MACE flash tune for SV6 SIDI...opinions?

[monkeyboy]

Wondering how many people have had a flash tune from MACE and your opinions of it. I'm weighing up whether to get one for my SV6 SIDI (headers, mufflers, growler, big MAF pipe) and was hoping for some insight into what to go for and what to expect. I usually fill it with 98 or premium.

I've heard they do a 'ghost cam'...but have found very little info about it...sounds interesting though.

I'm after firmer shifts, faster 0 to 120kmph times and generally more poke. Better fuel economy might be a consideration, but probably not

So if you have had your ride flash tuned by MACE, any info or opinions would be great.

[vongy10]

Mace VE V6 Tune Review

[monkeyboy]

yeah I should read the whole thing I guess

[Zerone_V]

I am currently in the process of finalizing my Remote V8 flash tune by MACE.
This includes tuning the 6 Speed Auto, as well as an engine tune for an Orrsm OTRCAI, and XForce 3inch Cat back exhaust.

(I know this isnt a V6 tune, but at least this will give you an idea of MACE, and what they can offer).

Firstly, Steve from MACE has been very very helpful.
He has been very quick to reply to every email I send him, and he has taken the time to explain the process, options, and my questions promptly, and thoroughly.

So from a customer service standpoint, I am very very happy !

As for the tune,
The A6 tune is awesome. There is no other word for it.
What I wanted was a lofty mix of better fuel economy, with more poke when I give the car a boot full.
The transmission with the tune shifts very quickly, it is almost like a DSG box, or like shifting on a big bore motorbike.

I was worried with the firmer shifts, as I had an EF Falcon before my commodore, with an adjustable S5 solenoid.
(Hardware shift kit, with adjustable line pressure).
Whilst the EF was fun, driving around town was like being hit up the backside every time the trans shifted.
To give you an idea, the EF was a 6, and it would lose traction shifting into second around half throttle)

With the VE, the engine revs to match the shift points, as well as reduces power on up shifts.
This means that the shift quality is very good, even with the firmer shifts. You dont get the slap in the back thud on up shifts when putting the boot in, but the shifts themselves seem to take less than a second to complete...
Trust me, a definite 100% improvement over stock.

We are in the final stages of the Engine tune. (Its only been 1.5 days of logging the engine so far).
So far, I can notice a definite improvement in power at around half throttle.
The car seems to idle little lower, and the fuel consumption seems to be 0.1L less, but its still very early days to be objective about this.

So far, I am very very happy.
I guess the real question is would I recommend MACE, or use MACE again ???
The answer is definitely yes...

I ope this helps, as I wanted some feedback from people before diving in to the unknown, and I appreciated the feedback that I got at the time.
It helped me feel confident in the decision was making..

Cheers

[kuzman89]

Definetly get mace to do it, I'd be doing it last though after every other performance mod you wanted to do was finished.
Fuel economy does improve, shift times as well (for auto, im sure bigjim can pip in) and heaps more torque and kw.

[monkeyboy]

Cheers Jerome_V, that was a fantastically detailed and helpful reply. I've heard nothing but good things about Steve and by all accounts he is thorough and goes the extra mile to ensure his customers get what they're paying for. After reading this and the Mace review thread, I'll definately be contacting him asap for a tune.

Thanks again guys

[The X Man]

Is there much benefit vs outlay to put a tune on a stock standard SII SV6 Auto?

[burleighboy86]

Also interested to hear what some sv6 sidi owners have to say about their MACE tunes too. I'd love to get one, but probably after warranty runs out in October.

[Jarp]

The product and service provision provided by Steve at MACE is second to none. If you are going to fit a CAI and headers on your Alloytec or LLT then it really is a must to tie all your changes together with a tune and Steve will sort you out. I would also recommend purchasing the interface device as it will make it easier to record running logs for any future changes you may want to make to your cars hardware and then software also it will provide a basic J2534/USB interface for software packages like Dashcommand. Having used both Castle Hill and now MACE to tune my LLT I'd have no dramas in recommending MACE as the product of choice from a bang for buck, convenience, customer service, flexability and power production perspectives. Further to this I've also found the E85 tune for the LLT an absolute cracker particularly from a tourqe production perspective...makes city driving so much more enjoyable for our sometimes torque challenged drives.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Where abouts are you? I do MACE tuning as well, but I'm in Bunbury WA.

[bigjim92]

monkeyboy, I've got the MACE tune on my car, and I'm very happy with it, across the board.

It definitely has a lot more poke, revs out faster, and the gear changes feel great, especially in sports mode.
Fuel consumption has dropped to around 7litres per 100km on the freeway, I do very little driving in traffic, so can only comment on freeway fuel use.

As for the ghost cam, you can now select yourself what ghost cam you want, mild - moderate - aggressive, it's a pretty cool thing to be able to do, but not something I want to have on all the time.

For the cost, the Mace tune is very good, and Steve's customer service is FANTASTIC!

[monkeyboy]

Cheers for the advice guys. I spoke to Steve today and once the programmers are back, the tuning will begin. Can't wait I think I'll go with the aggressive ghost cam and see what it's like, I can always have it dialed down later if it starts rattling my fillings loose.

As well as the usual firmer shifts and improved fuel economy (if possible), I've asked for a 10% reduction in torque management in drive and a 50% reduction when in sports shift. With the headers, intake, and exhaust mods so far Steve assured me that's a combination that responds very well to a tune.

