Enhancing your vehicle’s capabilities is only a tune away

My very first car was a 1977 Datsun 280Z, 5 speed, with the L28E, inline six-cylinder engine. A ground-rumbling 149hp, with even less than that getting to the pavement below. It was 1996. There wasn’t much to do when it came to squeezing power out of that engine short of going with a turbo, (which was FAR beyond the finances of a kid who bagged groceries), or some Frankenstein setup where you cobbled on an Offenhauser intake with a four-barrel carburetor. Or you completely lost your marbles and went full tilt boogie and stuffed a small block Chevrolet engine inside. Then prayed to the Gods of speed that you could stop, turn, or that your differential would survive the weekend. What a time to be alive.
How times have changed.

We live in the future we all dreamed about, sort of. Albeit it is full of a whole lot of things we didn’t expect; one thing that has surely been a welcome change is the ability to tune vehicles with the computers that run them to begin with. That’s where the “tune” comes into play, a “professional reimagining” of the software that controls the fuel management, ignition, and other performance functions of the engine. This ultimately provides improvements in power, throttle response, and often lowers the fuel consumption, which means less trips to the pump for dinosaur juice.

While at Overland Expo West, I noticed a business card left on the window of my Tacoma. The card was from AZ TunePro and the contact’s name on the card was for Brian Randal. Being a resident of Arizona, and the owner of said Tacoma, equally afflicted with the same shortcomings of most other Tacoma’s present on the roads and trails we like to traverse, I thought I would reach out to Brian and see what a tune could do for me.

I met Brian at Westcott Designs, a top tier fabrication and supplier shop in north Phoenix to talk about the benefits of a tune and see him work his magic.

A Colorado native with a history in software development with Toyota; Brian approached Jeff Westcott, (owner of Westcott Designs) three years ago with the proposition that providing tuning services to vehicles in the rapidly growing overland space was a lucrative opportunity, to which Jeff overwhelmingly agreed.

Brian suggested the OTT tune for my particular rig. My build is basically about as average as it gets. A second-generation Tacoma DCSB. OME springs, Bilstein 5100’s, 285/75R16 Toyo Open Country RT Trail tires. I climb the occasional little rock here and there, but mostly stick to the highway, trail or forest/fire road on my way to camp near a body of water that has fish in it. I also will occasionally tow my camper, which is about the most strenuous thing my truck does.

The beauty of this is that Brian can tune the tune to fit what I need from it. Stay in gear longer, improve the response on the pedal so I don’t have to stomp on it to wake it up and maybe give me an extra mile or so of fuel range.

So, per Brian’s advisement, I cleaned the battery connections well before I showed up to ensure proper connection between the truck and the Wagantech Lithium Cube he uses to maintain proper, steady voltage necessary to perform the tune properly. A drop in voltage could have catastrophic results when it comes to software updating, and Brian takes every precaution to ensure that doesn’t happen. In less than 10 minutes, the task is complete. A quick test drive to get a feel for the throttle response setting and we’re good to go. Brian advises that it will take a few weeks of normal driving for the vehicle to adjust fully to the new tune and that fuel economy will fluctuate.

Initial observations are positive and noticeable. The Arizona summer isn’t kind to fuel mileage, so any improvement to the average 14.8 mpg I see under normal driving will be a welcome one.

Impressions after three months…

When I first purchased my Tacoma new in 2015, the truck felt and performed just like I expected it to, considering it was the second Gen2 Tacoma I had owned. A four-wheel drive double cab powered by a larger displacement six-cylinder engine, nothing to marvel about, but adequate for the role. Then came upgrades, larger tires, heavier suspension components, bumpers, a winch, a fiberglass camper shell, roof rack, etc.… Soon, the decent six-cylinder power felt more like a four cylinder, struggling to accomplish the most mundane of tasks. I found myself accepting that as my fate unless I wanted to swap out gears. After the OTT tune, I feel that despite the current additions to my rig, the feel and capability of that 4.0L six-cylinder has returned. Even feeling at times like a small V8. I’ve been reminded more than once during these months of a 4.7-liter Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited I owned in the early 2000’s. I was never breaking any records or dominating on the trails, but I had more than sufficient power when I needed it. In fact, both engines are evenly matched on paper, so it’s no surprise there’s a similar feel now that the 4.0 is tuned up.

The OTT tune has really shone in the towing department, as the reduced gear hunting has saved a lot of stress on the transmission while heading up to the Arizona rim country and made cruising along with traffic on the freeway while hauling more than tolerable.

The only downside I’ve been able to find in this is the lack of change to my fuel economy, which has remained comfortably in the laughable region. But, even if there was an improvement, I wasn’t expecting a vast change. I was warned that everyone’s results would vary.

Overall, I am overwhelmingly satisfied with how the OTT tune has improved the drivability of my Tacoma. The improvements far outweigh any negatives that there may be, to which I have honestly noticed none. I also cannot say enough how impressed I am with Brian’s professionalism and level of expertise regarding questions and follow-ups. In the “take the money and run” world we often find ourselves in these days, it’s good to see someone who not only stands by their work but makes sure the customer experience is priority #1. I would recommend a re-tune as a standard upgrade to anyone who has outfitted their vehicles for off-road adventure purposes. I also would recommend Brian and AZ Tune Pro to anyone with a Toyota/Lexus who can get their rig to him. You can find him @aztunepro on Instagram and find out where he’s tuning next, or give him a call at (928) 533-8231 and schedule your upgrade today.

OutdoorX4 Magazine – Promoting responsible vehicle-based adventure travel and outdoors adventure