Hypertech vs Suprechips

[Mr. H]

I have done the thread search and can't get answer. I need help. I have a deal worked out for a Hypertech III for my 05 and want to know if the Hypertech is the best way to go.

I would appreciate comments or comparisions on either the Hypertech or the Superchips.

Also comments on the Airaid intake, filter and box.

Thanks for all the great help.

[Mr. H]

I have done the thread search and can't get answer. I need help. I have a deal worked out for a Hypertech III for my 05 and want to know if the Hypertech is the best way to go.

I would appreciate comments or comparisions on either the Hypertech or the Superchips.

Also comments on the Airaid intake, filter and box.

Thanks for all the great help.

[Lost in Space]

seems to me they are pretty much the same deal arent they?

[Induction Concepts]

SuperChips, hands down. They do make a similar product, like the Hypertech programmer, but SuperChips also makes complete custom tuning solutions, where the Hypertech stuff is more 'generic', one size fits all, AutoZone, type of deal.

With SuperChips, you can get a complete custom tune, specific to your vehicle. One-size fits all tunes just don't work that well. Two identical vehicles, one rolling off the assembly line right behind the other, will require slightly different tunes.

If you want a REAL tune, go to a tuner, have them put it on the dyno or road-tune it. The other types are just generic. Of course on a mostly stock vehicle, there isn't going to be much difference anyway. But on most applications you can move shift points, rev limits, top-speed limits, etc.

[HUMMERcustoms.com/TAZ]

I got a shock today. I talked to superchips as I have been a Hypertech fan and have run one for almost 6 years and love it. The programmer they sent with supercharger would not let Me do anything but, download the tune. I asked them what do I need to do to get it to let Me change tire size, shift firmness, etc. like I have always done with Hypertech. Tranny with their tuning will not last the rest of the summer with it taking forever to get into another gear. Thus I highly recommend the 2-4 servo if Your going to run on superchips tuning on supercharger from Magnuson. Their response "We don't offer a tuner with functions like those. It just loads the tuning only." IN a responce by email from a technical service guy.
i have emailed for a clarification as to if they meant tuner for SC only or in general. We have had a few conversations with them on support as We did not like what We were getting in the download on My H2 and they were less than cordial maybe a bad day. They did talk to Us like We were dummies. Guys Our shop may be many things but, We are not dummies as My head mechanic can build a custom turbo out of a couple different ones if nothing on the shelf will do what We want, it was We were asking questions that they had no answers for, to hard of a question or had not been trained with the correct answers. They actually told us on one occasion that We had blew the PCM up. Not the case and We knew. I still believe a flaw in programmer because when I pulled it out the issue was not there all thogh it did not run real good with boost on stock tuning, it just made comfortable We knew what We were talking about. I can call Hypertech or Comp Cams on their tuners and they will spend all the time You want without trying to run you off on to the next guy.
Oh on a side note that fits here My guy was the first in our area to build from scratch a twin turbo setup for one of these old little bitsey Mustang 2 when the turbo's would not fit under hood He went through fender well and built a box to house a turbo on each side of engine that kept it out of the elements as well as get cooler air and kept all that heat away from engine bay. We do special things if You cannot find someone. WE built a bag system for a 2005 Colorado so he could do a body drop and set it on the frame and one did not exsist that We could find anywhere. Well there is a kit know and We are looking to see if We can make it work on H3 just like the turbo We are designing for Colorado.
I do know there is a company that is going very hard to get the Magnuson tuning account when superchips contract runs out because of this kind of stuff plus I have seen the program of this other company and would run it when it comes out but, I will be running tuning from My sponsor on wideband. At last I will be able to tell My electric fans when I want them to turn at what temp. and off.
Just My experience and it may have been totally a perculiar situation to Me. So I do not want to judge them I'll just run differrent tuning because what i'm getting from sponsor is way better than almost any out there right now. They are coming out with a new platform in 5 months that will put everyone light years behind them. they are on the edge of the envelope and safe about it. When allowed i will tell You about but, until then There is only one rig running it right now. I get to have the first of everything long before it comes out so i will be able to always tell You guys how I like it before it hits the street.
Well take it for what it is worth nothing in it for Me just sharing My experience which is what We all do on this forum.
Hopefully You can pull enough nuggets out of many and make a good decision.
TAZ

[Induction Concepts]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by HUMMERcustoms/TAZ:
I got a shock today. I talked to superchips as I have been a Hypertech fan and have run one for almost 6 years and love it. The programmer they sent with supercharger would not let Me do anything but, download the tune. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

What specific SuperChips part do you have (part number or model number please)?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Guys Our shop may be many things but, We are not dummies as My head mechanic can build a custom turbo out of a couple different ones if nothing on the shelf will do what We want </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You mean he can swap a turbine housing (6 bolts for T3s, hybrids and T04s) or compressor housing (6 bolts for T3s hybrids and T04s)? Anyone with a 13mm wrench (for most turbos) can accomplish this.