I like the fact that I can record some logs, email them to MACE and they will make adjustments and email me the updated tune at no extra cost. From all reports Steve is a top bloke and I haven't come across a single negative comment or opinion about his approach, attitude or his dealings with customers...so I feel confident the tune will help unleash some more of the hidden potential in the 3.6 SIDI :P

[DECIMATOR]

Dude I'd get a custom dyno tune from sonny at autowerks. Bit more pricy but better results.

[monkeyboy]

How so Decimator? I've not a car dyno tuned and am curious about the differences in flash v dyno.

[DECIMATOR]

Flash is like a "one size fits all" tune. Where as a dyno tune by Sonny (one of the best in the business) will be a tailored tune to suit your car and modifications. Every car and motor is different so a custom tune is the way to go if your after the best results. Like i said earlier it will be more pricy, but a very good way to tie in all your mods.

Don't get me wrong, a flash tune is great and cheaper, but it's not as good as a dyno tune by a good operator.

[DECIMATOR]

I'm getting an ORSSOM OTR and custom tune done by Sonny on the 21st of Feb. I can let you know how I go

[monkeyboy]

Sounds good man. Keep us posted

[Zerone_V]

Hi there everyone

Again I am not sure what is involved with the SV6 tune, but with the remote V8 tune, you need to send logs of the vehicle getting driven to get things perfect.

I understand the reasons for a Dyno tune, (Controlled environment, you can get AFR and Timing information across the entire rev range, and torque curve), but I dont understand why people are saying a remote flash tune is a one size fits all tune.

I have sent MACE six hours worth of real time data logs, and used around $50 worth of fuel doing this.
The tune I have so far is great, but like anything, the more data MACE has to play with, the better they can adjust the tune to suit the uniqueness of your car / engine.

Again, its very difficult to do WOTs in third gear on the street, so a Dyno tune is going to give you that data very quickly, but keep in mind logging while driving can give you superior data when it comes to things like ambient air temps (I have some nice cold night time logs with temps around 17*C), and some hot weather logs where temps are around 33*C.
I also have lots of data on cold start driving, as well as at optimum temp driving, something that is difficult to do on a Dyno in a single day.

Think of it this way, how much would I have to pay to have several hours of Dyno time to get a tune right.
I do agree, a Dyno tune is the way to go if maximum power is what you seek, but in no way is a remote flash tune rubbish.

Just my 2c

[MACE]

To give people a clear idea of the practical aspect of the flash tuning process we offer please refer to the process below

• Fill out a form to establish your requirements
• Wait for the programmer to arrive
• Once arrived install software and drivers for the programmer
• Read your current tunes (one for the engine and transmission)
• Email these across and will email you a custom base tune shortly afterwards
• Log how the car is running with the programmer and various conditions and report any other changes that you would like to take place and email back to us
• With this info we'll email you out another tune if necessary
• We repeat the last two steps until both parties are happy

Going by the above, we don't merely offer a flash and forget service.

I hope this has been helpful

Kindest Regards,
Steve

[SV666]

Very informative steve, i am currently saving up on the side so hopefully in the coming months i will be contacting you. I do have a question though, i believe that you are based in Melbourne? I live in south morang and was wondering what is the expected time to install an otr and get a base tune on for a sidi? And also to get a lesson in how to program and data log stats from the car sent to yourself and load it onto the car again?


Cheers.

[MACE]

'Very informative steve, i am currently saving up on the side so hopefully in the coming months i will be contacting you. I do have a question though, i believe that you are based in Melbourne? I live in south morang and was wondering what is the expected time to install an otr and get a base tune on for a sidi?"
Correct. The time installation with the VCM item will vary depending on if you have a manifold insulator or not (which will likely be needed for it to work with VCM). Orrsom OTR is easier to install and will take around 1/2 hour to install. In regards to the tune it's generally not something that is done straight away and usually takes around a day once we have a read file(s) from your vehicle.

"And also to get a lesson in how to program and data log stats from the car sent to yourself and load it onto the car again?"
I guess. In saying this though it's literally a couple of mouse clicks for the job, so it would probably take about 2 min . The only difficult part would be getting a hold of laptop with a Windows operating system on it (preferably Win 7)

Cheers,
Steve

[burleighboy86]

What sort of price bracket would we be talking about here? Just for a basic tune to increase power and economy enough to keep me happy until I feel it's time to do some more to the car Lol

[MACE]

What sort of price bracket would we be talking about here? Just for a basic tune to increase power and economy enough to keep me happy until I feel it's time to do some more to the car Lol

At the moment the price is $550 for a tune, however this will likely be going up to be able to maintain the high level of after sales support for this service or start charging for this support separately. It may seem like much but for those who have experienced the service would appreciate why

As for more information about the tune specifically please check out the link below.

Mace VE V6 Tune Review

Seeing you have an auto I dare say you'll be happy with the tune to say the least

Cheers,
Steve

[The X Man]

No answer to my question?

[MACE]

No answer to my question?

My apologies I missed it

Is there much benefit vs outlay to put a tune on a stock standard SII SV6 Auto?

Put it this way, out of all of the mods you can do around this price bracket this one will definitely have the greatest impact in transforming the driving experience by far (especially being an auto) in a good way