck with slower revving tendencies and is still noticeably less responsive than even your average car, it just finally feels like you would expect a truck would instead of feeling like a dead slug. If you go into it with realistic expectations I think you will be satisfied. I would like to say I STRONGLY disagree with the claims from some others that the throttle is now too sensitive, I think those people need to learn some control of their right foot, there is nothing inherently difficult or dangerous about it, it's not an on/off switch.

    Shifting: I know this section mostly applies to the automatic, and that was probably the biggest complain from those with the auto trans, but I would like to touch on this even though I have a manual. I think with the manual trans trucks this really ties in with throttle response in that the extremely laggy, unresponsive throttle made shifting smoothly very difficult, especially trying to blip the throttle to downshift which was pretty much impossible. The quicker throttle response from 1.03B has made it much easier to shift up and down and gotten rid of a lot of the jerky feeling when taking off from a stop. That being said, even though the engine responds much more in line with pedal input, the engine is still quite slow revving compared to most other cars. Bringing the revs up to downshift which would normally just require a quick tap of the throttle in most cars still takes a a second of actually holding the throttle down in the Tacoma for the rpm's to build. I'm not going to claim to be a tuning master but I wonder if this might have something to do with the time it takes to adjust valve timing from simulating Atkinson cycle to normal Otto cycle?

    Overall power seems improved as well, especially in the lower rpm's. In stock form the truck felt pretty much dead until you got up into the higher rpm's. Obviously there is only so much power that can be squeezed from a small engine, especially in the lower rpm range but the tune has definitely made if feel much peppier down low. I also feel like the power feels much smoother and more consistent throughout the rev range. In stock form you could feel very obvious jerks and hesitations as you accelerated which I think was due to very abrupt changes in valve timing. With the tune these transitions seem to be much smoother. I will say though that I have a later build 2017 truck and it seems that some of the earlier build 2016's with the earlier factory tuning seem to run into more issues in this department so your results may vary.

    I haven't noticed much of a change in MPG, I have taller/heavier tires so my mileage wasn't great to begin with. I averaged about 17 mpg before the tune and I'm currently averaging about 16 but it's been very cold here and I wouldn't be surprised if that has more to do with the 1 mpg drop than anything.

    I'll try to remember to come back here and update once I get some more miles on 1.03B as well as try out the 91 octane version. I ran the 91 oct version of a couple of the previous versions and did notice a bump in power but have spent the past couple months on the 87 version to save on fuel cost since I'm more concerned with responsiveness than overall power in a vehicle that's not going to be a speed demon anyway.
     
  9. Feb 25, 2018 at 7:55 PM
    #9
    PNUT

    PNUT Snake is just sneak spelled sideways

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2015
    Member:
    #166976
    Messages:
    431
    Gender:
    Male
    North Bay
    Vehicle:
    2016 Tacoma DCSB TRD OR 4X4
    Ray 10s Prinsu Switch Pro
    • Order #2170
    • Date purchased 11/08/17
    • installed 1.02c in December ‘17; 1.03 Banana Bread on 2/24/18
    • 040B3 TRD OR DCSB AT
    • 4 star review- still can get better? Also unsure if learning will degrade current performance
    • Overall feedback of: much improved over 1.02CrispyCream, runs smoother, love the changes to torque converter and S mode
    • Shifting-much better 2nd gear, less abrupt shifting, OD gears hold better, truck doesn’t feel “heavy” and underpowered
    • Throttle-a little touchy in slow traffic but way better than stock or prior tune version I tried
    • Power-more owner available at lower rpms but still winds up at 3,500
    • If this tune doesn’t degrade due to learning then I would give 5 stars, almost traded for tundra but maybe can live with this OV tuned pickup now
    • To be continued...
     
    gwynn1975 and bshammer0[OP] like this.
  10. Feb 26, 2018 at 5:57 AM
    #10
    mZiggy

    mZiggy Honey badger

    Joined:
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    Vehicle:
    2020 MGM Tundra SR5; 2020 4R TRD Pro; 2008 4R SR5 v8
    Order #2275
    Purchased December '17
    Loaded January '18
    MT - 1.03, 1.03B & 1.03C
    5 star rating
    *only mod/addition to my truck that may make any sort of difference from stock is my camper shell. If it's a super windy day, I suspect that turbulent air tends to perhaps get trapped in the sliver of space between the shell and cab. Perhaps affects gas mileage, who knows. I personally don't care at all about mpg but other people do, so I mentioned it.

