DiabloSport Predator/Trinity
Support
Site
2003-2005 Neon
SRT-4
Predator (U1734) and Trinity (T-1000)
Home | Predator Support | Trinity Support | Data Viewer logs | DiabloSport | Workgroup
This section only covers the
DiabloSport Predator (U7134) at this time. In the future, there will be a
separate section for the Trinity (T-1000) when the product is officially
launched and available for the 2003-2005 Neon SRT-4. If you have anything
you'd like to see added, or to contribute, please contact me:
jbailey[at]whitehack.org.
DiabloSport
Predator (U7134) Software:
Primary
U7134 Software Site - This site is kept up-to-date by
DiabloSport with the latest .crom files, Data Viewer, DS Downloader,
USB-to-Serial drivers and Predator manual.
Data
Viewer (1.2 MB) - The Data Viewer software allows you to open
.log files and view them. It also allows you to transfer logs from your
Predator to your computer.
DS
Downloader (2.8 MB) - The DS Downloader
software allows you to push and pull tunes to your Predator, as well as
update the hand held with the latest .crom files.
Note: You MUST
restore the original backup (stock tune) to your vehicle before updating
your Predator. Failure to do so may result in the loss of your saved
original backup file and will require a trip to the dealer for a reflash
in order to make the Predator work again.
Predator Frequently Asked Questions
What is the
Predator?
The Predator is a hand-held flash
programmer.
How does the Predator compare to the DTEC,
SAFCII, Neo, etc.?
There is a fundamental difference between
the Predator and the above tuning devices. Without getting into great
detail, the above devices tune by altering the MAP voltage your PCM sees
to 'trick' the PCM into a desired result (IE. boost, fuel, timing and so
forth). These are, essentially, 'smart' or tuneable map clamps.
The Predator accomplishes the same thing, but more intelligently
using an entirely different method. The Predator reflashes your PCM with
your tune of choice and further allows you to adjust these tunes by
altering boost, spark (timing), fuel and so forth from the hand-held
unit.
Is the Predator hard to setup and
use?
This may vary from person to person, but in my opinion,
not at all. If you buy your Predator from Rage Tek, it comes with a
'canned' 93 octane performance tune. When you connect your Predator to
your car for the first time and go into the Performance menu, it'll first
copy your current tune, which is most likely your factory PCM tune, to
create a backup on the device. At that point, you can either modify the
stock tune, or flash the PCM with the 93 octane tune. Before flashing any
of the tunes, you can make adjustments to a number of parameters and also
undo any changes at a later time if you'd like.
If you purchased
the communications kit from Rage Tek, you'll be able to connect the
Predator to your PC to update the device with the latest .crom file(s),
download/upload tunes, download and view logs and so forth. You can find
all of this software here, on the DiabloSport
website.
What PCMs is it compatible
with?
Because the Predator reflashes the PCM, overwriting
certain information while first making a backup of your original
information, it can be used with any PCM. This has sparked a lot of debate
over which PCM to use and any potential advantages with a stage PCM vs.
the stock PCM. Currently the concensus is, if you have a toys
PCM, such as Stage 2, you might as well keep it to use the functionality.
Otherwise, you'd benefit from selling any staged PCM and using that money
to buy or offset the cost of the
Predator.
What can I expect with X
modifications?
This is a rather pointless question and one
this section sees a lot of. The real question should be: What tuning
device is best for my needs? There are numerous devices on the market that
are all capable of tuning your car. You should consider price, features,
ease of use, support and other such things when making this decision.
Ultimately, the power you make from your modifications will be a result of
two major factors: 1. Your tune, and 2. The device with which you tune.
Depending on the available features/options for tuning, you may be
limited (such as pulling fuel with a SAFCII, vs. altering fuel AND timing
with a DTEC, or entirely reflashing your PCM with a Predator or the SCT
xcal).
Which WGA is best for PCM controlled boost?
Another topic which has already been debated endlessly. Since
there are already multiple threads on this, start out by reading over
these two threads:
1. Stiff Wastsgates, Preadator, and PCM Boost
2. Best WGA for the DSP
At this point in time, there
is no specific WGA that has been proven to work better than any other.
People have gotten just about every WGA on the market to work with their
car. My suggestion is to start out with what you have and go from there.
For example, I have a PTP WGA on my car. I will test with that first, then
move back to my stock WGA, then perhaps a S2 WGA, then the FM WGA, etc. I
feel that in the next few months, this particular issue will have much
more data and be cleared up quite a bit.
Another thing to note
about PCM controlled boost is the WGDC% set in your tune. Any of the
canned tunes that come with your Predator are generally setup for the
STOCK WGA. Therefore, if you have an aftermarket WGA with a stiffer
spring, you'll more than likely run into issues if the WGDC% isn't set
correctly. For stock turbo, bolt-on modified cars, this may not be a
readily apparent problem, but can be as you raise the
boost.
Will the Predator work with my X turbo
setup?
The short answer is yes. However, if you're not running
a stock turbo, you will need a custom tune. The tune will include things
such as updating parameters to match your injectors, WGDC% for your
WGA/boost and other such things to make your car run as smooth as possible
without any bogging or excessively rich conditions.
Where can I buy the Predator and how much does it
cost?
