I installed the XCalibrator 2 on my LS, but when doing so, i was a bit curious about the install instructions, when it says to "disconnect the fuel pump and electric fan fuses" i didn't see anything that really hinted towards an electric fan in the owners manual in the fuse sections, so i just unplug the blower motor, thinking maybe that was what it meant, but if i was wrong in thinking that, which fuse should i of pulled, or does it make that much of a difference, i already asked for a reply from the SCT team, so maybe they can help if no one here can, i was just wanting a reponse ASAP, so thanks if you have any helpful advice.:)

I never do.

when we were first working with SCT trying to get this to work - I use to have to pull my fuses for the ABS and REM modules as they interfered with the XCal upload/download - working over the same bus.

but an updated prom in the XCal1 fixed all that. The XCal2 can working with the LS out of the box.

I found the SCT website but didn't find the one listed for our application.

How much are these units?
Where do you guys get these units?
What type of performance increase is realistic?


Bozz

Here's the thread that started it -> http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=3541

look at post #8.

I pulled the fuel pump fuse and the xcal2 would not work correctly, when I put the fuse back in and tried it worked just fine. Now I just flash and go without removing the fuses.

Same here. I never pull any fuses. My cooling fan runs while the Xcal2 is flashing and then shuts off when it's done. This actually comes in handy since the flashing takes soooo long on my LS. I can just get out of the car and let the Xcal2 do it's thing and I know that when the cooling fan stops running, the flashing is complete.

The tuning file for my '04 Vic was around 220K and the one for the LS is over 1 meg in size.

I've been rolling around with XCal2 for a couple days now and here are the observations I have made with both files Perf1 +2 and Perf1 +4. I'm waiting for feedback from Torrie, but I just wanna know if what I am experiencing is both "normal" and/or adjustable.

Pros:

- No ping at all thus far, regardless of tune.

- In D4/D5 I spin much harder off the line than I did before.

- I kept up in the 1/4 mile (using auto-stick and shifting right at about 6200 rpms) with my buddies '89 foxbody 'stang with headers, intake, and exhaust. I didn't get a chance to run him in D4 or D5 but I can't imagine being able to run much faster than I did.

- When I use the auto-stick and downshift into say 2nd from a 45-50 mph roll and floor it I get awesome throttle response and a noticeable difference in acceleration...

- The shifts are smooth when driving normal

Cons:

- In D4/D5 OR when using auto-stick at WOT the shifts are much harder, almost no matter where the car shifts at. And I mean MUCH harder, almost to the point that I worry if this is going to cause trannie damage...What can I do to adjust this? Did anyone else have this problem with their tunes?

- My MPG went from around 16.0 to 12.7 in one day (this may have been caused by my "experimenting" with the tunes but also due to adjustments to a/f ratios)

- My car accelerates very slow from a roll in almost every gear, in fact MUCH slower than it did pre-flasher. If I just hit the gas at about 2-3k rpms it hardly "lunges" forward, even with the perf1 +4 tune. It isn't until after 4000 rpms that the power really kicks in. As with the shifting I have the same questions. Can I adjust this? Did anyone else have this problem with their tunes?

Like I said, I'm waiting on a response from Torrie, I just thought I'd ask you guys as well...

Cons:

- In D4/D5 OR when using auto-stick at WOT the shifts are much harder, almost no matter where the car shifts at. And I mean MUCH harder, almost to the point that I worry if this is going to cause trannie damage...What can I do to adjust this? Did anyone else have this problem with their tunes?

Torrie usually firms up the shifts to make them postive and quicker. Soft shifts are usually the #1 complaint of LS owners. If you do not like that - Torrie can reduce the shift pressure - but understand - you'll lose the crispness.



- My MPG went from around 16.0 to 12.7 in one day (this may have been caused by my "experimenting" with the tunes but also due to adjustments to a/f ratios)

correct - stepping on it all day will do that. On race weekends I often end up below 10mpg - then next week driving back and forth to work I end up back at normal. Be warned - you'll tend to 'step on it' more than usual once you start modifying your car for performance - so 'usual' mpg often drops due to driver's hadits changing.

My car accelerates very slow from a roll in almost every gear, in fact MUCH slower than it did pre-flasher. If I just hit the gas at about 2-3k rpms it hardly "lunges" forward, even with the perf1 +4 tune. It isn't until after 4000 rpms that the power really kicks in. As with the shifting I have the same questions. Can I adjust this? Did anyone else have this problem with their tunes?

never heard of this - what are you 0-60 times, 1/4mile times - did they improve?

The challenge with the XCal is that it is hard to 'feel' the differences - with intake and exhaust you 'hear' the difference as well as feel the difference. The XCal is all done behind the scenes - improving what you already have - or have not.

Sounds like a great mod! Tried to go to www.fordpartsnetwork.com and there is nothing there... did it move, or gone?

Bozz

yeah - renamed after Ford got upset - www.fastpartsnetwork.com

Thanks Quik, I just went there and checked it out. Emailed them asking if you could have programs in the unit for 2 different Ford Vehicles (my 2000 LS 3.9L, and 2005 Expedition 5.4L).

Looks like a worth-while upgrade for sure.


Bozz

never heard of this - what are you 0-60 times, 1/4mile times - did they improve?



Unfortunately I've only had the XCal equipped on my car for a couple days and I don't have a GTech and have not had access to that or a dyno yet to find out these any of this. However I am going to the track to find out all these things towards the end of the month. I know my 1/4 improved along with my 0-60 to some extent...pre-XCal my friend in his stang was untouchable for my LS. When we raced while I was running the max tune (with 91 octane - oops) we were almost neck and neck. Not only is his the 5.0, he also has headers, intake, and exhaust.


The challenge with the XCal is that it is hard to 'feel' the differences - with intake and exhaust you 'hear' the difference as well as feel the difference. The XCal is all done behind the scenes - improving what you already have - or have not.

This is exactly what I told Torrie. Without actual numbers from a GTech or Dyno it is difficult for me to feel the difference, especially when it comes to HP gains. The only things that I have noticed so far are the negatives, i.e. hard shifts and slow acceleration which is unfortunate. If I knew what to expect, or what to look for with each tune it would be better. These are the questions I am waiting for torrie to answer, I definitely don't want to badmouth his tunes before I know what it is normal and what is not.

Quik...you have said that the XCal 2 is by far the best bang for your buck. ($400)

So far I believe the exhaust ($700) has given me the best bang but this conclusion is not fair to say yet, as I do not know enough at this point about what Torrie's tunes have done for my car.

I know for a fact that the exhaust gave me more WOT HP, a crisper throttle response, an unbelievable sound, better gas mileage, zero side affects, and most importantly, a cool look.

The only noticeable advantage the XCal seems to have other than removing limiters and such - so far - is firmer shifting. I literally jump ahead into each gear - I even seen the traction symbol light up when auto-stick shifting from 3-4 on the highway...yea...the shifts are that hard....

As far as the soft acceleration from 2000rpms and up I'm not sure at all either, I'm waiting on a response from Torrie. When I downshift using the auto-stick and smash the gas their is an obvious improvement in acceleration post-xcal, it is only when I smash the gas while cruising at say 60 mph on the highway or 30 mph down my street that I notice the lag in acceleration.

I just cleaned my air filter and applied the red oil without a percision applicator or scale. I just applied two coats all-around to the filter, not too much, not too little. I don't think their is any way doing this incorrectly could ever rob me of that much acceleration, its just a variable I just thought of. Other than that I haven't done anything that would cause this. I'm going to change back to stock and get a good feel of things and then go back to the tunes this weekend to really verify the differences.

Quik, I understand you have SST shifter...do you use this when racing or leave it in D4/D5. I used to leave it D4/D5 but now with the tunes I realize I pull much harder when shifting with the auto-stick but then again I have not proven this...what do you think...would you say Torrie's tunes are designed more for D4/D5 or for shifting on your own at say 6200 rpms?

So far I believe the exhaust ($700) has given me the best bang but I suppose that is not fair to say yet, as I do not know enough at this point about what Torrie's tunes have done for my car. I know for a fact that the exhaust gave me more WOT HP, a crisper throttle response, an unbelievable sound, better gas mileage, zero side affects, and most importantly, a cool look.

My exhaust - which is very close to your exhaust dynoed at 11rwhp (with intake mod).

The XCal is 2x that - but again - you hear you exhaust - so it seems and feels more. On the dyno - it was half the XCal at 2x the price.