    I purchased ovtune in December as part of Mat's preorder with holiday pricing. The tune I was given and flashed in early January was 1.03 and it really woke the truck up. Power and tq had been added down in the 25-4500 rpm range as advertised, 5th gear became more usable while 6th remained more of an overdrive unless I was going obnoxiously fast enough to use it properly. Throttle response was definitely improved, but still took a bit of push to get it where you wanted it. No biggie considering at this point in time we all knew another update was soon to come. As is, the map was an excellent step up in the right direction and so further improvements weren't things that needed to happen immediately.

    Fast forward to Saturday, 17Feb2018, and 1.03B dropped for the MT. With wild abandon I grabbed up my laptop, my dongle, and coffee and proceeded to drag my maps from the grip of the interwebz. Flash Manager is super user friendly and is no doubt a load of work off of Mat's shoulders. I found it very easy to access my maps and download them. Coffee ingested, I proceeded out to my truck and flashed the 91 octane map immediately. I had read Mat's admonishment to use 87 first, but since I was already on the 91oct 1.03 map, I figured no harm done.

    First impression was something along the lines of holy balls, there's power here. Immediately accessible. Let me backtrack a second here and note that while backing out of my driveway, it seemed that even driving in reverse had been touched up. I'm no stranger to remote tunes and so I can say that improvement to driving in reverse isn't exactly common, or touched on with every tune in every platform. Does it matter? Nah. But it's more of a testament to Mat's attention to detail and that matters.

    Anyway, myself and the other MT owners were out and about, driving on the updated map, posting in TW about how it was excellent and all that. Power was readily available, the truck really gets out of its own way. 1.03 felt similar to my v8 T4R: power but carrying weight. 1.03B is a very clean power delivery as if there's no weight holding it back. Simply put, it feels light and moves out quickly without complaints. Acceleration is now possible much lower in the powerband, and it's not slow either. 5th AND 6th gear were now usable, and in the week since I've begun running the tune, I've noticed my gas mileage increasing. For the record, it hasn't gone up a HUGE amount, but this is largely due to my habit/preference to stay higher in the rev band than I need to and this carries over from previous vehicles.

    More apparent in the AT trucks but still present in the MT (we can just avoid it for obvious reasons), is a sort of dead zone low in 1st gear. Makes it dangerous to pull out into a busy street. That's been taken care of. Overall acceleration is smooth, and the computer no longer deliberates whether or not to provide the power you're demanding of it. It simply gives it now. Also, that swift kick in the butt you get on VVTI actuation has been smoothed out, so that's pretty sweet (for the record, these are also things that were already addressed in 1.03). Downshifting used to be a long process. Now that's not the case. Quickly downshift and don't worry about rev hang either. Yeah, you still have a touch of hang, but come on. It's a truck, not a racecar. The rev hang will be there. Be happy it's minimized.

    Throttle response is super quick, and now that I'm getting used to the new map, it is a TOUCH too much of a hairtrigger for my liking, but that small gripe isn't enough, by any means, to make me dislike the tune. Furthermore, Mat has said that he's willing to provide a slightly "toned down" map to alleviate this. Power and all that doesn't need to be tweaked. Just throttle response perhaps dialed back a touch. I suspect that this is also why if you don't adjust your driving style (OEM tune requires you to be pretty brutal on the throttle), shifts are jerky for sure. Either way, it's been said that there will be a map to alleviate this since some people would prefer to not have that and there's some who have indicated that everyone is just retarded and don't know how to drive and are complaining over nothing (not necessarily on TW; definitely on FB, the great battlefield of legendary keyboard warriors).

