How Much Horsepower Does a Tune Add? (Read This First!)

If you are familiar with vehicles or cars, you might know about car tuning. Generally, people install a tune in the car to help the car modify different performance modes. Most commonly, a tune enhances the performance of an engine. You might have also heard that a tune adds horsepower to the engine of a car.

So, you might be confused about how much horsepower a tune adds. Well, you have to know about the horsepower of the tune to know the efficiency of the tune. Moreover, you have to keep maintenance of the car according to the power and horsepower the car is using.

Does a tune increase HP?

Yes, a tune increases HP. HP means Horsepower which is the power an engine produces. Generally, the function of a tune is to command the car’s computer to give instructions. The instructions from the computer signal will help to deliver power to the engine.

When the engine will be unlocked in its complete capacity, the power economy will also be increased. As a result, the overall horsepower of the engine will be increased. So, the performance of the vehicle will also be enhanced.

So, you can say that a tune helps to enhance the performance of the car. But how much horsepower the tune will increase depends on the type of the tune.

How much horsepower does a tune add?

How much horsepower a tune adds depends on the type of the tune. For example, if the tune is a dyno tune, 10 to 15 horsepower will be added. But if the tune is a turbo tune, it can add up to 50 horsepower. Sometimes, more than 50 horsepower can be achieved if the engine supports it.

However, different types of tunes are available. For example, turbo tune, dyno tune, ECU time, performance tune, etc., can be used for modification of the engine performance. Horsepower addition might be different for each type of tune. Let’s see how much horsepower each type of tune can add.

Dyno tune:

Dyno and tuning are two different terms. But the combined term dyno tuning means setting the behavior of the car with a tune and then seeing the result through a dyno. So, a dyno tune adds some horsepower to the car’s engine system.

Generally, a dyno tune adds 10 to 15 horsepower. This range of HP is not much for making a vehicle fast. But still, some improvement of the performance will be experienced.

Cobb tune:

COBB tune is another type of tune that has different stages. Generally, stage 1 COBB tune 20 horsepower whereas stage 2 COBB tune adds up to 65 horsepower. Besides, the stage 3 tune adds 81 horsepower. So, how much horsepower a COBB tune will add depends on the stage of the tune.

Bama tune:

Bama tune enhances the overall performance of a car. Generally, the Bama tune adds up to 30 horsepower. That means a Bama tune is pretty efficient to increase the torque and throttle response. So, it will also add some additional power to the vehicle.

ECU tune:

ECU tune is a device that updates the computer’s system to instruct how to deliver power to the engine. So, when you install an ECU tune to the vehicle, it will also add some power to the engine.

Generally, an ECU tune will add 15 to 30 additional horsepower to the system.

Performance tune:

Generally, a performance tune can increase up to 10 to 15 horsepower to the actual horsepower. Adding horsepower means the enhancement of the engine’s performance. A performance tune might not directly enhance the performance. But it can deliver power enhancement direction to the system.

Street tune:

A street tune doesn’t add much horsepower to the engine system. Generally, a street tune adds about 10 horsepower to the engine. Though it adds some horsepower, the amount is not too much.

93 tune:

93 tune also doesn’t add too much horsepower. Generally, a 93 tune adds 6 to 7 horsepower. This range of horsepower is not too much. But the additional horsepower will take part to enhance the performance of your vehicle.

How much horsepower does a stage 1, 2 & 3 tune add?

Tunes can have different stages. Generally, three types of stages of tunes are popular. Stage 1 tune can add 5 to 50 horsepower. Stage 1 tune is the most common and efficient. Because this tune doesn’t need additional modification. So, stage 1 tune is the basic type of tuning.

Stage 2 is the higher stage of horsepower. This stage of tune adds 25 to 200 horsepower. That means the horsepower margin is pretty large. Stage 2 tune facilitates more serious and expensive mods. So, this stage will also maximize the power delivery of the engine. Stage 2 tune has the same basic mods as stage 1 but more aggressive tuning.

On the other hand, stage 3 is a more aggressive and more power-providing tune. Generally, the stage 3 tune adds 100 to 500 horsepower. This much HP is a pretty large amount. Stage 3 tune is generally used for modern cars for enhancing the power of the engine and other parts.

Does a tune make your car faster?

Yes, a tune makes your car faster. Generally, a tune doesn’t directly make your car faster. But it can improve other parts and performances that the car becomes faster. Even, you don’t need to add a single bolt-on, the car performance will be enhanced.

When you install a tune to your car’s system, the car’s computer will direct other parts to modify. Then the directing parts and procedures will be increased. For example, the torque will be increased.

Moreover, the air intake, the exhaust system will also gain a faster rate. So, the overall power economy will be achieved. So, the full capacity of the engine will be induced for the addition of a tune. As a result, the horsepower will also be increased. This additional horsepower will make your car faster.

Can I tune a stock car?

Yes, you can tune a stock car. Though tuning a stock car will not provide much horsepower, you can tune it for other performances. For example, if you tune a stock car, it will make the car more aggressive.

Moreover, if you tune, a stock car will make the car more responsive and overcome the limitations. This progress will make the stock car perform better.

Generally, a stock car is a modified version of the original manufactured car. So, if you install a tune to the car, it might not make your car faster. But a tune will make your cars able to overcome different limitations.

How to tell how much horsepower a tune adds?

You might have known the theoretical processes of increasing horsepower. Moreover, you might know which tune will add how much horsepower. But if you want to test horsepower a tune will add, you have to notice some factors. Let’s see how you can tell how much horsepower a tune adds.

Identifying the tune:

The simplest way to know how much horsepower a tune adds, you can check which type of tune has been installed. If you know the type of tune of the car, you can assume the amount of horsepower the tune will add.

For example, the stage 2 tune will add more horsepower than the stage 1 tune. So, you should know the type of tune.

Making a datalog:

Another way to tell how much horsepower is increasing, you can keep a datalog. This datalog will use a formula to calculate the horsepower of different moments. Similarly, the datalog will show the results of increasing horsepower after installing a tune.

ECU system:

ECU is the car’s computer that is related to the tune of the car. For example, if you install a tune to the car, it will update the ECU or computer’s system to command performance.

So, when the horsepower of the car is increased, the computer or ECU system will also be updated by the information. So, whenever there will be an increase in horsepower, you will know from the ECU system. Moreover, the power economy and mileage will indicate the increase in horsepower.

Final Thoughts

A tune can add different ranges of horsepower to your car. From 10 horsepower to hundreds of horsepower can be achieved by tuning the car. Generally, a tune will increase the power economy of your engine by increasing the torque and reducing other limitations. But a tune adds horsepower.