Car Tuning for Beginners: 5 Systems to Know

Cars are an integral part of American life. They take you from home to work, New York to California and everywhere in between. Like other products, your vehicle’s quality wears down over time. However, there are ways you can ensure your machine runs whenever you need it. It all starts with the heart of the vehicle: the engine. Follow this car tuning for beginners’ guide to see five systems you should focus on. 

1. Ignition

An excellent place to start is the ignition. Your engine’s ignition system consists of multiple parts working together. The ignition coil uses the battery to create a spark and ignites the fuel vapor. It does a fantastic job of transforming your battery’s 12 volts into 30,000 volts. Each spark lasts a millisecond or one-thousandth of a second, so it goes quickly!

Many people opt to upgrade the spark plugs when tuning the ignition system. They’re simple parts that cost around $15 to $20 each, depending on the brand you buy. Spark plugs ignite the fuel and air mixture and help your engine produce power. Most spark plugs consist of copper, but you can upgrade to platinum or iridium. Both types have higher melting points, last longer and lead to better fuel economy.

After the spark plugs, another worthwhile upgrade for your ignition system is the plug wires. You may know them as spark plug wires or ignition cables. They’re critical for your ignition system because they carry the spark from the ignition coil to the plugs. The primary reason for upgrading the spark plugs and their wires is to improve acceleration and make your engine run smoothly. You’ll notice a difference in the performance in a short time.

The last thing to know about the ignition system is the timing. The ignition timing refers to how your system delivers the spark at the right time. It’s likely to be different with every make and model, so optimizing this feature on your car can make a big difference. Depending on the current setting, you’ll either need to advance or slow down the ignition timing. Getting it right means you’ll extend the life of your engine.

2. Exhaust

Your car’s exhaust emits gas into the air, but it also has other functions. One thing the exhaust does is control noise. The pipes can be loud when gas releases, but the muffler lowers the noise, so you don’t disturb neighbors. You can enhance your engine performance and fuel mileage by tuning your exhaust system.

There are multiple ways to upgrade your exhaust system. It’s an accessible upgrade for beginners, and one way to start is with your muffler. Getting an aftermarket muffler can improve multiple aspects of your car. For example, your current muffler may consist of steel. Upgrading to stainless or aluminized steel will make your exhaust last longer and reduce the chance of leaks.

Another terrific upgrade is looking at the exhaust manifold. You may also know it as the header. It’s one of the primary parts of your exhaust system because it collects exhaust fumes from the engine and sends them to the catalytic converter. Upgrading the exhaust manifold typically entails separating the tubes connected to the cylinder head. Most cars use a shared one. Two tubes mean more efficient air flowing through the engine.

The third upgrade for your exhaust system is the downpipe. This part takes your exhaust gases from the turbine housing into the exhaust system. Downpipes are a typical upgrade for car owners to move the gases out of the vehicle faster. Upgrading this part increases horsepower and torque if you have a turbocharged engine. A better downpipe could lead to failing emissions tests, which would be a problem for California residents.

3. Air Intake

The next step in car tuning for beginners is to check the air intake. This system does what the name suggests. It intakes air and mixes it with fuel to make your engine ignite. The other ingredient in the recipe is the spark plug mentioned above. Your intake system continuously delivers air to your engine, producing the power necessary to drive. Tuning the air intake reaps many benefits.

The easiest way to upgrade your air intake system is to get an aftermarket air filter. If you see a car puffing black smoke, it’s time for a new filter. A better air filter means supplying your engine with better air, cooling the system and lowering the friction among the parts. Aftermarket filters will reduce your risk of engine troubles and increase efficiency with fewer emissions.

A slightly more advanced upgrade is a cold-air intake system. Sometimes, air intake systems get clogged with different debris. Cold-air intakes are excellent because they mitigate dirty filters. Air gets denser as the temperature, so a cold-air intake brings in air dense with oxygen. Therefore, your engine has more fuel for combustion and can bring more power. Cold-air intakes increase airflow and keep your engine cool, which can be handy in the summertime.

Another option is a ram-air intake if you don’t want a cold air intake. Yes, you can use it for vehicles outside Ram trucks. People use ram-air intakes to utilize the dynamic air pressure that cars create. Ram-air intakes are similar to cold-air intake systems, but rams are shorter. Therefore, they’re closer to the engine. Ram-air intakes can be more beneficial because they’re less prone to debris and water damage than cold-air intakes.

4. Fuel Injection

The fuel injection system is the fourth car tuning for beginners upgrade. Every system in your vehicle is integral, but one of the most important is the fuel. Jeff Gordon couldn’t fire up his DuPont Chevrolets without gas in the car. This system consists of multiple parts, starting with the fuel injector. The fuel injector is a valve that delivers gas into the combustion chamber. 

One way to tune the fuel injection system is to do electronic control unit (ECU) mapping. The objective of ECU mapping is to modify the injector signal, which controls the fuel-to-air ratio. Most engines require one part of the fuel for every 15 parts of air. You may know it as the stoichiometric ratio. ECU mapping ensures that your engine and fuel intake system work properly.

Another way to upgrade your fuel injection system is to replace the stock fuel injector. Your current one can get the job done, but an upgraded part will deliver fuel to your engine faster. The fuel injector is a solid upgrade because the stock part will wear more quickly over time. Aftermarket fuel injectors reduce issues with your turbo and any heat soak. The environment will thank you with fewer emissions and better fuel mileage.

5. Forced Induction

The last system you should know in car tuning for beginners is forced induction. One good thing about car tuning is the clearness of the names. Forced induction means you’re pushing more air into the engine. You’re going beyond the means of an ordinary air intake system. You’ll need a turbo or supercharged engine to do forced induction because it can handle the added air. 

More vehicles these days are coming with turbocharged engines as the default option. They create more horsepower and improve fuel economy. One way to enhance the forced induction is by upgrading the bypass valve between the engine and a turbo. You can opt for an actuator or a wastegate type. These valves are terrific for your car because they last longer, reduce warmup time and better regulate the temperatures of your engine fluids.

If you have a turbocharged or supercharged engine, upgrading the boost pressure is another modification you can do. Boost pressure refers to the positive pressure your engine produces. Improving the boost pressure gives your car more power because you add more airflow.

Another simple tune-up for your turbocharged engine is installing a water injection. You may also know this as the anti-detonant injection (ADI). The water injection’s role is cooling the inlet charge. It’ll spray water into the air and absorb the heat when it evaporates, thus cooling the temperature inside the engine. Water injections are helpful because they take some of the load off your intercooler.

Easy Car Tuning for Beginners

It’s hard to find a greater love than the one between a gearhead and their car. These machines are essential for travel and make for excellent hobbies in your free time. If you want to get into car modding, start with the engine. Use this car tuning for beginners guide to see the five systems you should begin with.