Malibu 3.6L Tuning

[cp-the-nerd]

Thank you for the explanation and the link! Both were very helpful. I was searching neutral skip shift for like 20 minutes last night and just got nowhere. Now I get why Russ sent me a tune with neutral skip downshift disabled and power downshift torque management disabled, I didn't know the two changes were an important combination.

I love learning, so I appreciate you dropping some knowledge on me!

[jtrosky]

Believe me - I'm right there with you! I NEVER expected to get into any of this tuning-related stuff, but I too love learning - and being able to customize my vehicle to my preferences is just awesome and I've caught the bug! I'm completely new to this stuff as well. I've been SUPER cautious with any changes I've made and have mainly been concentrating on the transmission (as that is my biggest complaint with the Impala). Like you, I like to learn about and understand anything that I even think about changing.

I just wish there was more info out there about a lot of these parameters and how they affect things. Can't afford to learn by trial and error on my new-ish car, which is also my daily driver! :-)

[cp-the-nerd]

There's actually a book on GM 6-speed tuning from The Tuning School for $100. It focuses on the 6L80 from the G8 and Corvette so the tuning strategies are a bit different, but it covers a lot of the parameters in depth. I haven't picked it up, that kinda money doesn't just fall from the sky, but it's a top priority in the near future.

Like you, I find the ability to customize my car exactly the way I want very appealing. I suppose that's the tradeoff between now and the old days. 30 years ago, you could buy affordable mods and manually change your car's performance and feel to your liking. Now that cars are too complicated to make mechanical changes on a whim, it's awesome that we can modify the computer for the desired results.

[jtrosky]

Honestly, if The Tuning School transmission course was specifically about the 6T-series (or even covered the 6T-series at all), I'd probably buy it. But being as new as I am to this, I just wouldn't know or understand how the 6L-series differs in terms of tuning, so I'd be hesitant to "trust" if what I'm reading really applies to the 6T-series or not.

Does anyone know of any training material that is specifically for the 6T-series of transmissions?

[cp-the-nerd]

Just an update, I compared my stock tune to my latest performance tune using TorquePro for Android and my high-end OBD scanner. I've consistently improved .4 seconds from 0-60, and the app's perceived wheel horsepower jumped from 205 hp/199 lb-ft (very accurate to factory ratings using 20% loss) to 220 hp/214 lb-ft. I'm very happy with those changes. The power gains are absolutely backed up by the improvement in accel.

[jtrosky]

Just curious - what OBD scanner do you use? I just have a $20 cheap-o bluetooth OBD-II adapter, which works really well with Torque Pro - I just wish it has access to all of the same PIDs that HPTuners scanner app does. Too many transmission-related PIDs missing in Torque Pro (can't even get current gear or tcc lockup pressure, for example). Is yours bluetooth or wired? Torque Pro is just so much more convenient that HPTuner for "everyday" monitoring...

[cp-the-nerd]

OBDLink Bluetooth Adaptor. It was on sale for $120 when I bought it like two years ago. They probably have newer versions out now. It's insanely accurate and consistent for real-time data, particularly performance tests like 0-60, 0-100, 1/4 mile, etc. It also comes with its own data interface for PC/Mac and can plug directly into a laptop.