Quik, I understand you have SST shifter...do you use this when racing or leave it in D4/D5. I used to leave it D4/D5 but now with the tunes I realize I pull much harder when shifting with the auto-stick but then again I have not proven this...what do you think...would you say Torrie's tunes are designed more for D4/D5 or for shifting on your own at say 6200 rpms?

on the strip - I leave it in D4 and punch it. I could never beat my times using SST. In another thread - Rocket has done better in SST than D4 - I believe the difference is likely Rocket's skill and the fact my LS is Pre-03 and starts oin 2nd gear in SST.

I use SST only when auto-crossing.

My exhaust - which is very close to your exhaust dynoed at 11rwhp (with intake mod).

The XCal is 2x that - but again - you hear you exhaust - so it seems and feels more. On the dyno - it was half the XCal at 2x the price.
When I asked Torrie about dyno numbers he refused to say anything at all. It definitely doesn't feel like 30 flywheel HP but then again, "feel" can be ellusive when you add other things like sound.

on the strip - I leave it in D4 and punch it. I could never beat my times using SST. In another thread - Rocket has done better in SST than D4 - I believe the difference is likely Rocket's skill and the fact my LS is Pre-03 and starts oin 2nd gear in SST.
I think D4 is the best so far as well. Using auto-stick just shifts to rough. It seems the tunes were made for D4.

I use SST only when auto-crossing.
That seems like it would be more difficult that 1/4 mile racing. By the way, how does ur LS compare to most other auto-crossing automobiles?

I run my 02 1/4 mile and believe the SST is going to give the best numbers. You have to stand on it, launch, in D5 and move over to SST quickly while WOT as if you move over. To high in the rpm band, she'll shift when you move over. Done it a bunch of times now.

When I asked Torrie about dyno numbers he refused to say anything at all. It definitely doesn't feel like 30 flywheel HP but then again, "feel" can be ellusive when you add other things like sound.

I think D4 is the best so far as well. Using auto-stick just shifts to rough. It seems the tunes were made for D4.

That seems like it would be more difficult that 1/4 mile racing. By the way, how does ur LS compare to most other auto-crossing automobiles?


Right - Torrie cannot commit to any numbers unless he has your car on his dyno and does a real one-on-one tune. What he does is use his best guess, based on working with many other LSes and then adjusts the tune for your preferences.

SCT claims 14rwhp from their tune on a stock LS - it is not on the web-site since the redesign about a month ago. If you have intake and exhaust - torrie should be able to squeeze even more out.

I'm sure other SCT LS owners will chime in.


On auto-crossing - the LS is very well balanced - mine more so. It does ok - however - it is heavy and braking is an issue. In my class - ESP (E class of Street Prepared) I usually win unless someone in a stock 03 cobra shows up that can drive....

Right - Torrie cannot commit to any numbers unless he has your car on his dyno and does a real one-on-one tune. What he does is use his best guess, based on working with many other LSes and then adjusts the tune for your preferences.

I didn't even get a guess as of yet...I'm hoping for more info as things progress.

If you have intake and exhaust - torrie should be able to squeeze even more out.



I do have intake/exhaust...I'm not 100% that Torrie tuned for that. I'll definitely have to ask.


On auto-crossing - the LS is very well balanced - mine more so. It does ok - however - it is heavy and braking is an issue. In my class - ESP (E class of Street Prepared) I usually win unless someone in a stock 03 cobra shows up that can drive....

That sounds like a ton of fun. Is auto-crossing expensive? I assume the costs are similar to regular drag racing. I live in MN so would only be able to do it 3-4 months out of the year IF at all around here but I'd love to check it out.

I think the weight is the biggest enemy to the performance of the LS.

Auto-crossing - join the local SCCA club for $40/yr, each event is $20 or so.

the bigger costs are (at 40,000miles)-
- 4th set of brakes
- 4th set of tires
- beer

Doesn't Torrie have a new tune that allows pre 03's to start out in 1 in SST mode? I thought i read that somewhere...

I run my 02 1/4 mile and believe the SST is going to give the best numbers. You have to stand on it, launch, in D5 and move over to SST quickly while WOT as if you move over. To high in the rpm band, she'll shift when you move over. Done it a bunch of times now.
I wonder if their would be a performance difference between the SST and the auto-stick that comes with my 01 LS?

I wonder if their would be a performance difference between the SST and the auto-stick that comes with my 01 LS?
Aren't they the same thing... maybe I miss understood you.

the bigger costs are (at 40,000miles)-
- 4th set of brakes
- 4th set of tires
- beer
Also what I was thinking...I'm at over 80k...I've got an extended warranty for 30k more miles and then I'm strippin her down, shippin' her out and upgrading to a new "project" car.

Doesn't Torrie have a new tune that allows pre 03's to start out in 1 in SST mode? I thought i read that somewhere...

he has a PCM code we got from a 2000 Europe intended LS, which starts in 1st.

But that PCM code is not a universal swap to everyone's pre-03.

We still have not found the 'switch' for the SST in 1st for all pre-03s

Aren't they the same thing... maybe I miss understood you.

like you - I'm lost now.....

Aren't they the same thing... maybe I miss understood you.

The "auto-stick" I have has an actual

P
R
N
D5 - D4
........3
........2
........1

Instead of the little "joystick" with the simple +/- which is really sweet. Other than the setup...I'm not sure their would be a performance difference...would there?

he has a PCM code we got from a 2000 Europe intended LS, which starts in 1st.

But that PCM code is not a universal swap to everyone's pre-03.

We still have not found the 'switch' for the SST in 1st for all pre-03s
Bummer. I wasted my cool motor run last time at the track because I moved over to the SST to late and did a 5k 1-2 shift, Still hit a 15.215, on 20s. 15.041 right after getting there hot.

The "auto-stick" I have has an actual

D5 D4
3
2
1

Instead of the little "joystick" with the simple +/- which is really sweet. Other than that...I'm not sure their would be a performance difference...would there?
Ohh, I always viewed the SST as a auto stick. Can't say for sure how the two compare. Is you set-up going to shift firmer like the SST and the SST is just a fancier shifter? Or is ther more to the SST shifting? Good question.

I've been rolling around with XCal2 for a couple days now and here are the observations I have made with both files Perf1 +2 and Perf1 +4. I'm waiting for feedback from Torrie, but I just wanna know if what I am experiencing is both "normal" and/or adjustable.

Pros:

- No ping at all thus far, regardless of tune.

- In D4/D5 I spin much harder off the line than I did before.

- I kept up in the 1/4 mile (using auto-stick and shifting right at about 6200 rpms) with my buddies '89 foxbody 'stang with headers, intake, and exhaust. I didn't get a chance to run him in D4 or D5 but I can't imagine being able to run much faster than I did.

- When I use the auto-stick and downshift into say 2nd from a 45-50 mph roll and floor it I get awesome throttle response and a noticeable difference in acceleration...

- The shifts are smooth when driving normal

Cons:

- In D4/D5 OR when using auto-stick at WOT the shifts are much harder, almost no matter where the car shifts at. And I mean MUCH harder, almost to the point that I worry if this is going to cause trannie damage...What can I do to adjust this? Did anyone else have this problem with their tunes?

- My MPG went from around 16.0 to 12.7 in one day (this may have been caused by my "experimenting" with the tunes but also due to adjustments to a/f ratios)

- My car accelerates very slow from a roll in almost every gear, in fact MUCH slower than it did pre-flasher. If I just hit the gas at about 2-3k rpms it hardly "lunges" forward, even with the perf1 +4 tune. It isn't until after 4000 rpms that the power really kicks in. As with the shifting I have the same questions. Can I adjust this? Did anyone else have this problem with their tunes?

Like I said, I'm waiting on a response from Torrie, I just thought I'd ask you guys as well...

By any chance have you gone tried reflashing back to stock yet? If so, does it remove the "cons" you mention, along with the "pros"? I know it should, just wondering what your experience is?

Heres about the last time at the track and a video, not my best run.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=21792

By any chance have you gone tried reflashing back to stock yet? If so, does it remove the "cons" you mention, along with the "pros"? I know it should, just wondering what your experience is?
I was planning on doing so tomorrow. Then I'm going to get some 93 octane gas with nos octane booster and program the perf1 +4 tune. I'm going to lower the tire pressure and take this baby down to the races. There won't be any times...but I may have videos and definitely some stories.

No times, street racing?

I'm hoping for low 14s...Quik...what did you run w/o nos at the track?

No times, street racing?
Yes...tomorrow night. I have a couple races lined up. The place is actually pretty safe...two lanes...a stoplight that ensures perfect "go on green"...and it is about 1/2 mile along side a park in the middle of Minneapolis. Never seen a cop the last 3 weekends I've gone out there. I'm not big on street racing my LS but I've got to prove something tomorrow.

