Engine Management: Advanced Tuning

"Engine Management: Advanced Tuning" is a comprehensive guide that focuses on advanced tuning techniques for improving the performance and efficiency of an engine, primarily through modifying engine management systems (EMS). Here’s a breakdown of the key points for reviewing the book:Overview:The book is authored by Greg Banish, an experienced automotive tuning expert, and it’s geared toward those who have a basic understanding of engine management and want to delve deeper into more advanced tuning concepts. It provides an in-depth look at optimizing the performance of an engine, focusing on the engine control unit (ECU) and the various factors that affect the vehicle’s performance.Key Features:Detailed Technical Content:Advanced Tuning Techniques: The book covers a range of advanced topics, such as tuning for boosted engines, nitrous systems, timing strategies, fuel delivery, and air-fuel ratios.ECU Calibration: It focuses heavily on tuning the ECU and utilizing software and hardware tools for adjusting parameters like ignition timing, fuel maps, and air-fuel ratios.Data Logging and Analysis: Emphasizing the importance of data logging, it guides readers on how to interpret logs, make adjustments based on the data, and track performance improvements.Customizing for Specific Applications: The book dives into custom tuning for different setups, whether for street cars, race cars, or other performance applications, giving readers a flexible approach to their tuning goals.Tools and Software Insights:Software Tutorials: The book includes guidance on using popular tuning software, making it practical for those using or considering software like HP Tuners, EFI Live, or Megasquirt.Hardware Choices: It offers advice on selecting appropriate hardware components, including sensors, controllers, and wideband O2 sensors, to enhance the tuning process.Real-World Applications:The concepts and methods are explained with real-world examples, helping to bridge the gap between theory and practical tuning.The book also touches on troubleshooting common tuning issues, which is useful for those who may be dealing with problems in their current engine setups.Pros:In-Depth Coverage: The book covers topics in great detail, making it suitable for those with a basic understanding of engine management who want to deepen their knowledge of performance tuning.Clear Explanations: Complex concepts like ignition maps, fuel mapping, and boost control are broken down into manageable pieces, making advanced tuning more accessible.Practical Approach: The author provides actionable advice and real-world examples, allowing readers to apply the lessons directly to their own projects.Highly Educational: It’s an excellent resource for automotive enthusiasts, tuners, and even professionals who are looking to expand their expertise.Cons:Advanced Focus: While it’s great for those looking to get deeper into engine tuning, beginners may find the material too technical or overwhelming.Required Tools: To get the most out of the book, readers need access to certain software and hardware tools, which may not be easily accessible or affordable for everyone.Limited to ECU-based Tuning: The book focuses mostly on tuning the ECU and related software/hardware adjustments, so if you're looking for a broader take on mechanical tuning or other performance upgrades (like exhaust or intake), this may not be enough.Conclusion:"Engine Management: Advanced Tuning" is an invaluable resource for anyone serious about performance tuning. Whether you're an automotive enthusiast looking to optimize your personal car or a professional looking to expand your skills, the book offers a comprehensive guide to fine-tuning engine management systems. While it’s tailored toward those with some existing knowledge of tuning, its detailed explanations and practical approach make it a go-to reference for taking engine performance to the next level.If you're ready to dive deep into the world of ECU tuning and performance optimization, this book is a must-read.

I've looked wide and far, and this is one of the few books that I have come across that seem like they try to address the actual subject of how to tune a car using a modern engine management system. Besides this book, I've also read another book you will find here on Amazon with "Engine Management Systems" in its name and a Ford Focus on the cover. Let me tell you, this book is far better because it gives you much more practial information. The other positive note is, this is probably the most recent book on the subject (that's worth reading) to come out.To begin with, this book is a much easier read. The word count per page is not too high, it has some nice illustrations to break things up and help you visualize different concepts, and the author doesn't ramble on and on repeating the same stuff 5+ times throughout the book(like some other book I know). This book breaks the tuning process into several different stages surrounded with concepts that an aspiring tuner needs to understand and address about their particular vehicle before even getting to a dyno.For some reviewers who said this book is incomplete and never gets to the good stuff, or that it's engineer b.s., I have a feeling that those people were looking for a book that's going to hold their hand for their particular engine management system and tell them if they have mods x, y, and z then to put 22 degrees of ignition timing in at a certain spot of their map. Not gonna happen.I feel Mr. Banish is as clear and specific as he can possibly be in a book that appeals to everyone, without coming to your house to figure out the actual settings to input for you. He even concludes the book with a very nice summary that illustrates what the overall process is to correctly tune a car from the time you first modify the car until months after you had your dyno time. A plan of attack if you will, that should keep even a newbie on track.I myself was not a novice before reading this book, not a professional either, but more of an experienced hobbyist. This book inevitably covers a few things most of us have heard before, but I even learned some new tricks and came to understand some concepts better than before (things that I even thought I understood fully before). A few things the author talks about are somewhat advanced/abstract, so if you don't have any first-hand experience with a standalone (like Power FC, like I have) or an intricate piggyback (such as E-manage), then a few things will likely fly over your head.In conclusion, I can't recommend this book any more strongly if you plan on having any type of engine management on your car.