Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare for my tune
You prepare for your tune by making sure your vehicle is in good working order.
The battery and charging system are in good working order. Downloading and writing tunes requires a lot of time with the key on and the engine off. Low voltage during writing can brick your computer and annoy the calibrator. If we have to charge your battery during tuning, we will add $100 to your bill.
Sensors- all necessary sensors and systems must be in good working order. Cam, crank, MAF, MAP, and knock sensors must all be GM, Delphi, or Delco brand. if your are unsure of whether or not a sensor or system is necessary, please consult with us first.
Fuel and fuel system- if tuning for a single fuel, your vehicle must have at least 3/4 tank of fuel. For flex fuel vehicles, you need a minimum of ½ tank of 93 octane. Flex fuel can be provided by us or by you. Coordinate before dropping off the vehicle. Your vehicle must also have an adequate fuel system to support your goals. Please consult us if you have any questions. If we have to stop tuning to go to the store and put fuel in your vehicle because you did not follow instructions, it will be the cost of fuel plus an additional 50$
Injectors- at this time, we only work with the following injector brands: GM, Fuel Injector Clinic, Injector Dynamics, Fuel Injector Development, Siemens DEKA. Absolutely NO snake eater, eBay, fuel injector connection, or any other injector that does not come with quality data. If you do not see yours, please inquire with us before purchasing your tune.
Boosted vehicles- any vehicle that we are tuning for boost and that did not come from GM with a turbo or supercharger needs a GM 3 or 4-bar map sensor. Any Gen5 vehicle that has a turbo or centrifugal supercharger will ALSO need a barometric pressure sensor breakout.
How long does tuning take? Can we wait there?
In house appointments are *Drop off* only
Remote tunes - once you have paid for your tune, submitted a petune info sheet, and we have the tune from the vehicle, we typically have your base file sent over within 3 business days. Once we have started the process, please allow 1-2 business days to get a revision after sending your data log. Some tunes take just 3-4 revisions, some take 20, some are a real pain and take 30+, but we are committed to putting out a great product, and that is more important to us than getting paid and calling it done, so we will work on it till we are both happy.
In house tuning- Pick up time is typically within 24 hours of the appointment for tuning services. However, the tuning schedule can be impacted by issues with the vehicle or weather, as we do street drive to optimize the calibration, and we do not rush the process when faced with adverse situations. We try our best to hold a timeline, but we focus on quality over quantity
When can I drop off my vehicle?
Once an appointment time is set, we prefer that the vehicle be dropped off the day before or the morning of the appointment so that we can get your vehicle ready to be worked on immediately.
How does the vehicle calibration process work?
The basic rundown of the tuning process for in-person or remote tuning is simple:
- We start by downloading the calibration file from the vehicle.
- Go through the calibration, tab by tab and table by table, to set up a “base file” based on the modifications of the vehicle, and our experience on how these vehicles run and what they need to optimize performance
- License the file and write it into the vehicle
- data log on the current revision of the tune
- Make changes and corrections to the calibration file based on the data log
- Write the new revision into the vehicle.
From here, we just log and make calibration changes while slowly pushing the vehicle further and further till we have max power, safety, and drivability
Can you remote tune?
Yes, we can remotely tune vehicles anywhere in the world.
We require the HP Tuner software for stock ECU or a CAN cable for Holley EFI systems so you can datalog and write the calibrations I send over, a quality wideband sensor (preferred: Ballenger Motorsports AFR500 or equivalent.... lowest grade wideband is an AEM 30-0334). Higher-horsepower vehicles with anticipated 800+ horsepower will need additional sensors to ensure component protection.
Do you dyno-tune the vehicles?
Rios Racing tunes with shops all across the nation, so if a particular shop utilizes a dyno, or you just want to see a dyno number, we will be glad to supply dyno support.
However, in most circumstances, we prefer to utilize street and track tuning. You cannot accurately calibrate a vehicle with inaccurate data. Oftentimes, when on a dyno, the load being applied to the driveline, as well as the airflow across the vehicle/through the engine bay, is nowhere near real-world conditions, which can have drastic effects on the airflow and timing models. So normally, when a car is dyno tuned, it needs to be retuned on the street, and we don't like wasting your time and money.
What is your labor rate?
Tuning rates can be found here:
Tuning — Shop — Rios Racing
In addition, if extraneous work needs to be completed and we obtain customer approval, a $125/hr labor rate is added to the invoice along with the additional parts and services needed.
What's your pricing model?
See our Custom calibration prices here!
How much are re-tunes?
Small calibration adjustments for minor modifications are $200. For large modifications that require a full re-tune, prices will be provided by the specialist. Please reach out to us.
Retune rates only apply to work that was previously completed by our shop.
What is the deposit for an appointment?
Appointment slots for tuning require a nonrefundable $100.00 at booking.
This deposit comes off the price of your tune at the end.
If you reach out to us in an adequate amount of time to reschedule, we will work with you the best we can to apply your deposit to the new date.
If you are a no-call/no-show for your appointment, the new nonrefundable deposit will be $300 to reschedule, and your tune price will go up $100
Why do your tunes cost more than some competitors?
With our software and extensive experience, we seek to exploit the safest, most effective ways to get you more power by calibrating nearly double the number of tables that our competition works with. We also customize the calibration based on your specific vehicle and not a copy-and-paste template from another vehicle. We care about your goals and safety, so we work with you from a bottom-up standpoint to ensure you won’t ever get beaten by another car with the same mods. All this while still being safe and reliable