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Emissions compliant tuning... worth it?

22K views 29 replies 20 participants last post by  WannaBAero 
#1 ·
Well finally getting around to upgrading my truck just to find out that it is not easily possible anymore, read a lot and searched a lot about the crackdown and it's quite unfortunate I am yet a day late and a dollar short.

A buddy of mine I work with gave me his EZ Lynk box when he traded his truck in, so of course I went on to PPEI's site and only found emissions compliant tunes and not a single cat back exhaust to be found on the interwebs.

I looked into Motorops and after cruising through their site I am not sure the hassle is worth it to be unable to find the parts to expunge the rest of the parts that go with the Canadian tuning (trying to word everything so the gubment wont search us down talking about something that is banned).

So with that being said I can get the full support pack and transmission tuning and be into it about $600. Anyone running the emissions compliant tuning on a LML and if so would you say it was worth the upgrade. I really only want to run the 30-50hp tune to try and improve my fuel mileage, throttle response, and overall pep the duramax up a little bit.

If anyone has any other suggestions feel free to share here or in PM.

I also just picked up a new AFE intake today from a guy who was gonna tune his 16' and bought a 20' so it was brand new in the box for a steal of a price.

Crossposted in the non-powertrain thread as well.

Eric

 
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#3 ·
I have a 2015 Silverado 2500hd LT CCSB and just hit 73k miles. I just bought a fass 165 titanium signature series lift pump with a Deviant Race Parts sump kit, which I will be installing next week.

I will be installing an EZ Lynk Auto Agent 2.0 at the same time so I can start monitoring the vitals and learn more about how the truck runs.

I will be getting emissions compliant engine/transmission tuning from Duramaxtuner in Feb or March and will report back with my results. The 5 tunes are described below:

-opt stock +10rwhp
-heavy tow +45rwhp (best for towing 8K+)
-light tow +65rwhp (Best for towing up to 8K)
-sport econ +110rwhp (Best for driving empty for bet MPG)
-race +135rwhp (roughly 530rwhp)

I've had this truck for about 3 years and have done a lot of research while trying to save up for all of this. Duramaxtuner has a really good podcast called The Diesel Performance podcast which is a great source of information for diesel enthusiasts. They also have an awesome YouTube channel.

There are several reputable "tuning" companies out there, but none that make more of an effort to educate the end user on their products or diesel performance in general. Definitely a good place to start for anyone as obsessed as I am with diesel trucks.

WJ
 
#4 ·
I have duramaxtuner and its great. Made the truck more responsive and the trans tuning helps with the fuel mileage shifting to the next gear quicker. That “numb” pedal feeling is gone. Can’t comment on the tow tunes but I have ran the sport/Econ and the race tune for 7k miles and the truck is very quick. In the sport/Econ I get about 15 to 16mpg with mixed city driving and rural roads along with doing 85 on the freeway.

I did do a 100 mile trip on a state highway going about 55-60 and the DIC was showing 20 mpg. I think I ended up getting 18 on that tank after mixing with some city driving. I think it’s pretty good for a crew cab short bed with duratracs running winter fuel
 
#7 ·
You are still going to have a turbo Lag when you demand a lot of power in a hurry..........takes time for the exhaust to spool up the turbo. :wink2:
 
#6 ·
Duramaxtuner here as well. I could tell a bigger difference in responsiveness compared to my regear. The combo could almost be called quick.
 
#13 ·
Err what are we following the post or the pics?
Anyways reviewing tuners even the Banks AutoMind 2 (66411) is off-road only.
Only PPEI as far as I can tell will sell an EZ Link in Cali? Again not CARB compliant.
So assume removing tune before heading to smog check then reinstall?
 
#16 ·
Err what are we following the post or the pics?
Anyways reviewing tuners even the Banks AutoMind 2 (66411) is off-road only.
Only PPEI as far as I can tell will sell an EZ Link in Cali? Again not CARB compliant.
So assume removing tune before heading to smog check then reinstall?
Where did you find the off road only banks automind 2??
 
#14 ·
The California smog check is a visual and verifies that there are no check engine lights. No tailpipe monitoring. They do a visual check for smoke on acceleration revs while parked, no dyno. An emissions compliant tune shouldn’t affect a smog check.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#15 ·
So my 2000 7.3 Pwrsrtk that was procedure, just assumed newer vehicles they'd plug and play. My (new to me) Duramax came smogged so no experience smogging yet.
If that's the case then I guess EZ Link? But $1200 with TCM? Wow pricey. So Banks for $400 or EZ for $1200?
Of course EZ Link is superior but $1200?
 
#17 ·
let me restate what I meant. The Banks 66411 Automind 2 was ordered on the banks website when viewing my year make model (2013 Silverado 3500 CCLB Z71) it states its and emission compliant tune for use in CA CARB....
The box when received says (its a 66411) the receipt says for competition use only and no CARB stickers or sheet accompanies the unit. Guess I will call Banks and see. But receipt says competition use only
 
#19 ·
Have not installed the automind yet awaiting a non-working weekend to get my AirDog lift pump installed first
Hey could you PM me?
 
#20 ·
Update on my 2015.5 Silverado 2500hd crew cab z71 4x4 (76k miles):


Around Mid-January I purchased and installed a Fass 165 Titanium Signature Series lift pump with Deviant Racing sump kit. Fairly easy install if you're a guy who can do basic wrench turning.

