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How to find shop 2 program my truck?

Danni

New Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2013
Messages
7
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
I just bought my Avalanche and I really do love it. I am a Blond but nut a dumb blond I just don't know where to start to find a place that will reprogram my truck. And will it even help me? I put a cold air K&N on it "by myself" but it just seems to lag at a dead stop. Also can they change its shifting, shifts like crap in my book.

Thanks, Danni
 
If we knew where you were located we might be able to suggest someone nearby.

There are several that do computer tunes by mail.  Nelson Performance comes to mind.  There's a member here that does some mail tuning using Diablo products if I remember correctly.  I believe Blackbear Tuning has a portable dyno and visits various cities with it if he can line up enough customers ahead of time for each particular city.

If you do a web search for dyno shops in your area, such as "Louisville dyno", you may find there's a shop nearby with a dyno, and they will either be able to do the tuning or most likely have someone they work with that can do that for you.
 
Sorry, I'm in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I entered that city when I joined, was just assuming ya'll could see that!!!!

Danni
 
What year truck?

2007+ have this lag asa known issue
Read:
http://chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php/topic,97682.0.html
 
I have a 2003 Z66 with 55,000 miles on it. My Dad owned it and changed the oil all the time and flushed the transmission & coolant system twice so I'm assuming it's good to go for awhile. Like I said I love it but just not happy with the shifting or off the line giddy up! Of course I drive a Z28 with a LS1 in the summer so I'm used to some zip. Was just hoping a tune would help me out. It did wonders for my Camaro but I had all new exhaust, cam, intake & misc. done on it. I don't wanna dump a ton of $$$$ into my Avalanche as of yet!

Danni
 
Welcome Danni! I also have an Avalanche although mine is a 2003 Z71.

I just happen to ALSO be in Grand Rapids, MI. (Actually by Rivertown mall but you should know where that is.)

If you want someone locally I have a card for someone that does tuning in the local area or know people that can help depending on what you want to do. I have a Caprice that is currently waiting for some major work to get done but even that heavy car with only an LT1 would surprise you ;)  Wouldn't likely beat you but you wouldn't lose me too easy. But it is in need of major TLC so it is in storage until I get the chance to fix it.

The guy here might be able to help you out that mentioned his information as well but it is nice to see someone else on here local. My truck is a cladded black truck and I run with Yellow Driving lights. I have seen another truck like mine in the area running Yellow lights as well.

Welcome to the site and if you need anything I do have a ODBII cable that hooks to my Laptop. ;)

And I am working on an interesting computer build in my truck with lots of cool stuff and installing an after market stereo system as well.

There is A LOT of cool information on this site so look around. The only Mod I have done to my truck so far is installing blue LED's. I need to redo some of it because it didn't turn out as nice as I would like but looks cool in blue... ;)

Rodney
 
Oh boy do I know where Rivertown is.....lol. I spend a lot of time there!!! I do "LOVE PINK" and spend enough there to probably feed a few family's in Haiti. I'd like the name of whoever you have in the area!

Danni 
 
Of course she would know where the mall is...don't all young women?    :laugh:

:kidding:  Anywho...welcome to the club Danni!  Keep in mind that a 6000# truck won't have the "giddy up" of the Camaro, unless you do some serious work to it.  Even a basic tune won't match a stock Z28.  A tune will be able to improve your shift pressure and points, making it feel more peppy, and will be able to extract a little more "umph" via air/fuel ratio changes.  A cold air intake will definitely benefit from a tune.  Keep in mind, air in needs air out, so an exhaust system will help that CAI perform better, but it, too will work best with a proper tune.  So, without spending a fortune, three things should be done to get some good power. One, CAI, which you have. Two, exhaust, and three, a tune.  Between the exhaust and the tune, you could look at as little as $600 or as much as $2000.  The nice thing is that you don't have to do them all at the same time to see some change, but the combination of the three will be worlds apart from stock.

:welcome:
 
ms38w said:
Of course she would know where the mall is...don't all young women?    :laugh:
LOL...

I figured as much... But anyhow...

My Caprice is a 4600 lb car with a lot less power than my truck and I can get it down to 13.5 @ 100 mph in 1/4 with very little upgrades... I am sure a vehicle 1000 lbs more with a lot more power can get a bit faster. But then again without major upgrades I doubt one of these trucks with the 5.3 will get much better than 14 in the quaerter mile.

My caprice only had an upgraded transmission and went from 3.08 gears to 3.73 gears. I bought my truck to tow with. I tore up the transmission in my Caprice somehow...

But anyhow, Danni I left you a message on here and I will try to get the local tuners number. When you get on Chicago Drive out near Hudsonville there are a number of performance shops. Not sure if that is because Marne is not that far away. (Hudsonville is a small town that used to be mainly Dutch but not sure how the Dutch relate to performance but seems like most of the performance shops in the area are in this area. Marne has a circle track.

