The Tuning School Learn At Home Course Review: Two thumbs way up!

powerlabs · 02-05-2010, 08:35 PM

My background: I love working on cars, and I take great pride in doing my own work.
But I also understand that the best setup in the world will only run as well as it is tuned. As a result, I’ve spent a lot of money over the years on professional tunes; tunes that have ranged in price from 300 to 800+ dollars: I had my car tuned after doing bolt-ons, then after supercharging, then after changing my Supercharger exhaust, then again after changing the Supercharger inlet. Each time the car was retuned it made more power, and, on the case of the FI mods, tuning the car was essential for making it run safely.
As an automotive enthusiast, I always wanted to learn how to tune, so I bought and read every single book Amazon.com sells on the subject. The books give you a great overview of how an ECU works and the basics behind tuning one. There are some nice books out there too, reading them lets you know what tuners are talking about when they discuss tunes. But they never tell you exactly how you can go about tuning your car with your particular tuning software; it is a "one size fits all" meant for guys with standlones, free tuning software, handhelds, etc. They also tell you things like: “You want to run the car richer at full throttle”. “Retard the ignition timing at high coolant temperatures” But they leave it at that; no exact numbers. Which makes them pretty useless if you are trying to actually tune a car.

Well, I’ve found the solution. The Tuning School spells out EXACTLY how you can tune your exact car using the most user friendly tuning software in the market; HP Tuners. And they spell it out step-by-step, with actual target numbers for different setups. Everything is well illustrated, with screen captures of what each table you will be modifying looks like, what datalogs look like, where to input the data, how to input the data, how to interpret logs and then use them to change the tune, EVERYTHING. And it is simple: anyone can do it with no background in tuning.

In my quest to learn how to tune I went to Detroit and took actual tuning classes with the author of one of the best tuning books out there. There is so much at stake when you’re tuning though (a wrong key stroke can lean your car out and destroy a 10thousand + dollar engine) that even after taking the classes I didn’t feel comfortable enough doing my own tune; the classes were simply too generic, geared towards general tuning, and not specific to HP tuners. The diploma I got looks cool, but he was so busy answering questions from the Mustang guys and the Import guys that GM-Specific content was pretty minimal.

I can safely say that after going though the material on The Tuning School, I am now confident to tune my own car. I HIGHLY recommend their at-home course to anyone who wishes to learn more about their car and take the next step in modding. And their price is a bargain: the course costs less than a pro-tune, but will allow you to do all your own pro-tunes from now on. You can even make money by tuning other people’s cars…

I really wish I had just gotten this course and HP tuners up front; I could’ve saved quite a bit of money doing my own tunes!

So, here’s what you get in The Tuning School Basic Course:

End User License Agreement: Just your usual legal stuff. “Don’t distribute this” Fair enough, it is their own work after all!
Quick Start Guide: A 14 page pamphlet that shows you how to install HP tuners, how to configure your display, view log files, scan logs, view tunes, install a wideband O2, etc.. All the basics you need to start using HP tuners.
Tuning the Right Way: A Beginner’s guide to Tuning GM Vehicles with HP Tuners Software: This is the main course: a 218-page book that takes you from the very basic stuff; how the ECU works, what it is doing, how it does what it is doing, etc, through simple tuning principles like understanding trouble codes, power enrichment, injector flow rate vs airflow, setting the rev limiter, re-calibrating the speedo for different gears and tires, disabling that miserable CAGS (skip shift), through some more complicated stuff like minimizing heatsoak, setting the idle at different coolant temperatures, and to the more fancy stuff for FI cars, like PE vs RPM for boosted cars, IAT tables for boost, etc.
There is a section on VCM Scanner details showing you how to read and interpret the results of your datalogs, and how to do use them to effectively modify the tuning tables themselves, for improved performance and drivability. It ends with additional info on misfire detection, live commands for transmission control, the HP tuners compare feature which allows you to see what changes have been done to the tune, and finally contact information, since they do offer live phone support if you buy the tuning school.
MAF and VE Tuning: For GM Vehicles tuning with HP Tuners Software: 42 pages detailing, step-by step, the process for VE (Speed Density) tuning; from failing the MAF, data logging, analyzing the data logs, and smoothing the tune. I’d expect to see this on the Advanced course, but its in the basic. Not bad!
Plus the following laminated quick guides:
The Tuning Tree (1 page)
Tuning Process for Bolt-Ons or Minor Modifications Only (2 Pages)
Tuning Process for Heads/Cam and Supporting Modifications (3 pages)
Tuning Process for Forced Induction (Supercharged/Turbocharged/Nitrous) and Supporting Modifications (3 pages)
These guides are quick reminders of all the steps one must go through in order to complete a tune; they are laminated with the intention that, after going through the entire tuning school course, one can just bring the reminders to perform a tune.
Along with all the paperwork, The Tuning School comes with a CD-Rom, containing 7 videos which are meant to be watched during different chapters of the main book. The CD-Rom videos are the following:
Basics of tuning process: Takes you through all the actual steps you would be taking to do a basic tune on a lightly modded vehicle; from data logging, saving the PCM file, reading the PCM and adjusting the ignition timing advance.
Heat Soak Video: Explains how IATs affect ignition timing, and how to reduce that problem. This video shows step-by-step where the tables are located, what the IATs look like in a vehicle experiencing heatsoak, and how to safely modify the tables.
Intro to main spark table: Shows you via a sample file where to modify the ignition timing table, how that table works, and how it is affected by other tables.
Main spark part 2 - Full throttle Tuning: Illustrates via a sample file how to identify the optimum ignition timing through datalogs and program it into the PCM.
Main spark part 3 Cruising Tuning: Talks about drivability issues with bigger cams, and how to mitigate them via tuning.
Main spark part 4 Idle Tuning: Shows how to create –or eliminate- idle “lumpiness” via ignition timing advance at idle.
PE Fuel Trim WOT Air Fuel Ratio: Shows how to set the Power Enrichment table to dial in WOT fuelling, and talks a bit about the “ideal” air fuel ratio at WOT for an N/A car.
Wideband O2 Quick Setup Video: Basic information on calibrating and attaching a wideband O2 sensor.
It also comes with 5 sample PCM files, 3 datalogs, and a quickstart configuration for the PCM scanner so resulting datalogs come out looking the same as the ones used in the book.

