Shagy- 1st Ever ECM/TCM Tuned 2006 2.2 HHR- 1st Impression
As you know I have been working with Vince at Trifecta Performance and I got the beta tune in today and installed with no problems. He called earlier and needed to verify some information about the HHR on equipment codes for ABS brakes and traction control. Got the tune about 30 min later and just made around 6 runs hitting it hard and 2 normal driving on my thermometer outside it read 101 and 102 when i got back so these are the conditions. 1. idle limiter and top end limiter are both gone 2. shifts are crisp and firm all the time now 3. full throttle take off, nice squeal on the tires, shifted at approx 6500 rpm’s and around 43 mph 4. when it shifted to 2nd it launched forward and really picked up some nice speed. 5. my 0-60 speed in feet was approx 45 feet shorter 6. i was already at 70 in 2nd in a 40 mph zone so i didn’t get to see when it shifted to 3rd. 7. driving normal got me 20 mph shift at 2nd and overdrive at 38 mph. i was only doing 2100 in 3rd at 35 so that was a nice change and should get some nice gas savings. 8. Traction control has not kicked on once and I have had harder hits in 2nd gear so it also fixed that and nothing on the starts as well 104 on temp gauge in back and 112 on DIC Shagy was driving like it was 50 degrees driving results from normal to freeway to on freeway and full out let me say there are now no slumps or sluggishness in the shifting even on normal pick up and slow driving. It is smoother throughout the power band and more even and even at slow speeds it is running better the tranny is pulling Shagy easier. i did normal driving to the freeway an then hammered it onto the freeway, went 2 miles and turned around and came back and got to 110 and came home playing in I and D to see how the feel was. Go around a turn even in D and stomp on it and it jerks you around the corner and just doesnt quit pulling. I LOVE IT Rolling full throttles from slow speeds are just amazing and just a great thrill. In D gear and normal drive and barely any foot in it- Grandma style driving 1st- 20 2nd- 30 3rd- 35 D- 38 (rpm’s never got over 1900 to 2000 before shifting into OD) In D w a lil more foot in it 1st- 22 2nd- 33 3rd- 40 OD- when you let off the pedal or around 45 to 50 In D w it floored- shifts at 6500 rpm 1st- 42 2nd- 68 to 70 3rd- i had to let off the pedal to get it to want to change to OD- did so at 85 In Low or I it was very close. Low was a lil faster but not much and this way if you leave it in I gear you don’t have to worry about shifting to 3rdd which it unless you move it to I. 1st- 43 I- 73 3rd- goes to top end and i finally moved it to D to get it to change to OD at 103 mph i went around a corner rolling and it just launches and just doesn’t quit pulling. Words can not describe just how strong these lil Ecotech’s are and what they can do w just something simple as a tune. if you want a lil sports car then a tune is one of the items that you just can not pass up. with the positive shifting in the lower end even at 104 degrees your car will be getting more HP and better gas mileage i cleared the DIC on MPG before i left and drove normal going to the freeway for 2.5 miles and then hard on the freeway and on the way back and i still averaged 18.9 on the DIC when i got back. i drove normal for a bit and i was getting 32 to 34 mpg. i will let you know what i get this week driving normal and fast on different days Even Carol noticed something coming back from eating that the power band is smoother and more even all thru normal driving range. it actually makes turns smoother and more efficient now and very predictable. initial reaction- I LOVE IT Shagy even hauls faster than before

Definitely looking forward to getting mine done!

this is the beta tune and not the final tune so it will get better.

So - this is something I need to wait till I'm off warranty to do, right?

Very nice CJ! Definitely something I'm interested in having "chipped" my Silverado in the past. It was by far the best bang for my buck of all the mods I'd done on the truck. Looking forward to getting Trigger a lil extra ooomph... CBL

well Shagy will 3 years old Oct 1 and today after the tune i have a new Shagy that i have never driven. Passing is amazing and tonight getting a lil cooler i was going around a entrance ramp and stomped it and it went to 2nd so hard it finally made the traction control come on. Glad i still have the switch. if chevy built the HHR to run the way Shagy runs. people would be buying tons of them. in the 104 heat Shagy is running faster, better than ever before. all the running around i did tonight and all fast and hard and i came one w 19.3 on the DIC. i raced or ran hard all night. I am impressed