Okay, so my friend with a 350Z recently just got a tune done at Uprev here in Austin and said...

I just had my car tuned at Uprev and I gained 15whp! But, because of my spacer/intake/exhaust, my car was running super lean and could have damaged the engine (according to the guys at Uprev) if I would have driven it much longer. Luckily they were able to fix that and the car runs way smoother now. I am now a believer in the "tune" part of modding, its just as good a mod as anything you can buy for the engine (exhaust, intake, etc).

So basically my question is, what is this damage they are talking about? If your car runs lean, won't the ECU adjust to it so you get the correct A/F stoichiometric ratio? It puts into question the mods that I have done to my car, if I'm really "damaging" my engine without receiving a tune.

 

josh is a lucky piece of crap, isnt he!

 

haha yeah... i know someone has some input! where are the junkies?!??!

 

Tadashi has tuned my G twice, first with Stillen cat-back exhaust and Gen 2 intake, then later when I went to Gen 3 intake, and both times he said with the aftermarket parts the car was running very lean, and yes, this can cause motor damage. That's why I always get a tune right after upgrading. That said, a lot of people on the forum have intakes and no one seems to be having issues. I can't speak to the ECU question...

 

Just a guess, I don't think ECU adjusts anything that much, otherwise there wouldn't be much of a need for tune. It could just run under factory parameters, that's why you don't get all the potential out of the aftermarket and why aftermarket could void the warranty.

If ECU auto-adjusts, then you can do whatever you want with the car, and see the difference right away.
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I am 100% on board for a tune with mods like that but the "engine damage" is a very similar deal as a CAI sucking up water. Everyone says it can happen but then never does.

 

This post by CVT may help. Backs up ucla bruin's thoughts in his first paragraph.

https://www.myg37.com/forums/2548757-post93.html