Testing the Trifecta select-a-tune

[CXLTsouth]

I'm going to be testing out the Trifecta Select-a-tune on the Regal CXL Turbo. (I had this same feature on my HHR SS when it was tuned by Trifecta).

Basically the cruise button on/off switch will swap between the stock tune/trifecta tune.

Usually its set up with the cruise on/stock tune on, cruise off/Trifecta tune on but you can have it set up the other way around if you prefer.

The select-a-tune is perfect for valet parking (or any place where someone else is going to have access to driving your car), taking it in to the dealer so the stock tune is on or the nagging wife that doesn't care anything about more power on your Regal Turbo while she is driving it.

I've also already tested out some throttle input adjustments since we are drive by wire to get rid of the imput lag you feel between pushing the gas pedal and the throttle body reacting along with taking almost all the torque limitations off on the car 😀

We are still tweaking the throttle adjustments, one more table left to mess with.

My car has been Trifecta tuned since being driven off the lot the day I bought it and taken home new, I'm now approaching 3k miles and haven't had so much as a hick up out of my car (I'm modified with some minor bolt ons also).

My 09 HHR SS was Trifecta tuned from 500 miles to 14K miles (trade in) and I never took the car to the dealer for any warranty work.

 

[dracy69]

What bolt on's do you have?

 

[CXLTsouth]

Bigger upper lower IC pipes, free flowing O2/Cat housing (this made a huge difference getting rid of that first CAT right off the turbo)

You have to be tuned for getting rid of the first cat, so the second O2 can be turned off or you will throw a code. If you have emissions in your state that checks for O2 sensors you are S.O.L

On the Regal Turbo the actual down pipe is free flowing, the O2 cat housing is the restriction.

 

[RoyHobbs]

I flashed my Regal with the 3rd iteration of the select-a-tune yesterday.
Turbo lag is virtually gone and the LOW setting is much more in line with stock. Both high and low are very smooth

 

[CXLTsouth]

I flashed my Regal with the 3rd iteration of the select-a-tune yesterday.
Turbo lag is virtually gone and the LOW setting is much more in line with stock. Both high and low are very smooth

I didn't have the select a tune before yesterday, so if you did kudos for testing it out.

Glad there is more then one person pushing Vince to test stuff out.

I was only testing out the torque setting and input setting to the pedal and throttle body before that.

I asked him if he could adjust those setting to help reduce the lag you feel between pushing the gas pedal and the car reacting about 2 weeks ago.

Not the turbo lag but the actual pedal to throttle body response off the line and in the lower rpms band.

So we both must have got the 3rd one, I think with both the select-a-tune and new setting for pedal and throttle body input.

High setting (Trifecta tune on), when you push the gas from a stand still the car moves exactly when you push the gas without getting into boost.

No more throttle input lag in the lower rpms range, and when you step on it you best hold on.


8/25/2011
So here is (2) datalogs of the tune you sent me the other day.

Overall the tune feels really good and strong from 2k rpm's to redline, a big improvement over the previous. The car feels (not saying it is) as fast as the HHR SS was with the GMS1 tune.

Can we beef up the 1k-2k rpm range with slightly more power?

I don't need a whole lot, but it almost feels like the 1k-2k rpms range is a dead spot till you hit 2k rpms and above when power kicks in.

Almost feels like teh car has good power everywhere except 1k-2k rpm range.

Thanks,
Paul


From: vince@trifectaperformance.com
To: lschnars@msn.com
Subject: RE: Update
Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:24:53 -0700

Thanks for the feedback and logs. I’ll take a look.

I’ll see what I can do in the low to mid RPM range. I really want to get back on the dyno and do some more fine tuning.

I’ll have selectable tune ready for this by the end of the week[end], also – if you’re interested.


- Vince Geglia

Trifecta Performance, Inc.


9/3/2011

Vince,

I got to thinking about our engine setup today. and was wondering if we have a drive by wire setup like the LNF engine uses?

If so, is there a way to get better throttle response by tuning the drive by wire system a little to reduce the lag with throttle input?

Paul


From: vince@trifectaperformance.com
To: lschnars@msn.com
Subject: RE: Update
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2011 12:36:56 -0700


Yes we do, and yes we can make improvements there. I’ll have to check but I think I sped up the torque ramp rates to maximum on your tune. But we can improve throttle pedal sensitivity also.



- Vince Geglia

Trifecta Performance, Inc.

 

[oomonte]

getting excited reading this post...

 

[willidg]

I didn't have the select a tune before yesterday, so if you did kudos for testing it out.

