How to not tune a 4l60

[Marky Dissod]

... tried that in HP tuners and it was basically unreadable,
all the lines just overlapped and I couldn't figure out how to turn off the gears I wasn't modifying.
Don't know why I didn't think to do that in excel though.

Gotta have good screen resolution, then maximize the screen; anything smaller makes my eyes cross -
but I need all the gears on the screen for it to make full sense.

 

[6speedblazer]

Use the bluecat transmission tuning tool, this will solve most if not all your issues.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Use the bluecat transmission tuning tool, this will solve most if not all your issues.

Learned pre-bluecat.
Also learned how to drive pre-ABS, Traction Control, Stability Control,
Lane Departure Warning/Enhancement, Pedestrian Proximity Detection ...

 

[OBSalsoNNBS]

@witty_name
This is a great thread, thanks for sharing.

@Marky Dissod
I imagine a lot of this applies to the OBS with the 4L60e as well? I've never been dissatisfied with the tranny but maybe I am a less enthusiastic driver, and more of a Sunday driver? Or is it factory tuned differently?

 

[Marky Dissod]

@OBSalsoNNBS, when you say 'this applies to the GMT400 with the 4L60E as well',
you mean tuning the 4L60E's shift personality - responses to changes in throttle position?

GM has a monkey on its back, Corporate Average Fuel Economy MpG test scores.
ALL of GM's vehicle sales factor into it - otherwise GM would never bother selling tiny cars
that compete with larger used cars - tiny cars offset GM's CAFE MpG score.
It's also why GM made the 5.7L into a 5.3L, specifically with a smaller bore,
and why they made a 4.8L, which eventually got replace d by 2.7L twinturbo ...
Decades ago, it's why so many Caprices & RoadMasters & Fleetwoods got a 2.56 ...
Why some Caprices got 4.3L V8s after getting 4.3L V6s ...

And yes, it's also why the 4L60E's throttle response 'personality' is programmed by GM
to discourage enthusiasm; you gotta really press down far for a chance at a downshift,
the moment you let off it upshifts again, light throttle angles equal early upshifts ...
GM programmed the 4L60E to try its best to nudge y'all into a driving style that
MIGHT achieve 13MpG city / 17MpG highway, yet usually doesn't ...

but is guaranteed to pyss me off AND slow me down AND shift more often than needed,
so people like you THINK I wore out my 4L60E sooner by driving with too much vroomph.

 

[Marky Dissod]

@OBSalsoNNBS, say I were to tune your 4L60E's shift personality.
I ask you drive 'NORMALLY', see how much TPS you NORMALLY tend to use NORMALLY.
I might leave GM's programming alone within YOUR normal amount of TPS range,
maybe make it an eensy weency lil bit more assertive at the top of your NORMAL range, maybe ...
Depends on if / how much you are dissatisfied with how GM did it.
Say you NORMALLY don't exceed 31% TPS. Past 34%, I'll make it less discouraging / more responsive,
progressively, so the 4L60E will delay upshifts & downshift with less prodding.
Past 67%, I'll likely make it more responsive; past 80%, it'll be almost like Sport mode,
but as soon as you relax, it'll relax too. We may even try a few times til I get it right.

I based that entire scenario on

... maybe I am a less enthusiastic driver, and more of a Sunday driver? Or is it factory tuned differently?

'cause I know from experience that some may not be able to tell how GM's shift program
could turn you into more of a Sunday driver without you noticing.

You could come back to me later, and give me nothing but compliments and thanks,
OR you might say "I appreciate what you did, but you overdid it a lil bit"
so I'll tone it down til 50% TPS, and I'll only make it slightly more assertive over that,
OR you might say "I wanna teach my kid to drive"
in which case I'll make the shift program EVEN MORE DISCOURAGING than GM did
OR you might say "can you make it MORE fun", in which case it's on!
...
Point is, the 4L60E is not a smartphone teaching you to teach it to teach you to addict yourself,
but every transmission GM ever programmed since CAFE MpG scores were a thing in the 70s
(even purely mech transmissions can be physically tuned, like carburettors, with tools & cables)
was altered to discourage assertive / enthusiastic / 'anti-social' driving, to improve CAFE MpG scores.

By the way, that's not the only thing about the transmission that can be tuned.
Most importantly, the line pressures that apply the clutches can be increased,
which costs an MpG or 2, but can considerably extend the transmission's life expectancy,
ESPECIALLY for those that work / play hard.

