To tune or not to tune

If you like the way it drives, why would you fuck with it?

 

If you are happy with how it drives, why waste money tuning it?

Your engine and tranny will last a very long time on a stock tune.

Most 3rd gen drivability concerns are way overblown. Some folks need to set their expectations right.

 

Cuz internetz sir.

I too was trying to find something wrong with my truck when I got it.

 

I like modifications and if it’s a noticeable and worthy improvement then I will. I don’t hate driving it but if it makes it better.

 

When I was a Subaru owner we had a saying on the forum: “ Stay stock, stay happy”.

Slightly different context because we were building 400whp motors with “glass” pistons and but you get the drift.

 

While the tunes don't add a ton of power, they DO improve drivability! 99% of driving is normal part throttle/traffic style so adding 100HP may not be that much of a benefit, but part throttle torque and throttle response will make it feel much better not to mention the trans shifting issue these have. Just my .02 cents.

 

Definitely tune. I was ready to trade my truck in after a few months because of how badly it drove with bigger tires and the stock tune.

 

This is so true. Mine changed about 1100 miles. On my way to work, I had to double check that the ECT button wasn't on because it was shifting so much better than it had when I bought it. I don't have a tune on mine and I am much happier with how it is performing now.

 

Does tuning void the Toyota warranty? (No such thing as a stupid question, except maybe this one...)

 

From what I've seen so far, nobodys warranty has been void due to the tune and it's very hard to detect.

 

Just had my motor replaced under warranty at 6500 miles. It's been tuned since 250 miles. No issues.

 

Yikes. Why was it replaced?

 

Broken rod bearing on the #5 cylinder.

 

I'm that guy.


I liked the way the truck drove for years. Then on an out of the blue, wild hair up my ass moment, an opportunity popped up on one of these threads. So off to Austin I went on a day trip to get it tuned. And as much as I liked the truck before the tune, the truck was an absolute joy after. It's snappier and more responsive. Its more fun on the twisty roads. Its more behaved on the long straights. Its more predictable during rush-hour defense.

The tune was money gambled for an experiment, and I would say that it paid off. I definitely got my few hundred worth of entertainment out of it, just like the majority of goofy impulse spends that I have found on here. There was nothing wrong with it before, but it is more fun now. That's my real review.


So back to your comments above, I'd modify that statement to say this:

"If you like the way your truck drives, stop visiting TacomaWorld."

 

Is it a better idea to tune AFTER you have your lift/new wheel/tire setup?

 

Depends on your tuner's reflash policy (or whether you are doing it yourself), but generally yes. Tire size and a few other mods are accounted for in most tunes. Also, many tuners offer one free mulligan on your tune in case you change tires or want some aspect customized. Some offer more, others less. Talk to your local guy. Up to you on how you want to plan from there.

 

I'm new here and still getting the lay of the land... so while I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseum, I'll ask anyway - is there a lot less to be gained in tuning a truck with a manual? It seems like a lot of the improvements mentioned are centered around AT shifting. For a MT would it maybe make sense to just get an aftermarket throttle controller instead of an ECU flash tune? (am I using these acronyms correctly? lol)

 

Yes you are using them correctly.

@tonered will tell you about tuning a MT. Most MT owners will tell you that the engine mapping is still good.

Throttle controllers are where I'll turn my nose up. All they do is electronically push the pedal a little harder than you (with a little bit of feathering to best estimate "linear acceleration", but still). I can do that for free.

 

As odd as it sounds, tuning a 3rd Gen MT has about the same benefits as the AT and needed as badly. More low end torque, smoother and most consistent power delivery, and improved shifting. There has be no negatives for me with over 60,000 tuned miles other than liking the truck way more than I reasonably should.

 

Does à tune void warranty