TruckyTruck's Build

What programmer you going with or should I ask?

 

I'm thinking I'll get a bullydog since it allows you to access other programming for the truck. Not set on it though. That's a big risk messing with the trucks programming. Hypertech costs less, is plug and play and I know for a fact it makes power. Not sure what I'll do yet.

 

I remember reading about some people whose Bullydog units have successfully fried their trucks' ecm unit. I am not sure if the issue has been resolved since.

 

Updated my original post.

Got my @Relentless pre cut body mount plates welded on and painted with satin black. Took me about an hour and a half to complete. But I took my time, smoothed all the welds down with a flap disc and really tried to make it look like the truck came that way. I'm happy with the plates and the way it turned out.

I took it for a drive before I got some pics. Looks like little chips in the paint but its actually little pieces of grass. Oh well.

 

No more purchases.... Until Black Friday! Ha

$352 and free shipping. Guess I couldn't help myself

 

I will. I know, I kept going back and forth thinking I would save my money for headers and mid pipes, but in the end, I still would want this with the headers. I'm interested to see how this acts with my dual cat back for now.

 

Well I've had my bully dog tuner installed for about a week and a half now. I've tried several combinations of tunes and finally settled on the trail tune with performance shifting and performance throttle. There is such a noticeable difference with this tuner. The truck feels like it's woke up. Before it was lazy feeling with the shifting and on the highway my torqu converter was unlocking in 6th gear if I even thought the words torque converter. Now it will lug in 6th and actually gain speed with the converter locked in 6th going up an incline. I couldn't tell you how much hp was gained, but I can tell you it's a very noticeable difference in low end torque. I'd really like to have my truck on a dyno before I get headers and mid pipes to get some exact numbers.

As far as the shifting, like I said, it's on performance. It shifts twice as fast now instead of taking its sweet time.

I did set it to performance throttle instead of stock, but it's not a big increase in sensitivity. I actually prefer it over the stock throttle.

One thing about the trail tune is while it's in 4lo the throttle sensitivity is almost cut in half. The first time I tried it I thought immediately that I didn't like it. I switched to performance throttle to see if it would become more sensitive, but I'm not sure it has. This is only 4lo, 4hi is still at the normal stock setting I believe. If the performance throttle setting had any effect on 4hi, I can't tell... So far anyway. I only had it in 4hi in a field and not very long. After thinking about it and trying 4lo a couple more times, I think having it desensitized for riding offroad, it's probably a really good thing it's not sensitive. Better for trails... Hence 'trail tune'.

Mpg... I tested this on a 2 hour ride home the other day. Most of you know I have heavy toyo 35s on my truck and my mph took a good hit because of this. I averaged speeds of 65 to 75 depending on the speed limit, but I always stuck right at the speed limit. I'd say most of the time it was at 70mph. At the end of my drive I had an avg of 15.9 mpg. I'm very happy with this number after having a lift and big tires. Not to mention I can't stand driving at slower than the speed limit just for better mpg. One other thing, I do have the hypertech speedometer calibrator and my speedometer is right on the money.

I purposely bought this tuner and had it in mind to run headers. The only tune that works with headers is the trail tune, because it keeps the afr at a safe level. However, I decided to try the regular tune that you can run 87 octane. The first thing I noticed is it didn't shift right from 1st to 2nd! It jerked twice to shift every time I got on the throttle. I only did this three times and switched back to the trail tune. That's as far as my experience goes with the tunes. I'm more than happy with the trail tune and will stay put.

The other nice thing about this tuner is being able to do a zpc easily and I set my truck to unlock and lock all the doors with on click of my remote fob.

Overall I'm very happy with this thing. I told myself if I wasn't perfectly happy with it, I would return it. So far so good.

If you plan on getting headers or have a supercharger and want a tuner, this one is probably the one to get. but it's a big risk over the hypertech. You could brick your ecu if you don't follow the directions exactly. Just my 2 cents.

At some point I'll dyno my truck and post the results.

