ATTENTION: current lead times are as follows 2 weeks from the time of payment for base files and 3 weeks from the time of payment for in-house tunes
ATTENTION: current lead times are as follows 2 weeks from the time of payment for base files and 3 weeks from the time of payment for in-house tunes
ATTENTION: current lead times are as follows 2 weeks from the time of payment for base files and 3 weeks from the time of payment for in-house tunes
ATTENTION: current lead times are as follows 2 weeks from the time of payment for base files and 3 weeks from the time of payment for in-house tunes
ATTENTION: current lead times are as follows 2 weeks from the time of payment for base files and 3 weeks from the time of payment for in-house tunes
ATTENTION: current lead times are as follows 2 weeks from the time of payment for base files and 3 weeks from the time of payment for in-house tunes
ATTENTION: current lead times are as follows 2 weeks from the time of payment for base files and 3 weeks from the time of payment for in-house tunes
ATTENTION: current lead times are as follows 2 weeks from the time of payment for base files and 3 weeks from the time of payment for in-house tunes
ATTENTION: current lead times are as follows 2 weeks from the time of payment for base files and 3 weeks from the time of payment for in-house tunes
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, Deatschworks 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 and some other countries, 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:
In addition, if extraneous work needs to be completed and we obtain customer approval, a $150/hr labor rate is added to the invoice, along with the additional parts and services needed.
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.
Why do your tunes cost more than some competitors?
Most “custom tunes” from our competition are someone else’s tune from a vehicle with similar mods, then you get a few minor tweaks to get things in the ballpark. We seek to exploit the safest, most effective ways to get you more power with the best drivability. In order to achieve this, we start from scratch on every tune, we dial in each airflow model to your specific vehicle and the mods it has, so we can ensure everything is right. We care about your goals, we care about not wasting your money, and we care about your safety. So we take baby steps, we check more things, and it takes more time to deliver this higher-quality product. If we do not charge enough for our time, we will not be able to afford the quality equipment, research & development time, and systems required to grow and support you guys adequately.
How do I properly service my 6l90?
At higher power levels than factory, the trans needs to be at 1.5qts over full, and the fill procedure being followed to a T is critical, as some functions of the techm are temp-based.
For the fill on a 6L80/90, the vehicle must be in the air and level. Remove the plastic fill plug at the front passenger side of the trans (this is the location where a dipstick would go on other vehicles)
Insert a hose into the fill port so you're ready to add fluid. (A fluid pump from below works, or you can run a hose from the engine bay, down behind the passenger side cyl head and into the fill hole, then jam a funnel into the end of the hose in the engine bay)
Start the vehicle and idle in park till the trans fluid temp on the scanner or dash shows between 90-120*F.
Pull the drain/ service plug in the pan (a small amount of fluid will come out even if it is underfilled, as there is a small tube extending up from the plug on the inside)
Fill until fluid starts to pour out of the drain, then install the drain plug and add 1.5qts.
Don't forget to reinstall the plug in the fill port, or you'll find out you forgot when it spews an unknown amount of fluid out during a pull, and you’ll have to do this shit all over again.
What all do i need for remote tuning with you?
Remote tuning typically only requires an hp tuners interface and a quality wideband. For high hp applications you'll also need to purchase one of our pressure sensor kits.
2008 and newer vehicles can use a canbus wideband with obd2 pass through to log and is easiest to use and configure,
2007 and older vehicles will need a pro link to log the wideband. here are some links to places to purchase. if you have any questions contact support.
Hp tuners MPVI4
Aem canbus wb aem 30-0334
this isBallenger afr500 that works with all vehicles through the use of a pro link+ AFR500v3 wideband
Pro link to log widebands and other external sensors hp tuners pro link+
pressure sensor kit 0-100psi pressure sensor kit