SCT XCalibrator 2 vs. DiabloSport Predator

[SteedaV8]

ok i did search for this topic and there was one about this but before the sct 2 came out. Now that is been out for awhile i was wondering what everyone thinks.
This is my situtation i have cai, x-pipe, 70mm throttle body and i am getting gears done on monday. I know i have to flash my computer to reset my speedo so i am looking for a good hand held tunner. I have been reading about them and it really looks like they are about the same.

What I dont really understand is the tune part. It says all of the stuff that you can changed indivually but everyone talks about a perforamce tune??

So does that mean that i just go in and change the gear ratio then load the performace tune that they come with to get some more out of my car. I dont mind having to run 91 or 93.

Any info greatly appr. Thanks

 

[twogts4us]

Both are quality products - look to see what tuners in your area use.
Yes, you can simply load the performance tune. Order the SCT X2 from www.modulardepot.com and you'll get what is called a mail order tune - that is a tune specifically made for your mods but not tweaked on YOUR car on a dyno. Then you can tweak it yourself further by downloading the free software (http://www.sctflash.com/downloads.php), loading your tune, modifying it, saving it, then uploading it to the car.
My preference is the SCT X2.

 

[Give Me TP]

Ditto what he said for both tuners. Both will allow you to modify parameters on their pre-loaded tunes right out of the box but only within relatively broad ranges.

 

[tomustang]

the predator was a waste of my money.

 

[four.six]

the predator was a waste of my money.

what is wrong with the predator??

 

[Bullitt0616]

how much extra hp and tq does the predator tune give u out of the box?

i just got mine and could feel abit of a difference. i got it mainly for my future 4.10 install - not a fancy racer guy, but i want my speedo calibrated right.

 

[SteedaV8]

thats the main reason i want one just to have the right speedo becasue if my thinking is correct. if the speedo is off wouldnt the odomo. be off and i would be putting more miles on my car then i am. but all of the extra hp and tq is just icing on the cake.

 

[TGJ]

Having used both products, I think one is superior to the other. I have found that SCT gives a much better mail order tune than Diablo. I recommend SCT and if you buy from Modular Depot, you will do fine.

 

[hotdog71]

I have the predator and love it,, kicks arse IMO

I have the speed cal and 4.10's but I wanted it for the tuning. I heard Diablo will send you a tune also if you send them a data log of your stats.

 

[four.six]

thats the main reason i want one just to have the right speedo becasue if my thinking is correct. if the speedo is off wouldnt the odomo. be off and i would be putting more miles on my car then i am.

yes u are right!

 

[Give Me TP]

Having used both products, I think one is superior to the other. I have found that SCT gives a much better mail order tune than Diablo. I recommend SCT and if you buy from Modular Depot, you will do fine.

Depends on who you get a mail order tune from. Diablo software used by a competent custom tuner is no worse or better than SCT software.

I don't see anything in the first post about SteedaV8 necessarily wanting a custom tune. The pre-loaded performance tunes that come on a Predator or an XCal 2 are going to be very similar in results.

 

[SteedaV8]

I guess what i dont understand is the mail order tune compared to the pre-loaded tune. I would be able to purchase both and just take out of the box plug in and get some gains but if I wanted more gains i would have to do some cumston tunes?? And with the custom tunes i would have to tell them excatly what i have done to my car and of course that would be more money right

 

[TGJ]

Depends on who you get a mail order tune from. Diablo software used by a competent custom tuner is no worse or better than SCT software.

I don't see anything in the first post about SteedaV8 necessarily wanting a custom tune. The pre-loaded performance tunes that come on a Predator or an XCal 2 are going to be very similar in results.

Well there is no such thing as pre-loaded tune with SCT, it is custom to his car. When you buy a tune from a SCT dealer it is a mail order tune.

Predator's come with a tune on them or a pre-loaded tune. The pre-loaded tunes on a Predator are NOT as good as a mail order SCT.

 

[Give Me TP]

Well there is no such thing as pre-loaded tune with SCT, it is custom to his car. When you buy a tune from a SCT dealer it is a mail order tune.

Predator's come with a tune on them or a pre-loaded tune. The pre-loaded tunes on a Predator are NOT as good as a mail order SCT.

Wrong. A custom tune is a tune written for one specific vehicle based on dyno information and datalogging results for that vehicle only. Said custom tune can be developed at a dyno shop or by "mail order" as you refer to. The tune delivered to your door in an out-of-the-box Xcal 2 is based on a collective of cars with similar mods and ECU code. That is a pre-loaded tune no matter how you want to view it otherwise, and until you send your SCT dealer dyno and datalogging info specific to your car only and it is tweaked accordingly it is no better or worse than pre-loaded Predator tunes.

