Black Bear Chicago Tune

[mikeyss]

I have been E85 in mine, and do alot of city driving. I get around 11 in the city, and 18-20 highway. I haven't run 91 octane in a long time, but last time I did I got maybe 1mpg better.
The transmission tune is awesome. During normal driving, it is smooth shifting and it holds the gears longer. Example would be: if you're driving in a 30mph zone, 1st gear shifts to 2nd around 15 mph no matter what, then second holds on until 30 or so, etc. Also, if you are under certain speeds, higher gears are locked out. Going 45 mph, it won't go into 6th gear. Now the harder you get on it, the quicker and firmer the shifts are. It makes my serp belt chirp on the shifts at WOT. Also, off idle the throttle response is much better.
My L9H running E85 is getting better gas mileage than my 05 LM7 tahoe with 4.10's. Both Blackbear tuned.

 

[mikeyss]

You can kinda hear the belt chirp from 1st to 2nd, and again going into 3rd. This is at 5000ft above sea level.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

I've had blackbear tune in my 09 6.2 Tahoe for almost a year now, and all I can say is you're in for a real surprise!! The difference is night and day, and running on E85 is even better. I almost wish I could do a live tune event, but they never come to Colorado. I'm sure there aren't enough people here to warrant an event in Colorado though.

Do you run the e85 on the 91+ tune?

 

[mikeyss]

Yeah, I chose it that way because we only have one E85 station, and I travel up in the mountains so I want to be able to switch back if I'm in no mans land, lol. I can't run anything less than 91 in the L9H so I only have tune for 91+. My understanding is that even with 91 tune, E85 is slightly improved too. I do feel a difference between 91 and E85, the latter makes it much peppier.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Yeah, I chose it that way because we only have one E85 station, and I travel up in the mountains so I want to be able to switch back if I'm in no mans land, lol. I can't run anything less than 91 in the L9H so I only have tune for 91+. My understanding is that even with 91 tune, E85 is slightly improved too. I do feel a difference between 91 and E85, the latter makes it much peppier.

Awesome to hear this from experience. Thanks! I can't wait.

 

[mooman]

I just got done running two tanks of E85 through on factory tune. To me, it felt, aka, buttdyno, it felt not as quick. The 6.2 feels like it moves, but felt different from the 91. Going back onto 91, The power was lower in the rpm range and kinda fell on its face after 5krpm. The E85 felt down low, but pulled a bit better up top. Butt dyno is not the greatest......

 

[09 L9H]

I have been E85 in mine, and do alot of city driving. I get around 11 in the city, and 18-20 highway. I haven't run 91 octane in a long time, but last time I did I got maybe 1mpg better.
The transmission tune is awesome. During normal driving, it is smooth shifting and it holds the gears longer. Example would be: if you're driving in a 30mph zone, 1st gear shifts to 2nd around 15 mph no matter what, then second holds on until 30 or so, etc. Also, if you are under certain speeds, higher gears are locked out. Going 45 mph, it won't go into 6th gear. Now the harder you get on it, the quicker and firmer the shifts are. It makes my serp belt chirp on the shifts at WOT. Also, off idle the throttle response is much better.
My L9H running E85 is getting better gas mileage than my 05 LM7 tahoe with 4.10's. Both Blackbear tuned.

20 mpg hwy on E85 is nuts... I run 93 and occasionally this 90 octane 0% ethanol blend and I'm nowhere close to those numbers. I've run through one tank of E85 but I never went back because I got like 10.8 mpg out of it, and that was on 55-mph backroads. Idk if I'm doing something wrong or what, but I'd kill for 20 mpg. Ethanol has a significantly lower energy density than gasoline so your numbers blow my mind.

 

[kbuskill]

20 mpg hwy on E85 is nuts... I run 93 and occasionally this 90 octane 0% ethanol blend and I'm nowhere close to those numbers. I've run through one tank of E85 but I never went back because I got like 10.8 mpg out of it, and that was on 55-mph backroads. Idk if I'm doing something wrong or what, but I'd kill for 20 mpg. Ethanol has a significantly lower energy density than gasoline so your numbers blow my mind.

He obviously has the 6 speed, whereas mine has the 4 speed, but I am curious what gear ratio he has and what the ethanol content (%) of the tank was. I get around 9.5-10 MPG at about 75% ethanol around town and about 13.5-14 MPG on the interstate running 70-75 MPH on the same ethanol content. I have the 4 speed and 3:73 rear in my Burb so that doesn't help with highway MPG.

With ethanol the best way to compare it to regular gas is by comparing the CPM (cost per mile) instead of MPG.

I find that the ethanol being significantly cheaper than 89 octane, which is what my truck is tuned for, negates the fact the the mileage sucks. When you do the math on both they are pretty much neck and neck for cents per mile.

 

[09 L9H]

He obviously has the 6 speed, whereas mine has the 4 speed, but I am curious what gear ratio he has and what the ethanol content (%) of the tank was. I get around 9.5-10 MPG at about 75% ethanol around town and about 13.5-14 MPG on the interstate running 70-75 MPH on the same ethanol content. I have the 4 speed and 3:73 rear in my Burb so that doesn't help with highway MPG.

With ethanol the best way to compare it to regular gas is by comparing the CPM (cost per mile) instead of MPG.

I find that the ethanol being significantly cheaper than 89 octane, which is what my truck is tuned for, negates the fact the the mileage sucks. When you do the math on both they are pretty much neck and neck for cents per mile.

