AUTO OCTANE DAILY/TOWING TUNE

[smokey]

So I see so many tunes and they all do not recommend towing. Is there one that offers it all auto octane and daily/tow if needed?

 

[ChasBG]

I would like to hear some opinions on this myself. I assume that the issue with towing is heat. I tow with my ST a lot. I'm upgrading the intercooler for that reason. No definite plans to tune it yet but I may in the future. I would think that a tune with upgraded IC would be OK for towing and that the restriction is there for STs without upgraded IC but maybe there's more to it than that.

 

[STupidExplorer]

I would like to hear some opinions on this myself. I assume that the issue with towing is heat. I tow with my ST a lot. I'm upgrading the intercooler for that reason. No definite plans to tune it yet but I may in the future. I would think that a tune with upgraded IC would be OK for towing and that the restriction is there for STs without upgraded IC but maybe there's more to it than that.

I may be mistaken but I think the caution on the tow tune may also be transmission related due to extra stress on it during a tow.

 

[G’sCGST]

So I see so many tunes and they all do not recommend towing. Is there one that offers it all auto octane and daily/tow if needed?

I tow my bass boat tuned ~2100lbs. with my gearhead or JDM tune never had an issue. Then again I'm not towing it long distances roughly 30-40 miles round trip and I'm not driving like a bat out of hell either.

 

[ssw]

I also tow an 18' Key West, weighs ~1800lbs with Gearhead Auto Tune with no problem at all

 

[ChasBG]

I don't see how just normal towing is anymore stress on the trans than brake-boosted launches and full-throttle 1/4 mile blasts.

You guys towing boats, I assume you have upgraded intercooler with your tune?

 

[ssw]

sure did..CV Fab

 

[G’sCGST]

sure did..CV Fab

Same here

 

[TMac]

So I see so many tunes and they all do not recommend towing. Is there one that offers it all auto octane and daily/tow if needed?

All tunes are not equal, and there are tunes that allow for towing. It comes down to load and time. A tune that would net the best absolute times in a 1/4 mile time might encounter some problems with a higher load while towing a trailer up a long hill. The ST has very sophisticated anti-knock strategies that are likely to protect the engine. Even so, if you're a tuner providing a cutting-edge "dyno" tune do you really want to have adverse publicity and unhappy customers if that tune causes some damage in an environment in which it's even slightly more likely to happen?

In short, if you're towing, look for a tune that accommodates towing.

 

[ChasBG]

Same here

That's what I have too. Have not installed it yet.