Not likely to hit low 14s. I figure mine at about 14.875-14.925 if I pulled my 20s. No tune thou.

Ohh, I always viewed the SST as a auto stick. Can't say for sure how the two compare. Is you set-up going to shift firmer like the SST and the SST is just a fancier shifter? Or is ther more to the SST shifting? Good question.

SST = auto-stick.

the regular shifter is just the standard automatic shifter.

Well I've got ram air intake, KKM filter, custom cat-back exhaust w/ 40 series flowmasters, and now the SCT tune which is said to give 11 rwhp. That will have me at an estimated 285 hp. Ur probably right...

SST = auto-stick.

the regular shifter is just the standard automatic shifter.
So is that what I have to call mine?! The "standard automatic shifter"? Can I at least call it the "auto-shifter"?! lol!

I'm hoping for low 14s...Quik...what did you run w/o nos at the track?

my best was 14.782 @ 98.02

low 14's without any power adder - not likely.

my best was 14.782 @ 98.02

low 14's without any power adder - not likely.
Well thanks for bringing me down to earth before I had my hopes shattered at the track! lol! I also have a mark to beat......14.782....hehe...not likely...

Didn't that other LS run a 14.5 or something less? I suppose that was the LS that comes with more HP though right? Isn't it like 280?

Call it what you like its your car. Hehe.

I don't remember seing any 14 second n/a 00-02s, could be wrong, I've only been on here 5 months. I hoping to hit a 14.99 on the 20s, 14.850 on the stockers, and 14.699 with a tune. My MarkVIII just threw the #6 spark plug out of the motor, so that may slow the LSE racing for a little bit as its the daily driver again.

my best was 14.782 @ 98.02

low 14's without any power adder - not likely.
Your on the 3.31 rear, right?

GenIIs can hit it, rocket5979 hit a 14.3something @ 98something, saw it with my own eyes in my rear view, I was in the return lane. The video is posted.

I wish I had a scanner. My fiance does, but that is 2 hours away. I will post all the information for the fastest run though.


R/T........198
60'.........2.301
330'.......6.309
1/8........9.519
MPH.......77.46
1000......12.249
1/4........14.547
MPH.......97.78

God the 60' SUCKED!!! Oh well, just proof that these vehicles only like to rev.

Still impressive...I saw it to. I have 3.31s and I was thinking of upgrading to the 3.58s...I just have to find a good set. I all ready found a spare housing.

No he's gone faster since.

Ur right...14.341..my bad..

Here

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=21753

Not too bad at all for a vehicle with less then $250 in mods!
I don't understand...he has the XCal and the CAI intake for less than $250? Pretty good!

Raced next to him a few times, can 60' right with em, then just slowly but smoothly pulls away about 1-1/2 cars. I hurt my foot trying to catch him.

I don't understand...he has the tuner for less than $250?
He has a connection, a good one.

The Intake he made himself.

So I e-mailed the questions above to Torrie along with an expression of my dissapointment thusfar. To be honest, I never even stated I was dissapointed, I stated several times that it was too early to tell and that I just wanted his expertise before I bad mouth his work. He snapped off and demanded I refund the device. Here are two experts from our e-mail coversation:

Me:

"I'm not be any means trying to badmouth your product or your tunes; honestly
I just don't know enough and if I was forced to say right now I'd say no, I
didn't get $400 worth of performance and this would obviously be bad for
your business and I don't want that, there are too few people trying to help
out LS owners and I definitely appreciation your contributions. This is
just my opinion but I'm sure - I hope - you want your customer to appreciate
and understand your hardwork and expertise in tuning and I want to be one of
those satisfied customers that can help you spread your business. As of now
not only have I not had enough time to experiment, I also feel I've not been
educated on the product enough, and therefore not able yet to determine what
the difference is other than the negatives I all ready mentioned. I was
hoping you could help me in feeling for differences in other areas than in
shifting."

Here is Torrie's direct response:
"Right and also if you have issue with my files I want you to flash your
vehicle back to stock right now and ship the flasher back to me for a full
refund if you are not satisfied"

Later on..

"I don’t know what to say at this point and you are the first unhappy
customer for whatever reason that may be. Their may be other mechanical
issues with your vehicle that I do not know about. But I can gauge buy your
claims that the likely hood that I can succeed here is about 0. Flash your
car back to stock. Send the flasher back to me as you received it and I will
refund your money."

Torrie did not answer one of my questions. Today we sent some more e-mails back and forth in which he stated I could hook a laptop up to my car and log the data and that is the ONLY way for him to determine what is wrong. He absolutely refuses to believe his tunes could be faulty, and abolutely refuses to say what it is he actually does.

Just be warned, if you're not 100% happy with the tunes, don't expect any help...

Aaron - be very careful with a post like this.

Many, many people use Torrie and have had excellent response and service from him. For the most part the tunes are all exactly the same - and since he has done so many LSes with those same tunes - you can understand why he would not look to that first as the problem.

There are always two sides to every story - posting one side of it rarely serves any constructive purpose. Offering your money back gives you the opportunity to buy it from someone else - right?

What is the rev limiter usually set to in Neutral after you flash the LS with the XC2, mine is still only at 3 rpm while in neutral, i thought it was suppose to be 6, i was just wondering if that is how anyone else's was after they flashed their vehicle

Ask Torrie if he added that to your tune.

stock is 3000 in park or neutral. After to can bounce it off the 6500 redline

I just needed to chime in. QuikLS is definitely right; there are always 2 sides to the story. I have been a customer of Torrie's for a while now, and have never gotten better service from anyone in the tuning market. He LOVES what he does. I can see it his face when he tunes. What this thread doesn't represent is the amount if dialogue between the 2 parties. I have read the emails in their entirety. I can agree in the beginning the OP was being very nice, but at the same time was also asking a million questions about the self-tuning options. Torrie's answers were typical Torrie; straight, and to the point. Torrie isn't going to say "you gained 20 HP with my tune", because frankly, he doesn't know. Yet the OP kept asking for round about numbers, etc, and again Torrie explained that he wasn't sure considering this was a mail tune. This is how it works; if you want HP numbers you need to go to Dyno. That IS your only option. I have the fortunate situation of being able to drive an hour and have Torrie tune my truck, so I get numbers.
If you want them, you'll have to pay to do so.

Lastly, I'm confused. It seems all this hostility is from 2 things:
1) He didn't give you an HP number
2) He didn't sit down and tell you all the parameters he changed.

Tuning is an art, and a Skill. When you pay an exterminator to spray your house, do you sit there and email him asking "hey, what chemicals did you use? How much do you water down each batch? Do you spray side to side or up and down?" :D I'm only being a smartazz to show you that in the tuning world, you pay for results, not for all the science behind it. If you want to learn the science, grab a book or hit a forum. I've read your messages about it being stronger at WOT, and you peeling the tires more. I also read about the slight bog at 2500. Could be your Torque Converter engaging. If you ever met Torrie, you'd know he's a stand up guy. He can be a little blunt, but it only comes across that way in email. I had to swallow the "it's doing exactly what I told it to" comment also when I got my first tune from him and had questions. I now know just to trust him, and I trust him wholeheartedly with my truck, as do A LOT of Lightning and Harley Truck owners. The man has a gift, and I'm glad to have met him.

If you want to get into tuning, go to the SCT forums and have a blast. There are some VERY knowledgeable people on there.

Best of luck in the future. More power is ALWAYS a good thing! :steering

All I have to say is the tunes I received from Torrie made my LS run like a banshee. The shifts were too hard for everyday driving, but after discussing options, Torrie fixed me right up. I need to take mine in for some warranty work and I really hate to pull the tune off, even for a short time, it makes that much difference. When I get the chance to make a 1/4 pass, you can bet money the bad**s tune that Torrie first gave me will be loaded beforehand. Gotta love them 1-2 and 2-3 tire barks. :)

Wanted to chime in on this one as well.....

I am also using a tune designed by Torrie. It is by far the best performance mod if not the best mod I have done to the car.
He was able to fix the SST so I can start in 1st and I have an 2002, he also has made 2 tunes so far and is working on a 3rd to fix the tire size with the new rims. The car has a different feel to it now that it is tuned. If I want to I can chirp the tires on the shift between 1st and 2nd with very little effort, it will also cause the Advancetrac to come on. Def. pins you to the seat.

Best money I have spent.

All I have to say is the tunes I received from Torrie made my LS run like a banshee. The shifts were too hard for everyday driving, but after discussing options, Torrie fixed me right up. I need to take mine in for some warranty work and I really hate to pull the tune off, even for a short time, it makes that much difference. When I get the chance to make a 1/4 pass, you can bet money the bad**s tune that Torrie first gave me will be loaded beforehand. Gotta love them 1-2 and 2-3 tire barks. :)



Why the HECK are you having someone else tune your car when you have the PRP??? Dude, just jump in (carefully) and start learning. That is the only way to learn how to tune. Just thought I would mention that real quick.

