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Review: DiabloSport Intune + Johan (DiabloToona) tuning

40K views 35 replies 14 participants last post by  JDWZHRE 
#1 ·
I purchased my 2014 R/T Max about a month ago. Coming from a 2008 Chevy Impala SS. The very first mod I decided on was the Intune + custom tuning. This combination turned my sedate Impala into an actual performance sedan...in a straight line anyway :D.

Purchased the Intune from Amazon as they had a decent price and got it to me in 2 days with my Prime free shipping.

The update / install process is LONG with this car. Prepare to spend a couple hours between updating the tool and going through the long PCM backup process on your charger.

The canned tunes are just alright at best. In my opinion the canned tunes alone aren't worth the price of the tool. The value comes in to play when you get someone who knows what they're doing to tune it for you. I applied the "Diablo" tune designed for 91 octane, boosted the throttle to 15% and killed MDS because MDS + Diablo tune don't play well together. There was a difference in throttle response and a little more pull, but it was tiny.

I contacted my GM tuner to see who he recommended for Mopar and he shot me Johan's contact info. Got in touch with Johan, requested a 93 octane tune without MDS and with firmer shifts. Paid for the tune in the middle of the night and BAM had a custom tune waiting in my inbox when I woke up the next morning.

Applied the custom tune to the car and the results were just like with the SS. The best way to describe it is it feels like the car just "woke up". Drastically better throttle response and noticeably more power. For a car with no mods it was worth every penny of the cost of the device + the tune. Once I get a CAI in place and a good catback exhaust I'm sure it'll be even better.

Gas mileage....well. With cruise on at 65 on the highway I was getting around 24-24.6 on BP 89 gas with no changes in speed on flat roads with the stock tune with MDS. Repeating the same test with the tune I got around 24.8 with BP 93, same stretch of I-20 in South Carolina. Problem is the throttle is just too tempting now ;). There's no such thing as a gentle pass or gentle start. If I could keep my right foot out of it I'd say the mileage is on par with the stock tune, but I didn't tune it to keep my right foot out of it.

Still working with Johan doing some datalogging to get the tune exactly right. It gets just a tiny bit better each time he tweaks it. Support and response have been great. Johan comes well recommended from a buddy of mine from the GM world so I have no problem at all repping him for Mopar.

Be happy to answer any questions about the process or results.

BTW - my first review / post, so be gentle :driving:
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Hey good to hear about the car and thanks for the post in advance.
I recently have modified my car( 2013 R/T MAX) a bit. I bought it about 2 months ago. I think my next purchase is the tuner. I know quite a bit about the mechanical side of engines and cars but have never had a car tuned ( never owned a car actually only trucks). Thought I would let you know you are trying to explain something to someone who has little knowledge that goes with tuning. Thanks
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Questions:
-Does the tuner take the modification into consideration? ( headers, high flow cats, Cat-back, cai, throttle body, therm) or does Johan do that?
- Is it all through email? (just curious not complaning)
- Does the prices vary with the modification from a person like johan?
- What kind of questions does he ask before you start tuning?
- How do I get into contact with a person such or Johan or Johan himself?
- Does Johan charge you everytime he helps you with the tune or is it just a one time cost until you both get it where you want? ( You just mentioned that you still are getting the tune better and better each time).
Thanks for your help. I know its lengthy and hard to answer all at once, so answer however many you like.
Thanks
 
#3 ·
Johan is one of the best. He's a great guy. I had him do all of my custom tuning. He will keep sending you new tunes until you feel the car is perfect, he will also tell you when the data looks damn good.

Enjoy the newfound power!
 
#4 ·
I have very little knowledge about the actual magic that goes into writing the tune myself, just familiar with the InTune device and how it works. To answer your questions:

1. No, the canned (included) tunes don't take mods into account. They're honestly not all that great. Johan does, however. He does whatever magic is required to get the most out of the mods when he writes the tunes.

2. Yes, all via email. He'll send you a custom tune to start with, you'll install it and follow a set of instructions to do data logging on the intune device in different driving conditions. You'll email these data logs to him and he'll adjust the tune as required then send you another tune file. You'll install that tune and the process continues until everything is dialed in.

3. All he asked me was year, engine and a detailed list of mods.

4. http://www.diablotoona.com/index.htm is his website. I'll PM you his email so it doesn't get picked up by spambots. I'll also forward him a link to this thread in case others have questions that I can't answer (assuming he's a member).

