The question of canned tuning vs custom tuning is brought up a lot, we receive messages, emails, and calls about it frequently. It's a good question and can be complex, depending on how it's interpreted. Let's go over the basics and then dig in a little deeper.
A canned tune is a "pre-made" tune that is a well rounded calibration
which covers most of the requirements that the consumer is interested in,
for that particular platform. It's also an excellent base to build a custom
tune from. It'll cover the basic requirements like response, power, and
shifting.
To begin building a canned tune, the calibrator will usually baseline the
vehicle stock. In most cases, the speed limiter will be the only parameter
adjusted, so it can be dyno'd in a higher gear and a direct comparison to
the final revision. The vehicle will be tested with minor changes related to
different aspects of the ecu, over and over again, until finally all the minor
changes are compiled into one tune. The final version will have all of the
changes related to the type of vehicle (boost, fueling, timing, torque,
limiters, etc.) to compare with the stock calibration power curve.
Once the calibrator is satisfied with calibration, it'll be dialed back slightly
for safety and emissions compliance.
The end goal of a canned tune is to be able to work with any vehicle of
that type and cover the most the most common bolt on modifications. The
calibration must work with the fuel type it's designed for, built in safety if
the wrong fuel type is used(to a certain extent), varying environments
both temperature and altitude, as well as different styles of driving.
Canned tunes are usually the cheapest option because they
never change and are not customized specifically to your preference or
options. Due to these reasons, there's always power left on the table,
while still remaining compliant.
Some calibrators will offer a power package, power levels, or specifically
designed calibrations for applications which includes specific
performance parts, octane fuel, or tasks like towing or sport driving.
A custom tune on the other hand, can be setup to handle just about
anything and generally provides more power than a canned tune does.
A custom tune or calibration, starts off as a base canned tune and works
through the process of street tuning, dyno tuning, or both. This can be
done remotely also, with datalogging software. The calibrator will adjust
the tune for your specific needs and style of driving, without negatively
impacting the final results or compliancy. Custom tunes allow the
calibrator to extract all of the performance, response, and drivability,
while keeping the end users personal preferences in mind. Personal
preferences are adjustments like response, shift firmness, and general
feel of the calibration.
ID Speed Shop offer's both canned and custom tunes, with the ability to
upgrade later. It's the best of both worlds!
Give us a call or message if you have any questions, we'd love to discuss
the options with you.
You can also read more about our offerings in the link below: