Trifecta for the LSJs, worth a crap or not?

[Ecocharge]

Since I am wanting to get my car tuned, and kind of limited at the options I have been looking at what Trifecta offers. It seems simple enough just using their GT tuner and loading the calibration. I am sure HP Tuners is a better option, but with not a single person remotely close that I know with it and myself not having a laptop, HPT, or any knowledge of using it, this may be an easier option. I am not looking to have anything too complex tuned for, just a measley 3" and 42s.

I know that with the with the Trfiecta tunes, you can opt to where later on that the changes can be edited with HPT. Has anyone edited a Trifecta calibration with this option and ran into any problems? I am just wondering if there are and kind proprietary stuff that they can edit within their software that may not be able to be edited in HPT. Overall, from those that have seen a Trifecta tune on a LSJ how good are they?

[BlueBolt66]

trifecta made my LSJ run uber rich and they kept telling it looked fine and I had to send the tuner back. The following week my car freaked the ♠♠♠♠ out and would revv up and drop rpm rev backup then die. needless to say I found a hptuner and had it retuned.

[elecblue06]

if you have a wideband trifecta will be pretty good.. but tuning any boosted car without a wideband is just dumb anyway

[BackyardTurbo]

Either invest in a used HPT or a wideband and TF tune. Ive heard his LSJ tunes are ok if you have the wideband but otherwise are way rich as stated above (which I get). Eitherway really you should get a wideband tho, AFX makes a cheap one that works well. Ive gotten them for $225 shipped.

[Rodimus_Prime]

what about the gm stage 3 variant?

[BlackBaltSw]

Buy a wideband, and get a HPT tune.

[Pyros777]

what about the gm stage 3 variant?

Figure I'll chime in on this for you rod:

The GMS3 OS is different from the standard OS ONLY in the fact that it has the user-adjustable rev limit, high octane mode, and a built-in nitrous window switch. Trifecta unlocked the A/C, added the option for launch control in lieu of adjustable rev limit, and has access to the HOM and nitrous tables. Because Vince is aware that most LSJ guys use HPT or other software (EFILive), he also changed the OSID on 05/06 models to make it HPT compatible, and I personally bugged Bill@HPT until he got '07 supported and all PIDs/bi-directional controls working properly.

If anyone is uncomfortable with Trifecta tuning their LSJ, they should by all means go a different route. If you do, however, have a wideband and a dealer that doesn't half-ass it on helping you get dialed in, then you can wind up with a very safe and respectable tune (Vince generally tunes to 11.5 AFR and doesn't go overboard on timing). Keep in mind Trifecta won't tune you to the bleeding edge of performance like most HPT guys will, because Vince's philosophy is essentially to tune similar to the way an OEM would. Safety first, THEN power. I hope that answers yours and the OP's question.

Disclaimer: Yes I'm a trifecta dealer, but I also use HPT on my own car, so I am capable of being unbiased sometimes. $900 worth of HPT credits out of my own pockets says so. lol

[elecblue06]

Buy a wideband, and get a HPT tune.

thats not an option for everyone

[BlackBaltSw]

thats not an option for everyone

It is for most.

[qwikredline]

thats not an option for everyone

then leave the car alone. At most run GM stage 2 or 3 and call it a day

[Ecocharge]

Looks like Trifecta willbe more of a hassle than it's worth at the moment, since if I do require an updated tune I'd have to send the GT tuner back to them to upload it and send it back to me. According to their website, there's no Trifecta dealers close by, so that's a no go on receiving quick updates. Guess I'll just hold off for now and get HPT if I do anything

On the other hand I have located a PCM with the GM stage 2 reflash on it, came out of the same year as my car. I am assuming I'd have to get a case relearn done on it, but since the calibration is supposed to be coded VIN specific, will this cause any problems with doing so? I am just trying to figure out if getting this to work on my car will be more trouble than its worth

[BackyardTurbo]

The GMS3+TF combo is actually really nice and has some cool features. We've tuned a couple cars with that and they love it.

