Topic: Westers Race Tune Questions

[PureXTC]

Hi All,

I am about to take the plunge and get the Westers Race Tune on my otherwise mechanically stock 08 GXP (nagging my wife finally worked!). I live about a 3 hours north of Tilley AB and found a couple of dealers listed on Westers web site who are much closer, one in Calgary (1hr away) and Red Deer (40mins away). Both dealers said they could perform the flash but I'm confused at the time required by each of them to accomplish this. The Red Deer dealer said it would take about 6hrs and the Calgary dealer said 2 days! Can anyone tell me what exactly is involved that would take the guy 2 days (or even 6hrs for that matter) to complete the flash? I had been thinking of a couple of hours max. Also, if I get it flashed by anyone other than Westers themselves, do you still qualify for free updates?

My sincere thanks in advance.

[DeepBlueGXP]

It takes 20 minutes to read the stock tune and 30 seconds to upload the Westers Tune.  I've done this about 50 times...  They are pulling your chain to get more money. 

[DeepBlueGXP]

BTW Westers is in Tilley AB, Canada east of Calgary on CA 1

[Charlie W]

I drove 70 miles to Dejon Powerhouse to get my Wester's tune. As soon as I got there Dave downloaded my stock tune to a laptop and then e-mailed it to Wester's. In about 45 min. Wester's e-mailed back the new tune. Dave installed the new tune in about 20 min. and I was ready to go. This was all prearranged and happened almost a year ago. Wester's is probably a lot more busy now.

[PureXTC]

I thought it sounded ridiculous but they did both quote the same price of $659 Can. so it doesnt look like they were after more cash. I did ask if either of them had done this before but didnt get a reply. I guess it's a 3 hour drive to Tilley then!

[spicy3480]

It's 20 minutes to download the stock tune, and 30 seconds to upload the new file from Westers.  Those install times are crazy.  Go to Westers and have him do it..I would never trust a dealer with this.

[chuckdoc]

Yup, like everyone else has said, I have had more Westers tunes uploaded and downloaded than most.  Not counting Joe, Jim, and Spikey.  It just takes minutes and away you go.

Chuck

[PureXTC]

Thanks for the info guys, it's very much appreciated.

[KWhale]

Hey pureXTC, Welcome again from another  Albertan!!!!  I'm about 45 mins north of Edmonton.  I have an appointment at Westers to get a dyno and tune done on May 21st.  We're driving down to Waterton for a few days of R&R, so a little side journey to Westers was an easy sell for the wife.

One thing I do know is that typically, it takes MONTHS to get an appointment at Westers in the summer.  You might want to call and get your appointment set up before it warms up.  Also be sure to mention that you are a member of KappaPerformance because you get the race tune for the same price as the standard tune, which is something like $150 bucks off I think (the website has the exact numbers).

I'll do a post with my results when I get back home, and hopefully have some video & pics of Westers too.  If you have any mods to do, like exhaust maybe, you would want to do them before you get the tune.  Of course if you have HPTuners then it doesn't matter, because they will mail you an updated tune you can load yourself after a new mod.  I don't have HPTuners, but I have my mods done already, so my tune will not require updating.

[lil goat]

These other Wester's dealers have the products Lyndon makes for other cars, and are most likely good tuners in there own right, they may mistakenly think they can tune a GXP, and most likely would be doing a live tune and not an upload, if they have bought the added software package from Lyndon that would enable them to do it, which as far as I know Lyndon does not sell yet, or they are using HP Tuners to do a tune and not an upload, and it does not have the full capabilities Lyndon does. You have an opportunity most of us would kill for, you can go and actually have Lyndon do your tune and test it on the dyno, especially since your car is pretty much stock, MAKE THE DRIVE TO THE REAL WESTERS GARAGE. You will absolutely get the best tune this way, it is well worth it, just ask any of his customers.

[Critterman]

Goat you could be right, or they just want the car for an extended "test"

[PureXTC]

I contacted Westers this morning and they need only 24hrs warning to do the flash and about half an hour to actually carry out the procedure. They were even kind enough to advise me to join NASSOA for $25 to get the discount....very impressed. So now I just have to take a sickie from work and head down in the next couple of weeks. Should be a fun ride home! I'll let you know how it goes and thanks for all the advice.

[DeepBlueGXP]

Don't forget about the return trip, you may see some flashing lights on the dash, it'll be the low traction light.  Ask Westers for the 5.2 version.  Supporting members of this forum get the same discount...