Thanks to the tuning school I was able to datalog my car on the drag strip and find out that it was pulling up to 9 degrees of ignition timing due to heat soak on staging, causing a massive power loss. I knew something was up from the low trap speeds (129MPH) but never knew why... Now I know why AND I know how to fix it!

As I near the end of my engine swap I will use this post to put up some more info about the retuning process, as I go through it using The Tuning School’s guidelines. Stay tuned!

For more information you can check out http://thetuningschool.com/

Disclaimer: I paid for the course and am posting this because I feel it really is a good product.

BUBBA · 02-06-2010, 07:17 AM

Great write up, thanks for sharing this.

ZOLTAR · 02-08-2010, 12:25 PM

Good to see this. I had been considering getting HP Tuners but wasn't sure how difficult it would be for me to understand. I have seen these guys here and thought about their program but again wasn't sure how difficult or easy it would be to pick up. Thanks for taking the time to share all of that.

powerlabs · 02-08-2010, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZOLTAR

Good to see this. I had been considering getting HP Tuners but wasn't sure how difficult it would be for me to understand. I have seen these guys here and thought about their program but again wasn't sure how difficult or easy it would be to pick up. Thanks for taking the time to share all of that.

HP tuners looks a little intimidating at first, but once you dig into the tables it all actually makes good sense. I suggest you download the program and play with it to see what some of the functions are; it is a free download at http://www.hptuners.com/ .

Chicken Little · 02-10-2010, 06:19 AM

Oh8C6 · 02-16-2010, 10:13 AM

This was good reading

RockinVette · 02-18-2010, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powerlabs

HP tuners looks a little intimidating at first, but once you dig into the tables it all actually makes good sense. I suggest you download the program and play with it to see what some of the functions are; it is a free download at http://www.hptuners.com/ .

Is it completely free or trial period? I guess I can find out by downloading. Thanks for posting that write up, I have been thinking about their program and wasn't sure how user friendly it might be or not be.

powerlabs · 02-18-2010, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockinVette

Is it completely free or trial period? I guess I can find out by downloading. Thanks for posting that write up, I have been thinking about their program and wasn't sure how user friendly it might be or not be.

The software is completely free, you just can't do any tuning or logging with it unless you have the hardware and a license of course...

BluV · 02-21-2010, 05:37 PM

I picked this up about a month ago too. I am very impressed with the tuning schools docs - except for two very big problems.

1. The screen shots for the PE in the editor look nothing like my actual editor screens. Is there an addendum or something? Did you have this problem Sam?

2. I tried joining the tuning schools forum on their website over a week ago. I received the welcome letter - which mentions another email for activation. Still waiting on it to happen. Over a week just to get into the forum for support? Are you having this problem too? If I do not get something by tomorrow - I will send email to the sales team to complain.

Otherwise, very impressed with the product - hoping to get over these bumps soon.....

It has definitely enhanced my learning curve of the hptuners....