StinkinLincolnLS01,

The perameters that are modified are things such as advancing spark timing (gives you the additional power), torque control of TBW cars (03+ LS) eliminated or reset to allow quicker TB response, trans solenoid shift pressure (trans shift firmness), trans shift points. Those are the major things that are done in a tune meant for a stock-ish car. Other things such as setting rev limiters, rear gears (speedometer setting), tire height (speedometer setting), and so on are other things that can be set in there too. There are of course a heck of a lot more things to be manipulated within the tune, but not in a stockish car.

If the tuner sends you a tune that takes your car from bone stock to just a tune in it then the tuner can and will usually give you an additional horsepower estimate based upon previous experience with that model of car (and degree's of spark timing added). If they are factoring in any additional mods, especially if they are made by the consumer, then it becomes much harder for the tuner to take into account all the added variables of the other mods thrown in there. Especially when considering the possibility of the consumer installing a mod wrong, which is VERY prevalent. Enough so that some tuners don't feel comfortable giving out horsepower estimates if other mods without their control have been installed.

The reason why my LS reacted so differently from D5 to SST shifting mode is because I tuned for the SST shifting mode for firmer shifts via increased line pressure and left the stock auto maps alone for smooth daily driveability. In stock form the SST will beat the D5 mode out on the track, but not by a lot.

If a person tuned their D5 tranny mode to be as aggressive as my SST mode then they would run just as fast with either tranny shifting mode. Possibly a little faster depending on how good a shifter you are with the SST.

In laymens terms all the stuff that is changed when messing with tranny shift aggressiveness is the line pressure and the shift points. In the SST it is just the line pressure due to the tranny being shifted manually.

The reason I went with this is because when I want a race shifting tranny mode I got it and when I want a smoother softer ride I have that as well.

Let me add to the knowledge base on this issue also. Torrie has worked with me to fine tune his tunes to my needs for quite a while now as I was one of the first 04 owners to use the Xcal2. I can tell you that if you describe your problem well, carefully describe any mods to your vehicle and work with him, he will give what you want. After more that a year, I needed a tire diameter change built into the tune (I became lazy about having to reset the tire size after each return to stock for trips to the dealer). Not only did Torrie send me new tunes as I requested, he sent his latest markedly improved tunes to boot. I know of no Xcal Tuner who will give you a detailed spec of their tunes. They spend a lot of time developing these tunes and guard them as proprietary. That is why you cannot read the tuner's settings in SCT's software. You can only go + or - from the tuner's settings. You can buy the racer package and write you own tunes utilizing a dyno, but even that software will not read the compiled .llf files.:)

There are definitely two sides to this story. I was an unhappy customer, and Torrie was not very happy to hear that. I was not upset that he didn't give me HP #'s at all...and I was not upset that he didn't tell me what he did to the car.

I was upset because I asked Torrie some questions pertaining to the "Cons" I listed earlier in this thread and told him I needed help. Rather than help Torrie resonded to me with what I copy/pasted above, saying he would rather I send the product back.

I don't want to give up the XCal, I do like it, I was just worried about the things I was experiencing, and I thought Torrie would reassure that everything my car was doing was right. I'm not trying to badmouth Torrie's business or tunes, but he shouldn't be so quick to demand that a customer return the product rather than help them out, I mean, get ur ego in check! The first time I asked Torrie about a discount he said, "people fly me all around the world to tune cars...I'm the best there is...blah...blah"

Personally, I think I hurt Torrie's feelings by telling him I wasn't happy with the tunes. Funny thing is the shifts have gotten milder and the acceleration has gotten crispier after driving around for a few days. I told Torrie that this may all I need, a little time to get used to it. But of course he didn't read that, he only read the part where I said that as of now I wasn't satisfied, and responded harshly.

A good businessman should I also try to satisfy his customers before he loses them.

I will keep the tuner, bring it to a dyno, and test the actual HP #'s between tunes. I'll scan the results to show all.

I may have sounded a tad upset when I expressed my concerns to Torrie originally but hey, I just gave him $400 and he kept avoiding telling me what he did or what I should expect. People do this becaues they don't want to tell you I will get 11 rwhp when I really only get 5 and then they look bad. In all honesty I wasn't really "upset" until I got the e-mail back demanding that I return the tuner rather than offer me a solution to my problems. I wish he would have helped me like he helped you guys. I would really like to work with him. He must have gotten it on a bad day or something because the customer service you guys received is nothing like the service I am receiving.

Aaron - again - what was the point of your orginial post?

Many of us deal with Torrie very often and have great service from him. Going further than I ever expected.

Your experience was different in your mind - but as a consumer, Torrie gave you a choice for a refund and to purchase the XCal from someone else.

As stated above - your e-mails ask many, many questions - alot that have nothing to do with Torrie's tuning service.

Now you post this defensive response to the responses you got from your first post..... again it's one side of a situation.

There are definitely two sides to this story. I was an unhappy customer, and Torrie was not very happy to hear that. I was not upset that he didn't give me HP #'s at all...and I was not upset that he didn't tell me what he did to the car.

I was upset because I asked Torrie some questions pertaining to the "Cons" I listed earlier in this thread and told him I needed help. Rather than help Torrie resonded to me with what I copy/pasted above, saying he would rather I send the product back.

I don't want to give up the XCal, I do like it, I was just worried about the things I was experiencing, and I thought Torrie would reassure that everything my car was doing was right. I'm not trying to badmouth Torrie's business or tunes, but he shouldn't be so quick to demand that a customer return the product rather than help them out, I mean, get ur ego in check! The first time I asked Torrie about a discount he said, "people fly me all around the world to tune cars...I'm the best there is...blah...blah"

Personally, I think I hurt Torrie's feelings by telling him I wasn't happy with the tunes. Funny thing is the shifts have gotten milder and the acceleration has gotten crispier after driving around for a few days. I told Torrie that this may all I need, a little time to get used to it. But of course he didn't read that, he only read the part where I said that as of now I wasn't satisfied, and responded harshly.

A good businessman should I also try to satisfy his customers before he loses them.

I will keep the tuner, bring it to a dyno, and test the actual HP #'s between tunes. I'll scan the results to show all.

I may have sounded a tad upset when I expressed my concerns to Torrie originally but hey, I just gave him $400 and he kept avoiding telling me what he did or what I should expect. People do this becaues they don't want to tell you I will get 11 rwhp when I really only get 5 and then they look bad. In all honesty I wasn't really "upset" until I got the e-mail back demanding that I return the tuner rather than offer me a solution to my problems. I wish he would have helped me like he helped you guys. I would really like to work with him. He must have gotten it on a bad day or something because the customer service you guys received is nothing like the service I am receiving.

I, for one, understand your frustration. If it was me and I got a message from a vendor like the one that you posted, I would feel like I was being told, "If you're not happy, you're being unreasonable and I don't want to do business with you."

I trust that it's just a miscommunication. Why not try reaching out to him again and ask for a fresh start to the communication? Maybe by phone, so that any misunderstanding can be corrected immediately?

Best of luck!

Sometimes emails make it difficult for everyone to express themselves properly, and it is hard to read someones tone from an email.

Perhaps communication would have went better via telephone?

Just a thought, trying to help everyone involved get through it to the other side.

Just my .02, for what its worth.
Bozz

You can buy the racer package and write you own tunes utilizing a dyno, but even that software will not read the compiled .llf files.:)

Just FYI, NO software will read a .ll3 file or the .xtr file. Once they are written they cannot be read again via the SCT Advantage software (PRP or full dealer). It is a safety measure so tunes don't get pirated from tuner to tuner.

The only file formats that can be read and manipulated via the SCT Advantage software is the .mtf (ADV 3.0) and .zcf (ADV 2.9) tunefiles. If you have a tuner give you any of those two file formats then it becomes your intellectual property, because the .xtr and .ll3 cannot be read/opened by Advantage.

The PRP and Dealer Advantage packages are the exact same software and ability to tune. The only diff is that the PRP only has one database worth of computer code to modify; and that is the one for whichever car your tuning has.

Just a little FYI.

Aaron - again - what was the point of your orginial post?

Many of us deal with Torrie very often and have great service from him. Going further than I ever expected.

Your experience was different in your mind - but as a consumer, Torrie gave you a choice for a refund and to purchase the XCal from someone else.

As stated above - your e-mails ask many, many questions - alot that have nothing to do with Torrie's tuning service.

