SCT X3 Tuner Questions

[jwlast]

I recently purchased a SCT X3 tuner with 3 custom tunes loaded by a "will remain unnamed, but well known" Mustang parts supplier for my 06 GT automatic. I was surprised to get the tuner with absolutely no instructions, nothing, nada. I realize the tuner goes to the "will remain unnamed, but well known" Mustang parts supplier" blank to be loaded with their tunes, but after loading its got to be pretty common to all tuners for the multiple functions it contains.

Now, I'm not the smartest guy mechanically but not the village idiot either. I've got some experience with a Predator from another Mustang I currently own and found it very easy to use and the instructions very well written (and included with the tuner).

I went to the SCT website to find instructions and didn't find it very helpful. There were instructions, but they didn't follow the look or the icons that appear on my X3, didn't explain how to adjust shift points and what the different settings mean/result in, etc. Again, nothing, nada.

Found the following on another Mustang forum. Rather than try to restate, I've shameless copied it, I just couldn't say better......

"USER ADJUSTMENT OPTIONS
‘05-06 Mustang GT
87 Octane, 91 Octane, 93 Octane, Economy, Speed Limiter, Idle Drive, Idle Neutral, Shift Point 1-2, Shift Point 2-3, Shift Point 3-4, Shift Firmness 1-2, Shift Firmness 2-3, Shift Firmness 3-4, Rev Limiter, Cooling Fans, Spark 0 - 2000, Spark 2000 - 4000, Spark 4000 - 8000, WOT FUEL, Axle Ratio, 30lb injector, 42lb injector, 90mm Lightning MAF, C&L CAI, JLT CAI, PHP CAI, Steeda CAI

We all can get there but what means what when we get there?

Any why is there no manual with these translations available for us non tuner guys btw, I wont be offended if it comes to me like a See Dick and Jane book or even a Cat In The Hat version as long as it fills the void between the ears."

Any help out there with the various functions X3 other than from SCT or my "will remain unnamed, but well known" Mustang parts supplier" would be greatly appreciated. After spending close to $400 on the X3 and tunes, would like to understand all the functions, how to load them (or stay away from them) and what they mean without a bunch of trail-and-error that could result in engine/pcm/wallet damage.

Thanks for letting me vent

 

[terry5357]

What are you wanting to do? just get the tunes into the car? Or do you want deffinitons of all the options.
spark at 2000-4000k lets you advance or retard the spark at those rpms
spark at 4k to 7k rpm is same as above
global spark is full rpm range same as above
idle in neutral is as it says
idle in drive is as it says
high speed temp lets you set the fan "on" at ?temp
low speed temp same
is this what you want

 

[jwlast]

No, want to understand what the following mean and where to find them on the X3.....

Speed Limiter, Idle Drive, Idle Neutral, Shift Point 1-2, Shift Point 2-3, Shift Point 3-4, Shift Firmness 1-2, Shift Firmness 2-3, Shift Firmness 3-4, Rev Limiter, Cooling Fans, Spark 0 - 2000, Spark 2000 - 4000, Spark 4000 - 8000, WOT FUEL

Figured out how to load the tune and change the rear end gears to my "just installed with the tune 4:10s" no problem (although my "well known but unnamed Mustang parts supplier" told me the 4:10 gears would be pre-loaded with the tune and weren't, finally figured it out after approx 50 miles of really abrupt auto tranny shifting). Want to avoid the "pig looking at a wrist watch" for the rest of the functions (or how to even get there on the tuner).

 

[jwlast]

BTW terry5357, didn't mean to sound unappreciative (always greatful for help), just annoyed at spending close to $400 and having to figure it out trial and error.

 

[joedls]

When you load your tune, it should prompt you to adjust options or not. That is unless the tuner locked out all the options.

 

[joedls]

I just pulled this off the manual from SCT's website:

Adjusting User Adjustable Options​

User Adjustable Options are contained within the pre-loaded tuning
files. You will be prompted to Adjust User Parameters—Yes / No. To
adjust user options, select Yes. The Adjust User Options menu will
appear and you will navigate through the options using the arrow up,
down, left & right keys. To enter the option or select the option, use the
select key. To cancel the option or go back to the previous screen,
press the cancel key.

The user adjustable options allow you to adjust common vehicle
parameters such as; Fuel Octane, Rev Limiters, Speed Limiters, Axle
Ratio and Tire Size Calibrations, Engine Spark, Engine Timing, Fuel
Table and more.

The available user adjustable options for your vehicle will appear in the
on-screen list. Use the arrow up & down keys to scroll through the
options list and use the select key to enter and modify any option.

Once you have selected each option to change, you will be prompted to
save all adjustments. Once the adjustments have been saved to file,
you will be prompted to continue the upload process.

Many common user adjustable options are listed near the back of this
user manual. If you have any questions regarding the number of
available options by vehicle or how to adjust any of the options, please​

consult our tech department or web site for further technical assistance.

 

[jwlast]

Thanks guys...got that far. But when I dig deeper, not sure what the following parameters mean. Without instructions or explanations left to guess......

Speed Limiter, Idle Drive, Idle Neutral, Shift Point 1-2, Shift Point 2-3, Shift Point 3-4, Shift Firmness 1-2, Shift Firmness 2-3, Shift Firmness 3-4, Rev Limiter, Cooling Fans, Spark 0 - 2000, Spark 2000 - 4000, Spark 4000 - 8000, WOT FUEL

Kinda like only using 10% of your brain. There's more information and capability there....but how do you unlock it and what does it mean?

