HPTuners

[aarolar]

I asked about tuning programs on here already and for some reason HPTuners never came up. Is there a reason why it's not worth buying it looks like you can get into it several hundred dollars cheaper than EFI Live and usually that's not a good thing. FWIW I intend on keeping this truck 99% stock and possibly a small cam if I ever need to freshen it up. I mainly want to undo GMs sissy factor tune on my 7.4 and use it for diagnostics.

 

[Aloicious]

HPT is a good option, it may be a little cheaper off the bat, but from what I have seen, they tend to nickel and dime you a lot more (their credit system is variable, so some vehicles cost more to tune than others, add on features cost more to use, etc), so depending on what you do, you may end up spending a lot more in the long run. IME efilive has a better and more user friendly interface, and most add-on type functionality is free, and efilive has some expanded functionality over HPT (for example, segment swaps are easily done in EFILive by yourself quickly, where HPT requires you to send the tunes to the programmers, wait sometimes weeks before they can get to it if they are able to do it at all, etc)...

however, even though IMO EFILive has some benefits over HPT, I do think HPT is still a quality program.

I am an EFILive official reseller on my site, so it may seem like a conflict of interest that I'm talking about how EFILive is better, but even before I ever became a reseller I was using it personally because it was the best option IMO. if you're interested in getting EFILive, drop me a line I can help you, but if you end up going with HPT, that's perfectly fine too. I just thought I'd share my opinion and experience with them since I've looked into it and have been tuning for a while.

 

[great white]

HPT is Ok.

I personally don't like it, but it works for guys tuning one car at a time. Usually their own. I find it a bit too "locked down" for my uses.

EFILive is better supported in that it has it's own community and there's strength in numbers.

I use TunercatII, but that's a whole 'nother ball o' wax....

 

[aarolar]

HPT is a good option, it may be a little cheaper off the bat, but from what I have seen, they tend to nickel and dime you a lot more (their credit system is variable, so some vehicles cost more to tune than others, add on features cost more to use, etc), so depending on what you do, you may end up spending a lot more in the long run. IME efilive has a better and more user friendly interface, and most add-on type functionality is free, and efilive has some expanded functionality over HPT (for example, segment swaps are easily done in EFILive by yourself quickly, where HPT requires you to send the tunes to the programmers, wait sometimes weeks before they can get to it if they are able to do it at all, etc)...

however, even though IMO EFILive has some benefits over HPT, I do think HPT is still a quality program.

I am an EFILive official reseller on my site, so it may seem like a conflict of interest that I'm talking about how EFILive is better, but even before I ever became a reseller I was using it personally because it was the best option IMO. if you're interested in getting EFILive, drop me a line I can help you, but if you end up going with HPT, that's perfectly fine too. I just thought I'd share my opinion and experience with them since I've looked into it and have been tuning for a while.

I keep hearing about them nickel and diming you but what exactly are they getting your for? I am just trying to understand what people mean by this so I don't get surprised later. For instance after I pay my initial 499$ what other charges can I expect in order to tune my L29?

HPT is Ok.

I personally don't like it, but it works for guys tuning one car at a time. Usually their own. I find it a bit too "locked down" for my uses.

EFILive is better supported in that it has it's own community and there's strength in numbers.

I use TunercatII, but that's a whole 'nother ball o' wax....

This exactly where I am at I just want to improve alittle on my stock tune an still have the program avaliable down the road for troubleshooting any issues that arise. I don't plan on hotrodding or doing anything crazy with this truck, the only thing I may do is when the motor gets tired I may rebuild it and add a supercharger.

I just mainly want a troubleshooting program at my disposal and 800$ for EFI is hard for me to swallow.

 

[great white]

I keep hearing about them nickel and diming you but what exactly are they getting your for? I am just trying to understand what people mean by this so I don't get surprised later. Doing more than one VIN usually requires another license is one of the ways IIRC...



This exactly where I am at I just want to improve alittle on my stock tune an still have the program avaliable down the road for troubleshooting any issues that arise. I don't plan on hotrodding or doing anything crazy with this truck, the only thing I may do is when the motor gets tired I may rebuild it and add a supercharger.

Oh, you say that now, but once you start "tuning" a 411 swap is only a heartbeat away.....

 

[aarolar]

I can see that but that's just petty stuff. I ain't putting brodix heads and a monster cam or something.

 

[great white]

If it were me, I`d contact lextech first and see about a 411 Kit. I`ve run one, great pcm. Others report good things too. way better than the black box. I think he sells them as a kit for 100 bucks with programming.

Unless I remember it incorrectly, HPT doesn`t read fault codes, run system tests or data log. Been a long time since I looked at them though.

HPT has a forum (or at least they did). Go read up on what people are saying and it may help your decision...