Yeah, you're exactly right about CPM vs. MPG. I have data (I use Autosist to track fuel mileage and cost) but I just haven't calculated the CPM yet. As far as transmissions, I have the 6L80E and I would assume he does too, as I'm pretty sure all 08+ Tahoes do. I have a 3.42 rear end. I know I turn about 2000 RPM at an indicated 80 mph, but I have 33s so the speedo reads low.

 

[kbuskill]

'09+ got the 6l80
'07-'08 got the 4l60

Exceptions being the '07-'08 Escalade and Denali and the Tahoes that got the bigger engines (non 5.3l) got the 6l80.

He definitely has the 6 speed because he mentioned the tune causing 6th gear to be locked out below 45mph.

I would assume he would have the same gear ratio as you since your trucks are same year and engine/transmission.

 

[mikeyss]

'09+ got the 6l80
'07-'08 got the 4l60

Exceptions being the '07-'08 Escalade and Denali and the Tahoes that got the bigger engines (non 5.3l) got the 6l80.

He definitely has the 6 speed because he mentioned the tune causing 6th gear to be locked out below 45mph.

I would assume he would have the same gear ratio as you since your trucks are same year and engine/transmission.

I have 3.42 rear end, for now. I have been thinking of going to 3.73 in the future. When I keep it under 70mph is when I can see 20mph give or take a mpg. When its over 85, then its around 18 or so. Driving up Loveland Pass... 15mpg, but saw it go lower than that on the steep part.

 

[mikeyss]

Maybe I get better mileage out of my L9H because the Tahoe has a 2 speed transfer case, whereas the Denali is AWD.

 

[09 L9H]

Maybe I get better mileage out of my L9H because the Tahoe has a 2 speed transfer case, whereas the Denali is AWD.

My Tahoe has Autotrac 4WD so not sure what the difference is. Again, I find it crazy that your mileage is that good. Is your area pretty flat? I think I get about 15-16 cruising at 80, but my part of I85 is fairly hilly. Not attacking you or calling you a liar, I just want to figure out how I can get mileage as good as yours!

 

[mikeyss]

My Tahoe has Autotrac 4WD so not sure what the difference is. Again, I find it crazy that your mileage is that good. Is your area pretty flat? I think I get about 15-16 cruising at 80, but my part of I85 is fairly hilly. Not attacking you or calling you a liar, I just want to figure out how I can get mileage as good as yours!

A few things I can think of are, I removed the heavy ass 3rd row seat. That's gotta be 100lbs. I also think the tune has something to do with it too. It rarely downshifts out of 6th gear on the highway, the tune gives a slight horsepower and torque increase. Before the tune, some hills it would kick down a gear or 2. I have slightly larger tires, the sidewall is a 65 instead of 55 (my speedometer is recalibrated). Someone once told me, and I Do Not know if this is true, that since Colorado is high altitude (I'm at 5k feet) that the thin air takes horsepower away (true), but it allows the vehicle to pass through easier than air at sea level.

 

[09 L9H]

A few things I can think of are, I removed the heavy ass 3rd row seat. That's gotta be 100lbs. I also think the tune has something to do with it too. It rarely downshifts out of 6th gear on the highway, the tune gives a slight horsepower and torque increase. Before the tune, some hills it would kick down a gear or 2. I have slightly larger tires, the sidewall is a 65 instead of 55 (my speedometer is recalibrated). Someone once told me, and I Do Not know if this is true, that since Colorado is high altitude (I'm at 5k feet) that the thin air takes horsepower away (true), but it allows the vehicle to pass through easier than air at sea level.

Gotcha, this all makes sense. I'd take my third row out too but my apartment is too small to have anywhere to put it haha. And yeah, my truck does have to kick down a gear to get up hills at times, plus I run 33s. Regardless it's more load on the engine. Thinner air does mean less resistance, as fluid force is directly related to fluid density. One last question: how much did the tune and everything set you back? Might try to do an in-person tune if @BlackBearPerf comes to ATL in early 2019.

 

[BlackBearPerf]

Gotcha, this all makes sense. I'd take my third row out too but my apartment is too small to have anywhere to put it haha. And yeah, my truck does have to kick down a gear to get up hills at times, plus I run 33s. Regardless it's more load on the engine. Thinner air does mean less resistance, as fluid force is directly related to fluid density. One last question: how much did the tune and everything set you back? Might try to do an in-person tune if @BlackBearPerf comes to ATL in early 2019.

That's the plan, Atlanta, GA, Winter/Spring 2019!

 

[mikeyss]

Gotcha, this all makes sense. I'd take my third row out too but my apartment is too small to have anywhere to put it haha. And yeah, my truck does have to kick down a gear to get up hills at times, plus I run 33s. Regardless it's more load on the engine. Thinner air does mean less resistance, as fluid force is directly related to fluid density. One last question: how much did the tune and everything set you back? Might try to do an in-person tune if @BlackBearPerf comes to ATL in early 2019.

I paid $550 or something like that for the Autocal and their tune, plus they will do updates from there on for free. It's a worthwhile investment, especially if you have further mods planned.
They are good people, and I am planning to purchase ARH Longtube headers through them since they have been so good to me. Plus after installing them, they will be able to email me a updated tune to make the most power from them.

 

[mikeyss]

My Tahoe has Autotrac 4WD so not sure what the difference is.

Do you have 2HI, Auto, 4HI, and 4LO dial?

 

[cmc76]

I get the same squeal as Mikeyss. Slipping belt when I lay into it. Freaked me out the first time

 

[09 L9H]

Do you have 2HI, Auto, 4HI, and 4LO dial?

Yep, I just leave it in auto.