 

[Give Me TP]

I guess what i dont understand is the mail order tune compared to the pre-loaded tune. I would be able to purchase both and just take out of the box plug in and get some gains but if I wanted more gains i would have to do some cumston tunes?? And with the custom tunes i would have to tell them excatly what i have done to my car and of course that would be more money right

For custom tunes you must run your car on a dyno and perform some datalogging. Most dealers, Diablo or SCT, will include the cost of a custom tune by e-mail, with unlimited adjustments, in the price of a new flash tuner. You can also purchase such custom tunes locally from your favorite dyno shop or by e-mail after getting a flash tuner.

 

[SteedaV8]

thanks thats what i needed to know. I think i am going to go with the sct and just tell them everything i have done to my car and they will put that in the pre loaded tune and ill go with that for awhile if i ever go to a dyno shop ill bring it along and they can do some data loging them i can send it back to them for a custom tune.

Just one more thing mustangtuning has it for 399.99 with free shiping and we get another 5 percent off. and u get the free usb cable (which i guess means u wouldnt have to send the tuner back u can download the tune in the comfort of your home)is that the best price anyone has seen

i check modular depot and theres was 399 but no discount or shipping.

 

[TGJ]

Wrong. A custom tune is a tune written for one specific vehicle based on dyno information and datalogging results for that vehicle only. Said custom tune can be developed at a dyno shop or by "mail order" as you refer to. The tune delivered to your door in an out-of-the-box Xcal 2 is based on a collective of cars with similar mods and ECU code. That is a pre-loaded tune no matter how you want to view it otherwise, and until you send your SCT dealer dyno and datalogging info specific to your car only and it is tweaked accordingly it is no better or worse than pre-loaded Predator tunes.

WRONG, sort of,

The tune delivered to your door in an out of the box SCT can be done the way you said. SCT has a database for the tunes, so a dealer can grab one and tweak it if he wants. The dealer may have his own custom tune that he created for that type of car, or the dealer may build one from scratch. It is however a custom tune as it made specificly for the said car. You would need to find another car with the same mods and EEC code for that SCT file to work. You can bring the tune bang on with a Dyno. If it is from a good reputable SCT dealer, it will be close.

SCT is BETTER out of the box than DiabloSport. I do not personally know anybody with problems from SCT. I do personally know people having problems with DiabloSport, including damaged vehicles. That also said, there is more complaints about Diablo than SCT. For every complaint you can find with SCT, I can find at least 5 with Diablo. How is Diablo as good when more people are complaining that have them?

 

[Give Me TP]

Actually there are complaints but you just haven't seen them, but I am not into bashing one product over another and both are good. If you want to consider what you have on an out-of-the-box XCal 2 to be a custom tune to convince yourself it's "better" go with it. A flash tuner is only the device to download a performance tune, and the skill of the person writing the tune is all that is important. SCT software is no "different" than Diablo software in function. Put a flash tuner in the hands of someone who out of ignorance doesn't know the consequences of modifying parameters himself and you might very well wind up with engine damage, but that's operator error, not tuner error.

 

[propellerhead]

I applaud your patience, Give Me TP. This same discussion comes up over and over again. Xcal2/custom tune vs. Predator/generic tune.

Whoever runs the marketing department of the Xcal2 is a genius.

 

[propellerhead]

WRONG, sort of,

The tune delivered to your door in an out of the box SCT can be done the way you said. SCT has a database for the tunes, so a dealer can grab one and tweak it if he wants. The dealer may have his own custom tune that he created for that type of car, or the dealer may build one from scratch. It is however a custom tune as it made specificly for the said car. You would need to find another car with the same mods and EEC code for that SCT file to work. You can bring the tune bang on with a Dyno. If it is from a good reputable SCT dealer, it will be close.

SCT is BETTER out of the box than DiabloSport. I do not personally know anybody with problems from SCT. I do personally know people having problems with DiabloSport, including damaged vehicles. That also said, there is more complaints about Diablo than SCT. For every complaint you can find with SCT, I can find at least 5 with Diablo. How is Diablo as good when more people are complaining that have them?

Read what the original poster has in his car... "cai, x-pipe, 70mm throttle body and i am getting gears done". Do you honestly believe an Xcal2 dealer will do anything more than pull an existing base tune off the shelf for this guy? Do you honestly think the dealer will spend the time to fine tune the a/f ratio and timing adjustments to "customize" it to this guys car? All for the same off the shelf price? Based on what? The color of his car? I hope you don't believe that turning off the MIL and recalibrating for his gears is considered "customizing" it to his vehicle.