[elecblue06]

Looks like Trifecta willbe more of a hassle than it's worth at the moment, since if I do require an updated tune I'd have to send the GT tuner back to them to upload it and send it back to me. According to their website, there's no Trifecta dealers close by, so that's a no go on receiving quick updates. Guess I'll just hold off for now and get HPT if I do anything

On the other hand I have located a PCM with the GM stage 2 reflash on it, came out of the same year as my car. I am assuming I'd have to get a case relearn done on it, but since the calibration is supposed to be coded VIN specific, will this cause any problems with doing so? I am just trying to figure out if getting this to work on my car will be more trouble than its worth

i'm not sure why people think you have to send the gt tuner back to get it updated you get the updates from the internet and dont have to send the tuner back until your done with your tune

where are you from?

[Philzoot007]

Looks like Trifecta willbe more of a hassle than it's worth at the moment, since if I do require an updated tune I'd have to send the GT tuner back to them to upload it and send it back to me. According to their website, there's no Trifecta dealers close by, so that's a no go on receiving quick updates. Guess I'll just hold off for now and get HPT if I do anything

On the other hand I have located a PCM with the GM stage 2 reflash on it, came out of the same year as my car. I am assuming I'd have to get a case relearn done on it, but since the calibration is supposed to be coded VIN specific, will this cause any problems with doing so? I am just trying to figure out if getting this to work on my car will be more trouble than its worth

pcms are vin specific. u will have to have either send both ur stock pcm and the new one to zzp or something like that so they can copy over the right ♠♠♠♠ u need. or the dealer will have to flash the pcm over to stock to get the vins to match up correctly. this is my experiences with trying different pcms. good luck.

[Ecocharge]

i'm not sure why people think you have to send the gt tuner back to get it updated you get the updates from the internet and dont have to send the tuner back until your done with your tune

where are you from?

I though I read it somewhere before that it had to be sent back to be updated, but I guess that's not the case. That will make things much easier then if Vince can just send a revised update.

I'm in Middle TN south of Nashville. I see that there is a tuner listed in west TN, but that's 200 miles or so from me

pcms are vin specific. u will have to have either send both ur stock pcm and the new one to zzp or something like that so they can copy over the right ♠♠♠♠ u need. or the dealer will have to flash the pcm over to stock to get the vins to match up correctly. this is my experiences with trying different pcms. good luck.

I knew about them being VIN specific, and the plan was to have the dealer do all of that. I didn't know if the stage II calibration could still be retained while changing the VINs. Either way, doesn't matter now I guess. Some kid of rlf bought it and though he could plug and play a PCM from an 05 onto his 04

[qwikredline]

I though I read it somewhere before that it had to be sent back to be updated, but I guess that's not the case. That will make things much easier then if Vince can just send a revised update.

I'm in Middle TN south of Nashville. I see that there is a tuner listed in west TN, but that's 200 miles or so from me


I knew about them being VIN specific, and the plan was to have the dealer do all of that. I didn't know if the stage II calibration could still be retained while changing the VINs. Either way, doesn't matter now I guess. Some kid of rlf bought it and though he could plug and play a PCM from an 05 onto his 04

be for sale soon.

[Philzoot007]

^^^^lol i just told that same kid on rlf the bad news lol. im like cmon man common sense. even if ur not car guy.

[Rodimus_Prime]

so heres a question, it was mentioned for the 05-06s, I have an 07 is that a Trifecta stage 3 option? The HOM and launch control really have me interested

[BlackBaltSw]

Just learn how to drive, and launch control wont be needed. Plus you can do all that in hpt as well.

[BLAZIN07SS]

sean something you might be interested in. zzp had trifecta modify lsj pcm's so the car has sensor capability up to 25psi, increased the maf hz scaler to 13000hz, HOM, launch control, better fan control, etc. but of course it's just a layered tune. you tune with hpt on top of it