[Ryder5.3]

Hello everyone after reading through way to many pages and conversations on the forum I have a few questions I was wondering if anyone could answer for me. I have been looking at tuners to see what everyone recommends and from what i can see the most common thing people have taken a liking too is the diablo tuner. I am in between the i3 platinum and the predator 2, i see that the predator gives the tune for 93 octane but the i3 projects better gains in horsepower. So i guess my question is if i go with either how easy is it to load one tune or another. And with the data logging feature how easy is it to load custom tunes for possible more power?

Second part has to do with the transmission tuning. As I am sure all the other 03 and 04 owners are aware the transmission feels very slow between gears so on the diablo tuners do the shifting tunes actually make a difference. And if not does anyone have recommendations on what tuners make the difference the most noticeable. Now that i have a daily situation figured out any supporting mods recommendations after this tuner is appreciated as well.

To make things short what is the customer service and usage like on these tuners everyone is talking about. How easy is it to run custom tunes? How much of a difference does it make? And if not what other routes should I look into? And lastly what supporting mods does anyone recommend next?

I apologize for the block of text but as a young person I want to make sure I am being the smartest with my money as i can so i'm trying to figure everything out in advance?

Thank you to everyone in advance
-Ryder5.3

 

[Prado04/03]

If this tuner can change the fans hi / low settings then I would recommend. If not, then it's not worth the expense.

 

[Stlhotrod]

I am pretty sure I went with the I3 Platinum on my black 05. It is really easy to load the tune. I reccomend opening the door and starting the truck so your battery is fully charged. Roll down the windows if needed to get comfortable then **** off the engine and plug in the tuner.
You follow the prompts on the screen. It allows you to load a canned tune or custom tune. I first loaded a canned tune and was not impressed with it. I drove it and came back and did a custom tune.
I wanted to change fan times more than anything else. I am going by memoiry and think I just firmed up shifts with out going fully into the transmission tune. You can get carried away on the transmission tunes if not careful. Reading up on it I found people say the ended up changing the pressure setting to high and burning up their high mileage transmissions. I also read that many times people have a transmission problem and think they can tune the problem out but it just makes the failure happen sooner from increased pressure. I do remember one thing and it made sense. He said it is kind of like taking a guy who is having a heart attack to the strip club and killing him but he died happy anyway. He said his transmission shifted great and hard just not for very long after he over tuned it.
You can go back to the stock tune very easily. Just plug it back in and it has a prompt to reload the stock tune. I have done that and also went back in and messed with other tunes in the truck.

But I will say that I have not spent time just doing nothing but playing with the tune and trying to get the most out of it. I have used hand held tuners on several vehicle and on Diesel trucks they are much more noticeable then on gas trucks. I think in part the diesels are tuned down so much from the factory over the gas trucks. I would caution you that atleast for me it was no night or day difference in the way the truck drives with the tune or with out it. But I have used tuners before and am not expecting it to go from the feel of driving a Chevette to driving a Corvette. Probably the biggest things you are going to feel is the shift firmness improvement and throttle response being quicker. But in my case the 05 is better in both of those over my 04 in stock mode.

And I agree 100% my 04 slips into the next gear. It is more like driving a luxury car then a performance car in regards to the shifts. I bought a tuner for my 04 and have neve taken the time to run it. I have a Corvette servo and just can't decide if I want to put it on the 04 or on my black 05 and then go back to messing with the tunes. This may not give you much help because this is all my personal thoughts on my trucks and that is also part of my problem. Having multiple trucks doesn't force me to stay on one truck and one project till I get it done.

 

[jackatg450]

Make sure you have ALL lights, radio, etc off before attempting to install. Including pulling the fuse for the radio amplifier. I know that you can adjust the fan turn on temperatures with a Predator. One of the Texas Fanatacs has one he will sell. Send me a converstion if you want his contact info.
The best way to improve the one-two shift is with the modified Corvette servo from Phoenix Racing Transmissions in Wetherford, TX.
Jack .

 

[wizzr]

If you've been reading past threads on the subject then you likely won't learn to much new stuff here. But....
A pro tune will get the most performance (engine and transmission) out of your SSR. for the money.
A hand held tuner is a good 2nd choice. Although it won't do as much as a pro tune. Both Diablo and Superchips make good products. They all adjust fan settings.
The good news about hand held tuners is that you can return the truck settings to stock and then resell the tuner thus reducing you expenses if you choose.
The Corvette servo is a nice improvement and they are available from most any transmission shop.
Don't expect the hand held tuners to make a huge difference in performance. They help but only provide a 20 to 30 hp gain in the 5.3 engines. You'll feel it but it won't be like a rocket ship.
To compound the performance gains of any of the above, consider a rear end gear swap. For the dollars spent, this can have a huge impact on felt torque.
Good luck in your quest.

 

[Ryder5.3]

Make sure you have ALL lights, radio, etc off before attempting to install. Including pulling the fuse for the radio amplifier. I know that you can adjust the fan turn on temperatures with a Predator. One of the Texas Fanatacs has one he will sell. Send me a converstion if you want his contact info.
The best way to improve the one-two shift is with the modified Corvette servo from Phoenix Racing Transmissions in Wetherford, TX.
Jack .

Alright sounds good. this is the first "performance vehicle" ive ever tuned. Do i need to pull said fuse everytime i adjust the tune. Like if i map the tune it comes with and then i want to play with the settings for my transmission can i do such with the car in accessory mode. Also is there a reason i need to pull the fuse specifically? Is it just the interior lights or do i need to pull the fuse for the dash lights and all that? And also is there a specific reason i need to pull these fuses?

 

[jackatg450]

Yes there is a specific reason to isolate all power users. If the voltage changes the tune install can be affected.