BluV · 02-23-2010, 06:18 PM

Just a quick update - Ian@thetuningschool is helping me out - taking care of me. After I PM'ed him directly, he jumped in to assist. A good example of great support!

Thanks,
Noel

02-05-2010, 08:35 PM	#1
powerlabs Agent Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 2,012 Smokin' Bucks $73.20 My Gallery	The Tuning School Learn At Home Course Review: Two thumbs way up! My background: I love working on cars, and I take great pride in doing my own work. But I also understand that the best setup in the world will only run as well as it is tuned. As a result, I’ve spent a lot of money over the years on professional tunes; tunes that have ranged in price from 300 to 800+ dollars: I had my car tuned after doing bolt-ons, then after supercharging, then after changing my Supercharger exhaust, then again after changing the Supercharger inlet. Each time the car was retuned it made more power, and, on the case of the FI mods, tuning the car was essential for making it run safely. As an automotive enthusiast, I always wanted to learn how to tune, so I bought and read every single book Amazon.com sells on the subject. The books give you a great overview of how an ECU works and the basics behind tuning one. There are some nice books out there too, reading them lets you know what tuners are talking about when they discuss tunes. But they never tell you exactly how you can go about tuning your car with your particular tuning software; it is a "one size fits all" meant for guys with standlones, free tuning software, handhelds, etc. They also tell you things like: “You want to run the car richer at full throttle”. “Retard the ignition timing at high coolant temperatures” But they leave it at that; no exact numbers. Which makes them pretty useless if you are trying to actually tune a car. Well, I’ve found the solution. The Tuning School spells out EXACTLY how you can tune your exact car using the most user friendly tuning software in the market; HP Tuners. And they spell it out step-by-step, with actual target numbers for different setups. Everything is well illustrated, with screen captures of what each table you will be modifying looks like, what datalogs look like, where to input the data, how to input the data, how to interpret logs and then use them to change the tune, EVERYTHING. And it is simple: anyone can do it with no background in tuning. In my quest to learn how to tune I went to Detroit and took actual tuning classes with the author of one of the best tuning books out there. There is so much at stake when you’re tuning though (a wrong key stroke can lean your car out and destroy a 10thousand + dollar engine) that even after taking the classes I didn’t feel comfortable enough doing my own tune; the classes were simply too generic, geared towards general tuning, and not specific to HP tuners. The diploma I got looks cool, but he was so busy answering questions from the Mustang guys and the Import guys that GM-Specific content was pretty minimal. I can safely say that after going though the material on The Tuning School, I am now confident to tune my own car. I HIGHLY recommend their at-home course to anyone who wishes to learn more about their car and take the next step in modding. And their price is a bargain: the course costs less than a pro-tune, but will allow you to do all your own pro-tunes from now on. You can even make money by tuning other people’s cars… I really wish I had just gotten this course and HP tuners up front; I could’ve saved quite a bit of money doing my own tunes! So, here’s what you get in The Tuning School Basic Course: End User License Agreement: Just your usual legal stuff. “Don’t distribute this” Fair enough, it is their own work after all! Quick Start Guide: A 14 page pamphlet that shows you how to install HP tuners, how to configure your display, view log files, scan logs, view tunes, install a wideband O2, etc.. All the basics you need to start using HP tuners. Tuning the Right Way: A Beginner’s guide to Tuning GM Vehicles with HP Tuners Software: This is the main course: a 218-page book that takes you from the very basic stuff; how the ECU works, what it is doing, how it does what it is doing, etc, through simple tuning principles like understanding trouble codes, power enrichment, injector flow rate vs airflow, setting the rev limiter, re-calibrating the speedo for different gears and tires, disabling that miserable CAGS (skip shift), through some more complicated stuff like minimizing heatsoak, setting the idle at different coolant temperatures, and to the more fancy stuff for FI cars, like PE vs RPM for boosted cars, IAT tables for boost, etc. There is a section on VCM Scanner details showing you how to read and interpret the results of your datalogs, and how to do use them to effectively modify the tuning tables themselves, for improved performance and drivability. It ends with additional info on misfire detection, live commands for transmission control, the HP tuners compare feature which allows you to see what changes have been done to the tune, and finally contact information, since they do offer live phone support if you buy the tuning school. MAF and VE Tuning: For GM Vehicles tuning with HP Tuners Software: 42 pages detailing, step-by step, the process for VE (Speed Density) tuning; from failing the MAF, data logging, analyzing the data logs, and smoothing the tune. I’d expect to see this on the Advanced course, but its in the basic. Not bad! Plus the following laminated quick guides: The Tuning Tree (1 page) Tuning Process for Bolt-Ons or Minor Modifications Only (2 Pages) Tuning Process for Heads/Cam and Supporting Modifications (3 pages) Tuning Process for Forced Induction (Supercharged/Turbocharged/Nitrous) and Supporting Modifications (3 pages) These guides are quick reminders of all the steps one must go through in order to complete a tune; they are laminated with the intention that, after going through the entire tuning school course, one can just bring the reminders to perform a tune. Along with all the paperwork, The Tuning School comes with a CD-Rom, containing 7 videos which are meant to be watched during different chapters of the main book. The CD-Rom videos are the following: Basics of tuning process: Takes you through all the actual steps you would be taking to do a basic tune on a lightly modded vehicle; from data logging, saving the PCM file, reading the PCM and adjusting the ignition timing advance. Heat Soak Video: Explains how IATs affect ignition timing, and how to reduce that problem. This video shows step-by-step where the tables are located, what the IATs look like in a vehicle experiencing heatsoak, and how to safely modify the tables. Intro to main spark table: Shows you via a sample file where to modify the ignition timing table, how that table works, and how it is affected by other tables. Main spark part 2 - Full throttle Tuning: Illustrates via a sample file how to identify the optimum ignition timing through datalogs and program it into the PCM. Main spark part 3 Cruising Tuning: Talks about drivability issues with bigger cams, and how to mitigate them via tuning. Main spark part 4 Idle Tuning: Shows how to create –or eliminate- idle “lumpiness” via ignition timing advance at idle. PE Fuel Trim WOT Air Fuel Ratio: Shows how to set the Power Enrichment table to dial in WOT fuelling, and talks a bit about the “ideal” air fuel ratio at WOT for an N/A car. Wideband O2 Quick Setup Video: Basic information on calibrating and attaching a wideband O2 sensor. It also comes with 5 sample PCM files, 3 datalogs, and a quickstart configuration for the PCM scanner so resulting datalogs come out looking the same as the ones used in the book. Thanks to the tuning school I was able to datalog my car on the drag strip and find out that it was pulling up to 9 degrees of ignition timing due to heat soak on staging, causing a massive power loss. I knew something was up from the low trap speeds (129MPH) but never knew why... Now I know why AND I know how to fix it! As I near the end of my engine swap I will use this post to put up some more info about the retuning process, as I go through it using The Tuning School’s guidelines. Stay tuned! For more information you can check out http://thetuningschool.com/ Disclaimer: I paid for the course and am posting this because I feel it really is a good product.