Again, not afraid of anything be presented to basically and always greatful for the help......

 

[redstangs9308gt]

I have an x3 3 tunes by brenspeed for my eforce almost sounds like their deal. When you load your tune lets say your 91 octane tune.. You selected 91 octance tune, then the screen promps you to either adjust options manuely or load the tune with the saved options. Load the tune with the saved options if you have already changed your gear ratio.
But as follows is my WV hill billy defitions of what the options means to me LOL. Oh yeah you don't have to adjust any of the options if your car is all stock minus the gear change. The tuner should have already put all your info into the tune. But as follows
If you want to pull or add timing the place to do that is in Global Spark or at the different rpm levels i.e. 1000rpms-6500rpms.
If you want to change what rpms your car idles at "idle speed" would be the place
If you want to change what temp your cooling fans kick in at, "fan idle" or "fan high speed" would be the place for that
If you want your tranmission to shift firmer or softer and if you want it softer or harder in certain gear shifts "shift firmness 1st,2nd,3rd,4th" would be the place for that. I.E lets say your car is jerking when it shifts from 1st into 2nd but is too soft of a shift from 2nd into 3rd. You could go in and adjust the presure of your shift. Turn it softer from 1st into 2nd and make it harder from 2nd to 3rd.
If you want to change your rpm rev limiter in Netural "rev limiter Netural" would be the place for that
If you want to change your rpm rev in Drive "rev limiter drive" would be the place for that
That is as plain spoken as I can get. Not trying to be a smart ass but just the only way I know how to explain it. Hope this helps
Again you shouldn't have to adjust anything if you gave all your mod info to the tuner
Nick

 

[joedls]

Thanks guys...got that far. But when I dig deeper, not sure what the following parameters mean. Without instructions or explanations left to guess......

Speed Limiter, Idle Drive, Idle Neutral, Shift Point 1-2, Shift Point 2-3, Shift Point 3-4, Shift Firmness 1-2, Shift Firmness 2-3, Shift Firmness 3-4, Rev Limiter, Cooling Fans, Spark 0 - 2000, Spark 2000 - 4000, Spark 4000 - 8000, WOT FUEL

Kinda like only using 10% of your brain. There's more information and capability there....but how do you unlock it and what does it mean?

Again, not afraid of anything be presented to basically and always greatful for the help......

Really, not trying to be a smartass, but if you don't understand those options, you probably shouldn't be adjusting anything anyway. They are pretty self-explanatory.

 

[redstangs9308gt]

Really, not trying to be a smartass, but if you don't understand those options, you probably shouldn't be adjusting anything anyway. They are pretty self-explanatory.

I 2nd that. Seriously unless you have done major mods to your car and understand whats going on you shouldn't be adjusting anything. I could understand that you may not want your car to shift as hard as the tuner has programmed it too and you would want to make it shift a little easier but far as the rest goes I would think the tuner done his job. So as the old saying goes "if its not broke, don't fix it"

 

[jwlast]

Thanks for the help Redstang and taking the time to write all that out. My two finger typing skills would have taken half the night to write all that out.
Joedls, sorry I missed the self explanatory nature of Spark 0 - 2000, Spark 2000 - 4000, Spark 4000 - 8000, WOT FUEL, etc. I must have slept through that part of the class. My bad for asking for help from folks more experienced than me……

 

[joedls]

Good luck and

 

[jwlast]

Ok, let me explain and try to fish the turd out of the punchbowl I seem to have created here........not trying to change the tune necessarily, trying to understand the capacity of the tuner and what the various functions mean. It didn't come with an instruction sheet so I thought this was a good place to ask.

I sincerely appreciate the help and the explanations.

That bright flash you saw on the horizon was probably me trying to figure out the Spark 4000 - 8000 function…..

 

[redstangs9308gt]

Bro, don't take the tonge, well typing lashing to heart. I knew jack shit about these mustangs when I bought mine. Always a foxbody guy anways, came here and read and read and read some more than I finally started getting the money to start the mods. lol I started out with a flowmaster cat back, now I am to a motor build for my edelbrock supercharger. We all have to start somewere. If you are set on understanding what everything means on your tuner my very best advice I could give you is. Start with things you understand most and just ease around on your car and see how your car repsonds to it. I would start on the shift firmness. I would stay away from global spark and rpm spark because as you prolly already know if you run to much spark or "timing" your going to run into denotation and that could frig up your motor. With every mod you do to your car keep in mind to play you have to pay and sometimes those mods frig up your car even with the "safest of tunes" or someone who is a friend of someone who said it would be ok lol get what I am saying?

 

[jwlast]

If you are set on understanding what everything means on your tuner my very best advice I could give you is. Start with things you understand most and just ease around on your car and see how your car repsonds to it....... With every mod you do to your car keep in mind to play you have to pay and sometimes those mods frig up your car even with the "safest of tunes" or someone who is a friend of someone who said it would be ok lol get what I am saying?

Great advice......someday I'll understand it all grasshopper....or not LOL

 

[redstangs9308gt]

lol for sure. Good luck and stick around with us.