I'm guessing you don't have a spin balancer, that can balance a shaft with a compressor wheel and turbine wheel capable of 120,000rpms, so you can't change turbine wheels or compressor wheels.

[HUMMERcustoms.com/TAZ]

Sorry do not have superchips model with me. it is in the shop. I will try to get it tomorrow so You can help Me figure out what is going on with this. I hope i get a more clear return email from superchips. Our induction guy was puzzeled also as to why it would not do more than just load tune and not allow tuning other thing as in shift firmness. I just got the email reply late today but, going to show it to Him and let Him call superchips.

Oh almost forgot no we do not have the spin balancer as We do not do enough custom designs to justify. Normally there is an off the shelf that works or a complete kit. We have turbo shops that Our forced induction guy can go and do things without us investing in the equip.

Plus You know it requires more than taking a 13mm wrench to custom build a turbo. You leave a feeling with Your remarks that You are way over simplifing the skills You have and the abilities You have in Your own comments. I do not know what i did to bring Your anger out, as it comes across that way. If that is not the case please excuse Me for misunderstanding Your reasons to discuss Our abilities which is irrelevant as We have Our business organised and all the areas covered and if not We will go hire someone who can fill that need. In fact Our grand opening was Feb. 2005 and have since added 2 more people and looking to add more soon so I guess We are doing something right. Forced Induction isa very small part of Our work. We are a full fledged customizing shop. I would not have thought that Me making comments on My personal experience lately would raise up another Spanish inquisition. I would think You would be the first to recognize that it is what it would look like or leave the impression of You seemingly needing to test Our skills or knowledge. Well for one Your quizzing the wrong guy We pay a guy to take care of forced induction.

Fortunately Your are not the people We have to please and as long as Our customers are happy then We must be doing something right.
Well I'm not a turbo specialists and the guy who would deal with customer to do something special may have to do more than swap housing an wheels. It could be adding a wheel with different pitches on them, researching the size of the housing needed as far as inlet aand outlet of exhaust side as well as compressor side. I'm not very astute in the forced induction area of turbo's although I'm learning very fast and the concept is easy to understand. That is why We hire people that know things We do not know yet. You more than anybody I would think would not overly simplify the discussion. What does that do but, make people wonder about Your capabilities. Turbo building is much tougher than You make it appear in Your comments but, maybe that is just how I perceive it and once again I will say if I perceive it wrong My appoligies.

I do know one thing I would not come on here and do what you did and try to bring up things to impune Your abilities or Your business. As in My case if the customer is happy then that is what counts and that is all that should count for You as well. We will not BS anybody if We try and cannot get it done We will tell them and they owe us nothing.
WEll i hope this is the end fo this and We can move forward and once again i ofer My appologizes if i interpreted Your wording or what You were trying to do.
TAZ

[Induction Concepts]

I apologize if it sounded differently than I had intended. I wasn't trying to impune your abilities. It was simply what was said and how it was said. It was confusing and I wanted to clarify. You did say that you could build a custom turbo, and without a ballancer, that is just not possible, for reliability. That is all I was asking.

A 13mm wrench is all that is needed actually to swap turbine or compressor housings (for most turbos).

[KenP]

Oh my, oh my. Some angst from across the OK border.

Rad, you've generally offered good advice, but bear in mind TAZ has helped more folks on this forum then most anyone else. (Not counting Papa Jason, of course) And he does it without talking about it, but we all know.

