Well, after MUCH research, conversation, posting, loss of sleep and intense thinking, i've decided to just go with the Vector tune. I realize both HP Tuners and Vector have their pros and cons, but the Vector tune just seems right for a person in my shoes.

I realize that with HP Tuners, you can really un-lock the FULL potential of the 2.4. However, it seems that unless you actually OWN the software, and have tons of money and time for dyno sessions and repeated tuning, then your not gonna get good results. I would love to go the route of HP Tuners, but at this point, information on it is just too scatter, and it seems very "hit or miss". I dont wanna shell out a ton of money for a "maybe", as no one around here has experience with tuning it. Pro Motion Tuning of Fredericksburg VA has experience with HP Tuners, but not with the 2.4. They even told me first hand, all they could do is "give it a shot". Sure, I could try to get someone whos tuned the 2.4 sucessfully to send a tune to Pro Motion for them to apply to my car, but even then, that risky and im not guaranteed anything, as the 2.4's ECU is a total bitch. And realistically, to really get the full potential out of HP Tuners, you have to do repeated tuning sessions, and basically just have your car sit on a dyno for weeks, which I just can't do.

The Vector tunes has its cons too obviously, as every car is different, and the tune will just be "close enough", as its a base tune that they modify accordingly when you send them your list of modifications. However, i've heard nothing but good things about them, and no one has reported any real problems after having their ECU tuned by them. I know I won't get the full potential out of my car/mods like I would with HP Tuners, but it just seems more realistic for someone in my shoes. My Cobalt is my only car, so I cant just have it sitting on a dyno somewhere while I keep my fingers crossed for resutlts. Granted, with the Vector tune, I have to send them my ECM for them to tune, but if I overnight it, and they overnight it back, that will only be a 3 day affair at most, which I can get a rental car for. And considering they offer the tune for a 2.4SS specifically, I know im at least guaranteed results from them, whereas with HP Tuners, i'll have to go out on a limb and get results if im lucky.

All in all, the Vector tune just seems the way to go. Either way your cars gonna suffer some downtime, but with the Vector, your at least guaranteed SOME positive results, whereas HP Tuners its hit or miss, depending on whose tuning your car, and more importantly, how deep your pockets are. I realize I wont get the full potential like I could with HP Tuners, and I wont be able to use my SS/SC injectors, but thats no big deal. Im just tired of waiting something to really happen with HP Tuners, specifically out where I live. Sure, if I was neighbors with someone like Psychostevo who owned the laptop and has sucessfully tune it, i'd go HP Tuners.........but im not. Im generally the only modded 2.4 in my area in a sea of 2.0SS/SC's, and no one around here has experience with tuning the 2.4 via HP Tuners. Im sure the Vector tune will net me some power and make the overall feel of the car better, and thats all im really after. For the typical average joe like me whos limited on time and money, it just seems like the more realistic choice.

 

Chris @ Vector is an ex-gm programmer and led the 2.2 crowd on w/ promises of doing a tune for us, even live tuning, then dropped us entirely to work on another project. for this reason I do not recommend vector to people. That, and mail-order tunes are just a bad idea IMO.

 

hey dude what are you running as far as engine and turbo. is it a 2.2 or close to it cuz your only running 188whp im running 172whp N/A 2.4 just wondered hows that procharge workin just curious im researching all the routes for boosting. thought twin charge would be sweet as hell. well talk later thanks.

ryan.

 

nice thread jack.

 

well a few other guys actually reccomended it to me. Still seems better than shelling out a ton of money for HP Tuners with no real guarantee of good, lasting, un-prone to messing up power.

I'm gonna set up an apt to have it dynoed next week at Pro Motion Tuning and go ahead and throw some new plugs in while im at it. Then the following week im gonna set up a rental, ship out my ECM to Vector and then once I get the ECM back, im gonna go back to Pro Motion Tuning to have it dyoned again and i'll post the results. If all goes as planned, the whole ordeal should be over by early July.

