You likely didn’t choose a truck with a diesel engine just for the sound it makes. If you’re relying on a diesel engine truck, there’s a good chance that you have a specific purpose for it in mind. This is a good thing because having a clear purpose for your truck means it’s easier to modify it in a way that benefits you.
One of the easiest ways you can do this without having to add or remove actual parts of your truck is to get yourself a tuner, otherwise known as a programmer, to better customize how your engine runs and how much control you have over it.
Do you need to be some kind of programming expert in order to use a tuner effectively? Absolutely not. In fact, many tuners are incredibly simple to use and require almost no extra input on your part. However, if you would enjoy having more direct control over your truck’s performance, some tuners allow you to do that to an unmatched degree.
This article will be a beginner’s guide on how to operate a diesel tuner. We’ll also take a look at why you would want a tuner in the first place and what it can do to improve your diesel truck and take its performance to the next level.
Before we can get into how to work these devices, it’s important that we understand what they actually are. Tuners, a name you’ll often see used interchangeably with programmers, are small devices you can plug into your truck’s OBDII port. The device gets its name from how it allows you to “fine tune” your engine and other aspects of your pickup to fit your unique needs.
Tuners come in different levels of complexity and capability, but their main purpose is to give you a more direct way to influence the inner workings of your truck for better performance overall.
We already mentioned the OBDII port on your truck. While that acronym might give you pause, it simply refers to a small port in your truck, usually located somewhere below the steering wheel. You’ll know it by its parallelogram shape, the lines of small pegs inside of it, and a thin bar of metal in the middle. This is where your tuner or programmer will fit. There are a few different kinds of tuners that we’ll go over, but they all plug into this OBDII port.
As the name suggests, these are some of the simplest tuners you can buy. Plug-n-play tuners are usually tiny devices that don’t have any extra buttons or features on them. You can find plug-n-play modules that will do almost anything you need for your engine. Some modules will focus on improving fuel efficiency, while others will focus solely on giving you more torque and towing power. Pay attention to the kind of module you buy to ensure you get the desired results.
Tuners with monitors tend to be a little more involved. These tuners will usually have a mounting unit with them that allows you to mount their monitor in a place that’s easy to see at any time. The monitors give you a greater degree of control over your settings, allowing you to watch a real-time display of various engine diagnostics that will automatically adjust as you drive.
Handheld programmers attach to your OBDII port through a cord that leads to a device that looks similar to a smartphone. The device allows you to choose different settings based on how you want to improve your truck’s performance. Most of these systems come with preprogrammed settings but also allow you to customize what you want. Once your settings are in, you can store these devices somewhere safe and away from prying eyes.
The ability to change your tuner’s settings whenever you want is something that only certain systems allow you to do. If you want simplicity, the plug-n-play modules are your best bet, but they don’t allow for much customization, and you can’t change their settings easily. A handheld system might be the better choice if you want something that will allow you a little more freedom as to how your tuner works at a given moment.
A beginner’s guide on operating a diesel tuner wouldn’t be complete unless we looked at how these devices help your truck. There are quite a few benefits to installing a tuner, but you may need to decide early on what benefits you’re looking for. Especially if you’re going for a simpler module, you won’t be able to improve every single aspect of your truck without some tradeoff. Here are the most important ways that a tuner can improve your truck’s performance.
Plenty of diesel tuners solely focus on—or at least have a setting that focuses on—towing capacity and horsepower. If you’re regularly hauling heavy loads, a tuner can give your pickup the extra power it needs, often without any extra input on your end. If you have a towing mode in your truck, tuners can make the transition seamless after sensing the extra weight.
Practically any tuner you buy will have an option for an economy mode, one that focuses on saving your tank through smarter fuel consumption. Even the most basic plug-n-play modules can help with this, but higher-end tuners can do even more. Through real-time feedback, these tuners can help you learn how to drive more efficiently. This can save you a ton of money in fuel costs in the long run of your truck’s lifespan.
No one enjoys seeing that check engine light come on, but a tuner can help you figure out what’s wrong much sooner than if you were to take it into the shop. If you prefer doing your own maintenance work on your truck, a tuner is your best friend for diagnosing issues before they become actual problems.
When you step on the pedal, you don’t want to have to wait for your pickup to lurch forward after a long delay. The right tuner can help with your truck’s throttle delay, making your throttle more sensitive and responsive to the fuel pedal. For the best feeling acceleration possible, tuners can make a world of difference.
Now that you have a better idea of what tuners are and how helpful they can be, you’re going to need to find the right one for you. Norcal Diesel Performance has a wide range of diesel programmers for Cummins engines that can take your truck beyond its normal limitations.
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