# Trifecta tune question(s)



## FatKidsCruze (Sep 2, 2011)

I cannot speak of the longevity with the tune. Logical thinking would say more power than designed for will shorten its life. Though driven normally and not like/as a racecar all the time it will still last well over 100k miles. This is probably true of all things in life. Also proper maintenance at correct intervals should give you many worry free miles even with some spirited driving style.

As far as before and after many will attest it IS a night and day difference. Although its still a gas mise, possibly near a stock FG/FA Si (06-11). My opinion is it definitely makes the car sportier feeling in my 12 Eco 6MT. I've only logged 2k miles with thee tune myself and spend a majority time using "Eco mode". I personally have had no ill effects of this tune, however many are experiencing failing clutches, though even completely stock Cruzes are blowing clutches due to possibly defective disc/pressure plate. Some good info inthe thread titled "looking for others whos clutches failed"

There have also been a few experiencing piston defect that may be exposed faster with the increased power and torque.

Hope you find this helpful.


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## Gdubs (Apr 23, 2011)

Svilla said:


> So I've been looking into the trifecta tune but my concerns are the negative results it could possibly have in the long run for my 1.4T cruze and I was also wondering if the results after the tune where actually that much different when compared to it without the tune also how safe is the trifecta tune


Being a trifecta dealer, I can tell you right now, that tuning a car has risks. One of the risks is shorter life on moving parts. If you are concerned about this I advise you not to tune.

Now for the second part of your question. Yes. its wakes the car up immensely.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

I have a LS with the 1.8 non turbo and it definitely "wakes the car up immensely". If your car "falls on its face when accelerating(not due to too high of gear)" this will definitely help that. I don't have the turbo so I do not know the effects to that. For my 1.8 like many others have said(1.8 1.4) it is night and day. I do not know the long term, I have had mine since November and you are required to use premium fuel for it. I have tried a tank of 89 octane but found it runs much better with 93.


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## Svilla (Dec 8, 2011)

Thank you guys for the help. I think I am just going to stay away from the tune just to be on the safe side. I am not trying to turn my car into a racing car or anything lol I just need some more power but there's not many things you can purchase for this car. Any suggestions on some performance parts I have the injen sp air intake so far and my next purchase is going to most likely be the Borla dual exhaust system any other good exhaust you guys would recommend I'm just looking for more "bang" for my buck


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## Gdubs (Apr 23, 2011)

Svilla said:


> Thank you guys for the help. I think I am just going to stay away from the tune just to be on the safe side. I am not trying to turn my car into a racing car or anything lol I just need some more power but there's not many things you can purchase for this car. Any suggestions on some performance parts I have the injen sp air intake so far and my next purchase is going to most likely be the Borla dual exhaust system any other good exhaust you guys would recommend I'm just looking for more "bang" for my buck


Well now your getting into some weird stuff. You say you have the Injen intake... From my tuning experience with Vince. That intake actually is horrible and with out a tune you lose power. Thats right.... LOSE POWER. It skewes the maf readings so so bad. So if your not going to stay stock.... Might as well get a tune.

I will say this. In my sig, the cobalt, i had 300whp on that puppy tuned by Vince at Trifecta. never ever had 1 issue with the tune. not one! and vince tunes very very safe. he keeps a good a/f ratio (on the rich side) so that the tune is extremely safe.

I feel its how you drive the car. If you beat on the car day after day after day. you will run into problems. BUT if you drive your car conservatively you will not have an issue with his tune at all


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## Svilla (Dec 8, 2011)

Ohh wow I didn't know that ... I wish I knew that before hand =/ I just read reviews on it and it had positives ones. so your saying with the tune the intake is beneficial and without the tune it does nothing for my car correct?

So gdubs being a trifecta dealer and knowing all the information you know what would you do in my situation in order to maintain my car and be able to drive it for at least 5-6 years with not many problems due to the trifecta tune?

And I think from what you just said I would be fine because I don't drive my car like a mad man


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

I trust it. The Eco mode is more efficient than in its factory state and believe it or not, the firmer shifts that come with the tune are _better_ for your transmission. The only longterm concerns are like you said, driving it like a madman you will probably make the turbo go faster if your always at WOT. But as far as stress on the engine I honestly think it will be fine. 

