Preparing Your Car For The Chassis Dyno
Getting ready for your dyno appointment is both extremely important and extremely valuable. I hope this guide gives you an idea of what you need to prepare before your dyno appointment.
This guide is not meant to intimidate. Any car that can successfully drive full throttle down the road will not have a problem on our dyno. Problems usually only occur on new builds that have not yet been tested – as the dyno is the first test, naturally any issues show up.
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The Basics:
- Ensure the tyres are all inflated correctly. Ideally set them to the highest figures specified by the manufacturer for high loads / motorways.
- Ensure the vehicle has good quality fuel (IE: 97+Ron for all petrol vehicles) and that you have a full tank.
- Ensure all fluids are at the correct level (engine oil, coolant, transmisison)
- Ensure there are NO gas or fluid leaks of any kind. This includes exhaust leaks.
- Ensure the coolant is bled and radiator fans are working.
- If radiator fans are operated by a switch, be sure to tell the dyno operator that the fans are NOT automatic.
- Ensure the drive-train is in good condition, including wheel bearings, suspension and related components.
- If any sensors are faulty or not working, repair or replace them prior to your appointment.
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For Forced Induction Vehicles:
- If possible - perform a boost leak test and fix all leaks prior to your appointment. Boost control tuning and in some cases fuel tuning will NOT be accurate if performed with a boost leak. No one thinks they have a boost leak, everyone always does.
- Ensure fuel pressure is set, locked and recorded. Fuel pressure should be referenced with the engine off, fuel pump running continuously, and again at idle.
- All vacuum and boost hoses must be zip-tied or secured at their ends. Any hoses that are suspect to chafing or wear should be re-routed or replaced prior to the appointment.
- Ensure boost control and wastegate correctly plumbed. If in doubt, ASK!
- Ensure turbo and exhaust components are tight and properly fastened.
- Ensure your ignition and fuel system can support the amount of boost you're planning to run. If ignition is suspect carry spare parts: spark plugs, amplifiers, coils. This will help diagnose any issues.
For Standalone ECU's coming for mapping:
- Have a way to measure ignition timing on the vehicle so that it can be confirmed during your appointment. We have a timing light but frequently see engines with no reference marks.
- We recommend a consultation visit prior to the dyno appointment to verify all sensors and to get the vehicle up and running. It is a waste of your money to come to the dyno just to realise you have to pack up and go home because of a couple of minor issues. Almost every time with a new standalone installation we see clients with one or two small issues that MUST be resolved before a proper tune may take place. You can either do this on your time, or while paying for the dyno rental. It's your decision!
- If the vehicle has been previously tuned, ensure that you have a copy of the calibration that is in the ECU and that the computer is not locked. Re-mapping the entire engine from scratch will be far more expensive than repairing or editing an existing map.
- Ensure all wiring is neat, tidy, properly grounded and protected from heat. There is a direct correlation between vehicle reliability and electrical cleanliness.
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Remember, we are here to help.
Please ensure the vehicle is 100% complete and ready before your appointment. Bringing a rushed vehicle will be a waste of your time and money, and I can almost guarantee a second appointment will be required. These vehicles also do not help our reputation, as some customers have a funny way of blaming others when things go wrong. Although some tuners would gladly take your money twice, I want you (the customer) to be happy. Tuning your car twice won't make you happy. So for that reason I won't tune your car unless I am reasonably confident it will be problem free and I will attain the results that you desire.
