Higher rev's scare me personally! I am in pretty good with a local tuner here in slc that has been in some magazines and even on the show pinks. He has told me not to get the stage 2 kit for one reason. The reflash is just that, a reflash! It doesn nothing for being able to tune. Wait for some programmers to make some **** for our ECU and then have someone tune it with the intense kit and gm's belt and you will be much more impressed with your gains. Hell, you have already waited this long whats another couple of months?

 

true, but the top autocross cars are constantly tuned on one. They make sure the mods are providing the gains or staying constant. As said many times previously, a dyno is for tuning and tuning alone. You find out what effects a modification has and how to properly tune it on a dyno. Real world applications are on the asphalt where the rubber meets the road.

 

its not a push rod motor. I'd be concerned with a push rod motor and increased rpm's not a dohc motor. Very true about a reflash and tuning. Although the reflash enables the higher rpm range and that enables higher numbers. I agree that someone will get into the computer and be able to optimize the tuning for higher numbers. I think the biggest gains will come from using a variety of vendors, not one specifically.

 

It is insane how much more horse you can gain from having your car tuned by someone who knows what they are doing. We just need to get into our ecu...........

 

agreed.

 

Since we have SO many stage 1/2 thread, we are merging them into a mega thread.

 

yay! mega thread ownz all your base!

 

this is coming sooner than you think. I just supplied a reprogrammer with all he needed to do this for us. We should know very soon how it works out.

 

Thanks for the welcome 280Z1977. My commitment to you is I will do my best to honestly share a little of my 30+ years of NHRA, AHRA competitive drag racing expertise and philosophies. I cut my computer controlled engine racing teeth on a modified 1987 Buick Grand National, a modified 1992 GMC Typhoon and a 1991 GMC Syclone, as well as a 1991 Oldsmobile Calais Quad 442 w/minor mods - most similar to the Cobalt FWD. I try to avoid being drawn into pissing matches, endeavor to treat folks with dignity and respect, and any suggestions I make you can pretty well bank on. I was fortunate to be very successful in my racing efforts, and I'm not finished yet. I'd appreciate being held harmless for occasional misspellings, as I suffer from occasional "fat finger syndrome", and an occasional brain fade.

Thing about the dynos, is first they are in an ideal controlled environment. They cannot measure the effects on H/P of things like CAI or Ram Air. They can also be very fickle. To compare two sessions, one prior to mods, one after mods, everything, and I mean everything must be equal or the results will be skewered. I had the Olds 455 in my drag car, (now 468 C/I), dynoed a while back and the H/P was way down. Turned out the dyno had a dirty filter. Then the MSD ignition control the dyno was using was malfunctioning. Then we discovered that the throttle was not opening up all the way. Granted this was an old school big block, but you get the idea of just a few of the types of things that can go wrong in the dyno room. If you use RPM for the first test session, you should use RPM for the next test session. My dynoing was done on an engine dyno. When you use a chassis dyno, other variables may come in to play. You have to consider the parasitic loses also. It is just too early to judge the Stage kits. Personally, I have a Stage II on the way, and it is going in as soon as I get it. I have no doubt that it will provide a decent power increase. To get a comparable H/P increase with the old school stuff involved a lot more work and a lot more money. Just to get the H/P that GM claims for the Stage II with mere bolt-on's, reflash, is the cheapest H/P you'll ever make. If you consider that, from all I have read, GM underrated the H/P of the 2.0 S/C by somewhere around 40 engine H/P, depending upon the results you consider determined by different tests. I would wager that if anything, GM was likely conservative when rating the Stage II increase as well.

I can tell you this. My little 2006 Sunburst Orange Metallic SS S/C is one honkin' little scooter the way it is. The Stage II will wake it up even more.

Bye the bye, I don't think any thread isn't worthwhile. If you learn one thing you didn't know before, which may be buried deeply in the thread, it was worth it. For example, it is my understanding there is a Stage III currently under development. It is classified off road, and will be wicked, with some slick features. That's all I can say for now about it without jeapordizing folks. Probably said too much as it is. Just know it is in the works. Who knows if it will ever reach us, or when.

