Throttle response on 6.2...

[SoonerDPT]

So I'm about ready to pull the trigger on a 2015 Iridium Denali with the 6.2 L. With that, I drove both that and a 2015 F150 Platinum with the Ecoboost yesterday. While overall, I like the Denali much better, I was significantly underwhelmed at the throttle response on the 6.2 compared to the Ecoboost. It just seemed like I really had to get into the throttle to get the truck to go. It made it feel as if the Ecoboost had a lot more torque, which I know isn't true. Does this get better or is there anything you can do to improve this?

[WendysOrBust]

You will need an aftermarket tune to address this. If a dealer tells you this will get better as the transmission "learns", they are lying. This has been an issue with the 5.3 and 6.2 with the 6spd. And the newer 6.2 with 8 spd also seem to have this.

[SoonerDPT]

Thanks. That's what I was afraid of. I'm sure I would get used to the throttle, but my initial response is that I'm not crazy about it. I guess my next question would be: Can you get a custom tune and not mess with the warranty?

[bdbake01]

Not to make your decision even harder, but I must respectfully disagree. The throttle teaponse does most certainly improve dramatically. In addition, YOUR calibration changes as well. A pedal with a 2" stroke will clearly feel much more "responsive" than a pedal with a 6" stroke since less pedal movement translates to greater throttle movement.

 

I'm not saying that the Ford pedal is shorter, but they do have different curves. But so does my wife's car.

 

If u want to speed things up, teach it what u want. If u want a snappy response, drive it like u stole it. U want a granny driving gas sipper? Piddle around and never make any quick changes, and never exceed 35% throttle.

[ConnRadd]

I noticed with my 2012 Avalanche, at times it as a slow reaction once I hit the pedal. Then other times, it surprises the hell out of me. I kept thinking that GM programmed their system to not allow over acceleration, trying to keep stress off the drive chain; helping out on the 100k mile warranty.

[CounterMeasure]

The throttle response on my 6.2L Denali changed very little in the 4K miles I've driven in. I've babied it around and I've run it hard in all that time. Part of the throttle response issue is the time it takes the transmission to figure out exactly what it wants to do. Then it will open up. There have been times I've added some pedal and *nothing* happens, and then a little more finally gets some RPM or shift changes going. And it certainly isn't consistently predictable in my input vs its output.

 

Maybe the difference to my experience vs bdbake01 is the 8speed in mine.

[WendysOrBust]

Not to make your decision even harder, but I must respectfully disagree. The throttle teaponse does most certainly improve dramatically. In addition, YOUR calibration changes as well. A pedal with a 2" stroke will clearly feel much more "responsive" than a pedal with a 6" stroke since less pedal movement translates to greater throttle movement.

 

I'm not saying that the Ford pedal is shorter, but they do have different curves. But so does my wife's car.

 

If u want to speed things up, teach it what u want. If u want a snappy response, drive it like u stole it. U want a granny driving gas sipper? Piddle around and never make any quick changes, and never exceed 35% throttle.

I drove my 14' 5.3 for 15,000 miles before I was tired of it "learning". The factory TCM tune on these trucks blow and there are dozens of threads on this forum that cover, poor throttle response and lazy shifting. It also doesn't help that several truck reviews from very reputable magazines also make claim of poor throttle response.

 

I will tell you exactly the problems you will encounter while driving on a factory TCM tune;

• Transmission always eager to get into 6th gear
• Overextending 2nd gear past its power band while in partial throttle
• Shifting early into 2nd, sometimes 3rd gear when pulling into the street.
• While driving highway speeds needing to go nearly WOT to get the truck to downshift into the correct gear to get it up to passing speed.
• Very high torque management from a stop

 

My tune fixed all of these and that is why I am so vocal about getting one to anyone who has any of the issues above. The transmission will only "learn" so much but it will not go past its set limits.

[WendysOrBust]

Thanks. That's what I was afraid of. I'm sure I would get used to the throttle, but my initial response is that I'm not crazy about it. I guess my next question would be: Can you get a custom tune and not mess with the warranty?

Unfortunately GM can go into the ECM/TCM and see a flash counter. While it won't exactly tell them there is a tune installed it can tell them how many times they have been flashed. They can then use this information and compare it to your service records. A tune will void your warranty, and if you are getting ANY clunking from the 8spd as some members have had here I would stay away from a tune till after 20-30k miles.

[Silverado75]

I found exactly the same until i did the throttle boost on my Diablo tuner. absolutely night and day

[bosro]

High expectations when I took a 6.2L/8 speed for a test drive.

Completely underwhelmed by throttle response.

And it had the steering vibration thing going.

Didn't like it at all

[Isriam]

Custom tune will make it drive like a vette. Stock 6.2 feels like a 4 cylinder.

[Silverado75]

Throttle boost and tuned it's a beast

[SoonerDPT]

Custom tune will make it drive like a vette. Stock 6.2 feels like a 4 cylinder.

 

 

Throttle boost and tuned it's a beast

 

Now you guys are speaking my language!! Now, how do I avoid any warranty issues...?

[rlbock]

....m.

[Isriam]

In truth no one here can say for fact that GM can see flashes, or flash counters. We've heard they can, and we know there are different methods to do this, but no one here knows exactly how and what. Diablosport claims they employ GM software engineers to prove their custom tunes cannot be seen after return to stock tune.