Tune or not to Tune

[Buddy2]

I have the L99 in my 2012 2SS. I’m thinking of having a performance tune done this spring. Is it worth it or is it a waste of money? Anyone have it done? Where you happy?
Thanks in advance. Jim

[Moto-Mojo]

Nearly impossible to answer in that context. It’s like asking someone if they think plastic surgery is worth it. It is to those who wanted it, got what they paid for and are happy.

There’s a thousand pages on the subject here and in the “Tuning” section. I have a 2015 SS. I’ve purchased a tune from both of the major players here. I was (am) happy with one! So, yes, for me it was worth it. The 2nd time. You should check here and with locals who have a good reputation. It will definitely wake your car up but...don’t expect cam and blower-like results from just a tune. That’s my honest 2 cents.

[SlingShot]

I've got one on my Sedan SS, and I feel that's the way it should have come from the factory. My sedan is a 14 and came with LS3 and auto trans. The tune I have on it is the LMS 93 octane aggressive plus and it runs great. I picked up more power and torque, and the trans part of the tune is awesome. When I put my foot in it, it will squawk 2nd and 3rd gear. It's a lot of fun, and you can drive the car easy or go a little crazy...

[LCPLPunk]

If all you have is an intake and catback, you don't really 'need' one, but you would still benefit. With that said, what are your goals for the future? You could get a lifetime tune package from RDP motorsports and get a tune from them now, and then if you get longtubes/gear/converter in the future you could get tune updates for free. Only caveat, if you got a cam or went the supercharged route, they won't do a remote tune for that.

[Greenhornet2]

No tune needed until you add long tube headers or cam ect. Cars are already tuned well from the factory so you won't gain much, if anything from a tune on an otherwise stock car. So in my opinion, waste of money until you do other mods.

[InFiD3ViL]

Originally Posted by Greenhornet2

No tune needed until you add long tube headers or cam ect. Cars are already tuned well from the factory so you won't gain much, if anything from a tune on an otherwise stock car. So in my opinion, waste of money until you do other mods.

I would agree except for one exception...the transmission and torque management in the automatic. A TCM tune makes a huge difference in these cars, even without major mods. Even without HP gains the driveability improvement is substantial. Also, disabling AFM as soon as possible is a plus.

If you get a tuner that updates tunes for free or low cost, then it's maybe worth it. But like you said, it is a waste of money if you have to pay for retune after each upgrade. Then I would say wait.

[DRKS1D3]

Originally Posted by Buddy2

I have the L99 in my 2012 2SS. I’m thinking of having a performance tune done this spring. Is it worth it or is it a waste of money? Anyone have it done? Where you happy?
Thanks in advance. Jim

From a good friend that had it done, a tune on an L99 will really liven up the shift points in the trans and it will act like a completely different animal.

Perhaps he (pyroguy) will jump in here and tell you all about it.

[Buddy2]

I don’t intend to go beyond a tune. The car is pretty peppy already. It just seems to want to shift up too soon. I have a range unit which helps, but you must unplug all the time or else the battery goes dead. It might be worth it just to disable the AFM.

[pyroguy]

Originally Posted by DRKS1D3

From a good friend that had it done, a tune on an L99 will really liven up the shift points in the trans and it will act like a completely different animal.

Perhaps he (pyroguy) will jump in here and tell you all about it.

Gotcha man!

Originally Posted by Buddy2

I have the L99 in my 2012 2SS. I’m thinking of having a performance tune done this spring. Is it worth it or is it a waste of money? Anyone have it done? Where you happy?
Thanks in advance. Jim

A tune is definitely worth its weight in gold for a L99 car. However, I'd suggest at least getting some long tube headers and a cold air intake first. You'll get more out of your tune and you'll get more power, which is always a nice bonus.

The difference with an aftermarket tune vs factory is that it pulls a lot of the "torque management" that GM puts in and makes the car feel sluggish. Also, the transmission tune is a huge difference in waking the car up. Shifts can be as firm as you want or even do like what I had done on my first tune, have a "wife mode" tuned into it. What I mean by that is in "D" mode it shifted smoother, more similarly to stock with improved shift points and a little firmer shifts. However, when is "M" mode the shifts were much more firm, "neck snapping" and were definitely more rowdy. It made for much more spirited runs and the paddle shifters were much more instant than the button lag from the factory.

[SSEssence]

For a L99 car, turning off AFM and the trans tune is worth it.

[InFiD3ViL]

Originally Posted by Buddy2

I don’t intend to go beyond a tune. The car is pretty peppy already. It just seems to want to shift up too soon. I have a range unit which helps, but you must unplug all the time or else the battery goes dead. It might be worth it just to disable the AFM.

I would recommend a tune then. If you were to go with Dynosteve, for instance, you buy the handheld from him and get free tune updates for life. This way if you do decide to install further mods later on, it won't cost you any more for tuning.

Completely disabling AFM and being able to adjust shift point/firmness as well as torque management will yield a major driveability improvement.

[Greenhornet2]

Originally Posted by InFiD3ViL

I would agree except for one exception...the transmission and torque management in the automatic. A TCM tune makes a huge difference in these cars, even without major mods. Even without HP gains the driveability improvement is substantial. Also, disabling AFM as soon as possible is a plus.

If you get a tuner that updates tunes for free or low cost, then it's maybe worth it. But like you said, it is a waste of money if you have to pay for retune after each upgrade. Then I would say wait.

I agree with this. I'm always thinking M6 because that's what I have.

[byrds8]

Originally Posted by pyroguy

Gotcha man!



A tune is definitely worth its weight in gold for a L99 car. However, I'd suggest at least getting some long tube headers and a cold air intake first. You'll get more out of your tune and you'll get more power, which is always a nice bonus.

The difference with an aftermarket tune vs factory is that it pulls a lot of the "torque management" that GM puts in and makes the car feel sluggish. Also, the transmission tune is a huge difference in waking the car up. Shifts can be as firm as you want or even do like what I had done on my first tune, have a "wife mode" tuned into it. What I mean by that is in "D" mode it shifted smoother, more similarly to stock with improved shift points and a little firmer shifts. However, when is "M" mode the shifts were much more firm, "neck snapping" and were definitely more rowdy. It made for much more spirited runs and the paddle shifters were much more instant than the button lag from the factory.

Amen Brother!

[uvraise]

Originally Posted by Buddy2

I have the L99 in my 2012 2SS. I’m thinking of having a performance tune done this spring. Is it worth it or is it a waste of money? Anyone have it done? Where you happy?
Thanks in advance. Jim

Just my two cents. Get the tune. I have a 2SS/RS, L99. Getting rid of the Range and AFM alone was worth it. Dyno Steve through RDP Motorsports is where I got my module and tune from. The first tune he sent I loved, especially the trans, but my wallet couldn't afford the tires and my wife drives the car occasionally, so I asked Steve to take a little off the top and what he gave me in the second, updated tune, is great for me and I'm still running it two years later. Steve is great to work with IMO. I only have a CAI and the tune and I really like it. Probably the only other mod for me will be a CB exhaust. Mines a vert and my DD, if it was a weekend car or track car, I'd go for the LTH and so on, but for me, there's no regrets.