 

it could... if you blew something in the motor and came in to the dealer with the tune still loaded. Ive read where even if you did that, Toyota still cant tell the tune is there. But if it were me, I would put the stock tune back.

Just like if you install headers. If you go in with a blown motor before reinstalling the manifolds, they will try and blame it on the headers.

 

They could see that the ecu was reset, but you can do that by removing the battery for 30 minutes.

I don't believe they could tell it was flashed. This is what im told by the experts on the internet though.... They definitely couldn't tell what was changed though.

Im sure @Mike will swoop in here and tell me im wrong on this though....
JK Mike

 

@Sean266 I just asked these questions on the ask the mechanic thread. Maybe he has first hand experience

 

Yeah I'd like to know what he says

 

U guys are some impatient bitches

So the question is can we tell if the ecu was flashed? Yes.
If ur tuner can be completely disconnected and return the ecu back to the original flash then maybe we couldn't?

 

Ha, thanks man. Yes, the tuner can flash the stock tune back and be disconnected.

 

Did my first oil change today on this truck. I paid Toyota for the last couple after the Toyota care ran out. They weren't a bad price, but every time I picked up the truck, there was a new scratch. The last time it looked like some keys were rubbed against a small spot. The dealership I go to is great to work with and the scratches can be corrected... I believe anyway. I had them fix the ones from the first couple times it happened without any complaint from them and always an apology, but just shook my head at the last time around. Several factors led me to wanting to do my own service. Including not removing the tune from my tuner before I go into the shop each time and not wanting to risk my wheels getting scratched from them checking the alignment with the little wheel devices each time.

Anyway, it was a snap. I bought crush washers, filters and a filter drain tool online. All very cheap. I researched the different oil weights/viscosity and decided to run 0w-30 from now on. I bought mobile1 from Walmart, 26 dollars for 5 quart jugs.

Right off the bat I noticed my motor sounded smoother and didn't hear the ticks associated with this engine when 0w-20 was used. It took exactly 8 quarts to get the oil to register right in the center of the marks on the dip stick and everything went smooth. It feels nice to take care of your own vehicles and now I can get to detailing the truck without getting another scratch from the dealer.

 

Just an update to the BD tuner: it's been loaded now for over a couple weeks. I absolutely love the way my truck drives now. I think even if I left the tune off the motor and just had the performance transmission and throttle, it would be worth it to me. But having the extra low end tq really is the icing on the cake. It's a big truck, but now it feels light on its 35 inch feet!

 

How many people have actually blown an engine using the Bully Dog tuner? I'm thinking near "zero". Also pretty sure all BDog tracks can be removed.

 

Yes, I've read a few cases where they had. All supercharged.

 

That's a great price. I was paying 79. Plus knowing your truck will be babied.

 

My last oil change took 7.1 qts. Added the usual 14 ozs of Motor Kote too. Motor Kote is great for cold winter starts. Not an additive like Slick (crap) 50. My 09 Taco had Motor Kote in AK at -20 or more degrees and easy start every time without engine block heater. ( hope no body chimes in and says to use "true value" paint thinner please)

 

Jace will be babying my truck from now on. Oil? what 's oil? Filter? what's that? I'll just just look at trail guides in the lobby and check out the chicks. Change my oil? What oil?

 

I think a couple of cases were where after the tune was loaded, they forgot to reinstall a fuse for the supercharger. I don't know a whole lot about blowers, but I want to say it was for the intercooler. Anyway, you have to disconnect anything making a power draw on the truck and connect at least a 10 amp charger to the battery when loading a tune to the ecu, just like they have to do at the dealer. So that's why these guys have to remove that fuse.

If you run headers on a naturally aspirated tundra, the only tune you can run is the trail tune. Any of the others will lean it out to the point to where your motor could and probably will blow.

 

Don't you think that's a little strange that we have a quarts difference on the same 5.7l motor...? Did yours come with a tow package? Oil cooler? That's the only thing I can think of that makes the difference.

 

There is someone I read, I think on this forum, that said his truck takes 8.5 quarts to fill...