    This next bit, I haven't experienced for myself (thought i did but I'm convinced I was imagining it), but a lot of others have reported a very light stuttering low in rpm band, specifically 3rd gear, while accelerating. The truck not being warmed up fully may or may not be a factor. Anyway, in some post, I can't remember the details, Mat indicated that he knows what it is now and is working on a solution. I think he needs a manual trans truck to sort everything out. Either way, if anyone is reading this review with intent to buy the tune, dont let this dissuade you. It's so minor, nothing is wrong with it, and my personal opinion is that you shouldn't be aiming to be that low in the rev band anyway. Like 2k in 3rd. Maybe my habit of staying a bit higher in the rev range in general helps me. But I had to put in effort to get that low in 3rd and I couldn't replicate the stuttering. Oh well. Dont let it put you off. A fix is coming anyhow.

    If price is putting you off, just know that the pricing is appropriate and on par with what you'll pay for, say, a Cobb Accessport and e-tuning services. OV is less actually. So don't immediately balk at the price. You gotta pay to play. People spend close to same anyway when combining their sprint booster and shift sense pros and whatnot, and still don't get a fraction of the benefits that a real tune can provide. Food for thought.

    Overall, 5 stars. Mat has been working his butt off and this community has had a hand in the tuning process as well. He has provided a superb product and continues to look forward toward other things to add to help us out. Drivability of the truck is incredible, compared to stock. Definitely recommend getting off the fence and doing yourself the favor of getting this tune.

    EDIT* I now have about 36 miles on the latest map available for the MT: 1.03C. So hopefully this updated review isn't too early, but I'm very optimistic. This map addresses concerns that some of us had about the initial throttle responsiveness. Power made available by 1.03B is still very much available, but the drivability has definitely been increased. No longer a need to slip the clutch in order to avoid looking like you're trying to race every soccer mom you come across on your commute. Truck still responds excellently when you want/need it to without providing as "intense" of a driving experience, for lack of a better word. This map has resulted in what the truck should be or how it should ideally perform and I don't think there's anything else to address or improve upon. Another vote of 5 out of 5 stars for Mat and his hard work, because while 1.03B is an excellent map and the throttle touchiness was something I got used to, he listened to the feedback we provided and accommodated our request quite readily.
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2018
  11. Feb 26, 2018 at 6:36 AM
    #11
    Deucer01

    Deucer01 Well-Known Member

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    Have been running 1.03/87 for a couple days now with ECT on all the time. Throttle response is amazing and low end torque is significantly improved. On cruise control this morning did not drop to 4th gear on highway overpasses like it did with 1.02C. Plenty of power now to maintain speed at 5th and would shift to 6th when cresting the hill. Gas mileage is a little less so far, but I've been heavier on the gas since the flash. :D:D:D:D:D
     
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  12. Feb 26, 2018 at 7:43 AM
    #12
    RedBeard1

    RedBeard1 Baby Ruuuuuth!

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    1985 Hilux Crawler(Pete), 2016 Quicksand TRD OR 6MT (Wombat), 2016 TRD Pro T4R (OVTUNE # 2403)
    Mostly stuff I built.
    • Order number: 2403
    • Date purchased:02/10/18
    • Date installed: 02/24/19
    • 2016 TRD OR 6MT 04B11 current tune 1.03b 91 octane
    • Star rating: 5 but I believe there is more meat on the bone on this hopefully Matt will give us another couple of updates before he finalizes the tune.
    • Mods: 265/75r16, bumper, winch, Prinsu rack, sliders, bed rack, OME lift 886/heavy Dakars, ARB Safari snorkel
    • Shifting: my truck is a manual so I handle that my self but it does seem to have a smoother 1-2 transition now
    • Throttle: Responsive finally could be dialed up a bit more for my taste. I really like a snappy throttle.
    • Power: 1.03b definitely woke up my heavy ass truck. No more 2nd gear bog like with the stock tune. Power delivery through all gears is fairly steady with just a slight rush at the 3500 rpm range not the huge spike like stock tune.
    • I’ll give more feedback once I get some more miles on it.
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2018
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  13. Feb 26, 2018 at 7:47 AM
    #13
    airsickbuffa1o

