More Air = smaller MAF numbers? Help me understand the basic concept of Tuning.

[uptownv]

Hello Gurus.
I have a LSA CTS-V and totally new to tuning.
Please spare some of your time for me to check if I understood everything right so far.

I'm not planning to tune my car myself right now but would like to try in the near future.
and at least, I would like to be able to understand what is happening to my car everytime my tuner gives me an update.


So I'm looking up youtube videos and studying the tune file from my tuner to understand the basic concept first.


As I guess, the basic concept of tuning is to calibrate the air flow on the MAF table first as much as more air the new larger intake can suck up (or also smaller SC pulley in my case)
then accordingly increase the injector flow to match the stoichiometry AFR.
Last, callibrate the spark advance as faster the engine runs.
after that look for knock retards and adjust the spark retard or injector flow to eliminate it.

Would this be the correct basic concept of tuning?
Of course I know it's hell lot more complicated and professional but for today, I wanna check if I understood the file so far.


And also... I see the MAF airflow number getting smaller everytime my tune gets updated.
Does smaller MAF airflow number mean more airflow? Like is my car getting faster?



Thanks guys and have a great weekend.

[GHuggins]

I assume that you have a good wide band installed and your tuner is going by this? Smaller numbers means that he's pulling fuel out - doesn't necessarily mean that you've got less air or more power - just means that it was overly rich and is being compensated for.

[schpenxel]

Injector flow rate you adjust to match the actual injectors. This info should be provided by the injector manufacturers if possible (or GM if they are OEM injectors)

Adjust MAF to make actual AFR and commanded AFR match (and fuel trims close to 0)

Adjust VE table, also to make actual AFR and commanded AFR match (and fuel trims close to 0)

Adjust spark for peak power/torque or sometimes less on FI applications to avoid adding extra holes in the block

And that's about as close to a 50,000 ft overview as I can make

[GHuggins]

Injector flow rate you adjust to match the actual injectors. This info should be provided by the injector manufacturers if possible (or GM if they are OEM injectors)

Adjust MAF to make actual AFR and commanded AFR match (and fuel trims close to 0)

Adjust VE table, also to make actual AFR and commanded AFR match (and fuel trims close to 0)

Adjust spark for peak power/torque or sometimes less on FI applications to avoid adding extra holes in the block

And that's about as close to a 50,000 ft overview as I can make

I like that.... If only tuning were so simple