ok guys i know that this is a stupid question but what does tuning actually do i hear alot about it on these forums and i am not really a noob with motors but the only motor that i ever work on really is the one that is in my Nova im restoring and the only computers that were out then were 4x the size of my car

thanks in advance and try not to bash me to much lol

 

since u said dont bash i wont make fun of u for calling an engine a motor...


tuning dials in ur tune to where ur car runs at tip top performance

 

what kind of things does the tune change haha thanks for not bashing lol

 

u can adjust air fuel rations and spark timing advance...depending on the tuning program u use on how much u can tune different on the car


and a motor is a device that converts hydraulic or electrical energy into continuous rotary motion and torque..a engine is a mechanical device that produces some form of output from a given input.

 

There is no carb on a cobalt

 

yes i know that there is no carb on a cobalt

 

"Tuning dials in your tune"? now that's good explainin' right there

With an electronic fuel injection, the cars computer determines fuel flow, timing of the spark from the spark plug, how much air gets into the engine,etc It also monitors a bunch of sensors that know the exact position of the engine, exactly how much air is flowing into the engine and how well the engine is burning the fuel

Car manufacturers use this information to make a safe, fuel efficient engine. Tuning changes variables (how much air, how much fuel, timing of the spark) to give the engine more power in exchange for safety or fuel efficiency.

You also tune to accommodate new parts. If you put in higher flowing fuel injectors, the computer wont know that and the engine wont work well until you tell it what to do.

 

oo nice explanation bolus thanks dude thats the kind of things that i thought it did but wasnt quite sure thanks again dude

 

GM tunes you rich - and with less timing in order to protect themselves and your vehicule
Tuning lets you "turn up the volume" on your car making it run closer to it's full potential

A good tune will give you better response + more HP = more fun (or speeding tickets)

 

would tuning for performance hurt your gas millage? or just getting a tune in general will help out with fuel economy?

 

depends on the type of tune you want, some can get better gas mileage and performance, some just for gas mileage and then some for just pure raw performance which would hurt fuel mileage.

 

You can tune for both.

I have my lower maf frequencies dialed in to my narrow band and my VE table tuned along with it and i get around 36+ mpg.

The upper band where I go under throttle I have tuned for performance via my WB. You will basically get both better gas mileage and performance if done right.

 

Think of it this way, which is really very easy. The word "tuning" as it is used today comes from older non-computer controlled engines where the mechanic would make small adjustments to the ignition distributor or carb to get a well running engine. The modern engine is run using a computer. So to make any adjustments to that, you have to change the computers program. Since it still has to with car engines, the term "tuning" is still used. A more correct description would be Programming.