Do headers require a tune?

[havelegs]

Like topic says if adding headers do you need a tune? I have a brand new SS and am concerned about tuning due to it possibly voiding my power train warranty if deemed it was the cause. At least with headers I can remove them and stick the stock ones back one if need be.

[AGM 1LE]

it has been asked and answered countless times

[Candr3535]

Need tune if you want to lose the check engine lite

[havelegs]

Originally Posted by AGM 1LE

it has been asked and answered countless times

Sorry. I primarily have to use my phone since my desktop has broke recently.

[pyroguy]

Shorty headers do not require a tune. Long tube headers do require a tune to remove the eventual check engine light. Certain high flow cats bolted to stock manifolds or shorty headers will not throw a check engine light and will not require a tune. However, to get the most out of your mods a tune is recommended. Otherwise you are leaving hp on the table.

[havelegs]

Originally Posted by pyroguy

Shorty headers do not require a tune. Long tube headers do require a tune to remove the eventual check engine light. Certain high flow cats bolted to stock manifolds or shorty headers will not throw a check engine light and will not require a tune. However, to get the most out of your mods a tune is recommended. Otherwise you are leaving hp on the table.

Great thanks. Yeah I know the tune will find tune everything, but new car...

[Apex Motorsports]

Originally Posted by havelegs

Like topic says if adding headers do you need a tune? I have a brand new SS and am concerned about tuning due to it possibly voiding my power train warranty if deemed it was the cause. At least with headers I can remove them and stick the stock ones back one if need be.

Long tube headers will throw a check engine light without tuning. If you do have a catastrophic drive train failure, swap back to your factory parts, and they scan the ECM and find you have been driving around for months with e check engine light I wouldn't expect them to fix it under warranty either. My advise has always been to wait on headers until you are willing to tune and wait to tune until you are ready to walk away from the warranty.

[harner]

I heard that the Diablo tune is almost transparent to the dealers, so if you're scared I'd go that route. Talk to JRE about it.

I agree with APEX - don't mod unless you want to void the warranty. It's my downfall with every vehicle I've ever purchased from a dealer lol.

[Apex Motorsports]

Originally Posted by harner

I heard that the Diablo tune is almost transparent to the dealers, so if you're scared I'd go that route.

You can not flash the ECM without it being logged. Don't let anyone trying to sell you something tell you otherwise.

[havelegs]

Originally Posted by harner

I heard that the Diablo tune is almost transparent to the dealers, so if you're scared I'd go that route. Talk to JRE about it.

I agree with APEX - don't mod unless you want to void the warranty. It's my downfall with every vehicle I've ever purchased from a dealer lol.

I wouldn't want to risk that. I work as a Linux System Admin, so I know how files show modified dates. Unless the program can rewrite and change the modified dates on the files it touches, I would assume that the techs could see when the files were last modified which would throw a red flag up. I guess I'll just wait it out years before I start sticking mods on it. For now I'll just go with a CAI and look at swapping out the rear diff for a 3.91 from a 1LE, which I am assuming would not be an issue since GM sells these as an option.

Thanks guys

[SS Blinder]

before you swap gears out, make sure that you find a chevy dealer that will swap them and recalibrate your speedometer.

[Eric14SS]

I ran headers for a long time without a tune. I didn't tune my car till I got a cam.

[JDP Sales]

Originally Posted by havelegs

Like topic says if adding headers do you need a tune? I have a brand new SS and am concerned about tuning due to it possibly voiding my power train warranty if deemed it was the cause. At least with headers I can remove them and stick the stock ones back one if need be.

Tune is a must IMO. Warranty MAY be compromised in the event of a failure directly related to the part installed or the tune. Could go either way. Service Department Managers have a say in how that all goes down.

The "safe" answer however is like the others have already stated: If it would ruin your life in the event that something happened and you were stuck with the bill, I'd wait for those mods.


All the best,

Jared

[Anthony @ LG Motorsports]

Headers, at least any good one, is going to change the flow through the engine and will effect the dynamics of how the engine runs.

That being said your factory computer can adjust fueling up and down about 25% from what it was written to give the car under part throttle conditions (not in PE mode). That being said (SES light conditions aside) you could drive the car around outside of WOT and the car can, for the most part, correct itself. Is it perfect, most certainly not but it isn't going to blow up on you.

Now under WOT things are going to change. Depending on what the computer has been doing or how much you have changed the car yes things will change WOT and that is the main reason you should always have it tuned.

Until they (GM) go to a lambda setup with WOT controls we always suggest tuning the car not only to make sure fueling is correct but you can generally tweak other settings to get the most from your modifications.