 

[Aloicious]

you can get a simple tune from someone like lextech and get the EFILive scan only which will do all the diagnostic stuff for much less, and you can add the tuning capability to it later if you wanted. the scan only version (does all logging and diagnostic stuff for an unlimited amount of vehicles, you just can't re-flash the PCM with it) is $499.

as far as HPT nickel and diming you, vehicles can use anywhere from 2 credits to 4 credits just to tune that one vehicle (EFILive uses 1 license per VIN regardless of what vehicle it is), want to use a custom operating system for boost or anything else? that'll cost more credits to use, and you'll have to pay even more depending on how much functionality you want, (EFILive custom operating systems are free and have full functionality on all of them even beyond what HPT offers), the HPT standard kit does not allow any external 5V inputs (like a wideband or EGT, or anything else) so if you want that you'll have to pay to upgrade, and even then it supports only 4 analog inputs (ALL efilive v2 hardware (even the scan only version) supports digital and analog inputs and has: 4 X 0-5V analog inputs (can be used for analog wide band integration), 2 X K-type thermocouple inputs (used for logging temperatures), 2 X 12V digital inputs (used to detect voltage/no voltage conditions), 1 X RS232 serial input (can be used for serial wide band logging or real-time data input/output with dyno controllers and/or other data loggers), and even though you're not going extreme with the build, a wideband input will be a STRONGLY encouraged addition for correcting the VE tables). remember that even though you're not going to put in a monster cam or something extreme, any cam change will require a remaping of some tables to correct for the different airflow characteristics.

then there are the differences that have already been mentioned. although a small correction to great white's post #7, HPT does datalog, and I believe it does read codes, but Im not sure on running system tests or bidirectional controls for diagnositcs, where I know EFILive does all that.

What year is your truck? if it's not a 98 or newer, you'll HAVE to do a 411 swap anyways since neither program will support the 96-97 PCMs. and even if you are a 98+. you'll want to do a 411 swap anyways, its cheap, easy, and significantly better than the blackbox PCMs across the board, especially if you're planning on doing some of your own tuning on it.

 

[great white]

you can get a simple tune from someone like lextech and get the EFILive scan only which will do all the diagnostic stuff for much less, and you can add the tuning capability to it later if you wanted. the scan only version (does all logging and diagnostic stuff for an unlimited amount of vehicles, you just can't re-flash the PCM with it) is $499.

as far as HPT nickel and diming you, vehicles can use anywhere from 2 credits to 4 credits just to tune that one vehicle (EFILive uses 1 license per VIN regardless of what vehicle it is), want to use a custom operating system for boost or anything else? that'll cost more credits to use, and you'll have to pay even more depending on how much functionality you want, (EFILive custom operating systems are free and have full functionality on all of them even beyond what HPT offers), the HPT standard kit does not allow any external 5V inputs (like a wideband or EGT, or anything else) so if you want that you'll have to pay to upgrade, and even then it supports only 4 analog inputs (ALL efilive v2 hardware (even the scan only version) supports digital and analog inputs and has: 4 X 0-5V analog inputs (can be used for analog wide band integration), 2 X K-type thermocouple inputs (used for logging temperatures), 2 X 12V digital inputs (used to detect voltage/no voltage conditions), 1 X RS232 serial input (can be used for serial wide band logging or real-time data input/output with dyno controllers and/or other data loggers), and even though you're not going extreme with the build, a wideband input will be a STRONGLY encouraged addition for correcting the VE tables). remember that even though you're not going to put in a monster cam or something extreme, any cam change will require a remaping of some tables to correct for the different airflow characteristics.

then there are the differences that have already been mentioned. although a small correction to great white's post #7, HPT does datalog, and I believe it does read codes, but Im not sure on running system tests or bidirectional controls for diagnositcs, where I know EFILive does all that.

What year is your truck? if it's not a 98 or newer, you'll HAVE to do a 411 swap anyways since neither program will support the 96-97 PCMs. and even if you are a 98+. you'll want to do a 411 swap anyways, its cheap, easy, and significantly better than the blackbox PCMs across the board, especially if you're planning on doing some of your own tuning on it.

Ah yes, "credits". I remember why i didn't go with HPT now...

 

[Aloicious]

in the end you shouldn't be comparing the crippled versions of HPT to anything from EFILive, its more like this:

EFILive V2 scan and tune - $899 total
HPT Professional suite - $649 + cost from any additions = ??

and

EFILive V2 Scan only - $499 total
HPT Scanner professional - $499 total

the prices are really similar in the end it comes down to personal preference, I use EFILive, and I know a lot of others who do...then there are a lot of other guys who like HPT and like it.

the EFILive software is free, I'd suggest you go download it and download a few tunes and play around with it. see how it works first.