# Tuning the goat, help please!



## Banana Goat (Jan 2, 2005)

After a lot of haggling I'm finally picking up my new GTO today, yellow A4, very anxious! :willy: 
I want to do mods but since I'm doing a 24 month SmartBuy I don't want to do anything that can't be easily changed back for warranty and eventually turn-in purposes. I want to have the car tuned, especially with the A4, but not sure what route would be best in my situation. If I was keeping the car longterm, it would go staright to the shop and get a cam, headers, maybe heads and a dyno tune and the heck with the warranty. Since I can't really do that, I figure a tune that can be returned back to stack would be the best route. Can I get a tuner to dyno tune my car and still go back and forth between the factory and performance tune easily? I'm in north Dallas and hear that Fastech is a good place to go but once it's tuned wouldn't they lock their tune? I'm not too impressed with what I've heard about an out-of-the-box Predator tune and am a little leary of a 'virtual' tune over the internet using the Predator. Any suggestions? :confused


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## westell (Oct 4, 2004)

imo, the best thing about a predator is for you guys with the A4. You can adjust shift firmness, increase your redline, program your fans to turn on at lower temps. Get the 160 thermostat to work in conjunction with the programmer. These are all basic but immediate improvements.

I'm sure it does much more but what you'll need more for, with lease and all ?


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## Xman (Oct 31, 2004)

Phoenix from Plano posted that he used a local DFW speed shop to remove the image on the screen of the skip shift. What they did was flashed the computer and got rid of it all toghether. Cost $40. It's a shop called Keith Kraft Motorsports on HWY 75 and 15th St. in Plano, southbound side before you reach 15th St. They do tunes also. Ask for Mark.

Mark told him that the factory tune on these cars is VERY conservative, showed a factory timing map for a GTO and one for an F-body. BIG difference. They offer a lifetime dyno tuning for $400 including the skip-shift. They have seen most GTOs run around 330 at the wheels when done.


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## Phoenix (Dec 22, 2004)

Xman said:


> Phoenix from Plano posted that he used a local DFW speed shop to remove the image on the screen of the skip shift. What they did was flashed the computer and got rid of it all toghether. Cost $40. It's a shop called Keith Kraft Motorsports on HWY 75 and 15th St. in Plano, southbound side before you reach 15th St. They do tunes also. Ask for Mark.
> 
> Mark told him that the factory tune on these cars is VERY conservative, showed a factory timing map for a GTO and one for an F-body. BIG difference. They offer a lifetime dyno tuning for $400 including the skip-shift. They have seen most GTOs run around 330 at the wheels when done.



I am just about 2 weeks away from it. (Only 280 miles on the clock).


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## Banana Goat (Jan 2, 2005)

xman and pheonix,
Thanks! I'll have to go there and talk to Mark ASAP. How many miles should you have on the car before getting that done, I imagine 500 or so to at least break it in? 330 HP at the wheels is an increase of about 40 HP from the factory tune (assuming about 290ish stock, which I think is about average?). That seems like a lot but if it's true that would be an awesome mod for $400!  Even 20 HP for $400 is a bargain.


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## Phoenix (Dec 22, 2004)

Mark told me at least 500 miles.


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## Xman (Oct 31, 2004)

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

You might want to read this. I wish I had when I had just bought my GTO because I would have taken his advise on how to break in a modern engine.


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