After acquring my First Edition F-Pace recently, I set about figuring what I wanted to do to it. It's a disease. After research on this board and elsewhere, I decided to try the Velocity AP crank pulley and tune. Since I live in Seattle, I thought I'd drive up there and check them out. It's quite a trip--5.5 hours pretty much non-stop, except for the 45 minute delay at the Canadian border, during which time my companion and I were made to empty all our pockets, show border guards our shoes and socks, wait while they rifled through all our luggage, checked the underbody, opened the engine hood, etc. Apparently, they did not believe that we were coming up to Oliver at the end of January for innocent purposes.

Turns out their doubt might not have been altogether unreasonable--there is very little happening in the area this time of year.

Anyway, after a night in Osoyoos, the next day, a Friday morning, we showed up at Velocity in Oliver. Stewart was an excellent host from the start--he provided good coffee and muffins first, and then, while Chris took over the pulley installation, he took us on a guided tour of Area 27, the local track of which he is justifiably quite proud. Appparently, there is a shindig planned for August 28 for members of the track and invitees. Once we got back, I worked with Chris to play around with pops and bangs on the tune. In the end, we decided to tune them out, in part because they were pretty loud once the axle back touring exhaust I decided to add at the last minute was installed. It's neat little unit, good welds and nice tips, 19 pounds lighter than stock. Drone isn't bad at all, and sound is improved without being obnoxious, at least during cruise .

The pulley and tune are definitely noticeable under load, but actually pretty tame just puttering along--which happens to be perfect for my purposes, because I am not the only driver of this vehicle. If you get on it, though, there is no question you get where you are going much quicker. Fun stuff. Gas mileage on the trip back (which took 4.25 hours, mostly because we got through US customs in 3-4 minutes) was actually a little better than it had been for the trip up...

Anyway, here's another recommendation for Stewart, Chris and Velocity AP, along with their V6s kit. Good guys, and so far a good product!!

 

Coincidentally I had an O2 sensor and/or Cat issue 15 months ago when I was evaluating the AP Services tune for my F type (issues were unknown at the time). I was disappointed in the performance gain, the dyno results started getting quite rich in upper revs. Stuart and the almost employee (at that time) Chris spent significant time working out details as I tested. They suspected something going wrong in the emissions arena, with the protective features of the tune fattening up the mixture to protect the engine. A few weeks later the problem surfaced enough to trigger the check engine codes. After first an O2 sensor change, the local Jag shop was still not happy so they changed my Cats as well (purportedly there have been issues with the Cats). This is just as Stuart and Chris had predicted. I ended up returning the tune and tune loader (I was within my window for returns). Throughout the entire evolution they were incredibly gracious and professional.

I hope to visit their facility if I'm ever in that region. Right now I'm about the furthest away from their facility on this continent that I can be!

I will likely be re-ordering the tune and also a pulley shortly after this Spring's factory oil change based on their customer support.

 

Thanks a million Bruce. Hope to see you up here in the summer for the track day!

 

You're the first that I have heard with an F-Pace FE that has had worked done. It's been just over half a year since you got your tune/pulley, any issues?

 

None. Our biggest issue has been insisting that our service advisors for maintenance issues at the dealer understand, and write, "DO NOT FLASH!!" on every work order. There's a little drone, as I said, but nothing too bad, and the car is a pussycat off boost. Once, on light throttle, off boost, driving up a hill it felt like the fuel curve might have caused a little surging or pulsing for a few seconds. But that has happened once in 9,000 miles and I haven't been able to duplicate it. Car still pulls with urgency to redline when asked. Gas mileage still fine off boost.

It has just been a great mod. The other driver of the car is the type that puts it in full auto on normal driving mode--no sport, no dynamic, no paddles--and she is very happy, too.