VAP Tune installation
#1
VAP Tune installation
I just received my crank pulley and device today. I sent the factory map back to VAP. I’m planning to take the car to a shop to have the pulley installed. Here’s my question. Is it better to install the tune then drive to the shop to have the pulley installed or have the pulley installed then drive home and install the tune? Does it make any difference?
#2
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 8,511
Received 3,259 Likes
on
2,405 Posts
I just received my crank pulley and device today. I sent the factory map back to VAP. I’m planning to take the car to a shop to have the pulley installed. Here’s my question. Is it better to install the tune then drive to the shop to have the pulley installed or have the pulley installed then drive home and install the tune? Does it make any difference?
A few of us have had the pulley installed at a shop first then driven home to install the tune with no problems, this way is perfectly OK as long as you take it easy on the way home with no WOT action and try to keep it under 3,000 rpm otherwise you risk a CEL and invocation of "restricted performance".
I haven't read of anyone doing it the other way around - tune first then pulley - but I suspect it would be much the same.
So to play safe I recommend you go with what we know - pulley first then tune.
The following users liked this post:
rrstl3 (12-12-2022)
#4
Because the instructions have me terrified of losing voltage and bricking my ECU. At home I have a better maintainer I left connected during the first procedure.
I haven’t driven the car for a bit over a month. When I hooked up the VAP device, I immediately got an error message stating “key fob not detected” and jumped to the conclusion I fried something or other. Turns out the battery in the key fob died since the last time I drove the car.
I haven’t driven the car for a bit over a month. When I hooked up the VAP device, I immediately got an error message stating “key fob not detected” and jumped to the conclusion I fried something or other. Turns out the battery in the key fob died since the last time I drove the car.
#5
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 8,511
Received 3,259 Likes
on
2,405 Posts
Because the instructions have me terrified of losing voltage and bricking my ECU. At home I have a better maintainer I left connected during the first procedure.
I haven’t driven the car for a bit over a month. When I hooked up the VAP device, I immediately got an error message stating “key fob not detected” and jumped to the conclusion I fried something or other. Turns out the battery in the key fob died since the last time I drove the car.
I haven’t driven the car for a bit over a month. When I hooked up the VAP device, I immediately got an error message stating “key fob not detected” and jumped to the conclusion I fried something or other. Turns out the battery in the key fob died since the last time I drove the car.
#6
I received a tune that identified as safe without a pulley but "pulley ready." I installed both myself so don't have quite the same scenario but I would install the tune before taking the car to the shop. Some of the map won't be used because the boost values won't be seen but any conditions you'd see without the pulley will be present in the tune. You won't be using all the map, but won't be going outside of it as you might with the pulley and stock tune.
The following users liked this post:
BONESTOCK (12-14-2022)
#7
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 8,511
Received 3,259 Likes
on
2,405 Posts
I received a tune that identified as safe without a pulley but "pulley ready." I installed both myself so don't have quite the same scenario but I would install the tune before taking the car to the shop. Some of the map won't be used because the boost values won't be seen but any conditions you'd see without the pulley will be present in the tune. You won't be using all the map, but won't be going outside of it as you might with the pulley and stock tune.
Maybe that is the better way with the latest VAP tunes, I put mine on some five years ago now and I suspect VAP have tweaked the tunes a bit since then.
Waiting on Chris and/or Stuart to chime in!
Trending Topics
#8
I spoke with Chris at VAP about this in the past. His suggestion was to do it in the parking lot. I was equally concerned about the whole battery voltage issue when I first started to mod the ECU. I have used Jaguar's OEM battery tender during all the times I have done this without an issue. I have done this several times through different updates and playing around with Pops and Bang tune versus not. I am sure the shop would allow you to plug the car in for a few minutes to do the update. It really takes less than 20 minutes.
#9
#10
#11
The shop where I’m taking it does mostly BMWs. We’ve had quite a bit of work done there, and they do a great job. This will be the first time taking the Jag to them. Since we have some history with them, hopefully they won’t object to me scamming a bit of free electricity.
#12
#13
#14
When I ordered my first tune I noted that I'd be getting the pulley at some later date. Chris told me the tune was set up for a pulley but safe without one. Are they all that way, or was mine tailored specifically to be that way? That, I can't answer, but intuitively it seems that a tune set up for a pulley should be safe without one and you'd just never access the portions of the maps for higher boost levels, but there are likely some subtleties overlooked by my intuition.
#15
When I ordered my first tune I noted that I'd be getting the pulley at some later date. Chris told me the tune was set up for a pulley but safe without one. Are they all that way, or was mine tailored specifically to be that way? That, I can't answer, but intuitively it seems that a tune set up for a pulley should be safe without one and you'd just never access the portions of the maps for higher boost levels, but there are likely some subtleties overlooked by my intuition.
Great advice, thank you!
#16
#18
Done, hopefully correctly. Oddly, it took about 30 minutes to read the ECU information to send to VAP. The installation process took 4 minutes, so hopefully I haven’t done something horribly wrong. I started the car afterwards, and it started fine. Lots of snow and wet roads in Reno today, so I won’t be taking it for a drive for awhile.
Have others experienced this same discrepancy in the time it takes pull the ECU from the car and the time it takes to install the tune from VAP?
For the record, the VAP always responded to inquires quickly. Couldn’t ask for better service. Not unexpected, because many others on this forum have had the same experience which is why I pulled the trigger on this. Still refreshing in this day and age.
Have others experienced this same discrepancy in the time it takes pull the ECU from the car and the time it takes to install the tune from VAP?
For the record, the VAP always responded to inquires quickly. Couldn’t ask for better service. Not unexpected, because many others on this forum have had the same experience which is why I pulled the trigger on this. Still refreshing in this day and age.
The following users liked this post:
BONESTOCK (12-14-2022)
#20
After the initial minor heart attack when nothing worked (key fob battery was dead), it was very simple. Anytime the VFlash was “reading”, the dash lights would go out. There were some weird noises, like things cycling on and off. Some lights cycled as well. I turned the radio off when I started the process, but it turned itself back on so I left it alone. I didn’t notice any error messages. I had to cycle the dash on and off perhaps 6-10 times. All the instructions on what to do were provided by the screen on the VFlash.
The re-installation process was even simpler. I only had to cycle the ignition once I think.
All in all, I followed the instructions provided by VAP and it went incredibly smoothly. I have never done anything like this before, so I was a touch nervous. The process is without a doubt doable by pretty much anyone.