Are You Ready to Be a Street Outlaw?
5 Main Components of a Performance Engine Tune
Are you a Street Outlaw or Formula 1 fanatic? Then performance tuning may be right for you. Included in this genre are performance tuning (ECU), suspension tuning (less absorbing), and body tuning (modifying the shell). Professional tuning includes modifying the intake manifold, spark plugs, mass air flow sensor, and engine control unit to provide the best balance between performance and emissions. Don’t forget about the tires and detuning, returning the vehicle to the manufacturer’s standards.
The Components
Intake and exhaust parts include filters, mufflers, catalyzers, forced induction, bypass valves that include an actuator and wastegate types, superchargers, intercoolers, and turbo swapping. Fuel management options include an A/F gauge and data logger, and ignition options include high-performance spark plugs that communicate with the ECU.
The ECU manipulates the engine and knows when to fire a spark plug and how to deliver fuel to the engine. Injection, fuel delivered, compression, combustion, and exhaustion. It also looks at temperature and combustion settings to meet the driver’s needs. Engine maps can be set for a particular driver, seen in F1 and street racing.
Map out your Goals
For the average driver, you must map out your tuning goal and costs before you begin. Performance tuning is the adjustment or modification of the engine’s Electronic Control Unit to yield optimal driver performance and increase the engine’s output. IMA Motorwerke in Chantilly, VA, knows about performance tuning and keeps driver safety first when considering improved vehicle performance in acceleration, turning, and deceleration.
Braking and suspension changes may be noticed with a performance tune. Remember, you are modifying the manufacturer’s guidelines to increase driver demand and engine output for greater performance.
Mapping can modify electronically controlled aspects of the engine. Mapping can either be performed by changing the vehicle’s software within the electronic control unit or ECU or by providing false data through plugin hardware.
When you hit the accelerator and get a certain RPM, you should get a specific engine output. RPM and throttle level = engine torque. The torque and throttle pedal may be adjusted to prevent the wheels from spinning out in a turn. We can adjust the engine map to achieve this result. Engine maps can be adjusted for weather, high altitude, high humidity, qualifying, or pacing. Some maps can be adjusted for corner and high-speed tracks.
Is it for You?
If you want to open the door, turn on the ignition and change the oil every 3,000 miles without any worries, performance tuning is most likely not for you. Contact the performance tuning experts at IMA Motorwerke for more information about performance tuning.