Canned vs. Custom Tunes
Eliminating confusion between canned & custom engine tunes
Canned Tunes:
The diesel performance aftermarket refers to canned tunes as an engine tune that was designed as a universal tune for a specific year, make, & model diesel truck. If you purchase a diesel tuner of any sort from a manufacturer such as Edge, Superchips, Bully Dog, Banks, etc, you are purchasing canned tunes. Canned tunes work well with, & even compliment additional modifications to your engine, just not in the same fashion that a custom tune will.
Custom Tunes:
Custom tunes are tunes that are created for your specific vehicle & operating conditions. Custom tuning often requires your truck to be placed on a dynometer to measure performance & make appropriate alterations in real time. Custom tunes are generally recommended on highly modified diesels that require special tuning to meet the needs of performance fuel system modifications such as oversized injectors, compound turbocharger systems, & fuel pump modifications.
Examples of Canned Tunes:*
An aftermarket diesel programmer that is designed to work on stock 7.3L Super Duty trucks, model year 1999-2003.
An aftermarket module that is designed to work on stock 5.9L 24-valve Dodge Ram trucks, model year 1999-2004.
Examples of Custom Tunes:*
You have your truck live tuned by a professional. The resulting tune(s) are one of a kind and meet your specific performance requirements.
A tune designed by a professional or company for a 2005 6.0L Power Stroke diesel running 250cc injectors & 50 PSI of turbo boost. Though the truck was not live tuned, the tune was created to meet the requirements of the larger fuel injectors & increased boost pressures.
*Examples do not necessarily represent actual products & used for example only.
Which type of Tune do I need?
For daily drivers & tow rigs, canned tunes should be more than adequate for safely improving performance. Custom tuning is recommended on trucks whose main use is drag racing, sled pulling, etc, where the engine has significant modifications over stock & the vehicle is rarely driven for transportational needs. Canned tuning is the cost-effective method, while custom tuning tends to be more expensive.