GearHead Tunes Experience/lessons learned.

[Eric Morris]

Nice mileage throughout the trip. Not bad for 4800 lb pig, cruising at 80 mph.

Averaged 25.8 overall for the last two months in mine! Lots of highway, but always a few miles of local streets at each end and some random trips to the store thrown in as well.

Anyways.... I'm not sure why you guys think the GH tune has any ability whatsoever to adjust for octane, at least any more so than the stock Ford tune. There is NO fuel sensor of any type, therefore there is no way the car knows what octane fuel is in the tank. I'm going to assume they are running max timing like everyone else (might have backed it down a few degrees), and simply let the knock sensors pull timing, just like everyone else.

Anyone is free to bring the tech and show me I'm wrong about this, but I really think you guys are parroting some marketing BS and it hurts my brain to read it repeatedly.

 

[Eric Morris]

Nevermind... Found this.

"Perhaps the most important aspect included in Gearhead’s tuning is its retention of the factory “auto octane adjustment” feature present in the ECU. This feature allows the ECU to self-adjust according to the type of fuel being used (be it 87, 90 or 93 octane, etc.). But, not only does Gearhead keep this feature, they improve it. Gearhead augments the factory auto octane adjustment strategy in a way that allows considerably more power to be made as you step up your octane rating (without changing the tune)."

So they are just using the factory setup. Then they make it less safe/more aggressive than the factory settings so you get more power. Got it.

 

[Angrymongoose]

Isn't that what all tuners do in a nutshell?
Unless you're totally replacing the factory ecu they all just modify factory settings. They don't reinvent the wheel. Some are just better at modifying than others.

 

[Eric Morris]

Isn't that what all tuners do in a nutshell?
Unless you're totally replacing the factory ecu they all just modify factory settings. They don't reinvent the wheel. Some are just better at modifying than others.

Yes, it is. My point is GH and their fans tout this "auto-octane tune" like it's unique to GH. They are just using the factory knock sensors to pull timing while using marketing fluff to fool people who don't know any better.

 

[limited02]

@mattr66

 

[Angrymongoose]

As I understand GH is unique on this one. They are the only ones with an AO tune. The rest all require a dedicated octane. Personally I would say that is a pretty big deal.

 

[trewq]

Yes, it is. My point is GH and their fans tout this "auto-octane tune" like it's unique to GH. They are just using the factory knock sensors to pull timing while using marketing fluff to fool people who don't know any better.

I'm not sure why you're hating so hard. A custom tune with octane adjustment capability is EXTREMELY useful with regards to keeping the versatility of a daily driver. I assume is most of the people driving a SHO use it as their daily. Even if GH is doing what "every other tuner" is doing, they still retain the auto-octane feature from the factory, while also increasing performance and drivability significantly. You could never take a 93 octane tuned car on a cross-country road trip.

 

[SM105K]

Yes, it is. My point is GH and their fans tout this "auto-octane tune" like it's unique to GH. They are just using the factory knock sensors to pull timing while using marketing fluff to fool people who don't know any better.

Yeah, you are hating pretty hard against the only tuner right now that uses the AO. Also GH is the forefront of performance mods (IC, Upgraded Turbos, Tuning) and advancing the platform. You sound like a snooty *******. Check out LMS, heard they are killing the game.

Also, I don't have a horse in this race. I am tuned by AJPTurbo so...

 

[Eric Morris]

I'm not "hating" anyone. I'm just saying "auto octane" is complete marketing wank and some of you guys are lapping it up and regurgitating it like it's some great feature. It's just the factory EEC pulling timing with the factory knock sensors. My stock tune does the same thing. I simply don't understand the hype.

I don't have a dog in the fight either- hot rodding a transverse V6/FWD platform is not for me. I love my SHO, but I'm not dumping a bunch of money into modding it.

I've been around modding and tuning Fords for a long time though, so when this whole "auto-octane" thing pooped up on they radar here- I thought WTF are they talking about?

GH might be the greatest thing for SHO owners since sliced bread, but they are still shoving marketing wank down people's throats who don't know any better with this whole auto-octane thing.

If I'm wrong about this, please, feel free to bring the tech and I'll change my opinion on it.

 

[Angrymongoose]

I want to be clear I was in no way disparaging GH with my responses. I was trying to figure out what his point was exactly. I know the AO tune is going to be the route I go. That flexibility if I end up taking the SHO on a longer road trip will be very useful.

