DIY Tune what tools work, will our comps even cooperate.

nitrojoe · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 8

Hi Guys, I am planning to throw a turbo on the box and am slowly piecing together all of the parts. I am wondering about emanaganement and the like. Can our stock computers be tuned, and if so what "scanners" have been successful. My dad has been in the automotive industry for years and has just purchased the auto ingenuity system which is a pc based "scanner and tuner and flasher" do you think this would work. Or could I run an echo computer and tune it with this system.

mb2008 · Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 205

You're, 17... There's a reason people that just got their license have an insanely high insurance rate, at it sounds like your about to give them even more of a reason.

nitrojoe · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 8

haha i will take that as a compliment. I can without a doubt say I am one of the safest 17 year old drivers in my community. I don't drink....lost 3 friends last spring when one of them was driving drunk. I don't race off of the track...lost a friend last summer because he wrapped his car around a telephone pole. And I don't do drugs because i have grown up with a very user-heavy extended family and seen two of them die.

So basically death is keeping me in-line. And the only reason i want to turbo my box is to say that I can. I have already built a full show truck...88 ranger, bagged, two toned, small system, extensive engine work, shaved door handles, cali combo, led tails. the works....so now i am looking for a new project.

And if more people would encourage my generation to get off there butt and do something maybe those insurance rates wouldn't be so prominent because the kids could be paying them, themselves....like me.

equinox2355 · Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 2688 Location: Pleasanton, CA

Well just to save you some time, toyota has never let their code for their ECUs be open source, and I doubt they will start now. The only way you can tune your car is to get a piggy-back or a stand alone engine management system. The only cars that I am aware of that you can reprogram the stock ECU (with little or no trouble) are most (if not all) subaru and some mitsubishi ecus. (there could be other cars, but thats all I am aware of)

Best of luck with tuning, first you'd probably want to ask your tuner to find out what he is comfortable with.

nitrojoe · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 8

Thanks equinox....would you have any reccomendations towards an affordable emanagement setup?