Rodney
 
Thanks for the tips guys, so should I wait for a tune if I plan on exhaust work?!?! I'm not expecting the performance of my LS1 Camaro but this thing just seems so doggie!! And WOW......didn't realize how heavy this pig was!
  And I grew up in Coopersville and I am one of a few women that have raced at Berlin Raceway! Was just down the road from me, and my Dad raced there for years. I didn't do so hot after the first year....but it was a GREAT learning experience and I had a blast! Thanks again and let me know about the best time to tune would be. Guessing after I get exhaust work done but that may be awhile!

Danni
 
Danni,

  Naturally, the best scenario would be to get the CAI, exhaust and tune all at the same time, but you will still see performance increases with any of them in any order of application.  Some tuning systems make it simple to change as your needs change.  If you wanted a tune now, and an exhaust later, you can reprogram the truck at whatever time suits your needs (bank account  :rolleyes:  ).  Nelson tunes are for life, and he will change them to suit your needs as often as you need to make changes and at no extra cost.  He tunes using HP Tuners...you can mail him your PCM and he will send you another one with the changes made.  For a bit more coin, you can buy everything necessary to get emailed tunes from Nelson and install them your self (this is what I did, but it was expensive).  Some of the hand held tuning devices have the capability of receiving emailed tunes that you install into the device, then plug the device into the OBDII to reprogram the PCM.  I think Diablo might be one of the ones with this capability, but I'm not well versed on the hand helds.  Someone here (likely many here) will chime in with their opinions on the various hand helds.  The only problem with having a shop tune for you is that they might charge you extra every time you want to make a change to the tune.  They also might lock the PCM with a code so no one else can tune for you and you will be stuck always going through them.  If you're not happy with their capabilities, you're only recourse would be to get another PCM and start the tuning process over again.  Also, if the shop closes down, you are stuck with their tune if they locked it.  If you do choose to go to a shop, be sure to ask if they lock the PCM.  In my opinion, this is a deceitful practice and unethical. 

Hope this helps  :wave:
 
Danni, unless you increase the size of the exhaust and not just the muffler it is not likely you will see any improvement. If you increase the size of all of the pipes and use higher flow cats then that could help. Or if you run a full dual exhaust back that may help as well. From what I have heard the cross over pipe some use with dual exhaust only makes a noticeable difference when thbased e pipes are under sized. If you upgrade the size of your exhaust pipes and go to duals then a cross over pipe does nothing to improve the flow out.

The CAI have been shown to do very little if anything on our trucks. Not worth the bother to do. You may get an initial improvement but the truck will learn the difference and you will end up with no difference.

There are quite a few performance shops in the area and the 5.3 engine in both of our trucks is based off the LS1 engine so there are similar upgrades available. I haven't heard too many people talking about upgrading the rockers and springs but this might be an option and would allow a little better air flow through the cylinders as well as allow a higher revving engine while not costing an arm and leg.

Realistically you could change gears (front and rear diff) or have your transmission shift better but unless you want to dig into the motor more a tune will likely get you the best bang for buck at this point. The BEST way is doing a dyno tune but this can be expensive too and really isn't worth while until you start do things like the rocker/springs, headers etc...

Personally I wouldn't upgrade the exhaust unless you do headers and the springs/rockers minimum.

I checked the specs again and realistically My Caprice was rated as weighing 1000 lighter than the Avalanche.  Where as the Avalanche has 285 HP and 325ft/lbs my caprice was rated at 260 hp and 330 ft/lbs so the truck is only marginally more powerful if at all.

But anyhow, for tuning I found the guys number that I have. You will have to call him and find out what he can do. I was told he could reprogram the cluster, radio and other functions and when I talked to him I got the impression he could also tune your truck too.

From his business card:
Scotty's Auto Service
2565 Port Sheldon St
Jenison, MI 49428
616-662-2319
Scott.Elenbaas@gmail.com

When you drive out there you will notice quite a few performance shops on Chicago drive in the area so if you want to do anything to your truck or car you will find someone that knows something out there.

It is cool you raced at Berlin. I have thought it would be cool but I don't have the time. When I originally bought my Caprice I went to a big show out in Detroit and they had some different races. I raced my car at Waterford Hills track which is a lot like Gratton and they also setup a course outside an arena and we raced in the parking lot. Both were a blast and I did pretty well especially when you consider my car was stock at the time and everyone I was running against had at a minimum upgraded rear end gears. Assuming I get my caprice back on the road though it will be more of a show car than a race car although I am thinking of putting a big block with blower in it.  Anyhow, that is going way off topic so I will stop there.

Good luck and let me know what he says.

Rodney
 
THANK YOU so much guys! So different then what my "redneck" guy friends tell me.....lol. I know better though and always check directly with those who know from experience on the same specific motor, suspension or whatever. Thanks again, I'll probably just get a tune done and call it good. Now that I've been driving it for a month it's not so bad. It's just that initial days after getting out of my Z28 or my GTA and getting into this thing! Thanks again...Danni
 
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