Early March, purchased and installed EZlynk Auto Agent 2.0 from Duramaxtuner with their emissions compliant tuning (5 tunes) with the DSP5 switch. Very easy install.

Im very happy with the performance upgrade provided by Duramaxtuner. If I'm being honest, it's not as fast as I was expecting.. that being said.. this 7700lbs truck will straight get up and go. Throttle response is excellent in all 5 tunes. It's a completely different truck. I would HIGHLY recommend this set up for any LML owner.

I don't currently do much towing so I can't speak to performance while hauling heavy weight, however.. I recently towed about 6k in a dump trailer around 100 miles (obviously the truck didn't even know there was a trailer behind it). I also towed a flat bed car hauler with a rock crawler bronco.. again didn't know it was even there. I realize this isn't much weight for this truck with or without tuning.. but if I'm giving a review I wanted to mention it.

In conclusion, if you're thinking of investing in Duramaxtuner and are waiting to pull the trigger... Go ahead and do it, you won't regret it.

Be safe.

WJ
 
#21 ·
Update on my 2015.5 Silverado 2500hd crew cab z71 4x4 (76k miles):


Around Mid-January I purchased and installed a Fass 165 Titanium Signature Series lift pump with Deviant Racing sump kit. Fairly easy install if you're a guy who can do basic wrench turning.

Early March, purchased and installed EZlynk Auto Agent 2.0 from Duramaxtuner with their emissions compliant tuning (5 tunes) with the DSP5 switch. Very easy install.

Im very happy with the performance upgrade provided by Duramaxtuner. If I'm being honest, it's not as fast as I was expecting.. that being said.. this 7700lbs truck will straight get up and go. Throttle response is excellent in all 5 tunes. It's a completely different truck. I would HIGHLY recommend this set up for any LML owner.

I don't currently do much towing so I can't speak to performance while hauling heavy weight, however.. I recently towed about 6k in a dump trailer around 100 miles (obviously the truck didn't even know there was a trailer behind it). I also towed a flat bed car hauler with a rock crawler bronco.. again didn't know it was even there. I realize this isn't much weight for this truck with or without tuning.. but if I'm giving a review I wanted to mention it.

In conclusion, if you're thinking of investing in Duramaxtuner and are waiting to pull the trigger... Go ahead and do it, you won't regret it.

Be safe.

WJ
@UrFavoriteInfidel How's the tune doing for you now? Any new updates? Average MPG's any better than before the tune?
 
#22 ·
Am I talking to the right people?

I've spoken to both Chris Ehmke at Duramaxtuner and John Kennedy at Kennedy.

I'm interested in an emissions- on tune and am still doing research. The truck is a 2015.5 LML with 125,000 miles. I do not tow over 8000 pounds. I drive long distances (12-16 hours) or short in town trips and I dont want to hurt the stock trans, so I'm OK with a conservative 50-100 HP improvement. When I travel, I go for weeks at a time with about 800 pounds of crap and tools in the truck, so I want to have "optimized stock" type daily driving, and would like to see the following:
Decent/OK mileage- better fuel efficiency​
Throttle response (no dead pedal)​
More consistent shifting in mixed driving- smarter TCL and gear usage.​
Less frequent regen​
So I understand that some cheaper tuners (Hypertech, etc) are really just throttle sensitivity devices with code clearing and tire size adjustments.

I guess I'm looking for a real tune which will get into the way fuel usage is managed and transmission function. And if there is a way that the truck actually runs cleaner, gets better mileage unloaded on the highway and runs better than stock, that would be awesome.

Any advice appreciated.
 
#23 ·
If you want something with unmatched reliability, Kennedy is the way to go. He has his own dyno, tests his tunes in real-world situations, races his race tunes, and is very easy to contact and do business with. He lives and breathes Duramax.
 
#25 ·
Looking to get some feed back on how everyone is liking what their running for emissions compliant tunes? '15 LML with 6" lift riding on 35's. Have heard some negative reports about the emission compliant systems dumping more fuel and clogging up the DPF systems, shortening their life span. Not wanting to install something that's gonna cost me money in repairs down the road. Looking for some increase in HP, and to lose some of the sluggish pedal response. Thanks all.
 
#26 ·
Purchased my Duramax Tunes and have been running them for a year now, completely different truck. No issues with equipment or maintenance. I would buy the Duramax tunes again if I didn't have them today. The units are now CARB and Federal EO approved. With them not being looked down upon by EPA they are in my opinion best buy for your money. Duramax Tuner product service has been fantastic and they're always willing to help. The only annoying item I have to report is running the tunes means adding the TCM. Now this is not a knock on the tuner just how it responds.
With the TCM increased line pressure comes the annoying reverse selected surge and as you TCM learns it's decreased but still annoying. As for the 5 positions all work great and have never run the tunes in anything but 3 of the positions.
Light Tow/Heavy Tow/Sport Tune. Sport Tune is my daily drive, the truck is very responsive and the dead pedal is almost completely eliminated. I say almost because turbo spool in certain situations which is inherent to the turbo can sometimes lag in certain conditions.
 
#30 ·
Very happy with my Duramaxtuner package. I had a problem with the DEF heater and the dealer was trying to blame it on the tune. Once I found a better dealer they sorted it out with the DEF heater under emissions warranty and reconnected the tune. I'm an OG California tree hugger and appreciate emissions compliant tunes. I don't appreciate rolling coal. Just my $0.02
 
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