5. He works on it until it's right.

I'm in no way related to Johan in case anyone is wondering lol. This was one of the things I was wondering before I bought the car so I figured I'd just throw the info out in case anyone else was in the same boat.

Tatalis, hope that helps!
 
#6 ·
How much does one of these Johan tunes cost? I just got my inune DCX for my SRT and am very happy with the Diablo tune. I'd love to see how this car would behave with a real tune.
 
#7 ·
He works on a donation basis via PayPal. They prefer not to discuss his methods on the forum. Shoot him an email and he will discuss everything with you.

Custom tuning is something he does on the side, it's not his main job. His main gig is in research and development with Diablo Sport.

He's a very busy guy but he gets back to you very quickly. He takes care of his tuning work in the early morning and usually calls it quits around 11. I only know this because I have worked with Johan several times.
 
#8 ·
Johan has been great to work with. He responds in a very timely manner to all my questions. i wish more vendors were like him.
 
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#18 ·
"I'm sure with time he will only become more valuable for the modern HEMI owners."

That is everyone's thinking over on the LX side. Including Dave Weber of Modern Muscle.
 
#19 ·
"I'm sure with time he will only become more valuable for the modern HEMI owners."



That is everyone's thinking over on the LX side. Including Dave Weber of Modern Muscle.

No doubt. The man is fantastic at what he does and he customer service is second to none. He always finds the time to speak with you, no matter how busy he is.
 
#21 ·
The tuners do the data logging. It is easy. Each tuner has a preference for which PIDs they like to see and will tell you what to log. They also have different preferences as to WOT and in what gear or gears. A WOT is the only way they will be able to get you a perfect tune. I did most of mine on a dyno before I got the 3.92 Getrag because a 4th gear WOT would take me up to 145 mph (If I remember back that far) which for me is not realistic on the interstate. Hemifever had me do 3rd gear WOT when I got the new rear which only takes me up to around 90.

You will also need a computer to be able to download the data from the tuner and send in to be evaluated. Diablo's Dataviewer program is what most everyone uses.
 
#22 ·
The biggest difference I noticed with my Diablo Intune DCX was after I reset the TCM adaptions. They must have tightened up the torque management software because the shifts are much quicker/firmer now with hardly any rpm drop between shifts.

Before resetting, during WOT acceleration the engine would drop 300 to 400 rpm between shifts, now it's only like 100 rpm. Fantastic!
 
#23 ·
The biggest difference I noticed with my Diablo Intune DCX was after I reset the TCM adaptions. They must have tightened up the torque management software because the shifts are much quicker/firmer now with hardly any rpm drop between shifts.



Before resetting, during WOT acceleration the engine would drop 300 to 400 rpm between shifts, now it's only like 100 rpm. Fantastic!

Yeah that'll happen! Eventually your car will "learn" again and you'll experience the same RPM drop and lag. The good news is you can use your tuner to reset the adaptives (or pull the fuse) to give you the same feel whenever you desire!

If possible, try to drive spiritedly several times a week. This will keep the learning adaptives at bay and your car will retain that firmer sportier feel that we all enjoy for longer periods of time! Commuting with traffic and all that fun stuff makes the learning process inevitable but driving the car like you stole it every now and then will throw the computer off its mark.

Now I've taken something fairly complicated and made it sound very pedestrian, but that's how I wrap my head around it!
 
#25 ·
Not a bad idea sir. If you tinker with the Diablo be careful with certain parameters such as the spark and fuel. They require some research and data logging to appropriately adjust them to improve performance.
 
#28 ·
Can someone please PM me Johans Email. I am thinking about requesting a tune on http://www.diablotoona.com/index.htm but I am afraid that he won't get it or that it isn't even Johan that answers the requests. And I am very interested in getting a custom tune on my 12 Charger RT
 
#32 ·
You don't need to know exact A/F ratios to read the data and determine if more fuel is needed based on ST/LT KR. It's a bit intuitive, but if you have ST/LT KR and can correct it by fuel adjustment until it's gone, you effectively accomplish the same thing.

One is results driven and the other is front-end data calculated...but in the end, the results are the same.

It's a bit like determining wheel vibration by making adjustments until it's gone vs. measuring the wheel balance and making it optimal directly.

Either way, you end up with zero issue.
 
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