There
are several vendors on the forums that sell the Predator now. Modern
Performance, PT-Performance, Rage-Tek, Janetty Racing are just a few off
the top of my head. I would suggest you make sure to get an external power supply
and a serial to USB data cable so that you can
connect the Predator to your computer and power it separately from your OBDII port. The average cost
for a Predator ranges from $320 to $375. Some vendors provide, in addition, a package that
includes an external power supply and data cable for another $20-$40.
Note: If you are running Vista 32bit or
64bit, there may be some issues with the drivers provided. The
standard USB-to-serial cable appears to work with Vista 32bit using the
driver located here. I'm using Vista 64bit and wasn't able to get those
drivers to work.
You'll
need to purchase a Vista compatible cable.
What does the Predator come
with?
The Predator
should come with the handheld flash programmer, driver CD and the manual.
In addition, each unit comes with two "canned" tunes. There will be a
"Modified Stock Tune" which is essentially a copy of the stock PCM tune so
you can change the parameters. There will also be a 91 or 93 octane tune,
which is set up for that particular octane. Both tunes are for mildly
modified stock NSRT-4's using the factory PCM and injectors. If you
upgrade to larger injectors or an aftermarket WGA, you will need to get
these rescaled for the tune to ensure your car runs properly and is able
to be tuned properly.
Where can I
get a custom tune, and how much does it cost?
There are a number of
vendors on the forum capable of providing e-mail or dyno tunes. You can also use
the
CMR dealer locator.
How many
tunes can the Predator hold?
The Predator can hold up to 5 custom tunes
at one time. This is a direct quote from their site. Considering their use
of 'custom tunes', I assume it can hold your original back up plus 5
additional custom tunes. I'm trying to verify this.
Can I use my Predator on more
than one car?
The simple answer is no; at least, not at the
same time. The first thing the Predator will do when you attempt to modify
a tune is create an "Original Backup". This is a backup file of your
current PCM. After this Original Backup is created, the handheld is mated
to your car by its VIN. At this point,
you CANNOT use the handheld on any car but your own until you
restore the Original Backup. Once the Original Backup is restored, it essentially
resets the handheld so that it's able to be mated to another car.
Note: I strongly
suggest making a second backup of the "Original Backup" on your computer
in the event anything happens with the handheld (issue with updating .crom
files, electric spike during a write to your PCM, etc.).
Should I buy a used Predator/Can I sell my
used Predator?
There is nothing wrong with buying or
selling a used Predator. HOWEVER, as mentioned in the last entry, you need
to make sure the Predator has been reset and unmated. For a buyer, you can
have someone take a picture of the information section of the Predator.
When mated, it will list the VIN of the car it's mated to. For the seller,
make sure you restore your Original Backup to reset the handheld before
selling/shipping it.
Note: If you receive or send a Predator that is still mated to a car, I do believe it's possible to have a CMR dealer unlock it for you. Even so, I do not recommend this.
Which parameters should I
log?
duster360 has written up a fairly thorough list of
parameters you should log. The thread can be located here: What Parameters to Datalog - and here's the quote from
duster360:
Quote: Originally Posted by duster360
Everyday tuning Spark and Fuel ,LOG THESE AT A
MINIMUM
Knock control-->
KnK ST Retard
KNK LT
Retard
KNK Total Retard
Spark-->
Actual Spark Cy1(
you can do Cyl 2,3,4 also but there's USUALLY little
difference)
Spark
adjust
EPDSS-->
RPM
Foundation
inputs-->
MPH
Throttle Sensor Input--> *More
clearly IDs WOT
THR POSN
Map-->
AV MAP TO
USE
INJECTOR--->
AVG TOTAL WORKING PW
FUEL
FLOWS--->
1/1 LONG TERM ADAP
1/1 SHORT TEM
ADAP
PRATIO
BARO
COOLANT
TEMP-->
ECT
CHARGE
TEMP-->
ACT
DESIRED FUEL AIR-->
OPEN LOOP
FA
The more BS you log the SLOWER the
sample rate is. So if you're doing some serious tuning/diagnostics,
don't log SHIT YOU DON'T NEED, it will just slow things
down. With that said, I have logged over 95 pids at once and the slowest
rate I have gotten was 1.2 seconds/sample.
I'm trying to adjust the WOT fuel and
my A/Frs aren't changing. What's going on?
The most common
reason for this is lack of fuel. If your fuel system is at its limit and
you attempt to add additional fuel, you won't notice a difference. A good
way to determine the state of your current fuel setup is to monitor your
injector duty cycle. This can by done with an Aeroforce Scangauge (not
sure if there is a PID for this using the Predator?).
How do
I get rid of my knock?
This is, more or less, what tuning is all
about; maximizing power while minimizing detonation. There's no simple
answer to this question. If you're seeing knock, adjust your parameters
until you're seeing 1-3 knock and then log a pull in third or fourth gear.
From this log, you can see at what points you're getting knock and adjust
your boost, fuel and timing to remove/minimize it. For assistance with
your log file, e-mail me (jbailey[at]whitehack.org) and I'll add your log
to the log page on this site so you can link it to people and
have others look it over.
Note: Make sure you are adjusting WOT
spark and not
MBT spark.
How do I tune my car?
This is a much broader question that
is outside the scope of this page. I am working on putting together some
general tuning knowledge into one place on this site to help the newbies.
If you'd like any one particular subject/topic covered, let me know.
Managed by S2R0T044/4TEHW - DiabloSport is not affiliated with this site.