 

the one scary thing about mail orders man, is that you could get it back and it goes lean on the dyno and POP, yer done.

 

LOL! Vector

 

sadly enough man, the same could happen with an un-experienced tuner using HP Tuners, aka anyone in my area. If Vector "sucks" so bad, then how come 3 people using it on hrere have reffered it to me and said it works great, whereas the 2.4's using HP Tuners are having all the trouble from the looks of it. (Jackalope, Illmatics....etc etc)

Two of my best friends run a "canned tune" on their Focus's....err....Foci....however you would pluralize that. One is an '05, the other an '07, both SE Duratecs, and both have SCT flash tunes where they seleced options and sent a mod list, pretty much exactly like the Vector tune, and both have extremely positive results and love the tunes. Its not like the Vector tune goes crazy with anything. It just makes the Cobalt's ECM how it should've been from the factory. It optimizes the ECM for better fuel economy, more efficent VVT response, AND they will dial in simple mods such as a cat-back, intake, downpipe, header, etc. I see nothing "sketchy" about this as many friends of mine have canned tunes with no problems. Im schduleing a dyno session next week and then ordering the tune and sending my ECM of the following week, and we have it dynoed again once the ECM is back in, and i'll post my results. Maybe then some of your HP Tuners guys who don't seem too anxious to share your tunes will be a bit more open minded to other tunes.

 

doing a "can tune" on an ecm for bolt-ons is ENTIRELY different than one for boost... there is SO much more leeway w/o that extra boom to worry about. so being a little off is not a big deal. but w/ boost, just look at the INTENSE tunes... they are a canned tune and LSJ after LSJ has blown **** up because they come back and slap 'em on and woo run great then find out it was a little lean all the time and blamo.

just be careful homie, i do hope it works well for ya tho - but i'm a customer service-oriented customer.... once a shop does me wrong, **** 'em. once they treat me like gold, i'll be their biggest sales rep

 

hey guys figured id butt in on this thread. currently im running no problems with my tune with HPtuners. my car finally adjusted to the fuel tables i set to it..and ive been running really strong for the last couple weeks now. the car shifts amazing WOT and for auto im very surprised. yes there are some tweaking to do once i get my tranny cooler in and start to do my exhaust..but honestly guys im not a fan of canned tunes....and also vector locks ur car so only they can access it. thats blows. having hptuners is nice because u can do it yourself and i have my buddy that is very experienced with it to help tune it. BCP(06blackg85ss). we are gonna do some more data logs during the week after we change up some more on the tune..and maybe ill put up the logs on here. but im not complaining..its running really well. yes there are not many 2.4 guys using hptuners with the auto tranny or even the manual tranny. once bcp and i fine tune this tune, we will help out the many looking for tunes.

 

i have a canned tune by westers not vector. I can honestly say i have not had a single problem with it. You tell them what you want the car tuned for and these guys have alot of experience so its not like dealing with a kid off the street. i was a bit weary at first worried about how safe it was and all that jazz, its been almost a year now and i couldnt be happier, i'll be going back for a retune for header and 2.0 injectors. the only reason i went with westers was because they have a dealer network and theres one not too far from me, this was i didnt have any downtime.

 

As an experienced HPTuners user I'd have to recommend a Vector tune over the ones I've seen from you, dude!!

 

lol owned.

But ya see, i don't have time for "tweaking" and all that mess. My Cobalt is my ONLY means of transportation, and I can't just have it slung up on some dyno at a tuning shop for days, even weeks, at a time. The Vector tune sounds very very promising from the website's description, and sounds like exactly what I want.

So to each their own. If you have lots of time and money, then cool, get HP Tuners and gooood luck. But if your like me and don't have lots or time nor money and just want more out of your engine and mods, then i'd say checking out the Vector tune isn't a bad idea at all.

 

my car is my daily driver to..its runs totally fine. its nice to have hptuners so i can do data logs and tweak things any time we really can. not sure wut to tell u bro.

 

Thanks for the support! I wonder what you are referring to seeing as how I don't think I have ever sent you a tune of mine.