If I were to keep a log of when I actually use the power mode it would consist of.... only merging on to the highway. Other than that, unless you really want to race that teenager next to you at the redlight you will never find yourself using it and driving like a madman. Most people will be in the economy mode (less boost than stock) 98% of the trip.

BTW, I have ~6,500 miles logged with the tune. Car is running better than ever. Gas mileage up despite it being winter and cold as ****.


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## Gdubs (Apr 23, 2011)

Svilla said:


> Ohh wow I didn't know that ... I wish I knew that before hand =/ I just read reviews on it and it had positives ones. so your saying with the tune the intake is beneficial and without the tune it does nothing for my car correct?
> 
> So gdubs being a trifecta dealer and knowing all the information you know what would you do in my situation in order to maintain my car and be able to drive it for at least 5-6 years with not many problems due to the trifecta tune?
> 
> And I think from what you just said I would be fine because I don't drive my car like a mad man


I trust Vince so much that I put the tune on my car right as the odometer crossed 500 miles. I have an immense amount of faith in him. 

The intake is 100% beneficial with a tune. With out a tune the intake would actually decrease your performance due to how it skews the MAF readings. It seems as if Injen just slapped together a tube and a filter to be first to market to get their product out there. I personally feel that if you wanted a better flow you would be better off with a K&N drop in.

BUT, now that you have the Intake, Might as well get the tune. You will not be disappointed at all. Best part is you will actually see an increase in MPG.... Now who doesnt want an increase in MPG?



ErikBEggs said:


> I trust it. The Eco mode is more efficient than in its factory state and believe it or not, the firmer shifts that come with the tune are _better_ for your transmission. The only longterm concerns are like you said, driving it like a madman you will probably make the turbo go faster if your always at WOT. But as far as stress on the engine I honestly think it will be fine.


where did you hear this about Firmer shifts being better for the transmission? I would like to read that article


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

If you trust Vince, believe what I'm saying because he told me firmer shifts in an automatic transmission = less clutch slippage.

Here are a few articles:

Automatic transmission shift kits and valve body converters

From the shift kit section:



> Steve Knickerbocker wrote that "Smooth shifting transmissions accomplish [smoother shifting] by being in two gears at once when shifting up. It's known as shift overlap. Shift kits reduce or eliminate the shift overlap and speed up actuation of the shift, hence the harder feel to the shift. A shift kit will reduce wear because you won't have the trans trying to be in two gears at once."
> 
> Ross Bond wrote: "A firm shift is best for the transmission, the biggest problem with the 604, is the clutches are slipped so much between shifts, which gives you a very smooth shift, but makes lots of heat and wears out the seals and clutches a lot faster.


Here are a couple more discussions. Feel free to do more research 

Firmer Shifts : Transmission/Drivetrain
News Letter


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## Gdubs (Apr 23, 2011)

ErikBEggs said:


> If you trust Vince, believe what I'm saying because he told me firmer shifts in an automatic transmission = less clutch slippage.
> 
> Here are a few articles:
> 
> ...


Thanks! thats some good info. I had never herd that before. I appriciate the reference material


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## DubstepRacing (Dec 12, 2012)

Please help. My 2012 Cruze motor has blown (agin)! Before I take it back to the dealership I want to remove the trifecta tune. Problem is I don't have the cable. I returned the cable to Vince after I had put the tune on. Is there anyway I can remove the tune without the cable?


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## smoove87 (Jul 9, 2012)

DubstepRacing said:


> Please help. My 2012 Cruze motor has blown (agin)! Before I take it back to the dealership I want to remove the trifecta tune. Problem is I don't have the cable. I returned the cable to Vince after I had put the tune on. Is there anyway I can remove the tune without the cable?


Did you install the transparency tune? If you did you might be ok.

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## DubstepRacing (Dec 12, 2012)

Yes I did but this is the second time my motor has blown. The dealership was unable to find the tune but managed to pull up the increased torque that it was way to high. I just denied and denied till they finally gave in. The thing is my motor did not blow from the tune, I had it in (D) which is non tune and was sitting at a red light when my check engine and stability and service traction control light had all came on. Then my car began to run really ruff, then smoke began to pour out my exhaust specially when I gave it gas. Before I go back to the dealership and deal with them I want to remove the tune. I have removed everything else from car and all that's left is the tune. 


