Questions for tuning an L96

[Matt_]

I've been around most of the forums for over a decade, and met Justin at one of the live tune sessions in MD years ago (didnt get my truck tuned though), so naturally I know where to go now that i'm looking for a tune on my 2012 Yukon XL 2500 (L96/6L90E)..... but I and have some questions

I was going to have the 87 octane tune adjusted, TM removed, possibly the trans tuned as well.... but the more im reading about the L96, the more it seems like this engine should really be run with a higher grade of gas. So is an 87 tune even worth it? Figure if the computer may already be pulling timing, there will be little benefit of tuning for that grade. I know I can still have the TM removed, but it seems like i'd be missing a lot of the benefit of getting a "custom" tune just to remove nannies. I put 10-12k miles on a year, so cost isn't a huge factor, but at the same time I don't need to go crazy since im not a WOT kind of driver; just want my truck to perform better for when i need it, and the few times I tow.

Any experience on which grade gasoline is best for these engines? 89, 91, or 93? Being that the CR is slightly less than the 6.2L which is spec'd for 91 from the factory, i'm thinking 89 is probably a better fit for stock tune; but not sure if the jump to 91 from there is worth it for the custom tune?

I'll probably throw my scanner on and do some pulls on the highway to see if the knock sensor is picking up detonation. Then it might be worth running my next tank at 89 with a computer reset. But if these engines really respond to tunes for 91, should I run that instead of 89 before doing that Autocal data recording?


Thanks!

 

[JennaBear]

Due to the compression of the engine, you should be running a minimum of 89, even on stock tuning. Sadly, GM doesn't tell folks that, as they know many would be turned away if they were told to run a premium gas.

 

[Matt_]

Thanks Jenna. I'll definitely start there.

For general use, do these engines respond nicely to custom tunes with 89 octane, or is there a lot more potential going with 91?

In other words if peak engine power requires 91 octane, but I can get 90% of the way there with 89, id rather just go with 89 since I don't care about shaving a fraction of a second off my 1/4 mile time. Whereas if these engines really wake up when tuned for 91, with 89 octane being marginally better than stock, then 91 is probably the way to go.

Appreciate the help.

 

[JennaBear]

For your engine, I would recommend starting with 89, see if you can find good quality in your area. If quality is poor, then bump up to 91.

 

[Matt_]

Awesome thanks! Theres one station near me that I primarily use (Shell), and when I need to fill up elsewhere I look for top tier.

Will be ordering soon! Thanks again.

 

[JennaBear]

Sadly, we have seen some pretty poor quality even from the so-called top tier

 

[MichaelSE]

I'm also curious about L96 tuning since I am buying an L96 Suburban soon. What kind of benefits have your customers reported on 89 tunes?

 

[JennaBear]

The L96 actually is one of the engines that sees some of the best increases in performance and driveability. You will notice stronger and more sure shift points as you move through the band.