02-06-2010, 07:17 AM	#2
BUBBA Smokin 1000HP Twin Turbo Club Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Key West Posts: 1,582 Smokin' Bucks $28.88 My Gallery	Great write up, thanks for sharing this. __________________ Whats Hiding in Bubba's garage? 2007 Indy 500 Pace Car - 2240 miles 2001 C5 6 Speed Corvette - 96,000 miles 2003 Dodge Ram Pickup - 54,000 miles 1984 C4 Corvette - 68,000 miles - SOLD and Missed

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02-08-2010, 12:25 PM	#3
ZOLTAR Smokin 100HP Club Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fresno, California Posts: 177 Smokin' Bucks $7.58 My Gallery	Good to see this. I had been considering getting HP Tuners but wasn't sure how difficult it would be for me to understand. I have seen these guys here and thought about their program but again wasn't sure how difficult or easy it would be to pick up. Thanks for taking the time to share all of that.

02-10-2010, 06:19 AM	#5
Chicken Little Smokin Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Concord, New Hamshire Posts: 28 Smokin' Bucks $5.78 My Gallery

02-16-2010, 10:13 AM	#6
Oh8C6 Smokin 100HP Club Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 107 Smokin' Bucks $9.54 My Gallery	This was good reading

02-21-2010, 05:37 PM	#9
BluV Smokin Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: DFW, TX Posts: 17 Smokin' Bucks $0.12 My Gallery	I picked this up about a month ago too. I am very impressed with the tuning schools docs - except for two very big problems. 1. The screen shots for the PE in the editor look nothing like my actual editor screens. Is there an addendum or something? Did you have this problem Sam? 2. I tried joining the tuning schools forum on their website over a week ago. I received the welcome letter - which mentions another email for activation. Still waiting on it to happen. Over a week just to get into the forum for support? Are you having this problem too? If I do not get something by tomorrow - I will send email to the sales team to complain. Otherwise, very impressed with the product - hoping to get over these bumps soon..... It has definitely enhanced my learning curve of the hptuners....

02-23-2010, 06:18 PM	#10
BluV Smokin Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: DFW, TX Posts: 17 Smokin' Bucks $0.12 My Gallery	Just a quick update - Ian@thetuningschool is helping me out - taking care of me. After I PM'ed him directly, he jumped in to assist. A good example of great support! Thanks, Noel