Now you post this defensive response to the responses you got from your first post..... again it's one side of a situation.



Either way, this is not a Torrie or FPN bashing thread IMO. I think the point was to just ask people what their results were so stinkin could compare them to his.

I would be pretty disappointed with the level of customer service if I got a email reply like that too. It is all about professionalism, even in this line of work. People who get big heads and attitudes about things such as tuning cars have no place in the business. Some people would be best served to cool their jets now and then. This not only applies to Torrie but to other tuners, shops, and manufacturers out there as well. Kenne bell, Apten, RWTD, Procharger, Whipple, and so on...

In most cases, whether it really be true or not, the customer is always right. That is not to concede to the customer about the issue at hand, but it does mean that not to get into a minor pissing contest when one states that they aren't happy with the product. That is a prime opportunity to gain a customer for life through taking the time to explain a few small things or lose their business and their friends business due to word of mouth thereafter.

While the specifics of the tunes may be a guarded secret, the basic principle is not. I think that is all Stinkin required in this case going off the info provided thusfar. Hopefully if he read my earlier post, it gave him a better idea of what gets changed in the tuning process too.

Whether customer feedback for a supporting vendor of a site is positive or negative, it should still be taken seriously and not blocked out. In this case it seems that a customer wasn't super happy with their results and said as much. I do not see that as vendor bashing, I see it as a customer stating their satisfaction level. It is great to see types of threads like this about places, because it gives a better knowledge base for people to use and then pick whom they will do business with in the future.

Either way, this is not a Torrie or FPN bashing thread IMO. I think the point was to just ask people what their results were so stinkin could compare them to his.

I would be pretty disappointed with the level of customer service if I got a email reply like that too. It is all about professionalism, even in this line of work. People who get big heads and attitudes about things such as tuning cars have no place in the business. Some people would be best served to cool their jets now and then. This not only applies to Torrie but to other tuners, shops, and manufacturers out there as well. Kenne bell, Apten, RWTD, Procharger, Whipple, and so on...

In most cases, whether it really be true or not, the customer is always right. That is not to concede to the customer about the issue at hand, but it does mean that not to get into a minor pissing contest when one states that they aren't happy with the product. That is a prime opportunity to gain a customer for life through taking the time to explain a few small things or lose their business and their friends business due to word of mouth thereafter.

While the specifics of the tunes may be a guarded secret, the basic principle is not. I think that is all Stinkin required in this case going off the info provided thusfar. Hopefully if he read my earlier post, it gave him a better idea of what gets changed in the tuning process too.

Whether customer feedback for a supporting vendor of a site is positive or negative, it should still be taken seriously and not blocked out. In this case it seems that a customer wasn't super happy with their results and said as much. I do not see that as vendor bashing, I see it as a customer stating their satisfaction level. It is great to see types of threads like this about places, because it gives a better knowledge base for people to use and then pick whom they will do business with in the future.

Thank you. This is what Torrie does not understand, like he said himself, I am the "first unhappy customer". Yea...right. I even told him I was only unsatisfied "as of now" and that was because I spent $400 and didn't think I got $400 worth...maybe $200-$250.

The point of my original post was to see of others had experienced the same problems when using the XCal2.

If you will go back and see, I was anxiously awaiting Torrie's responses to my questions. I know their were a lot of questions...I think like 3-4...lol. Are you kidding? I spent $400 and was ensured satisfaction...I guess I assumed that Torrie would help me if I asked...not demand a send the product back. My bad. I won't be making this mistake again. Like someone said above Torrie is the only one who knows anything about the tunes he gave me so now if he doesn't help I'm kinda screwed - Thanks Torrie!

Also, on a lighter note, the situation has changed a bit. The shifting has gotten a lot less rough and more "on-time" and the acceleration deficit is not much of an issue any more.

I'm not sure what happened but from my end and from the recommendations of others I reflashed it to stock, and then back to the tune and ran about 94 octane gas. This is what I expected may help...I even asked Torrie if the tunes required any sort of "break-in period" and he replied with a promt "no"...no explanation of course, he doesn't have time for that. Obviously either the LS has to get used to the tune or vise-versa, I'm not which, but it wasn't working perfectly right off the bat...not like Torrie might suggest.

Now these are all recommendations Torrie easily could have given me...and guess what...they would have worked and Torrie would look like a fantastic salesman due to the recommendations I would have posted...especially after the races I had tonight...read on! Now because he jumped the gun and demanded a refund he caused me to get upset, which resulted in the posting of the e-mail - which I otherwise never would have done had I not been so upset and confused.

I think rocket said it best when he said

"That is a prime opportunity to gain a customer for life through taking the time to explain a few small things or lose their business and their friends business due to word of mouth thereafter."

I even recommended Torrie supply buyers with some sort of instructions. The Xcal comes with absolutely NOTHING. It doesn't tell you even where to plug it in or ANYTHING AT ALL. NOTHING. It should at least come with a few introduction notes on what to do and what to expect from each of the tunes. Hell...you could call it "XCal For Dummies" I don't care...lol...Torrie of course said, "Again, it seems your unhappy, I don't know what to tell you."

$400 bucks I don't really care...wtv. I raced a BMW 740li and a Lexus GS with exhaust and intake - I'm not sure what exact model...he had the 4.0L V8...newer - and I beat them both top end speed. I beat the BMW at all levels - dead stop/roll/top-end...I passed the Lexus in 4th gear after about 115 mph...otherwise from 2nd gear at about a 30-40 roll he got a solid jump on me...I played catch up...but it didn't take me long. Me and the Lexus never got a good eun from a dead stop...but I think he would have taken me to be honest...not in 1/2 mile though. Overall, I was happy, but like I said, the shifting has changed dramatically compared to what it was first like.

I don't think my experience is a common one given Quik and Torrie's responses. I didn't want to start trouble, just express my opinion. Sorry. I'd still recommend the XCal to others...but until I get some dyno numbers..I'm not sure if I'd value it at over $400...especially with that kind of customer help.

And Quik. Again - the point of my original post was to verify if others were having the same issues. Go back and read it again. I highly respect you and your work and help and efforts and everything you do for LS owners and you know this. But like you said, you are on your 15th tune or so. You and Torrie have a very good relationship. That is you and Torrie. I think you are quick to defend him without taking a look at what is really happening between Torrie and a customer - myself - totally seperate from your own experiences. Sloban and rocket both observed the faulty practices here...I don't think this is mere coincidence. I hope these comments don't offend you. I'm just an honest person, and I'm really not at all afraid to call it like I see it.

And Quik. Again - the point of my original post was to verify if others were having the same issues. Go back and read it again. I highly respect you and your work and help and efforts and everything you do for LS owners and you know this. But like you said, you are on your 15th tune or so. You and Torrie have a very good relationship. That is you and Torrie. I think you are quick to defend him without taking a look at what is really happening between Torrie and a customer - myself - totally seperate from your own experiences. Sloban and rocket both observed the faulty practices here...I don't think this is mere coincidence. I hope these comments don't offend you. I'm just an honest person, and I'm really not at all afraid to call it like I see it.

Aaron - my point is - posting one-side of these things on the internet is silly. All it does it reach out to people for support - based on one-side of the view. It is like any other purchase - work to get satisfied or get your money back.

Of course in your description of the problem people see your side - I don't care who is right or wrong - it seems like it's easy to fix and you took the opportunity to post while unhappy. I would respond the same if the vendor was Ken, or any other vendor I use - I use them because of my repeatable experience, their quality and their support. If I get into an unhappy situation I deal with it - posting about it in this manner just seems silly and not trying to solve the problem.

enough said.

Aaron - my point is - posting one-side of these things on the internet is silly. All it does it reach out to people for support - based on one-side of the view. It is like any other purchase - work to get satisfied or get your money back.

Of course in your description of the problem people see your side - I don't care who is right or wrong - it seems like it's easy to fix and you took the opportunity to post while unhappy. I would respond the same if the vendor was Ken, or any other vendor I use - I use them because of my repeatable experience, their quality and their support. If I get into an unhappy situation I deal with it - posting about it in this manner just seems silly and not trying to solve the problem.

enough said.


