General questions

Which shipping service do you use?
How quick do you process orders?
How do you issue PCM exchange refunds?
How does the PCM exchange option work?
What if I need an update after I purchased your tuning service?
Do I get a sheet with the modifications done to my PCM?
Will I get instructions for installing a 92-93 chip?
How do I remove and install the PCM in my car?
How hard is it to install an OBD1 conversion PCM?
Is special packaging required for mailing a PCM?

Tuning questions

I have a stock or bolt-on car. What power gains will I see with your power tuning?
I do not run premium all the time. Is it worth tuning for more power?
What do I get when I select premium gas power tuning?
I have a stock or close to stock car. What else can I do besides power tuning?
What is your opinion on ported or aftermarket mass airflow sensors?
Do I need a 160* thermostat or an LT4 knock module?
I have heard that shift firmness may be bad for my transmission, is it true?
What are the advantages of an OBD1 Conversion?
I am thinking about ordering the unlimited email tuning package. What do I need?
Where can I purchase a cable for uploading the tuning on my 94-95 or OBD1 converted car?
Which dash lights can you disable?
I was looking through my programming and noticed some values that seemed wrong...

Which shipping service do you use?

We use USPS Priority Mail. Per USPS, the delivery time averages 2-3 business days, but it can take longer on occasion. USPS does not provide real time tracking information, only delivery confirmation. Additional handling fees may apply if another shipping service is requested.

How quick do you process orders?

The normal processing time is indicated in the product's detail page, but generally, we will ship in 1-2 business days after your PCM is received. If you have a complex setup, it may take more time. For PCM exchange orders, PCM purchases and conversions, allow 3-5 business days processing time.

E-mail tuning orders are usually processed within 3 business days after the order is received.

How do you issue PCM exchange refunds?

We refund the PCM exchange charges through Paypal if the payment has been done online. The refunds are typically processed next day after the PCM has been inspected and confirmed to be in fully working condition. It may take up to 7 days for the refund to show up on your statement or account. (Paypal takes the money for the refund the next day, but it takes some time for it to post on your account.)

For payments done through the mail, a check will be mailed out.

How does the PCM exchange option work?

You simply select the exchange option and we will send you a PCM with your VIN number, the latest factory calibration and your custom tuning.

Once you receive our PCM, we must receive it back within 10 days (from the day you received it) in order to receive a full refund, minus a $15 fee for the exchange service. This fee is a compensation for the time involved in programming a PCM with the factory calibration for your car as well as reduction in our stock of PCMs allocated for exchanges. 

If we receive your PCM after the 10 day period (and no more than 50 days later) then an additional $10 will be deducted from your refund.

The returned PCM must be in the same working condition as the PCM sent to you, otherwise it will be returned to you at your expense.

What if I need an update after I purchased your tuning service?

Tuning updates are offered at discounted prices for previous customers. Simply add the tuning update fee to your cart and fill out a new tuning order sheet just as you did initially. It does not matter how many modifications you are doing at the same time - you will be paying for one update.

Do I get a sheet with the modifications done to my PCM?

Yes, it will be included with your PCM in the package.

Will I get instructions for installing a 92-93 chip?

Yes, these will be included with your chip.

How do I remove and install the PCM in my car? Is it complicated?

Removing and installing the PCM is very easy and anyone could do it him or herself.
 
For a 94-97 car, you will need a 10mm socket, a ratchet and a small extension. Before you do any work with the PCM, I would recommend either removing the PCM BATT fuse or disconnecting the negative battery terminal.

On F-bodies (Camaro and Firebird), the PCM is located under the hood on the passenger side, near the firewall. It is held in place with two 10mm bolts. Take those bolts out, then pull out the PCM assembly. There will be four connectors attached to it. Each of the four connectors should have a red plastic retainer on it. Pull all of them out, then using a flathead screwdriver or pocket knife, pry out the connector lip from the PCM case, then pull out the connector. I would strongly recommend removing the black plastic bracket from the PCM since these are usually damaged in shipping.

If you need instructions for a different year car, please email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  and I will be glad to email them to you.

How hard is it to install an OBD1 conversion PCM?

Since it is a "plug and play" kit, it is as easy as swapping your PCM with another one.

Is special packaging required for mailing a PCM?

PCMs are built solid and will handle shipping abuse well. As long as you have some packaging peanuts, newspaper or bubble wrap around it, you will be fine. I would highly recommend removing the plastic bracket before shipping since these usually get damaged.

I have a stock or bolt-on car. What power gains will I see with your power tuning?

Provided you always run premium gas (91 or higher octane) and you select this option on the tuning order sheet, the typical gain you will see with our tuning is 13 rear wheel horsepower or more. If your car is not running well because you haven't done a tune-up in a long time, you may not see the full gain.

