Trying to reach MadTuner...

[Juggernaught]

A week ago, I sent an email to MadTuner asking some questions about the Bonneville GXP tune. Thus far, I haven't received a reply, and I don't see a phone number on their web site. Is there another way to contact them? Thanks!

[96 SSEi]

hi, is this the place?................http://www.madtuner.com/index.php?optio ... &Itemid=32


if it is, contact info is under general info tab at top............


they dont seem to have a phone# associated with business so I suggest you fax them 1 or 2 times max-- any more will use toner/ink and piss them off

General Information


Shipping address and contact information:

Madtuner LLC
850 Savanna Springs Dr.
Lake Villa, IL 60046

Fax: (815) 531-0935
Email: support@madtuner.com

We do not offer phone support.

[CMNTMXR57]

That's because he runs the business out of his house. All their tuning on dyno's I think is done at Finish Line Performance (FLP) in Naperville.

FLP has gone through some iterations over the years, after they first burst on the scene in the late 90's/early 2000's. Chuck (one of the original FLP people) left and started his own transmission shop in Wooddale. My T56 in the GTO is built by him a couple years back.

Anyway, I know many on the Caddy forums seem to be ok with him. Since I am in Chicago, and we have several reputable shops in the area that do live dyno tuning (my choice is Jim at Speed Inc. or if by some luck of God, I can get Larry to get me in at AMS), I am not a fan of mail order setups, but choices aren't in mass with a GXP, so you're sorta stuck. What might be more beneficial is seeing if there is a reputable shop near you, with a dyno and is experiences with HP Tuners and see what they can do.

[Juggernaught]

Thanks for your replies. I have tried the email route (using the address on their web site), and haven't received a response in two weeks. I could fax but thought it was unnecessary due to the email address listing, and I don't have a fax readily available. Also, like CMNTMXR57, I am reluctant to do business solely over mail order regarding a tune, especially with no phone support available. I'm concerned that if a business won't answer an email, they won't answer a fax either. I've installed tunes on my '09 Solstice GXP and my '04 Dodge Dakota with no issues, but there was always the reassurance that phone or email tech support is there. So, I guess I'll just forgo tuning the Bonneville unless I can correspond with the company or person behind MadTuner.

[Juggernaught]

Well, it's official. Madtuner has ceased operations. From their web site: http://www.madtuner.com

Tuning services discontinued.
Due to other interests and priorities, we've decided to discontinue our tuning services. We want to thank all of our customers for their support over the years.

[Hundredbeerz]

I was emailing a guy from CHRF (Cadillac hot rod fabricators) about tuning bonnevilles with northstars and he said our cars are not tune friendly because of the simmens ecu, but he said it is possible to swap the simmens ecu with a delphi e67, but some sensors would have to be replaced. I have not checked the connector pin outs, but the connectors them selves seem to match. Any thoughts?

[CMNTMXR57]

The results aren't worth the effort. What exactly is it that you're trying to get out of "tuning" it? More power? That would be almost very little. MPG increase, again, probably result in minimal benefit. Driveability? Most who "tune" things like to remove all the things like torque management and other PCM "nannies" that actually hurt driveability.

So by the time that you convert to a Delphi unit, change sensors, get it tuned, just to to pick up a handful, if any at all, of additional front wheel HP on a dyno, and maybe an MPG or two, it simply isn't worth it.

Now if you have a blower motor, or your doing some fancy stroker, or even just going more agressive cams and headwork, this is a completely different story. But for a stock car with some bolt on stuff like FWI or some post-cat exhaust work, the stock tune is 99.9% what you need.

What I might suggest that would net better results, is doing an idle re-learn. This will reset the PCM to it's base parameters, then you can re-learn it to drive like you like it. Think of it as re-booting a PC.

[Hundredbeerz]

I completely agree, i was just curious if anyone has herd of this or had any success.

[00Beast]

I completely agree, i was just curious if anyone has herd of this or had any success.

No one has done it here and posted about it. I'd know.

[CMNTMXR57]

I was gonna say, no one here I've seen.

[pontiacivan]

I completely agree, i was just curious if anyone has herd of this or had any success.

