Got my Diablo Predator

**Rich Z** · 05-06-2006, 02:18 AM

Just came in on Wednesday and just today got around to opening the box to look at it. Even browsed through the users manual, such as it is. Not much in there in any technical sense at all. Kind of like a "Predator For Dummies" kind of thing, except they left out any explanations.

But one thing did concern me and that is that they state there that this unit is NOT to be used over top of a custom tune. Now the problem is, I bought my Z used about 7 months ago and don't have a clue whether there is a custom tune in there or now. How could I tell?

Back in an earlier episode of of Rich Z's "as the wheels turn", I mentioned an idiosyncrasy where I thought I had a column lock bypass in the thing, and suddenly after I get the headers installed, it acts like if it were there (I got the service column lock message and the steering wheel NEVER locked) then, it is not there any longer, as the steering wheel NOW locks. Someone suggested my PCM had been reflashed, which I don't think happened, and as far as I know, you can't bypass the column lock with any tuner program I am aware of (which isn't saying much, actually).

Anyway, dire warnings were associated with using the Predator if a tune is already present, so now I'm not sure what to do. I just think that in my next life, I am going to live a simpler life. Move to some tropical island somewhere where my biggest problem will be trying to figure out how to make the coconut palm trees grow horizontally, about head height, so I can get to the coconuts easier.....

FourG63 97GST · 05-06-2006, 08:55 AM

well im guessing you can start with a simple adjustment, like idle maybe and see if you get any feedback

gsjack · 05-06-2006, 11:47 PM

Rich

A couple of quick things to check for a simple tune already done on your car.

Do you have a CAGS defeat plug or do you still have 1-4 skip? If you do not have a CAGS defeat and no 1-4 shift, tune.

Check if both fans come on at the same temp, set from the factory. If they are staggered at different temps to come on seperate, you already have a tune.

Jack

**Rich Z** · 05-07-2006, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsjack

Rich

A couple of quick things to check for a simple tune already done on your car.

Do you have a CAGS defeat plug or do you still have 1-4 skip? If you do not have a CAGS defeat and no 1-4 shift, tune.

Check if both fans come on at the same temp, set from the factory. If they are staggered at different temps to come on seperate, you already have a tune.

Jack

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't believe I can see the CAGS defeat plug without getting underneath the vehicle, but I know I have never gotten that 1-4 skip. But then again, I was NEVER getting the column locked either and assumed I had a CLB installed before I bought it until suddenly I am getting the column locking on me. So all bets are off......

As for the fans, I guess I will just have to check on that. I am assuming when I hook up the Diablo that it will tell me that?

At least I have 30 days to return it if I don't like it or it doesn't fit my needs. But I guess I shouldn't dawdle and get down to trying it out soon....

Thanks.

gsjack · 05-07-2006, 12:40 AM

Rich

Start your car cold and let it sit and idle with the hood open. Watch and see if both fans kick on at the same time. When a tune is done, fans are staggered. Both fans coming on at once are a big current draw. Usually a 10 degree temp difference is set to kick em on seperately.

Let me know how the new toy works out.

Jack

**Rich Z** · 05-07-2006, 02:38 AM

I dunno..... The more I am thinking about this Diablo thing the less I am liking it. About the only reason I can think of that it would matter if the performance tune in the unit is done over a previous custom tune or the stock tune is because it must just adjust the parameters based on a percentage of what is already in the PCM. In other words: raise AFR 10 percent over what it is now and advance timing 5 percent. Something along that line. Rather then using absolute values of any sort. So the unit can't really be considered as "tuning" the vehicle at all. At least not in the sense of figuring out anything related to the working environment of the vehicle to try to determine what are BETTER values for certain settings.

The manual leaves a LOT to be desired if you are interested in knowing that the unit is actually doing. Pretty disappointing. And the advanced fine tuning features touted in the advertising says "for experienced tuners only" yet doesn't give any guidance whatsoever in how to become experienced using the thing.

I dunno..... I did want something a bit easier then a comprehensive tuning package like HPTuners or EFILive, but I really don't want something that would be rejected by the publishers of the Dummy's Guides for being too simplistic.......

There just doesn't seem to be any MEAT on this plate.

Maybe I just need to plug it in and play with it, not doing anything possibly destructive at first. Maybe I'm being too hard on it just from my impression of the manual..........

**Rich Z** · 05-07-2006, 07:05 PM

Well I hooked up the predator today just to play around with it and look at the options. I learned that selecting the TUNE option actually LOADS the tune with no options to select beforehand or a "are you sure" prompt. Oops!

But I just let it finish, to see how the process went, then reloaded the stock tune. I guess there is no harm doing it that way. It did give me quite a start to see "REDUCED POWER" displayed on the DIC during the tuning part, but I think that is normal. It went away after the ignition on/off cycles both on the tune part and during the reload.

I still have some stuff to learn, obviously, as there also appears to be a performance tune option that I need to figure out. Plus I need to figure out where all the options are for turning off the rear O2 sensor error detects. I did scan the error code stuff and it appears that my alternator related errors haven't come back yet. Maybe I chased that gremlin away.

Anyway, had lots of rain come through all day today, so I couldn't try out the tuning stuff to see what would happen. But I've still got a good three weeks to play around with it further.

Z06 Rocket · 05-08-2006, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Z

It did give me quite a start to see "REDUCED POWER" displayed on the DIC during the tuning part, but I think that is normal. It went away after the ignition on/off cycles both on the tune part and during the reload.

Yea, I've heard of it before, and when I messed with a Hypertech Programmer (same thing / different brand from yours) it said reduced engine power. I don't know why it does that but I've heard its normal.

**Rich Z** · 05-08-2006, 01:23 AM

Looks like we have a 40 percent chance of rain on Monday, so I may not be able to do much playing around with the Predator. I've been doing some reading up about the fine tuning aspects of the programmer. Someone posted kind of a step by step for fine tuning over on CF that will come in handy, I think. Depends on whether or not this thing is a "keeper". Most personal reviews I have read have been pretty positive, with only a few "so-so"s thrown in.

Of course, while on DiabloSports' website, I see that they have a new unit about to be released in third quarter of this year. Something called Trinity. So I expect there will be fire sales on the Diablo pretty shortly to clear current stock off of the shelves before the new unit is released. Never fails..... Just like whenever I buy ANYTHING at Sears, without FAIL it will go on sale within 2 weeks.

But I'll just have to see if this unit does what I want for now as a low learning curve trainer on basic tuning for me.

**Rich Z** · 05-08-2006, 12:32 PM

Aw man, it's raining like HELL out right now. And the forecast for the next several days doesn't look real good. Now I can't bitch too much because we really need the rain, but why did the drought have to break RIGHT NOW?