I do not run premium all the time. Is it worth tuning for more power?

Camaro/Firebird and Corvette cars were meant to run premium, which is what we recommend for best performance. If you do not run premium, we can still power tune your car, but the gains will be smaller as for premium gas (around 5-7 RWHP). There are many other useful things that you can have programmed though.

What do I get when I select premium gas power tuning?

We adjust your part throttle and full throttle timing tables and we change the wide open throttle air fuel ratio (most cars are programmed on the rich side from factory). We will also desensitize your knock module, set the rev limiter to 6000 RPM (unless otherwise requested on the tuning order sheet) and modify the fans to turn on at 205* F for low speed rotation and 215* for high speed rotation if you have a stock thermostat. If you have a 160* thermostat, we will set them at 180*/190* F.

I have a stock or close to stock car. What else can I do other than power tuning?

You can have your fans adjusted to turn on earlier, you can have your knock sensor desensitized, Skip Shift disabled if you have a manual transmission, shift firmness adjusted if you have an automatic, speed and rev limiter adjusted, etc.

What is your opinion on ported or aftermarket mass airflow sensors? 

My personal opinion is that the stock housing can accomodate 450+ RWHP and modifying your mass airflow sensor housing or changing to an aftermarket unit only reduces your PCM's accuracy in properly evaluating the airflow, even if compensated through programming. We can still program for it, if you choose to install one.

Do I need a 160* thermostat or an LT4 knock module?

The 160* degree thermostat works well with custom programming, since fan turn on temperatures can be set to the thermostat's manufacturer specifications. Whether you need one or not, it is up to you, but keep in mind that lower engine running temperature reduces the chance of possible knocking or pinging.

As for the LT4 knock module, it is a good thing to have (although not a necessity) even though we can desensitize your knock module. This module does a better job of filtering out possible "knock" caused by engine compartment noise (from aftermarket rockers, exhaust leaks, rattles, etc.). If your knock sensor is detecting false knock, the PCM will retard timing, thus reducing your horsepower. This it the only case when an LT4 knock module is useful.

I have heard that shift firmness may be bad for my transmission, is it true?

It is true some people say it may be bad for your transmission. Others (including well known transmission builders) argue that it is the soft shifts and high temperatures that cause transmission failure and shift firmness as well as shift kits prevent it. In other words, it is up to you to decide whether you want this option or not.

What are the advantages of an OBD1 Conversion?

Some people opt for an OBD1 conversion over OBD2 tuning since this conversion gives you several advantages:

It usually yields a few more HP than a programmed OBD2.

You can keep your stock PCM (in case you want to keep it as an original part or if you have to pass emissions).

Programming and datalogging software for OBD1 is considerably more affordable and sometimes even free.

It is more "forgiving" than an OBD2 when it comes to modifying your car (it has fewer codes it can trigger).

The OBD1 system does not have a crank sensor or rear oxygen sensors, so the OBD1 PCM will ignore these devices. (You can still disable them in OBD2 programming if you choose to stay OBD2.)

I am thinking about ordering the email tuning package. What do I need?

If you have a 92-93 car, you will need clean chips and your own EPROM programmer.

If you have a 94-95 car (or a 96/97 which has been converted to OBD1), you will need a laptop (or you can use your desktop if you can move it near your car) and a cable. Links to reading/programming software downloads will be provided.  If you have a 96 or newer car, you will need to have OBD2 LT1_edit or LS1_edit.

Where can I purchase a cable for uploading the tuning on my 94-95 or OBD1 converted car?

If your computer has a COM (serial) port (To find out if it does, check the connectors in the back. The port you are looking for is a male type connector with two rows of pins. One row has 5 pins and the second has 4.), please go to www.aldlcable.com or www.akmcables.com or contact Andrew Mattei at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  for a cable.

If your computer only has USB, you can order an USB cable from www.moates.net  or contact Craig Moates at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In either case, please mention that you were referred by madtuner.com and your car's year/make/model in order to receive the correct cable.

Which dash lights can you disable? 

PCM is an acronym for Powertrain Control Module and ECM stands for Engine Control Module. These devices only control the engine and sometimes the transmission, thus lights such as ABS, Traction Control, airbags, low water level and low oil level sensor (this is directly wired to the dash light) cannot be disabled through programming the PCM/ECM. The Service Engine Light can be deactivated if the code(s) triggering it are disabled.

I was looking through my programming and noticed some values that seemed wrong...

Some values or techniques used may seem different than expected, especially to someone new to tuning. Just as with anything else, there are different approaches to reaching the same goals and some things may be programmed or adjusted differently than expected. Please rest assured; all the programming is correct and triple-checked before it is sent out.