[HUMMERcustoms.com/TAZ]

i did get a reply today from the tech dept. of superchips. He said they do not offer those features on a superchip on Radix SC such as tire size tranny firmness etc.. If they did it would be a custom tune. I replied well it seems to me that it would require a custom tune to setup and run the SC correctly to prevent damage to the rig down the road. That explains why i did not like how it ran the minute i started it up with Your tune in it. may have just been mine but, I and My crew knew enough We shut it down until We asked questions and magnuson sent us to superchips and superchips response was We fried the PCM. I told Him and wanted to say You dummy I just put the stock back in so the PCM is not fried or it would not accept any program. Called dealer and ser. manager said that is a load of bull I have never seen a programmer even when used wrong frie a PCM. He said they are lazy or undertrained and do not want to accept responsibily. so i left it at that and about that time my white knight called up and said he wanted to be My tuning sponsor what do you want to close the deal. First I said My word is worth more than any paper but, I'll sign up or make a verbal comitment for the length You want and as good as you guys are you will most likely have to just run Me off to end the deal. They said good enough for them. If You question that ask KenP in My list of what it would cost for the deal I talked them into selling Him one of the newer platform programs at a good discount but, the one before the new one coming out so He has a tuning program that very few have and i got the new platform that even fwer have and the next in 5 months that will be real radical that no one will have for a few months till i test it out. Sorry Ken did not count You in on that one.
Anyway I asked the guy I can understand if they did not ask but, why did You not try to convince them. Most anyone not all but, most add larger wheels and need to if nothing else firm the tranny shift up because as it stands right now on My rig a tranny will not make the summer if I do not do what i can to save it. then explained the tuning i was going to and the 2-4 Vette servo etc. not counting the many more numerous changes that can be made with a properly prepared programmer. He said well costs more money. I asked then if I wanted one of Yours with more tuning available You could sell me one if I'm willing to pay more money. No because We built it by magnuson specs and the others are not for forced induction. I said I can understand that but You would have a seconary market with a more advanced programmer which You can get all the info you need to build. He would not respond. So I sent back well this kind of lack of interest is usually why someone goes done the tubes and I know the people who will be providing the programmers to Magnuson in the future so i guess I do not blame You for not putting R&D into another offering. he asked who and I said for one it was told to Me in confidence but, it is a big name in the performance world. I have seen part of the data and they are going to use My rig to finish it in the winter. I will not use it because I have a sponsor but, they are friends and have been very good to me for many many years so i will offer what i have for nothing to help them do a programmer right to be sold in Magnuson kits. At least in the future a Magnuson owner will get a top of the line tuning programmer, in fact it has already been shown to magnuson and it just requires finsihing the product which has slowed due to the speed of the other companies R&D so they slowed it down waiting till a little closer to time and Your contract to run out. All this is strictly for the entertainment of the forum as it was for Me at the time, I asked You have not heard anything about this and You are in the tech dept. he said He had not heard it. I told Him they were at Magnuson during the month of May 05. Oh Well

Rad i can build a turbo but not most likely in the quality You can. I taught Myself tearing down John Deere desiel turbo's and changing bearing etc. to save money and never messed up or trashed an engine and the engine that these went on were around $20,000 base block non heads etc. model. But, these kind of engines have alot of tolerance built into them because of the tough conditions and operators who do not check and change oil properly not counting the air filter. But, the turbo's thenselves do not have anymore tolerance than the others. I just learned from scratch and had and do have turbo shops in Little Rock, AR that would let Me come in and test injector pressures, balance on wheels and help me mess with getting more power out of the tractor by changing the pitch on the blades and turning up the injector pump. You know trying to push more air and match the fuel flow to it. it was fun doing it for Myself but, would not do it for the many who asked Me to as I would have felt to guilty if I ruined there equip. where I did not care because I was having fun messing with stuff and it was mine.
So no I can not build a turbo to match your abilities but, I know how it all works and I would much rather work on turbo's than superchargers anyday as I have and the supercharger is way to much harder simply just for the timing of the gears to keep the vains from hitting just scares me a little. Turbo You get the book and know Your specs on tolerances between wheels and housing and spin balance as You mentioned and then check and make sure the slap in the bearings are in tolerance and You got a turbo. Turbo's do not scare Me as long as I'm working on mine.
I applogize if I left to much info out in the beginning but, was just throwing stuff out that usually entertains the Buddies on the forum.
TAZ

[Induction Concepts]

No problem, my bad, I'm sure I just read too much into it, and a long, hot, day at the shop, probably didn't help matters. I'll be glad when fall is here.