Doc

 

This has happened actually. You'll immediately know if it's happened to YOU if you dont have the higher 7000 fuel cut.

What appears to be happening is some dealers are using a "stand-alone" installation of TIS (the software used in combination with the TECH2 scan tool to reflash your car)
The stand-alone version DOES NOT (at this time) contain the Stage flash files, so when they go to use the VCI number provided by Techline phone support (as outlined in the Stage kit instructions) TIS cant find the correct software and gives a "VCI not found" error, and defaults to the "normal" software screens. The tech THINKS all is well, and burns it up.

When you book you car in you might want to confirm that the dealer is using TIS2WEB which is the "live on-line" version of TIS, not the stand-alone version.Visually it's easy to identify as the graphics are quite a bit different during the reflash (see below) CURRENTLY this method is the only way to get Stage kit software, although it will likely appear in future stand-alone installations as well (maybe in a month or two)

HTH
WopOnTour

V V V TIS2WEB vs. TIS (stand-alone) V V V

 

wow if this is true, people aren't getting what they are paying for. I just ordered stage 1, i wish i understood what you are saying alittle better so I could make sure this doesn't happen to me

but why would the tech think all is well if the screen says "VCI not found". That would throw up a red flag if it were me?

 

Thank you so much. This could very well help me avoid any potential problems or hassles when I get my Stage II installed.

Doc

 

What the tech said when I called and questioned the graph he said that the machine was set up to do the calculations based on the speed of the wheels. I know he hit redline because at 7,000rpm it craps out as the fuel shuts off.
I talked to a couple of tuners and they said that wheel size, gear ratio and wheel speed were all needed to make this type of calculation. The tech did not enter wheel size nor gear ratios. He screwed me out of $100. basically. I tried to get on another dyno today but no luck. Everyone do like me ignore my dyno sheet and wait for others to post theirs. I do not trust or beleive the numbers I got yesterday. Neither does my wife and I quote her " I notice the difference, your car has more of what I don't like. Fast"

 

Thanks. So when I go for my install of my Stage 2 on Thursday do I just ask the the Service Advisor? It's a big dealership so I would imagine they have the online version. West Herr Chevrolet of Hamburg (NY) and they also have a West Herr Chevrolet of Orchard Park (NY) and they have about 8 other dealerships but obviously different car manufactures

 

Thanks for the info WOP! Just so I can look like I know what I'm talking about... how is this pronouced? Is it Tiss-2WEB or T-I-S-2WEB?

 

so i go in with my stage 2 and tell the stealership, i have stage 2, i need the stage 2 flash and make sure program is TIS2WEB, correct?

 

So if you have the 7000 RPM fuel cut then all is well and the car was reprogrammed correctly?

 

So no valuable dynos yet? I have two dynos here in Ottawa and both say there booked tight and cant take me. Hopefully sometime soon...

 

Well the problem is (and ESPECIALLY the larger dealers) they will have BOTH! What gets used at the time is what matters. The local version of TIS generally runs faster and with TIS2WEB being quite new some techs will just do what they have been sucessful doing for years (stand-alone TIS) Some workstations in the shop might not be configured for TIS2WEB as it requires JAVA, Internet Explorer 6 and either Windows 2000 or XP. SOme of the shop workstations might still be Windows 98!!

WopOnTour

 

The first one
pronounced tiss-two-web
Good Luck!
Wop

 

Tell them they must go online and use TIS2WEB in order to be able to get the Stage software- the older Service Programming System via TIS wont work.
HTH
WOT

 

That is CORRECT! How's it running for ya so far Nin??
Wop

 

Except this smiley that I used.. ...

I'm just saying that the Dyno results should not be ruled out just because you don't like the results..

 

You play with Quad 442's and big blocks?
What are you....nuts?

Ha!

How's it going Doc?
I'll want to know how the stage 2 goes for you.
I'm going to do it too, but now I really wonder if my dealer could even come close to getting it done correctly. And you know why I say that......

Ron

 

Running very well here, the torque gained is very noticeable and a few quirks got sorted out along the way. Heading to the drag strip this morning for the real test.