Lou,

Without trying to come off as if I am getting on your case I believe you are wrong in your assumption of Stinkin's lack of attempt to clarify the situation with Torrie. The bottom line is that when Stinkin had a question about what he payed for, Torrie replied in a unprofessional manner. Stinkin did not appreciate that and subsequently posted his thoughts here. I don't see anything wrong with that. It is called customer feedback. Period. Is there ever going to be a time when a story is going to get told by both sides at the same time? Rarely, if ever. So you bringing up the point of there only being one side to this story is nill. There doesn't have to be two sides, and rarely is. Simple cause and affect from what I have seen so far. Heck, I am sure if you asked Kenne Bell if their customer service is good OF COURSE they WILL say "YEAH!". But is that really the case just because you heard a story from both sides? No. Point of fact, KB's customer service sucks donkey balls! Do you all need to hear a reply from KB to let my dissatisfaction be justified? Heck no. Like I said, if a customer is unsatisfied with a product then they have every right to voice their opinion stating such. I applaud Stinkin for keeping his cool during this time and not just pointlessly resorting to bashing someones reputation. Instead he voiced his uneasiness in a fair and technical manner. Torrie has the opportunity to defend himself if he chooses to. He can come in here and post his side and we will get the so-called "whole story". I really don't think that will change things much though. The damage is already done.

I am merely calling it as I see it. Sometimes it is best to look at things from a totally objective standpoint. Lou, I dont believe you can do that right now because of your personal/professional history with Torrie. This is not a bust on you, it is a simple analyzation of basic human nature (semi-Florence KnightenGale affect). I see way too much subjectiveness with the fanatical Kenne Bell crowd too when it comes to their blind eyes being turned to particular instances of horrific customer service. Some people get different results. This appears to be an example of that. Stinkin is fully justified in his experience and resulting opinion formed from that experience.

Rocket - I am surprised that with what little you know about the situation you would type so much - I'll send you the Stinkin's e-mails to Torrie if you want - I do have the story from both sides - you don't. Again - I do not care about his issues with Torrie. My point is people should not post about their issue with any vendor until they exercise a mature attempt at resolution.

Your advise about:
"Why the HECK are you having someone else tune your car when you have the PRP??? Dude, just jump in (carefully) and start learning. That is the only way to learn how to tune. Just thought I would mention that real quick."

- is very misplace - you gave it to a person who is complaining about the lack of instruction of where to plug the XCal in.... Tuning the car - as you know - is no joke - it's a $14,000 engine. Your skills are better than most in this area.

My real worry is that there are presious few vendors working with us on the small market LS - my advice is to work with them and make it better of all of us. When making the SCT XCal1 work I blew up my car 20+ times - did I post how crappy it is? No, I believed we were on the right track and kept working it until we got it to work. This was very hard when I had to send my PCM into SCT to recover it.

I am certainly worried that when we get the Supercharger into a position where is it a kit - I'll have people read my posts, think it's easy, and then start posting when they get over their heads and have issues.

I believe anything can be worked out - posting it first on the internet does not make it true. Nor does reaching out to people in forums to support your feelings - it's a waste of internet space - IMHO.

Please let this thread die. No more post from me - so if you want to ramble - run on.

Rocket - I am surprised that with what little you know about the situation you would type so much - I'll send you the Stinkin's e-mails to Torrie if you want - I do have the story from both sides - you don't. Again - I do not care about his issues with Torrie. My point is people should not post about their issue with any vendor until they exercise a mature attempt at resolution.

I believe you are being way too quick to judge plain and simple. I teach Corporate and Military leadership; and one of the things we always touch on is that the ranking person/businessman must always remain professional no matter how childish the other person may be acting. If a businessman gets into a squabble with a customer it is very unbecoming of the reputation of that person and of their company. While, what Stinkin said may have been grating, Torrie still chose to react in an unprofessional manner going by the posted emails. That is unnacceptable in a business environment.

Your advise about:
"Why the HECK are you having someone else tune your car when you have the PRP??? Dude, just jump in (carefully) and start learning. That is the only way to learn how to tune. Just thought I would mention that real quick."

- is very misplace - you gave it to a person who is complaining about the lack of instruction of where to plug the XCal in.... Tuning the car - as you know - is no joke - it's a $14,000 engine. Your skills are better than most in this area.

I didn't say that to Stinkin, I said that to Smokey actually. lol. And yes, the best way to do things is to jump in and start learning, provided certain precautions of knowledge are taken. That is how I got to be good enough to fab custom one-off supercharger projects on vehicles myself and so many other things too. There was research involved, but the biggest learning opportunity was when I just decided to do it instead of remain scared of it.

My real worry is that there are presious few vendors working with us on the small market LS - my advice is to work with them and make it better of all of us. When making the SCT XCal1 work I blew up my car 20+ times - did I post how crappy it is? No, I believed we were on the right track and kept working it until we got it to work. This was very hard when I had to send my PCM into SCT to recover it.

I am certainly worried that when we get the Supercharger into a position where is it a kit - I'll have people read my posts, think it's easy, and then start posting when they get over their heads and have issues.

I believe anything can be worked out - posting it first on the internet does not make it true. Nor does reaching out to people in forums to support your feelings - it's a waste of internet space - IMHO.

This is totally subjective once again! Just because YOU feel that it is a waste of space doesn't negate its pure unequivocal relevance! Sorry dude but the fact is Stinkin was unhappy and posted it. What right do you have to question that? None.

Please let this thread die. No more post from me - so if you want to ramble - run on.




Lou, I normally view you as a more or less reasonable person. However, I think your judgement is clouded in this scenario. Take a step back and let the guy have his opinion!

Dealing with a disatified customer is part of the job, I don't care what the E-mails said, he should of helped him.

Lou..I would post my original e-mail..but I don't want to take up too much space. Actually...that sounds like an excuse. Here it is from the top, Torrie's responses are bolded, this is an exact copy/paste of the e-mail he sent me, he obviously copy/pasted my original e-mail as well:

What about the "Read DTC/Data" section? It is showing me two errors right
now, P1000 P1233. What do these mean and what should I do about them?

Do you get a CE light ?

No...their is no CE light. I seen others have the same problem on LVC...but
I searched the forum of LVC and found nothing. I did get a "check brake
light" notice but that seemed to have been nothing.

That’s not a problem.


The most disturbing thing I have found about the tunes is that when I am
driving in any gear at say 2500-3000 rpms and floor it the acceleration is
pretty slow compared to what it used to be. Not necessarily throttle
response, just acceleration. It sort of lags as if I'm accelerating from a
dead stop in 2nd gear or something. When I downshift at 40-50 mph to say
2nd gear and floor it it gives me very crisp throtte response coupled with
very fast acceleration, but at D5/D4 at almost any speed in almost any gear
(with the rpms floating around 2500) acceleration is very slow at first.
Could you explain this? When I do accelerate from a dead stop in 1st I can
clearly feel the difference from before, I am happy with that aspect of
performance and I look forward to doing some 1/4 mile runs this weekend.

Honestly there are a million variables here and for me to attempt to
understand what you're attempting to describe is about impossible without me
being in the car datalogging what's going on. God knows what I do is not to
slow the vehicle down at all or make it lag as your describe.

Once I finally get going it really opens up but it seems the main difference
I have noticed with the car is the shifting. I shift much harder at WOT
when using the Perf 1 + 2 tune and even worse with the + 4 tune. I found
that after a little while the shifts went easier, but were still a little
rough. I'm just wondering if their are any changes I can make that may help
this. I understand this "lunge" after a shift makes me faster but sometimes
the shift is so rough I feel I've done some trannie damage. Other than at
WOT driving around shifting is fine, at all tune levels. Is this hard
shifting at WOT normal?

The shifting is what I am commanding it to do and what most want. I can
write it out if it bothers you. Everyone likes something different.

Also my est mpg went from about 16.0 to 12.7 in just a day. Should this be
expected with the tune due to adjustments in a/f ratios? I know my driving
may have impacted this...I am just curious to hear from you on this.

The biggest thing involved is your left foot. I DO NOT WRITE FILES TO
DECREASE MILEAGE.

It is very difficult for me to "feel" the difference in overall HP and give
an accurate estimation to others; but the truth is thats really all people
(including myself) care about.

Right and also if you have issue with my files I want you to flash your
vehicle back to stock right now and ship the flasher back to me for a full
refund if you are not satisfied

Of course I haven't had it for very long and have nothing to gauge the
differences in performance (in terms of racing others before/after, 0-60
times, dyno etc.) so I don't want to draw any conclusions just yet, that is
why I figure I'd better ask questions before I decide I didn't get my
money's worth.

I had an LS customer go from a 15.1 1/4 mile to a 14.5 on Saturday with no
other changes but my flash. I consider that one hell of a gain given nothing
else was changed

Like I said, it has made my shifting much harder but other than that I can't
really TELL what changes have been made. I just wish I knew more about what
was going on with the tunes so I can determine exactly what I paid $400 for,
I hope you understand. Could you please enlighten me a bit more? It would
help me be at ease with the purchase to hear that what I am experiencing
(hard shifts, slow
acceleration) is normal and/or adjustable.