 

[Angrymongoose]

Its not marketing wank. They retain a feature that no other tuner does. I'm not sure how that's difficult to understand.

 

[SM105K]

I'm not "hating" anyone. I'm just saying "auto octane" is complete marketing wank and some of you guys are lapping it up and regurgitating it like it's some great feature. It's just the factory EEC pulling timing with the factory knock sensors. My stock tune does the same thing. I simply don't understand the hype.

I don't have a dog in the fight either- hot rodding a transverse V6/FWD platform is not for me. I love my SHO, but I'm not dumping a bunch of money into modding it.

I've been around modding and tuning Fords for a long time though, so when this whole "auto-octane" thing pooped up on they radar here- I thought WTF are they talking about?

GH might be the greatest thing for SHO owners since sliced bread, but they are still shoving marketing wank down people's throats who don't know any better with this whole auto-octane thing.

If I'm wrong about this, please, feel free to bring the tech and I'll change my opinion on it.

You are wrong. Period. The AO is a feature that is being run by only one tuner on the market right. How it is a gimmick? It is proven to be safe, enhance performance, and out perform other tunes. It gives you the flexibility for running a wide range of octane while getting some of the best performance out of the tune. That is like saying tuning a whole is a gimmick, because Ford could do that too.

 

[Eric Morris]

Its not marketing wank. They retain a feature that no other tuner does. I'm not sure how that's difficult to understand.

So all other tuners ignore the knock sensors input entirely? It seems totally pointless and reckless for any aftermarket tuner to remove the protection provided by the factory installed and calibrated knock sensors.

How do you know for sure that is what other tuners do? Have they stated definitively that they turn off the knock sensors in their tunes? If that is the case though, then I'd agree the GH tunes are superior.

 

[SM105K]

The only tuner that ignores knock senors is SSI. Other tuners don't use the AO algorithm in their tunes. GH does and has made it better and safe, while getting more performance from the tune.

How is that a gimmick? If not other tuner is doing it...that would be marketing.

 

[limited02]

The only tuner that ignores knock senors is SSI. Other tuners don't use the AO algorithm in their tunes. GH does and has made it better and safe, while getting more performance from the tune.

How is that a gimmick? If not other tuner is doing it...that would be marketing.

Agreed on all points (SSi included...)!

I think the point that Eric is getting at is most reputable tuners do allow SOME flexibility with their tunes. The difference is the flexibility is nothing like what the GH AO tune offers. Yes, I can run 87 octane with my LMS 93 tune, but I have to keep the RPM's down and avoid WOT. The GH AO tune, you can go WOT with any octane because the tune compensates for the octane range, but maximizes performance.

I did ping Matt above and hopefully he can chime in with a clear explanation.

 

[Angrymongoose]

No one ever said that other tuners disable the knock sensors.
Its possible to use a knock sensor and not allow for different octanes.
This argument is getting pointless though. You clearly just want to be mad and have no interest in listening to logic or reason.

 

[SM105K]

No one ever said that other tuners disable the knock sensors.
Its possible to use a knock sensor and not allow for different octanes.
This argument is getting pointless though. You clearly just want to be mad and have no interest in listening to logic or reason.

Come on meow....

 

[Lostneye]

Check out LMS, heard they are killing the game.

And rotating assemblies

 

[SM105K]

And rotating assemblies

"allegedly"

^if you watch Letterkenny, you will laugh at that right there.

 

[Eric Morris]

No one ever said that other tuners disable the knock sensors.
Its possible to use a knock sensor and not allow for different octanes.
This argument is getting pointless though. You clearly just want to be mad and have no interest in listening to logic or reason.

No I am not mad at all. You seem to be the one who is upset here.

I'm saying that I believe the only way GH can detect that 87 octane is in the tank vs 93 is when the knock sensors send a signal that they are hearing the particular frequency that the engine makes when it knocks. Then, they pull more and more timing until it no longer knocks. Can we agree on that? There is no fuel sensor of any type and the only feedback a tuner could use to determine that is the knock sensor. Agree?

So here's the rub- I don't buy the "custom algorithm" story they are pushing. Again, I could be wrong, and free free to bring tech instead of insults, but AFAIK, there's no room in the EEC's memory to be adding custom code to accomplish such a thing.

I've not a fan boy of ANY tuning company, so again- not mad, not upset, really could care less about who and how SHOs are tuned- but I've been around modified Fords for a long time and I'm just trying to figure out what exactly GH is doing that is unique- if anything.