First off, here's my disclaimer: I realize that there are numerous threads out there regarding Trifecta tunes. However, I am creating this thread to ask my own questions. If for some reason you have a problem with this please find the "back" button in the upper left corner of your internet browser and go screw lol.

Onto the matter at hand. Tis the season of gift giving, and its time for me to give myself a gift. Last year around this time I decided to do the big build on the Corvette... this year its the Balt's turn.

Since the introduction of Trifecta's tuning I've considered getting tuned. I never pulled the trigger, and ended up goind with GMS1. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with the results of the GM tune, but I'm really starting to wonder what a Trifecta tune would be like on top of it.

Another benefit would be I could tune for my Dejon SRI so I could put it back on without skewing my AFR.

So what I want to is this:

1. Is the "undetectable" tune truely not detectable?
2. What exactly is the deal with "selectable" tune. Id definitely like to have the option to switch my tune, but do I get to pick what the tunes are or is the selectable tune only available with the infiniboost? Basically I don't want to go with an extreme tune that's going to kill my car, so id rather stay away from the infiniboost. What I'm thinking is maybe GMS1 as my base tune, then a more aggressive trifecta tune on tap....or maybe vice versa.
3. How much is a trifecta tune going cost me? I know what the tune costs, but are there going to be more expenses down the road like having to upgrade the clutch etc...
4. To those that have Trifecta, what setup do you have, what boltons, what pros and cons have you come across, and what's your overall impression?

Thanks!

 

I can't believe you made another Trifecta thread.

 

1. Everything is "detectable" by someone with the knowledge and want to find it, but I haven't heard of anyone on this board being caught with it. Most people are caught for things like Dejon intakes and stuff like that. If you don't want to get caught with a tune, have only a tune, or put everything back to stock when you go to the dealership.

2. For the selectable tune, you can have Vince customize the tunes for whatever you want. You can choose what boost levels you want for both tunes, which buttons on the car to use to switch between the two, etc. The "infiniboost" tune is the same sort of tune as his usual tunes, but it goes up to 30psi. I don't even know if he still sells that one. Don't bother with the GMS1 tune.

3. Trifecta tune will be about $320 from a tuner in your area. You won't have to upgrade your clutch if you max around 24 psi. Maybe down the road in like 20-30K more miles, but it just depends on what kind of driver you are. Vince's tune doesn't reach the torque levels that usually cause OEM clutches to slip.

4. I don't have a tune, I'm just spreading knowledge I have gained. Most people put on a downpipe and get the 18psi/24psi switchable tune with cat warmup deleted. You can get 20/23 psi, 15/21 psi, and any other range you want. 24 psi is the agreed upon limit on this site for semi-safe modding.

 

it is 100% undetectable I can assure you this

 

vince sends you the stock tune also if your are concerned about detection and seriously who cares. if you can afford bolt on and a tune forget about the stealership or wait until your precious warranty is up.

 

not always true

Imagine if you had warranty work and they actually test drove the car. Oh wow 22 psi boost. That's odd.

Also, if GM dug into your ECU far enough they would notice the tune is very different.

 

Depends on what mode they scan the car in. If the tune is activated by competitive mode and they scan the ECM in competitive mode then it will show the tune.

 

LOL. I bet 90% of the GM techs dont know how much boost this car runs stock. But yes if they send the ECU off to GM then they will probably find the tune even if you did a write entire for the stock calibration.

 

It is undetectable to any of the GM tech tools that a shop would have. It would be detected if the service department sent your ECM off to the factory. Never heard of this happening, and neither had Vince when I spoke to him about it. Like was said though, you can always flash your stock tune back on there which would make all methods of detection fail

Mine is switchable on the Traction Control button. I have it between my Stock tune and the 'regular' Trifecta tune. I have heard that people are having success with GMS1 and Trifecta, but honestly, I think it's a waste of money for a car with little to light bolt on's, but I could be wrong on that part...

I got mine with a group buy discount so I'm not a good source for cost for the tune. Go to Trifecta's webpage for help on that. Contrary to what has been said here before, you may or may not get slippage with your tune. I actually do get slippage when the air gets colder with my tune turned on.

I have the Clear Image SRI intake, Clear Image cat-less downpipe, and the Trifecta tune. I love this setup and wouldn't change a thing about it. I am currently saving money from other toys I would be putting on the car, because I will be in need of a new clutch within the year, I believe. If I floor it too quickly in 4th, even @ 60mph I will get a bit of slipping.

 

Agree on the tech's not having a clue. However, I was told by Vince that if you flash back to stock that even sending the ECM off to GM would show that everything was stock.

I don't see any reason they would do that unless you have a history of blowing motors. The official release to the shops was to run the Tech 2 and take a picture of the results. There are different ways that the tune can be activated so they would have to sit there and press every combination of buttons to activate it. Either way, if you have something go wrong so bad that your tune could be an issue with warranty, pay the couple of bucks to get the cable sent back out to you, and re-flash back to stock before you take it to the stealer-ship.

 

I think there is a TSB about the swichable tunes, so they will know how to find it if you dont revert to stock. Don't underestimate GM, after all they created the ECU in the first place and they have access to 100% of the ECU and Vince has access to maybe 5% of it. Drewbroo had his ECU sent to GM with a complete stock tune on the car and they found the tune, but odds are the dealer wont go that far unless you really break something big like a 4 cylinders or something sketchy like that.

 

So he put the stock tune back in the ECM and GM was able to see there was a tune still??? Was it a Trifecta or HP? What happened to his car to warrant that kind of investigation?

 

Broken piston, probably.

 

People have said there is a TSB about switchable tunes but i have yet to see it . I no longer have access to dealerworld as the dealership i had my account threw closed .... but as of july there wasn't one ....otherwise i would have posted it.

The other thing to think about is .... If you pop a piston or ringland running higher boost on an aftermarket tune .....should GM pay to fix it? I've just came to the realization that if it breaks then it's on me to fix it ....... it helps end the debate about if they will warranty it or not .

 

Apparently GM has found ways to find our tunes. At a quick glance, they will not notice. If they dig deep enough, they are finding the info.

 

Yeah I blew a piston, the fuel rail popped, and then went a piston.

I found out through further investigation they lied to me though, and went off word of mouth that I had a tune. (They could have called me out for any of my other mods....)

They can send your cal's into a specialist where they can find the tune. (You have to physically send the ECM though) I have a new motor in now though, and I understand the concept of having to pay to play.

 

The high pressure fuel rail failed on his car which caused fuel stravation to and it ended up running so lean it basically melted all 4 pistons. Legitimate warranty claim. IMHO it had nothing to do with the raised fuel pressure as the max design pressure is several hundred psi higher than he was running.

 

Now where GM did **** up, is when I brought the car in for the emissions code and they told me it was a gas cap.

 

My Friend Works For Gm I Can Assure You Your 100% Wrong

 

sooo the conclusion is flash back to stock and as long as you dont have a major engine issue ur pretty much safe from them voiding your warranty for a tune.

 

Lose gas caps can throw emission codes sometimes.

 

explain?

 

it was the fuel rail though. The next day, I could smell the corn fuel fumes..... Also when we pulled the fuel rail, it was cracked. They need to be a bit more thorough when it comes to emission codes.

 

Yeah I agree, but I did have an EVAP code that would never go away, they replaced pretty much all parts of the EVAP system and one day I took it back and they replaced the gas cap and it fixed the problem. The gas cap was on tight, it just wasnt sealing properly I guess.

 

So basically, if you kill your motor in a huge catastrophic puff of smoke, put a new ECM in in before you take it to the dealer?