[KWhale]

PureXTC, this is just my opinion here, but if you're going to drive all the way to Tilley to get the tune put in, why not have them dyno your car and get the perfect tune for your particular car?  You don't really need to do that, but hey, you're there anyway, why not get the best bang for your buck?

And Deep was right, Westers is offering the discount if you are a Supporting Member of this forum as well, so why not throw your money here instead of at the NASSOA one?  Nothing against the NASSOA group, but this forum is the one I hang out at most, so that's why I joined here and not at NASSOA.

[PureXTC]

Hi KWhale,
I appreciate your point of view but having just spent the last year persuading/nagging/annoying my wife to let me do this I'm going to thank my lucky stars that she finally allowed me to get this far. One day, science will make it possible for me to grow a new pair of testicles that were so suddenly and viciously removed when I said 'I do' and when that day comes......who am I trying to kid...I'm a broken and beaten excuse for a man!

[Excelsior]

What is the 5.2 version?

What is needed in order for me to load tunes myself here rather than mail the computer all the way across the country?

[lil goat]

 To be able to install it yourself, either buy or borrow a copy of HP Tuners maybe someone near you has a copy and can load your tune for you, Most of us that have HPT are happy to help anyone that asks. Dejon who is a supporting vendor here sells it, I think it is still $495 for the base version or $650 for the Pro, after that read your ECM it's easy and email it to Lyndon Wester with a list of your mods, he will send you back a tune takes about 2 minutes to install.

The 5.2 version is just a name Lyndon gave one of his very popular tunes, I think most of us here run it, it is a bit more aggressive than the so called Race Tune, I was running it from last September until about 2 weeks ago with no issues. I got rid of my cat so now have a different tune, it's even more aggressive than 5.2 but still in the test phase and for catless cars only. He will have some very cool even newer stuff soon.

[KWhale]

Hi KWhale,
I appreciate your point of view but having just spent the last year persuading/nagging/annoying my wife to let me do this I'm going to thank my lucky stars that she finally allowed me to get this far. One day, science will make it possible for me to grow a new pair of testicles that were so suddenly and viciously removed when I said 'I do' and when that day comes......who am I trying to kid...I'm a broken and beaten excuse for a man!

I totally hear you XTC!  If I'm good, I'm sometimes allowed to gaze at the jar that holds my testicles for a few minutes, and think about when I actually had a use for them.    You have to pick you battles, and hope for a win once or twice a year.  When it comes to cars though, my wife secretly enjoys all the mods and performance, so I get away with more in that area.  Her daily driver is a very modded 300C which she is still in love with 3 years later.  She's not sold on the Solstice yet, but once she gets a feel of the tune, I think she'll come around on that one too. 

Good luck with your tune, and be sure to post your experiences when you get it done.  Maybe start working on the other half now to get the HPTuners for Christmas maybe?

[Ceeker]

So the best way to get any updates on the westers tune is to send it back to them?

I have the westers race tune and I'm interested in any updates that may have come out since July of 08.

Not to excited in sending my ECM to Canada as I know it takes at least 3 weeks to get there.

I assume if I can find someone with HP Tuner software this can be done by email, correct?

Is there really any exceptional updates since July 08 or am I best to wait for the new stuff coming out from them?

[lil goat]

Lyndon did a fairly significant update in mid September of 08, it is not an "Official product" but available to anyone who wants it, DeepBlueGXP and I were the original testers for the manual version.
HP Tuners, yes if there is someone local to you and they have the the year and make of car you do and licensed the whole year, then yes they can do the update. I know Joe always does a bunch at the Mod Meet. It costs $100 to license a vehicle, say I have a 2007 GXP I licensed the whole year can tune any 2007 GXP, and you a 2007 Sky RL, it would be $100 to license your car so I could install your tune, or $299 to license all 2007 Sky RL's. Each copy of HP Tuners comes with 8 credits, it takes 6 to license an entire year of any vehicle. HP Tuners is not cheap but it has just been a blast working with Lyndon on different tunes for our cars. Please don't forget you can also use it to tune other cars, I have a 87 and 93 octane tune for my GMC truck, and the same for my sons truck different year and motor and several different tunes for my sons GTO, all tuned by Lyndon Wester. you wouldn't believe the difference his tune made in my big GMC truck.