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## N.O.G8ter (Apr 3, 2012)

DubstepRacing said:


> Yes I did but this is the second time my motor has blown. The dealership was unable to find the tune but managed to pull up the increased torque that it was way to high. I just denied and denied till they finally gave in. The thing is my motor did not blow from the tune, I had it in (D) which is non tune and was sitting at a red light when my check engine and stability and service traction control light had all came on. Then my car began to run really ruff, then smoke began to pour out my exhaust specially when I gave it gas. Before I go back to the dealership and deal with them I want to remove the tune. I have removed everything else from car and all that's left is the tune.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Autoguide


Sorry to hear that. Given the circumstances, I'll let you borrow a cable free of charge, just pay the $15 shipping. Just let me know.


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## DubstepRacing (Dec 12, 2012)

Yes please!


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

DubstepRacing said:


> Please help. My 2012 Cruze motor has blown (agin)! Before I take it back to the dealership I want to remove the trifecta tune. Problem is I don't have the cable. I returned the cable to Vince after I had put the tune on. Is there anyway I can remove the tune without the cable?


Just so you are aware, even if you remove the tune, a GM Tech that is looking for traces of a tune will find it. They don't need to look too far past the maximum amount of torque that the transmission experienced to know whether or not an aftermarket tune was installed. 

That said, I haven't heard of anyone's warranty denied as a result of a tune.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Just so you are aware, even if you remove the tune, a GM Tech that is looking for traces of a tune will find it. They don't need to look too far past the maximum amount of torque that the transmission experienced to know whether or not an aftermarket tune was installed.
> 
> That said, I haven't heard of anyone's warranty denied as a result of a tune.


If they determine that the the cause of the problem is the tq being more than stock and find traces of the tune then yes warranty can be void. But the way they will have to do that is the tech has to duplicate the problem the exact same way and then determine if in fact the tune is the problem tho this happening is very very hard to do so imo you shouls be fine.

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## Rusty Shackleford (Jan 6, 2013)

Say on a stock Cruze Eco(manual) how much more power will the car make with just a tune? Is it with worth it? Any real dyno #s?


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

Ok finally got a good datalog into BNR. The response I got from the datalog is that it was "Looks good, no adjustments needed". This was my first and only flash of the tune. My ? is how many others had the tune installed perfectly on first flash? I was totally expecting a second reflash for my specific cruze. I do have the Forge BPV installed if that has anything to do with it.


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## Abrunet85 (Jul 29, 2011)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> Ok finally got a good datalog into BNR. The response I got from the datalog is that it was "Looks good, no adjustments needed". This was my first and only flash of the tune. My ? is how many others had the tune installed perfectly on first flash? I was totally expecting a second reflash for my specific cruze. I do have the Forge BPV installed if that has anything to do with it.


I tuned mine last week and got an email back this weekend with the same "Your log looked good! No adjustment necessary."


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

Abrunet85 said:


> I tuned mine last week and got an email back this weekend with the same "Your log looked good! No adjustment necessary."


Why would an adjustment be necessary? He's tuned thousands of the... same car.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

For most of us, it will be right one. Stock is stock. They'll look for certain metrics to make sure you aren't going to blow up. If you had parts, mods, etc then it may take another pass. According to OnlyTaurus, when installing 42# injectors they do it over 4 passes to make sure there are no issues. I'll confirm this as soon as I get my tune updated.

If you had given them an AFR read out along with your log I bet you'd have an adjustment or two. But they have the tune setup pretty nice with plenty of room so you should get what's expected.


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

My MPGs are suffering since tune install. Im hoping its just the winter blend causing this and not the tune. I was at 36mpg stock now with tune at 32.5 mpg with same commute and driving habit. Does anyone know if the tune can adjust the fan run time such as after engine shut down?


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> My MPGs are suffering since tune install. Im hoping its just the winter blend causing this and not the tune. I was at 36mpg stock now with tune at 32.5 mpg with same commute and driving habit. Does anyone know if the tune can adjust the fan run time such as after engine shut down?


We all suffer after getting the tune due to lead foot syndrome. The boost profile is much different than stock, coming on earlier and stronger than stock.