 

yeah, but I don't want to datalog and tweak things. I want a nice, basic tune as I have no further intentions as far as my engine goes. The Vector tune just gets more out of the 2.4, makes the VVT more effective, raises the redline, cuts out the top speed limiter, allows the ECU to get more power to the ground, and they can dial in my mods to a certain extent and shut off my rear O2 sensor to get rid of my CEL. Thats all I need, and I won't have to pay for tuning session after tuning session.

 

A number of others have sent me copies of your tunes due to problems.

You should really learn more about tuning these cars before you go trying to make a fast buck off others.

 

Benny, PM sent. Lets make this happppen!!!

Thanks again man.

+1 on rep for helping me out here.........hopefully it'll all work out well in the end.

 

You are making big accusations. ONE is a number, and I can think of TWO people who had problems with my tunes. ONE of which was never supposed to have the tune on his car. The other had it flashed to his car improperly by someone else.

I have done my research on these cars, and those tunes were tested and proven they have been working well on the three test cars I used here in Arizona with NO problems since Thanksgiving last year, not even a CEL. And as for the price I charge for my tunes, I have always been fair. You may not like the fact that some people charge for tunes, because some people think they should be free.

I have yet to find a company that is willing to give out FREE tunes.

 

no need to argue guys. yes the 2.4 is totally different. not many have really messed around with it...just really the ss/sc due to the s/c. the 2.4 is a whole different story. steve's tunes are good. i have a copy of his tune that he wrote for jackalope..no need to put him down. how many 2.4s on this site are using HPtuners..i dont know many. me and some others are pioneering this hptuners tune. of course when u mod the car u mite have cel's, and u mite dont. u changing anything with mite lead into problems..but what can u do. yes its easier to have hptuners cuz its a easy program to learn and a lot of people around you mite have it. yes maybe a "canned" tuned mite be nice but its a tune they set for that certain model..but all cars are not the same.im using hptuners and have no problems. can runs strong and its shifts like a beast and yes im auto...and thats all i have to say.

 

 

I tried using HP tuners this weekend to start tuning my car, HPT has not seen my operating system on a 07 Ion LE5, and also on a 06 Ion LE5. So we have to wait to tune are’s.

 

maybe you've never been to a dyno session before. Its typically 3 pulls............usually takes under an hour, and thats WITH giving the car brakes to cool down.

Theres a BIG difference between ONE hour and WEEKS. I put that in my sig. reffering to me getting a baseline dyno, and then getting it dyoned after I get a tune/it tuned so I can have results on paper. You don't always have to associate dynoing a car with tuning it while its on the dyno. If BennyHHR pulls through, then yes my car will be dyno tuned with HP Tuners, but he is going to try to make it a one day affair. And if he can't, then i'll go with the Vector tune, in which case I will dyno it before and after the tune, which will take a whopping 1 hour or less each time.

My roomate is in the boat I DON'T want to be in. He's receieved numerous open ECU tunes, and even after going to two major shops, no one has yet to perfect it. He still experiences CEL's after tuning, and his car is either sitting in the driveway or on a dyno at a shop somewhere about 95% of the time lately. Thats exactly what I DON'T want to happen to my car which is why im being cautious about HP Tuners, as its not a pre-set tune and nothing is guaranteed. But like I said, BennyHHR might be setting something up for me at Pro Motion tuning w/ HP Tuners, so im just waiting on that and going from there.

Owned.

 

All these folks putting down vector, how many of you have actually delt with them? Ran one of their tunes? Even had a converstation with them?

 

I have not heard much discussion on this either about the cobalts. Everyone seems to think that they do all this stuff to the cobalt, but that's just what they say on their site. I am VERY interested to see someone actually test it before and after so we can see results either way.

I have seen it on the 2.4L Solstice, and it basically does nothing noticable. But a dyno would be a good measurement. If it did actually add 10hp, I can see why it wouldn't be felt, but that would still be an improvement nonetheless.