Yes we do, and yes we can make improvements there. I’ll have to check but I think I sped up the torque ramp rates to maximum on your tune. But we can improve throttle pedal sensitivity also.

Interesting…. He just sent me the select tune today. I did ask him if there was any difference between the performance side of that and what I currently have running in my car and he said no the only difference was the select part. The tune currently running in my car is a little more then a month old. Did he just change the setting for pedal and throttle body input on your tune? Or is he still working on it?

 

[GottWhat]

getting excited reading this post...

Same here

 

[CXLTsouth]

Interesting…. He just sent me the select tune today. I did ask him if there was any difference between the performance side of that and what I currently have running in my car and he said no the only difference was the select part. The tune currently running in my car is a little more then a month old. Did he just change the setting for pedal and throttle body input on your tune? Or is he still working on it?

He might not have released the select-a-tune version I have yet to give it some miles to make sure nothing breaks with the added torque and throttle input.
In the last email he says, he added the change to my tune.

I can tell you this its like night and day difference when you stomp that pedal from a stand still with the latest tune I have, dare I say the car is fast now.
Not just a little over stock faster, a lot.

The nice thing is I can turn the Trifecta tune off and the stock one on to compare. 😀

From: vince@trifectaperformance.com
To: lschnars@msn.com
Subject: Update for Regal
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:54:19 -0700
If I sent you the select-a-tune version of the Regal tune, would you try it out and give me some feedback on it?

- Vince Geglia
Trifecta Performance, Inc.
Duvall (Seattle), WA
Ph: 425.844.0320
http://www.trifectaperformance.com

From: Leslie Schnars [mailto:lschnars@msn.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 1:08 PM
To: vince@trifectaperformance.com
Subject: RE: Update for Regal



Why of course, is it the same set-up as the HHR SS was cruise on/off?

Paul

From: vince@trifectaperformance.com
To: lschnars@msn.com
Subject: RE: Update for Regal
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:02:12 -0700
Here’s the update with select-a-tune. When you flash it, be sure to select “force full flash” from the Program menu first.

I also changed some torque ramp rates, too – let’s see if this gets the throttle responding more quickly.

- Vince Geglia
Trifecta Performance, Inc.


Being these are “torque based controllers” it may make up to 22psi to meet the torque targets. It would do that in stock mode also. In my performance testing yesterday I found the power levels mimicked stock, though. I found the boost was a little unstable immediately after the flash, but after more driving it settled in well.

What’s your thoughts on the two modes? Do you like the way they drive? Also, did you notice an improvement in throttle response? I also added that change to your tune.

Thanks!

- Vince Geglia
Trifecta Performance, Inc.

 

[oomonte]

any updates????

 

[CXLTsouth]

I asked Vince to check out the 2.0k to 2.5k rpm range (out of boost) on the tune I'm running, it seemed a little "flat" compared to everywhere else in the power band.

The tune I'm running is still light years better then stock or a regular Trifecta tune, I'm just anal about stuff like that. I want the tune to pull the same throughout the whole rpm range.

He took his car for a ride and agreed about the "flat spot" in the tune, so I'll be waiting on a update when he gets back from his vacation aka new born baby.

If any stock, Trifecta tuned or Regal GS that lives around Alabama wants to run them let me know.
I would love to get video for a side by side comparison result so people can see the difference.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
On another note;

I went to a BBQ with Jet Ski's with some of the guys I met and became friends with while owning my HHR SS last Saturday.

All of them have Cobalt SS/TC (turbo) and Cobalt SS/SS (supercharged), tuned and bolted on in various stages.

On the way home one of them was following me on the Interstate, his Cobalt SS/TC is one that I just had done a BNR 2871GT turbo swap the previous week. Along with MAF relocate and Stage 2 mount upgrade.

His car is fully modded with bolt/ons and a turbo swap.

We got side by side about 70 mph for a little roll race on I-65.

I left him in the dust up from 70 mph till about 100 mph (got to love the instant response of an automatic), then he passed me like I was standing still at 110 mph.

When I talked to him on the phone after that run, he told me he had to downshift into 4th to cath up 😀

Overall he was very impressed with the Regal turbo.

I had similar results the whole time on our 1 hr (for him) and 1 1/2 hr ride home (for me).

I could just pull away from him and he would catch back up to me up top, where our factory turbo runs out of breath.

I never had an opportunity to do a dig race, but I feel the automatic is going to shine in that scenario for sure.

 

[YYZRegalTurbo]

At what RPM stock engine turbo kicks in? I really could not tell, it seems like nothing is happening until 2300-2400.

 

[willidg]

Any chance of getting a 0-60 or quarter mile time or dyno run? It would be interesting to see some numbers with all your changes.