Yes, the fans can be adjusted, but probably not in the way you expect.


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

Can you explain Titan on the fan operation adjustment? I know what you mean about the lead foot but I behaved it and like I said same habit and commute other than winter blend and cold OT's. What is everyone getting MPG wise tuned?


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> Can you explain Titan on the fan operation adjustment? I know what you mean about the lead foot but I behaved it and like I said same habit and commute other than winter blend and cold OT's. What is everyone getting MPG wise tuned?


Just shoot them an email and ask if they can adjust the fan and explain what you want. I'm getting about 32mpg tuned on mostly street driving. I don't commute to work anymore and only take the kids to school. When I was (60m+) I was getting 42mpg.


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

most tunes are only at WOT so it depends on how much you give it 100% throttle. also things like WOT delay and governor. So TPS


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

hificruzer226 said:


> most tunes are only at WOT so it depends on how much you give it 100% throttle. also things like WOT delay and governor. So TPS


This specific tune is throughout the whole RPM range. Power comes sooner and leaves later. 


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

titan2782 said:


> Just shoot them an email and ask if they can adjust the fan and explain what you want. I'm getting about 32mpg tuned on mostly street driving. I don't commute to work anymore and only take the kids to school. When I was (60m+) I was getting 42mpg.


So what about the advertised eco mode in tune thats gets 2-3 more mpg than stock. I was getting 36mpg or so on stock tune with 89 octane. Now tuned im only getting 33.5mpg with 93 all in the eco mode with same commute. Im hoping my lowered mpgs is not do to the tune and just the OTs and winter blend fuel.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> So what about the advertised eco mode in tune thats gets 2-3 more mpg than stock. I was getting 36mpg or so on stock tune with 89 octane. Now tuned im only getting 33.5mpg with 93 all in the eco mode with same commute. Im hoping my lowered mpgs is not do to the tune and just the OTs and winter blend fuel.


Unfortunately, I don't expect any MPG gains from the tune. You may want to swap in 42# injectors. According to OnlyTaurus, they should offer better fuel economy due to better atomization. We don't have any proof of this yet, but I've been keeping an eye on my mileage. Of course, I've been WOT plenty of times since installing them. 

I suggest you ask your vendor to have the select-a-tune exactly match your stock tune. If you look in my previous posts I have dyno sheets to show that the "eco" mode pretty much matches the "perf" mode. Same boost levels = same fuel required. I asked vince to exactly match my stock tune and it's much better. You can have them make it even less agressive. That way, you get the MPG when you want and the power bump when you want.


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

So you dont really think its the OTs and winter blend?


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> So you dont really think its the OTs and winter blend?


I did not see any significant drops in MPG's after switching, except during the time I was WOT everywhere.

I'm assuming OT's are snow tires. Tires can certainly make a difference. More grip = more drag = less MPG. Heavier tires = increased rotational mass = more power to maintain speed = reduced MPGs. Low tire pressure = more drag.


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

Sorry OTs are Outside Temps. Been a long cold winter here.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> Sorry OTs are Outside Temps. Been a long cold winter here.


Ah. It's possible that colder temps will reduce your MPG's. The engine has a certain operating temperature range. It takes the car longer to get to that point in cold temps. This will affect fluids too. The colder a fluid is, the thicker it is and the harder the components have to work to move it around.

Cold air will also reduce tire pressure (be sure to check pressures) which as I stated above, will cause more drag and we've already proven that increased PSI will help MPG.

Not only that, but colder air is denser which means your AFR (air:fuel ratio) will be leaner so the car will add more fuel to even it back out.


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

titan2782 said:


> Ah. It's possible that colder temps will reduce your MPG's. The engine has a certain operating temperature range. It takes the car longer to get to that point in cold temps. This will affect fluids too. The colder a fluid is, the thicker it is and the harder the components have to work to move it around.
> 
> Cold air will also reduce tire pressure (be sure to check pressures) which as I stated above, will cause more drag and we've already proven that increased PSI will help MPG.
> 
> Not only that, but colder air is denser which means your AFR (air:fuel ratio) will be leaner so the car will add more fuel to even it back out.


Totally makes sense to me now. Didnt think of the AF ratio leaning using more fuel.


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