Look man I am unsure what your angle is here but I have a feeling your not
happy with my work. I get rave reviews from 99% of the people I deal with.
Like I said above you have an easy out if your not satisfied.


Lou Senko says - in his opinion - that the XCal 2 is by-far the best
performance modification for the LS for the $$, bar-none. So far I'd say my
exhaust gave me more power over the max tune along with better gas mileage
and a great sound with zero downsides. But of course their was a price
difference of $300 and the HP estimates are very difficult to really say for
sure w/o a dyno.

Again it seems your not happy.

I'm not be any means trying to badmouth your product or your tunes; honestly
I just don't know enough and if I was forced to say right now I'd say no, I
didn't get $400 worth of performance and this would obviously be bad for
your business and I don't want that, there are too few people trying to help
out LS owners and I definitely appreciation your contributions. This is
just my opinion but I'm sure - I hope - you want your customer to appreciate
and understand your hardwork and expertise in tuning and I want to be one of
those satisfied customers that can help you spread your business. As of now
not only have I not had enough time to experiment, I also feel I've not been
educated on the product enough, and therefore not able yet to determine what
the difference is other than the negatives I all ready mentioned. I was
hoping you could help me in feeling for differences in other areas than in
shifting.

p.s. I highly recommend that you develop some sort of "Xcal 2 for Dummies"
to include with the device. Just something that explains what certain
adjustments do, nothing to technical, just the basics. I'm not sure but I
think this would save you a great deal of time. Also some sort of a written
explanation from you to the customer as to what they should be looking for
in terms of performance gains from the tunes you provided would be great. I
also think that this would make the customer feel more confident about their
purchase. Just a suggestion!

p.s.s. Above all, I'm mainly concerned with the hard shifts at WOT and slow
acceleration. Thanks again. Aaron.

I don’t know what to say at this point and you are the first unhappy
customer for whatever reason that may be. Their may be other mechanical
issues with your vehicle that I do not know about. But I can gauge buy your
claims that the likely hood that I can succeed here is about 0. Flash your
car back to stock. Send the flasher back to me as you received it and I will
refund your money.

and I posted his responses before...but here is the whole e-mail. I'm not trying waste space...just trying to make sure both sides of the story are heard ;0)...

Going by those emails it looks like Stinkin attempted to post his feelings on something. He did it in a tactful manner and with high regard to Torries possible reaction. It appears that Torrie got offended and let his emotion shine through a litle bit. While being emotional is normal human nature, a businessman should remain more professional than that. It seems that all Torrie had to do was to explain a few "why's" and things would have been good to go. Instead he gave up trying to support his customer almost from the get-go. You can see proof of that with,

"Right and also if you have issue with my files I want you to flash your
vehicle back to stock right now and ship the flasher back to me for a full
refund if you are not satisfied"

being put in there so soon instead of trying to resolve the problem. I mean after all, it wasn't like this was the 4th piece of email correspondence where Torrie would have the right to be a little put off by the whole situation. It was the first attempt to get customer service. That failed.

Here is another part that shows blatant disregard for an attempt at customer service,

"But I can gauge buy your claims that the likely hood that I can succeed here is about 0."

Bottom line is that Torrie get offended by Stinkins questions, gave up trying to support his customer, and then let emotion get in the way when replying to Stinkins email. At least Torrie offered a full refund and all that. However, and thats a big HOWEVER; that is an option only best left as a LAST RESULT. It is definately not meant as a first result when a customer is trying to better understand the product they received.

And that is my professional opinion...

He wouldn't claim a hp improvement, but claimed a recent customer cut his time by .6 seconds. Thats alot, how much hp does it take for a LS to pick up that much time. I'm not a expert but wouldn't that be like a 50hp tune.

You some tuners are very secretive about what they do. I am into mustangs and it is not unusual for a tuner to not explain what he did. What he “did” is how he makes his living. Yea, they will explain a few things like, I adjusted this, this, and this but, they will not say how much of an adjustment or anything of that nature. Just something to think about. If you want a real open tuner maybe he isn’t the one for you and his solution is perhaps the best. I don’t know him and he may be more open to talking about his tunes.

You some tuners are very secretive about what they do. I am into mustangs and it is not unusual for a tuner to not explain what he did. What he “did” is how he makes his living. Yea, they will explain a few things like, I adjusted this, this, and this but, they will not say how much of an adjustment or anything of that nature. Just something to think about. If you want a real open tuner maybe he isn’t the one for you and his solution is perhaps the best. I don’t know him and he may be more open to talking about his tunes.



I dont think the guy was asking for how much of anything that Torrie changed, it just seemed that he wanted to know WHAT was changed. Tuners aren't very secretive about that because it is common knowledge with us performance freaks.

It is very difficult for me to "feel" the difference in overall HP and give
an accurate estimation to others; but the truth is thats really all people
(including myself) care about.

Of course I haven't had it for very long and have nothing to gauge the
differences in performance (in terms of racing others before/after, 0-60
times, dyno etc.) so I don't want to draw any conclusions just yet, that is
why I figure I'd better ask questions before I decide I didn't get my
money's worth.

Like I said, it has made my shifting much harder but other than that I can't
really TELL what changes have been made. I just wish I knew more about what
was going on with the tunes so I can determine exactly what I paid $400 for,
I hope you understand. Could you please enlighten me a bit more? It would
help me be at ease with the purchase to hear that what I am experiencing
(hard shifts, slow
acceleration) is normal and/or adjustable.

Lou Senko says - in his opinion - that the XCal 2 is by-far the best
performance modification for the LS for the $$, bar-none. So far I'd say my
exhaust gave me more power over the max tune along with better gas mileage
and a great sound with zero downsides. But of course their was a price
difference of $300 and the HP estimates are very difficult to really say for
sure w/o a dyno.

I'm not be any means trying to badmouth your product or your tunes; honestly
I just don't know enough and if I was forced to say right now I'd say no, I
didn't get $400 worth of performance

It's interesting to me that you seem to be so interested in a dyno number. If you had gotten your car on the dyno before and after the flash and picked up 25 horsepower or something, would that make you satisfied? Especially given your concerns about the "driveability" of your car. I'm just not sure quantifying the horsepower gain is what you need to be concerned with. There have been a few cars over at TCCoA that didn't pick up any peak horsepower with an SCT tune, but they gained a heck of a lot under the curve and that is probably more important than whatever the peak to peak differential was. Personally, I got an SCT tune after doing a PI engine swap in my Cougar, never had the car on the dyno, and never really cared what horsepower gain I got from the tune. The tune made my car loads more fun to drive, and that's what mattered to me. I did pick up about a second and 6 mph in the quarter, but even that wasn't a big deal as I rarely go to the track, but I drive it every day and enjoying that was important.

I guess I'm rambling a bit here, but I guess I'll just leave it at this: Did Torrie screw up? Sure, that's a possibility. The general concensus here seems to be that the man knows what he is doing, and can work magic on these cars to make them really enjoyable. I'm not saying let it go if he offended you or whatever, but cut him a little slack for having a bad day or something and see if you can get things right. Your car will thank you :)

I'm not saying Torrie screwed up with the tune or the product he sent me.

Yes, their were issues present, but as of late the tunes seem to be running fine. The hard shifting has smoothed over and I'm not sure why to be honest. I reflashed my car back to stock a couple times and increased the octane and recleaned all my filters and such. Seems to have done the trick.

In fact I still recommend the XCalibrator 2 to anyone debating whether or not to get one.

I recommend Torrie's tunes as well.

I do not recommend you question Torrie's expertise in any way. If you are not 100% satisfied do not tell him that, rather make something up about how it was damaged during shipping, he'll be glad to give you the same offer either way - a 100% refund.

This may on the face of things seem contradictory but if you're carefull you will see that I did not criticize Torrie's tunes or product, only his poor business practices in responding to my concerns about what I was experiencing. I am currently pursuing my MBA (MASTERS IN BUSINESS) at St. Thomas University and they especially stress ethics. I'm not just some average joe giving his opinions about business practice, this is what I wish every consumer would do in reaction to poor practices.

I did express my concerns with the tunes, which is different than criticizing. I was also skeptical, and I still am to some degree. But every consumer should be, this helps prevent one from getting ripped off.

In my opinion for $400 all I care about is HP! Honestly, the curve?! Ha! Maybe I'm wrong, I'm no mechanic, maybe the curve is what I should be looking for!

I clearly stated $400 worth of performance, not HP.

I'm also going to the track and hopefully will be able to see the differences in the tunes then in terms of actual "quickness".

Torrie said a customer went from 15.1 to 14.5 with ZERO other mods than the same tune he sent me.

