145: How to Avoid Wasting Thousands on the Dyno

It’s common for car enthusiasts to rush their car onto the dyno before it’s truly ready, only to have it strapped down and the tuner uncover a list of issues. Nothing kills the excitement of chasing those long-awaited power figures faster than unexpected problems.

Booking a session with remote tuning expert Shawn Christenson could save you thousands. Shawn, from Tuned by Shawn, is a Haltech specialist who can remotely tune your car from anywhere in the world.

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package: https://hpcdmy.co/podvip

Shawn shares his journey from a childhood fascination with cars to becoming a self-taught tuner and business owner. He talks about the challenges of diving headfirst into tuning, including his first attempts learning on his FD RX-7. “Piston engines were easy after learning to tune on a Rotary” 

We explore how Shawn began his tuning career with Adaptronic before transitioning to Haltech, which he now specializes in and also provides technical support. He outlines his remote tuning process and why it works so effectively, stressing the importance of road-tuning a car before it ever sees the dyno.

Shawn breaks down the pros and cons of remote tuning, including how he manages tricky areas like knock control when the car isn’t physically in front of him. He also touches on CAN bus integration in modern vehicles, an area he’s becoming increasingly involved with.

Spending hours—or even days—on the dyno can quickly add up if things don’t go to plan. Shawn’s focus on minimizing hiccups and maximizing efficiency makes a strong case for his approach. He might just be the one to help get the most out of your car.

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package: https://hpcdmy.co/podvip

Follow Shawn here:

Instagram: tunedbyshawn

Facebook: Tuned by Shawn

WWW: tunedbyshawn.com

Timestamps:

0:00 How to Avoid Wasting Thousands on the Dyno
3:44 How did you form a passion for cars?
8:12 I brought a FD RX7 for $9000
12:00 Did you learn to tune on your FD RX7?
24:54 What were you doing for Elliot (Turblown) at this point?
29:06 The process of remote support and tuning
32:03 How did Tuned by Shawn start?
36:48 How and why you specialised in Adaptronic then Haltech
43:04 Tech support from ECU brands is massive
49:34 Firmware updates  
52:50 Getting the car dialed in before the dyno
56:24 What are long term fuel trims and how do they work?
1:00:00 Is being away from the car a pro or a con? Remote tuning
1:03:21 What’s some red flags you look for in the long term fuel trim table?
1:08:33 Are you remote tuning on a dyno or on the road?
1:12:48 How do you tune to avoid knock remotely?
1:23:04 Are you providing a more conservative tune remotely?
1:26:11 How are you using CAN Bus on the Haltech?
1:47:06 Final 3 questions