Are you in Little Rock or Ft. Smith? If Ft. Smith, I would try to swing down there sometime, when my schedule lightens up a bit, to at least meet in person and I'd like to check out your shop. If its Little Rock, thats too far for a joy ride, I just don't have the spare time right now, unless I had a reason to be in the area.

Anyway, I read your post above, but I'm lost as to what you have decided on? I was asking which part last night because I was thinking maybe you had a microtuner or something similar. They are fine for small changes, tire sizes, shift firmness, rev limits, top-speed cut-off, etc., but for the stuff you guys are doing (much more in-depth than stock or bolt-ons), I would think you guys need some real, custom tunes, something that gives you access to the entire ECM. I know for Ford stuff, nothing is better than the SuperChips (SCT) stuff, but they haven't carried the GM and Mopar stuff as long. Also, I don't know that I'd try to get a 'tune' out of SuperChips. Their custom tuning division is called SCT, they would be more towards what you're looking for I believe. I'd look more in that direction, get whatever hardware you need to do your own thing and find someone who knows the GM ECM inside and out to do the tuning. I have burners, and their new data logger, which you'll want. They are pretty reasonably priced.

So one option would be to purchase the necessary hardware for whichever tuning method you prefer, from SCT, then find a good tuner to use that hardware. There are so many so-called 'tuners' that can't tune their way out of a wet paper bag. They might get it to run and have a close AFR at WOT, but drivability is out the window. I've actually seen posts on websites where guys make 80-90 pulls and still didn't have it right...80-90 pulls, good grief.

So be careful in your selection. Meet them at a dyno and turn them loose and watch them. If it takes them more than 3-5 pulls to get it tuned, move onto the next person. There are tuners out there that can tune ANY combo, sight unseen, and do it in 3-5 pulls, and make it right, but they are hard to find.

[KenP]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">If You question that ask KenP in My list of what it would cost for the deal I talked them into selling Him one of the newer platform programs at a good discount but, the one before the new one coming out so He has a tuning program that very few have and i got the new platform that even fwer have and the next in 5 months that will be real radical that no one will have for a few months till i test it out. Sorry Ken did not count You in on that one. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Damn you! Thanks for all you've done, Taz.

[HUMMERcustoms.com/TAZ]

Rad Your looking at Little Rock.
Rad We have been tuning ECM on rice rockets forever. Then trucks, then crotch rockets wanted theirs tuned and now H2's. We will be setup by tuning sponsor with everything We need to tune any vehicle made, almost. Our head mechanic did A Jaguar about 2 months ago. Part of My sponsorship included making Us their first franchise dealer ever in about 5 months as they devekope the whole new platform and included is all the stock and stuff We need to write burn or whatever We need. Sell prewritten software over the counter. We will send Our head guy to school with them.

I have never used a SC programmer just Hypertechfor 6 years and about a year for a Comp Cams Fast Flash handheld. I liked both alot. I do think maybe I like the Fast Flash better. It seemed to bring out more perf. in My H2 than the others I tried in it.

I'm just shocked SC do not have a better offering for the supercharger by Magnuson. That is the reason I was so glad My new sponsor came along. I'm waiting on a new part of the tuning process that they changed towards the next generation to come from manufacturer and I will have it in and tuned to go. I'm doing some small research for them once We get it rolling. For one I'm going to attempt to run the tuning software all the time through the PC We are building to take over all the entertainment and other things. We will tie into the back of the OBD2 port so that it can be used with PC hooked up all the time with the tuning software coming online everytime The rig is started. The idea is to be able to pull program up on the 12" touchscreen and observe what is going on so that if You need changes You have software to scan and store. Then the next time You stop You edit it and download. So far only desiels can tune on the go and that is because there is no ignition with a spark to control. You are adjusting inj. pump up and down and sdjusting timing and few other things. So far as I know there is not a program to tune as You move in gas burners, because the software is sensitive to voltage or amp drain. I would not recommend it but, if it should happen to You and You were using the handheld and turned key on and it started and after a short time you would get a message saying call this number and give them the code to see what it wrong. Well if You will go back over Your rig and find even a light bulb on say the dome it will sense the drain and not start program because it thinks the battery is to low to allow for a full tune. Rather than calling the number just go around and make sure everything is turned off and fuses are removed they recommend and then tune it again it will work. Once I got frustrated as I had looked everywhere trying to find something on and was getting angry and I was leaning over shifter and looked up and noticed My radar detector was on. I pulled it out of the cig and it loaded.

TAZ