    airsickbuffa1o Well-Known Member

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    2017 Silver TRD OR
    OVtuned 1.03
    • Order #2389
    • Purchased 2/2/18, Installed 2/24/2017
    • 1.03 A/T
    • 5 Star Rating
    • No mods, completely stock DCLB TRD offroad 4x
    I'll Preface this review with what I wanted out of this tune. When I bought the truck I wasn't concerned about power. I knew it didn't have much low end torque and it wasn't going to win any races. I read the reviews and understood the gripes with the tall O/D gears in the transmission. I needed a truck for my mountain bikes, camping gear and kayaks, and the last truck I had was a 2.2 chevy s10 so this thing felt like a beast compared. What I didn't like about this truck after owning it for a few months was the shifting behavior. It raced to 6th gear and bogged when I needed to increase speed. It's downshifts were rough and abrupt. On the highway it shifted erratically when encountering any sort of grade and wouldn't hold a gear to save its life. I wanted this fixed, and it seemed like OVtune was the way to fix it.

    So first things first: how hard is the install? It's a breeze, literally took me 5 mins from getting my licence key to having the truck running with the tune. After installing OVtune I immediately noticed the throttle feel. It felt much more like a cable throttle than a drive by wire, it was instantaneous and linear. I set out for a drive around town and the shifting was flawless both up and down. I could definitely feel an increase in low end torque and it made driving this truck so much more enjoyable. Instead of sitting in 6th and bogging when I needed to move, it stayed in the lower gears much longer and I had power when I needed it without it having to roughly downshift.

    On the highway I was able to accelerate 70-75 smoothly without it dropping a gear. When I needed to pass I could add some throttle and it would smoothly drop to 5th. If I needed to pass someone a bit quicker, no problem, add more gas and it would simply go straight to 4th from 6th, and return to 6th after I let up. When going up inclines it would hold 6th, and maybe drop to 5th. Steeper grades it would drop to 4th and stay put until cresting the hell, then it would go right back to 6th without a hiccup. The best part? It did that with cruise control on as well... What used to be a useless feature in this truck was now usable!

    I'm running the 87 tune, and like I said, I wasn't after more power but I can feel it in the low end so that was just a huge bonus to me. I plan on running the 91 tune just for shits and giggles and I'll update this when I do.

    So far I have a little over 100 miles on it, so we'll see if it re-learns it's bad habits. Mat has mentioned that was taken care of, but only time can tell. Fuel economy seems to be improved, but I won't go into detail on that until I log a few hundred miles to compare it.

    Bottom line, this tune can do a lot in terms of improving the trucks drive-ability. The overdrive gears in the transmission are very tall, the gear ratio bump from 4th to 5th is pretty dramatic, and as a result a tune can't perfect this truck. Having said that, if this truck came stock with this tune, I don't think I would even mention that the transmissions gearing is a problem because the tune makes everything just work.

    If you're on the fence about this, I say do it! It makes this truck a blast to drive, and I haven't even dove into the 91 octane benefits yet. It behaves as best as it can on the highway and is smooth as butter around town.
     
    Razor24, mplogan, TAC1 and 3 others like this.
  14. Feb 26, 2018 at 7:52 AM
    #14
    Jibbs

    Jibbs "When in doubt, throttle out!"

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    Whoooooooshchchch
    It's really interesting to me to read the MT responses in here so far, especially wrt to 2nd gear 'bog'. I do rolling stops in 2nd gear in mine all the time (I even posted a video of me rolling through a garage @ 4mph for someone that called BS on it).

    I also do most of my driving under 3k RPM, so it's a little strange to me to read about how 5k+ feels great. Maybe I drive like a grandma, or maybe I just got lucky with my stock tune or something, but I have no problems at all doing normal on-the-street driving through any of the gears. As long as I'm going 40+ 5th gear is perfectly happy. I usually go 1st to about 10, 2nd to about 25, 3rd I could skip if I want, but generally ride it til about 35, then 4th for 35-45. Only use 6th on the highway.

