I still have a few USAF issue flight gloves. They work great for driving. My steering wheel has an aftermarket leather wrap and hasn't needed to be cleaned in years.
Something was loose, I think. The problem went away after I loosened and then retightened all the hardware on the intake and throttle body, being careful to tighten everything gradually and evenly.
The tuner doesn't have to stay in the car. After you flash it, you can leave it in the glove box or in the house and it will still work; you can even choose the different performance vs economy settings without it. You only have to have it hooked up if you want to monitor parameters that...