What Does Tuning a Car Do
From increased power to increased style, a car tune optimizes your vehicle’s performance to fulfill your driving dreams. Read on to learn how they work.
Written by Sarah Gray
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
Table of Contents
- What is car tuning?
- What are the benefits of tuning your car?
- How much does car tuning cost?
- How to find car insurance for your car
- FAQs
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Car tuning falls into four major categories—engine tuning, suspension tuning, body tuning, and interior tuning—but they all aim for the same goal: better performance.
Ask anyone about increasing your vehicle’s performance, and you’re likely to get into a conversation about car tuning. But unless you’re a car enthusiast, you’re probably not completely sure what that means or how tuning works.
From Fast and Furious-style turbocharging to swapping out your car’s sound system, tuning can completely overhaul your ride. Want to know more?
Jerry
, the trustworthy super app
built to save drivers money on car insurance
is here to walk you through the world of car tuning. In this guide, we’ll explain the different types of tunes, how much you should expect to pay for a vehicle tune, and the benefits (and drawbacks) of car tuning. Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversWhat is car tuning?
In general, “tuning” a vehicle means you’re increasing its performance, handling, or even its appearance. There are four basic tuning categories in the automotive world: engine tuning, suspension tuning, body tuning, and interior tuning. No matter what category you’re focused on, though, the goal is always the same—optimal performance.
To better understand what happens when you tune your car, let’s take a closer look at each of the four tuning categories.
Engine tuning
This is the category most people think of when they think of vehicle tuning. For some, this may mean removing a less powerful engine and replacing it with one that’s more powerful—but for most gear-heads, it means modifying your vehicle’s engine to increase power output.
Tuning fans have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to engine tuning, but some of the most common methods include:
- Boring—enlargement of the engine’s cylinder capacity allows more air and fuel to burn at once, creating more power.
- Turbocharging—forced induction systems, like turbochargers or superchargers, increase engine power by increasing airflow which increases the air/fuel ratio.
- Mapping, ECU tuning, or chip tuning—in this most basic, beginner-friendly method of engine tuning, a vehicle’s on-board diagnostics (OBD) system, can be used to reprogram your vehicle’s engine control unit (ECU), increasing engine performance. More advanced tunes of this sort involve installation of new engine management systems to replace your vehicle’s factory computer with one that you can program yourself.
While engine tuning can significantly increase your vehicle’s horsepower and torque, it also significantly increases the strain placed on several of your vehicle’s internal systems. Even properly installed and executed tunes essentially ignore the operating parameters set by your car manufacturer. This means if any parts covered under warranty fail as a result of your tune, you’ll be paying out of pocket for the repairs.
Key Takeaway While engine tuning leads to pros like faster acceleration and increased throttle response, it can also lead to cons, like decreased fuel efficiency, increased emissions, and increased wear on component parts.
Suspension tuning
While engine tuning is all about power and performance, suspension tuning is mostly about handling—and, sometimes, appearance. Suspension tuning involves modification or replacement of shock absorbers, springs, sway bars, and other related components to optimize performance to fit the driver’s needs. Common types of suspension tunes include:
- Lowered suspensions that create a sportier look and shift the vehicle’s center of gravity closer to the ground for better cornering
- Raised suspensions, often with larger tires that increase ground clearance and angles of approach/departure for better off-road performance
- Lowrider suspensions which allow the driver to independently raise and lower each individual wheel’s height
Like engine tuning, suspension tuning has its pros and its cons. A lowered suspension may handle better on a set of twisties, but it can turn your average speed bump into a major obstacle. A raised suspension, on the other hand, can allow you more freedom off-road, but often leads to terrible handling on the tarmac—especially at highway speeds.
Plus, like engine tuning, suspension tuning leads to increased stress and wear, which means your vehicle’s manufacturer
may not honor your warranty
.MORE:
Best shocks for towing
Body tuning
As you’ve probably guessed, body tuning involves modifying your car’s body for optimal aerodynamics, appearance, or both. This could include replacing body panels with lighter-weight materials to decrease overall weight, adding an aftermarket spoiler for a sporty rear view, or even applying different
types of window tint
.Body tuning is usually more about aesthetics than performance. In fact, it often begins with the simple process of “cleaning”—or removing lettering and branding from your car’s exterior. It, too, can have downsides, though. Any sporty elements you add could actually increase drag and also vehicle weight, which both lead to decreased fuel economy.
MORE: How to tint car windows
Interior tuning
Last but not least, we have interior tuning. This can involve installing a set of super-supportive sport seats, or upgrading your factory audio system. Like every other type of tuning, though, even interior tuning can have its drawbacks—racing seats aren’t often the most comfortable for long treks, and if your new sound system is too loud, you could be looking at tickets and fines for noise pollution.
Key Takeaway No matter what type of tune you’re considering for your vehicle, it’s important to know what to expect and whichillegal car modifications to avoid.
What are the benefits of tuning your car?
Especially when it comes to engine tuning and suspension tuning, there are a lot of benefits to be had from tuning your car. These include:
- Increased horsepower
- Increased torque
- Enhanced off-road capabilities
- Improved handling
Plus, though ECU tuning has been used to boost engine performance for years, many drivers are installing ECU mods on modern cars to increase fuel efficiency. You’ll likely sacrifice power in the process, but you could save a lot of money at the pump.
How much does car tuning cost?
How much your car tune costs will depend on a number of factors—most importantly the type of vehicle you’re driving and the type of tune you’re performing. For example, if you’re looking for a basic ECU mapping, you can expect tuners to charge anywhere from about $400 on the low end to over $3,000 for luxury or racing vehicles.
If you’re looking at body or interior tuning, you’ll often be looking at the low end of the cost spectrum. However, if you’re thinking of doing any engine or suspension tuning, you may be looking at added costs for modified engine parts, retooled or upgraded brakes, and other mods you may need to install to support your tune.
In addition to the upfront costs of car tuning, you also need to take into consideration how a tune might affect other vehicle-ownership costs—like fuel costs and car insurance. Just because you have the money to pay for your mod now, that doesn’t mean you can continue to afford it down the road. For instance, ECU remapping and suspension upgrades almost always result in decreased fuel economy and increased insurance costs.
How to find car insurance for your car
If you’re tuning your car for increased power and performance, you’ll almost certainly be looking at increased
car insurance
costs once you report your upgrades to your provider. Lucky for you, Jerry
can not only help you find quality coverage to protect your newly-tuned vehicle, but we can help you find it cheap.By partnering with over 55 top insurance providers, Jerry can bring you customized rates that lower your costs without lowering your coverage. Plus, our
trustworthy super app
can help you set up your new policy and even give you a hand canceling your old coverage. And the best part—the average Jerry customer saves over $800 a year on car insurance premiums!
“As a young person who owns a sports car and a high-end sedan, I couldn’t find quotes below a certain threshold. By usingJerry, I managed to find full comprehensive coverage on both vehicles and saved $150 a month!” —Channing Y.
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FAQs
Should you tune your car?
That depends. If you’re looking for increased efficiency, you can achieve this with regular tune-ups and vehicle maintenance. But if you really want to boost your power and you have the cash to spare, a car tune can be a fun and exciting way to increase your driving excitement.
Who can perform car tuning?
Again, that depends. A lot of tuning—like minor paintwork or tinting—can be DIY. However, when it comes to engine or suspension tuning, it’s best to leave the labor to professional tuners.
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