    Where I would really like some feedback is how the MT tune is with low end torque on trails. I've noticed that if I'm forced to stop on an incline on any loose surface it's basically guaranteed I'll have to use 4L because there's not enough torque to crawl and at higher rpms the tires just spin on whatever I'm on.
     
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  15. Feb 26, 2018 at 8:15 AM
    #15
    RedBeard1

    RedBeard1 Baby Ruuuuuth!

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    Mostly stuff I built.
    The second gear bog I am referring to is when you are doing 7-10 mph and then get on the throttle heavy. The stock tune is really sluggish until you get to the 3500 rpm mark then it would get with it. From 12-3500 rpm on stock tune it was just really lethargic..
     
    MOC221_ likes this.
  16. Feb 26, 2018 at 8:20 AM
    #16
    Jibbs

    Jibbs "When in doubt, throttle out!"

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    Yeah that just hasn't been my experience at all. I get some pickup at about 2500, then a second bump at 3500. Again, maybe I have an earlier tune or something. I'm not calling anyone a liar, just saying it's interesting that there seem to be some differences.
     
  17. Feb 26, 2018 at 8:24 AM
    #17
    K_Sandhu

    K_Sandhu Well-Known Member

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    Since you are the only person that I know who has 35's and the OV tune, so I thought you will be able to ans this. I went offroading dor the first time with 35's and new suspension. Bigger tires are killing truck! Do you feel the difference with the tune? Especially at low end? Also, if you had to pick one....would you go with regear to 4.88 or the tune?
    I
     
  18. Feb 26, 2018 at 8:32 AM
    #18
    SouthtownTaco

    SouthtownTaco Well-Known Member

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    RCI Under Armor, Tailgate Lock, Bakflip F1, derped grill
    Yep. Considering we haven't seen any complaints on any threads thus far, I'm gonna assume that's a competitor and ignore it until they have something intelligent to contribute.
     
  19. Feb 26, 2018 at 8:33 AM
    #19
    RedBeard1

    RedBeard1 Baby Ruuuuuth!

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    Red
    The Republic of Texas
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    1985 Hilux Crawler(Pete), 2016 Quicksand TRD OR 6MT (Wombat), 2016 TRD Pro T4R (OVTUNE # 2403)
    Mostly stuff I built.
    Glad you aren’t experiencing it...I was just adding some input on your statement for anyone that doesn’t have the tune. So they can see both sides of the coin.:cheers:
     
  20. Feb 26, 2018 at 8:45 AM
    #20
    Metallikatz3

    Metallikatz3 Well-Known Member

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    Messages:
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    SLC, UT
    Vehicle:
    2017 DCLB OR
    Always in process
    • Order number - #1866
    • Date purchased/date installed - 7/2/17 - 8/9/17 (1.01 tune)
    • Version / transmission of the calibration you're running currently -
      • 1.01
      • 1.02A - 91 Octane
      • 1.03 - 91 Octane
    • Star rating you give it - 5 Stars!!
    • Any mods that would impact (tires, gears, exhaust, etc.,) - 285/75/16 Falken Wildpeak AT3 tires, 4.88 gears, Magnaflow catback, CBI rack and RTT (~300lbs and 5" above roofline)
    • Overall feedback of:
    • Shifting - After about a 90 mile drive from SLC to Park City and back all I can say is WOW!! For those not familar the drive is from 4500' elevation up to about 7,100' on a 65mph Highway. So stock the truck would spend most of the drive in 4th. Added the 33" tires and then the drive was in 3rd. Changed to 4.88 gears and that got me back to 4th gear. With 1.03 tune I spent most of the drive in 5th with only a few brief downshifts to 4th.
    Compared to 1.02A tune though even downshifts are so much smoother and i'm not scared of them. For example - with previous tunes the shifts from 6-5-4 to maintain speed on highway grades would scare me in bad weather conditions since they were so agressive. Now they seem so much smoother as to not upset traction/balance of the truck.​
    • Throttle - As other have said it is sensitive but does not bother me at all. The truck also idles much stronger and I find that I haven't had to give gas to pull in and out of my garage where in the past I had to.
    • Power -
    • etc.,
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2018
    Reedo311, Jenco80, Reganou812 and 2 others like this.

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