I should get my SLK32 tuned this year. I have run as fast as 12.28 on the factory tune. So there may be some HP on the table there. Plus, new mods are coming. I would really like to consistently, not just occasionally, run well into the 11s. I can run as fast as 11.50 without a rollbar/firesuit/harnesses/etc., so, why not?

So how should I go about it? There is Eurocharged and Buckhead Imports. I know a lot of you have been happy with Eurocharged's work. Steve (32krazy!) was very happy with the tuning Buckhead did on his car. They BOTH sponsor Timmayfest, my favorite car show, so lots of win there. I live in Ohio though; a long way from Chicago or Atlanta. I could buy a remote tune. Eurocharged has their Euroflash cable & remote tunes. Jason from Buckhead told me that they could ship me a cable and do a remote tune as well.

Having the car tuned on the dyno seems like it would be better. Wouldn't the tuner be able to adjust the tune more precisely on a dyno? But how to do it? IPS Motorsports here in Ohio has two dynos and is a "Eurocharged dealer" but I don't know what that really means. Do they customize the tune on the dyno? Or just install a canned tune?

Does Eurocharged still offer lifetime retunes if your mods change? Or was that a thing of the past?

 

IPS is where I may go in the future. They can make adjustments from the dyno readings and dial the car in for the mods you have. Save the tune, and you are ready to go. That is what you should do. I have canned tunes that have been checked by the zietronix I have and seem to be pretty close, but a dyno on the spot tune is the way to go. And, yes their retunes are free as long as you own the car.

 

wait until june and have tony from buckhead do live tuning on the car during timmayfest. the best way to have a tune on a car. real world tuning wins every time

 

Dyno tunning is best. Second best is remote tunning with datalogs, and last are canned tunes. All of these methods must be from someone who is experienced with your model of car.

 

Does Tony do any live (not canned) tuning during Timmayfest? I don't think they do any tuning on the dyno due to the number of cars. I could make passes at the drag strip and datalog if he could make adjustments in between.

 

From what I understand and have heard from companies/people in the know is that a lot of companies claim they can "dyno tune" but it's a can-tune stolen from a company that actually has the software to adjust maps. They act like they're adjusting maps but they aren't actually doing anything other than upload a stolen tune. I know for a fact that Eurocharged has the Dimsport software, the only software on the market that can find maps for you, allow adjustment AND re-load via OBD for Mercedes. You can adjust in Win OLS but you have to find the maps or pay for someone to tell you where they are, then use the Dimsport MyGenius loader to upload it. Both you still have to pull the current file manually for, or have it on hand. I'm sure some go through the trouble but again, it's rare when both pieces of software are so expensive, even for businesses you think would have the money to afford them.

Basically all I'm saying is, be careful who you go to. If it's not Dimsport then it better be Win OLS with a Dimsport MyGenius loader, and they better have good soldering ability to pull the current file or have it on hand.

My .02, hope it helps.

 

Thanks for the advice Josh.

One question: good soldering ability?

 

No problem! Just remember that I'm totally going off he said, she said. Who knows, maybe at this point tons of shops have the Dimsport stuff.

What I was implying is if they don't have the original 32K maps, then they'll have to extract them manually.

 

Congrats on the fastest SLK32 in the country. I see you went with Eurocharged according to Dragtimes and I guess had it dynoed at IPS. Can I just ask how you did that as I'm considering doing a remote dyno tune with Eurocharged also. Did you have to install a wideband O2 sensor? Thanks a lot.

 

I started with a remote E/C tune and wasn't happy, not close. Had a remote retune, wasn't happy with it. Called and talked to Jerry. At first we didn't hit it off. He knows he's good and came off a bit arrogant to me. I arranged a remote dyno tune. The local shop donated their laptop so E/C could see the dyno info real time and he spent 1 1/2 hours on line tuning my car. I can't tell you how impressed I became with E/C. They kept working with me until I was happy. To tell the truth, in the beginning I didn't have a clue what was a good tune and what wasn't. At the time I had a leaking intercooler and didn't know. Maybe the cause of the faulty remote tunes? Because E/C was willing to work with me, a clueless owner at the time, I can recommend them. Having said all the above, a dyno tune is the best way to go if you can arrange it. As long as they have experience with our cars.

Les

 

I never thought of it that way! I guess it may be. I haven't heard of any faster SLK32s in the US.

I DO have a wideband O2 installed, but did not use it for the tuning. I was not there in fact. I was travelling for work and dropped the car off at IPS before I left. They used a tailpipe WBO2 with their dyno. From what the IPS guys told me Eurocharged connected to the car through a laptop and cable that IPS supplied. IPS would make a couple of dyno pulls, Eurocharged would makes ECU adjustments, wash, rinse, repeat. I guess the car was on the dyno most of the day, but the IPS guys were working on other things while Eurocharged was changing the tune.

The tune made a dramatic difference in the car. The throttle response is considerably better and the overall power higher. The only issue I have is that the car is hard to start when cold and the idle fluctuates until it warms up. Phil from Eurocharged keeps telling me to check other things, but I've checked about everything and I think it is the tune. I am hoping I'll be able to get them to do something about it when I get the car back out in the spring.