I realize this thread is old, but this is the Internet and a search engine can drop you here just like a current thread.
First, i am sorry to hear Madtuner has stopped business, I was VERY happy with their tune on the GXP.
While " minimal gains" are the best that can be expected, I paid $325 and got 10HP at the wheels and a broader curve. I've seen Corvette guys pay more for less than that.
In an age of computer programmed engine management, " performance" does NOT have to mean Horsepower alone. While another poster mentions " turning off torque management reduces driveability", I find it quite pleasing and completely natural. Non PCM cars don't have it, and removing it increased performance by way of more power to the wheels. My 2005 GXP has the smallest cams of any LD8 or L37 yet I make as much at the wheels as any of the original L37s that had larger, less optimally timed cams and significantly more torque at lower RPMs.

On the subject of CHRF, while they may have a good reputation and have been featured in some of the performance magazines, they are disturbingly lacking on info regarding 2000 + Northstars for "experts"
The idea that the Siemens PCM is not " tuner friendly" is patently false. True, when it came out in the 04-05 Bonneville, there was no aftermarket support, but that was 13+ years ago.
EVERY PCM can be programmed. If that were not true, GM would never have been able to load update, bug fixes and VIN numbers for replacement units. Aftermarket support exists now and Madtuner was using it. The major limiting factor on our cars is the crossover pipe ( fixable ) and 19# injectors ( changeable and tuneable in the PCM)

While I am in no way trying to disparage their name, I don't think they are the first choice for a street Northstar. If memory serves, these guys are primarily Sand Buggy enthusiasts and prefer old style cam profiles that aren't really suited to a daily driven Northstar. I attempted to have a set of cams ground to a more appropriate spec, but the quoted cost was significantly out of line with the work involved. CNC machines have been around long enough that this service should be among one of the least expensive out there. They should already have jigging and fixtures for N*cam work, and shouldn't be having a lot of time invested in programming the machine by this stage of the game.

That's my two cents. I hope someone resurrects Madtuners efforts as I had wanted to have them do an update for larger injectors. I should not have dragged my feet!

[CMNTMXR57]

Turning off Torque Management means turning off the PCM's timing retardation just before, during and post shift. This means that under acceleration the trans shifts/hits harder, which is "jarring" to the occupants of the vehicle (hence the "driveability" aspect of the vehicle), and over time increases wear on the unit (transmission) unnecessarily.

I have TM turned off on my V and while it does increase acceleration performance, it is also an exceedingly hard shift on the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts both in normal driving situations as well as WOT.

As to "anything can be tuned"! Yes it can. But what is the cost vs. gain. GM when they reflash PCM's aren't changing the architecture of the program. They're just updating it with a revised bios for better operation and to fix bugs. They aren't doing it to enhance performance in primary circumstance. Matter of fact, anything GM does is "conservative" and with warranty costs in mind and they do so with fat fuel trims (running a little rich on purpose, particularly at WOT and certainly on forced induction engines), and excessively dialed up TM. So when you lean out the tune, add a little timing, raise shift points, and remove TM, it feels like a completely different vehicle, and is where you picked up your extra gain. One doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out with HP Tuners or whatever software/tuner you chose.

10whp at max gain and something under that on the curve throughout the RPM range of the motor, isn't justifiable to spend big amounts of money on a fairly stock or even mildly modified (bolt-on stuff), engine. If you're getting into doing custom cam grinds and actual head/valve work, this becomes a completely different viewpoint.

[Kersh]

I can tell you that when I was working with Madtuner on the tune for my '01 Aurora (4.0L), he told me flat-out that the "tune" made very little improvements in the way of ENGINE performance (the "stock" tune is probably not maxed out, but is very good to take advance of the power and performance available with the stock assembly), HOWEVER, the difference in the transmission performance (hence, improvement in driveability) made it worth every penny.

We're talking night and day difference.

[CMNTMXR57]

Again, probably raised shift points and removed TM.

In some GM vehicles it's REALLY bad.

[nos4blood70]

Not a N* but still proves the point, when we switched off all TM in my 3800 Bonneville, shifts were extremely uncomfortable regardless of throttle input. It was awful.

[Kersh]

Again, probably raised shift points and removed TM.

In some GM vehicles it's REALLY bad.

Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what he did as he didn't/wouldn't tell me. I will say that I provided him the shift tables with regard to upshift/downshift vs. throttle percentage.