I know every car is different for a multitude of reasons but after extensive modification - probably the most ever - and about 15 tunes from Torrie I don't even think Quik has topped 14.6 in a 1/4 mile. I would definitely be impressed to gain .6, with my exhaust/intake that would mean I'd run a 14.3 or less?! Not likely.

Anyways I apologize for coming off like an ***hole. I'm really not, just a very opinionated consumer (that is why I belong to Lincoln LS forums). Thanks to those that have backed me up. To those of you who disagree, let us forget about this. I'd like to keep a professional and mutually beneficial relationship with as many members in this forum as possible. This issue was between me and Torrie and no one belonging to this forum. Thanks, have a nice day.

Anyways I apologize for coming off like an ***hole. I'm really not, just a very opiniated consumer (that is why I belong to Lincoln LS forums). Thanks to those that have backed me up. To those of you who disagree, let us forget about this. I'd like to keep a professional and mutually beneficial relationship with as many members in this forum as possible. This issue was between me and Torrie and no one belonging to this forum. Thanks, have a nice day.



I see no reason for you to apologise here Stinkin. You voiced your feelings as a customer and have every right to do so, whether that opinion is positive or negative.

No one should ever have to defend their opinion like you had to do in this thread. It was your experience and you were justified in feeling that way. What Lou said to you was slightly uncalled for and I believe that, through our PM's to one another regarding this topic, he realized that.

He wouldn't claim a hp improvement, but claimed a recent customer cut his time by .6 seconds. Thats alot, how much hp does it take for a LS to pick up that much time. I'm not a expert but wouldn't that be like a 50hp tune.


THANK YOU! Don't forget, that LS had ZERO other mods. I doubt it, show me proof.

That is why I stress proof.

You were perfectly clear the whole time. I don't think you were a a**hole at all. The customer service could have been better, even if it was a misunderstanding. I look forward to your 1/4 mile times. I have Intake and Exhaust, so guess whats next?

THANK YOU! Don't forget, that LS had ZERO other mods. I doubt it, show me proof.

That is why I stress proof.


You are right.

The only way I could see any LS owner go from a 15.1 to a 14.6 is if they had an 03+ and were a crappy driver for the first run. I could see that improvement happen with a difference in driving and also the tune that nets roughly 20hp on an 03+ but not a 1st gen.

Picking on those GenIs again, whats up?

Seriously I'm hoping to get .2 from a tune.

Picking on those GenIs again, whats up?

Seriously I'm hoping to get .2 from a tune.


Big negative on picking on the gen 1's there Ghostrider. I think I worded that last sentence wrong. That is probably what threw ya off.



Your LS will drop .20 from the tune, I can assure you of that.

14s on 20s here I come!

I'm not saying Torrie screwed up with the tune or the product he sent me.

By screwed up I meant in terms of customer service. He may have screwed up by not giving the proper level of service.

Yes, their were issues present, but as of late the tunes seem to be running fine. The hard shifting has smoothed over and I'm not sure why to be honest. I reflashed my car back to stock a couple times and increased the octane and recleaned all my filters and such. Seems to have done the trick.

In fact I still recommend the XCalibrator 2 to anyone debating whether or not to get one.

I recommend Torrie's tunes as well.

I do not recommend you question Torrie's expertise in any way. If you are not 100% satisfied do not tell him that, rather make something up about how it was damaged during shipping, he'll be glad to give you the same offer either way - a 100% refund.

This may on the face of things seem contradictory but if you're carefull you will see that I did not criticize Torrie's tunes or product, only his poor business practices in responding to my concerns about what I was experiencing. I am currently pursuing my MBA (MASTERS IN BUSINESS) at St. Thomas University and they especially stress ethics. I'm not just some average joe giving his opinions about business practice, this is what I wish every consumer would do in reaction to poor practices.



Glad to hear it's working out now.

I did express my concerns with the tunes, which is different than criticizing. I was also skeptical, and I still am to some degree. But every consumer should be, this helps prevent one from getting ripped off.

In my opinion for $400 all I care about is HP! Honestly, the curve?! Ha! Maybe I'm wrong, I'm no mechanic, maybe the curve is what I should be looking for!

I clearly stated $400 worth of performance, not HP.

I'm also going to the track and hopefully will be able to see the differences in the tunes then in terms of actual "quickness".

The "curve" is horsepower. Peak horsepower is only one little detail of the true usable power output of an engine.

Anyways I apologize for coming off like an ***hole. I'm really not, just a very opinionated consumer (that is why I belong to Lincoln LS forums). Thanks to those that have backed me up. To those of you who disagree, let us forget about this. I'd like to keep a professional and mutually beneficial relationship with as many members in this forum as possible. This issue was between me and Torrie and no one belonging to this forum. Thanks, have a nice day.

Fair enough, I'll leave it alone and not say anymore. I think you opened it up for discussion by posting in this thread, but I can respect that.

To answer the comment about not using my PRP, I have in fact played with my PRP and am currently running one of my "home brewed" tunes. Does it give me the all out performance of Torrie's tune? NO. Is it a compromise between all out performance and daily driving, YES. I have not had much time to really play with it as I do not have money to spend on a lot of dyno time. It is obvious from my personal experience that Torrie can wring the utmost performance from my '03 LS. I cannot vouch for anyone else's LS. Bottom line, when I want to play around and enjoy the performance or when I get a chance to head to the track, you can bet it will be Torrie's tune it will be running on. :) Back on the PRP thing, I did not mind the idea of messing with the '04 Vic, but somehow taking a chance with an 03 LS still under warranty is not that appealing. If I could get it to shift like Torrie's when in SST and like mine when in D5/D4 and still get the overall performance of Torrie's, I would have the best of both worlds.

To answer the comment about not using my PRP, I have in fact played with my PRP and am currently running one of my "home brewed" tunes. Does it give me the all out performance of Torrie's tune? NO. Is it a compromise between all out performance and daily driving, YES. I have not had much time to really play with it as I do not have money to spend on a lot of dyno time. It is obvious from my personal experience that Torrie can wring the utmost performance from my '03 LS. I cannot vouch for anyone else's LS. Bottom line, when I want to play around and enjoy the performance or when I get a chance to head to the track, you can bet it will be Torrie's tune it will be running on. :) Back on the PRP thing, I did not mind the idea of messing with the '04 Vic, but somehow taking a chance with an 03 LS still under warranty is not that appealing. If I could get it to shift like Torrie's when in SST and like mine when in D5/D4 and still get the overall performance of Torrie's, I would have the best of both worlds.



Yeah, I bet Torrie wouldn't be nice enough to just give you the .zcf file version for your tune huh? hehehhehehhe. All you should have to really mess with if you want firm/fast shifts while in SST is the line pressure. There is no shift maps because it is manually shifted in that mode anyways. You said you want it to shift in D4/5 mode like yours does, which should mean that you already developed that part of your tune to do so, right?

Actually, Torrie did try to send me his tune for my PRP. Unfortunately, he has the Advantage 3 Dealer package and it saves in an .mtf format and our PRP uses Advantage 2.9 and will not read an .mtf file, only a .zcf. I also must mention that I did not purchase my Xcal2 nor the PRP from Torrie. He still sent me several tunes for a very modest fee.

Actually, Torrie did try to send me his tune for my PRP. Unfortunately, he has the Advantage 3 Dealer package and it saves in an .mtf format and our PRP uses Advantage 2.9 and will not read an .mtf file, only a .zcf. I also must mention that I did not purchase my Xcal2 nor the PRP from Torrie. He still sent me several tunes for a very modest fee.


If you havent already, you can have your .mtf file converted over to a .zcf file so it works with your version of Advantage. Pretty easy process actually.

Hey fellas. Not to jump this thread around, but I am seeing there are two programmers available for the LS: The Xcal2 & PRP. PRP stands for?? And are both capable of the same tuning options?? Thanks guys..

Hey fellas. Not to jump this thread around, but I am seeing there are two programmers available for the LS: The Xcal2 & PRP. PRP stands for?? And are both capable of the same tuning options?? Thanks guys..

PRP = Pro Racer Package. With the PRP you can write your whole tune file, with the XCal 2 a dealer writes the file for you and you can make small adjustments.

http://www.sctflash.com/product_racer.php

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THANKS! :headbang:

Hey fellas. Not to jump this thread around, but I am seeing there are two programmers available for the LS: The Xcal2 & PRP. PRP stands for?? And are both capable of the same tuning options?? Thanks guys..


The Xcal2 is the electronic programming device itself.

The PRP (Pro Racer Package) is the software (SCT Advantage 2.9) and single computer code database that allows a person to create a tune that would then be loaded into your car through the Xcal2.