 

[OBSalsoNNBS]

@OBSalsoNNBS, say I were to tune your 4L60E's shift personality.
I ask you drive 'NORMALLY', see how much TPS you NORMALLY tend to use NORMALLY.
I might leave GM's programming alone within YOUR normal amount of TPS range,
maybe make it an eensy weency lil bit more assertive at the top of your NORMAL range, maybe ...
Depends on if / how much you are dissatisfied with how GM did it.
Say you NORMALLY don't exceed 31% TPS. Past 34%, I'll make it less discouraging / more responsive,
progressively, so the 4L60E will delay upshifts & downshift with less prodding.
Past 67%, I'll likely make it more responsive; past 80%, it'll be almost like Sport mode,
but as soon as you relax, it'll relax too. We may even try a few times til I get it right.

I based that entire scenario on

'cause I know from experience that some may not be able to tell how GM's shift program
could turn you into more of a Sunday driver without you noticing.

You could come back to me later, and give me nothing but compliments and thanks,
OR you might say "I appreciate what you did, but you overdid it a lil bit"
so I'll tone it down til 50% TPS, and I'll only make it slightly more assertive over that,
OR you might say "I wanna teach my kid to drive"
in which case I'll make the shift program EVEN MORE DISCOURAGING than GM did
OR you might say "can you make it MORE fun", in which case it's on!
...
Point is, the 4L60E is not a smartphone teaching you to teach it to teach you to addict yourself,
but every transmission GM ever programmed since CAFE MpG scores were a thing in the 70s
(even purely mech transmissions can be physically tuned, like carburettors, with tools & cables)
was altered to discourage assertive / enthusiastic / 'anti-social' driving, to improve CAFE MpG scores.

By the way, that's not the only thing about the transmission that can be tuned.
Most importantly, the line pressures that apply the clutches can be increased,
which costs an MpG or 2, but can considerably extend the transmission's life expectancy,
ESPECIALLY for those that work / play hard.

Wow good info. I think when it comes to the 97, I was always a "Cruiser" type driver due to the 350's lack of vroom in the big Burb...yeah maybe that was by design! Never in a hurry, usually bc I'm on the way to work in it

The 2012 is a different situation, naturally more inclined to enthusiastic driving obviously. I don't really love the shift points from the factory 6L80e though. 3.42 gears too...
A NBS would be more fun too. I do really like the 5.3.

 

[OBSalsoNNBS]

Point is, the 4L60E is not a smartphone teaching you to teach it to teach you to addict yourself,

Simultaneously funny, true, and sad.

Pressure line tuning is really intriguing. I didn't know that was tunable.

 

[Marky Dissod]

I think when it comes to the 97, I was always a "Cruiser" type driver due to the 350's lack of vroom in the big Burb ... yeah ... that was by design!

Fixed it for you. Pass this on to EVERYONE you possibly can:
EVERY vehicle sold in America with a V8 was woefully under-geared to improve CAFE MpG scores (not just GM).
If your old 'bubba didn't have 4.10, it was under-geared.

2012 is a different situation, naturally more inclined to enthusiastic driving obviously.
... don't really love the shift points from the factory 6L80E though. 3.42 gears too.

In ANY / EVERY GMT900, 3.42 should have been the MINIMUM axle gear - NOT 3.08.
GM's OE early upshifts and late downshifts would be even earlier and later with 3.73!
(unless it was a 2500 or 3500, which are not under CAFE MpG test score scrutiny).
Even those with 6L90s & 2500 / 3500 are held back a bit by GM's OE 'tune',
but not as much as 1500-type vehicles.

We're outnumbered about 100:1 by those who either have no clue about tuning,
or are uninformed enough to be against it because they THINK they're informed.

 

[OBSalsoNNBS]

Fixed it for you. Pass this on to EVERYONE you possibly can:
EVERY vehicle sold in America with a V8 was woefully under-geared to improve CAFE MpG scores (not just GM).
If your old 'bubba didn't have 4.10, it was under-geared.

In ANY / EVERY GMT900, 3.42 should have been the MINIMUM axle gear - NOT 3.08.
GM's OE early upshifts and late downshifts would be even earlier and later with 3.73!
(unless it was a 2500 or 3500, which are not under CAFE MpG test score scrutiny).
Even those with 6L90s & 2500 / 3500 are held back a bit by GM's OE 'tune',
but not as much as 1500-type vehicles.

We're outnumbered about 100:1 by those who either have no clue about tuning,
or are uninformed enough to be against it because they THINK they're informed.

Haha...fixed it. Once again, thanks for the good info.
I checked...3.73 on the 97. No surprises there I guess.
I'm still in the no idea about tuning category...where do I start?