Pre-Tune Diagnostics
Performance Health Check
Before we touch the calibration, we inspect the car. A physical walk-around, full OBD-II scan, and live data logging session to confirm your vehicle is ready for the tune. We do not skip this step.
Why We Do This First
A tune pushes more air and fuel through your engine. If the engine has a vacuum leak, an ageing fuel injector, or a soft fault code sitting dormant, that problem gets amplified under increased load. We have seen it. A clean tune on a sick engine does not produce clean results.
The health check is not about finding reasons to turn away business. It is about making sure the work we do lasts, and that your car leaves better than it arrived.
What We Check
Physical Inspection
We walk around and under the car to check for any obvious mechanical issues before any software work begins. We look at intercooler condition, vacuum lines, air intake integrity, and any signs of oil leaks or coolant weeping that could affect tune performance or safety.
OBD-II Diagnostic Scan
We connect to your vehicle's OBD-II port using our Autel Elite scanner and read all current and pending fault codes. We clear nothing until we have documented the baseline. Freeze frame data is captured to understand what conditions triggered any stored faults.
Live Data Logging
We connect via our logging tools and capture live sensor data at idle and under light load. We check fuel trims, intake air temperatures, coolant temperatures, boost pressure at idle, and battery voltage. This tells us the health of your engine management before we touch the calibration.
Compression and Fuel Quality Check
We ask about your current fuel quality and service history. For vehicles with over 100,000km we recommend a compression test prior to tuning to confirm the engine is healthy enough to support increased load. We would rather have this conversation before the tune than after.
Verbal Debrief
After the health check we walk you through what we found in plain English. If the car is ready to tune we will confirm that. If there is something that should be addressed first we will tell you why and what the risk is of proceeding without it.
Why We Do Not Use Generic Maps
Most tuners flash a generic file and call it done. We do not do that. Here is the difference.
The Generic Problem
Most off the shelf tuning files are copied from forum uploads or generic supplier databases. They are designed to work on average vehicles with average modifications. They have no real data backing them.
- One map fits thousands of cars
- No road testing or logged data
- Copied from forum downloads
- No consideration for mods
- Generic fuel tables
- No climate adjustment
The Sherzad Alpha
Every calibration we write is built from scratch using real data from your specific vehicle. We start with factory baseline readings and build a custom map that accounts for your exact setup.
- 100% custom for your exact setup
- Road tested with logged data
- Built from factory baseline
- Accounts for your modifications
- Vehicle specific fuel tuning
- Temperature compensated
Common Questions
Is the performance health check free?
Yes. We include the health check as part of every tune booking. If you want a standalone health check without booking a tune we charge a small diagnostic fee to cover our time. Call us to discuss.
How long does the health check take?
Typically between 30 and 60 minutes depending on the vehicle and what we find. If we discover something that needs further investigation it may take longer.
What happens if you find a problem?
We will tell you clearly what the issue is and give you our honest assessment of whether tuning should proceed. We will not tune a car we believe is not ready. Your safety and the engine's long term health come before any booking fee.
Do I need to book the health check separately?
No. When you book a tune we carry out the health check as our first step. If anything stops us from proceeding we will contact you to discuss before continuing.
Can the health check be done on Japanese vehicles?
Yes. We carry out health checks on Toyota GR Supra, GR Yaris, GR Corolla, Nissan Z, and other Japanese platforms we support. The diagnostic process is the same regardless of make.
Ready to book your health check?
We include the health check with every tune booking. Drop us a line if you want a standalone diagnostics session before committing to a service.
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