Getting Ready to Get Ugly at Dealership

[Joeiconic]

I just installed my Unleashed tune today and it was 1/2 hour maybe. Piece of cake. I did it at work too. I can't wait to get off work to see how she flies. $1000 is a lot for a tune however. Unleashed was $600 and I got a performance tune and a tow tune. AWESOME!

The Ford performance tune can be purchased for around $600 as well.

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[Dr. Zaius]

For those with the Unleased tune, if you flash the stock code back, can the dealer tell you were ever running a tune?

The truck has a Flash counter as well as an ignition counter.

IOW, if you take your truck in for service and it has 20k miles but the engine has only been started 3 times, they may suspect something out of the ordinary.

And for all you folks complaining about it taking a half day, are you all forgetting about the long, grueling hours necessary to open the airbox and replace that air filter with the new one?

That's at least a couple hours book time.

OP, glad they made it right

 

[Ranger X3]

I'm having it installed on Monday. Is it best for me to make my ford performance account and download the update at home, then bring it in to the dealer for the final install?

That's what I did, do everything until the last step. The install was done in 20 minutes, the tech was very appreciative.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Jeezaloo Clay, just what the heck did you really say on that first phone call?

I’m glad they did the right thing. If their tech isn’t properly trained up on all things Ford, that’s really on them, not you. It’s just right that this worked out.

Enjoy that tune!

 

[Gumbo]

Jeezaloo Clay, just what the heck did you really say on that first phone call?

I’m glad they did the right thing. If their tech isn’t properly trained up on all things Ford, that’s really on them, not you. It’s just right that this worked out.

Enjoy that tune!

Actually I wasn't ugly on the phone call at all. All I said, was, I don't care how long the technician took, you quoted me $189. That and, that's fine, I'll see what the manager has to say about it. But I was not ugly.

The tune is awesome

 

[Gumbo]

Does the Ford performance tune smooth out the tranny too?

Seems to have, but it too soon for me to really tell. But many others on here have remarked it did.

 

[ppfd]

So I'm interested in a tune. But the age old question, I go with the ford and install myself, what about warranty work for anything? I bought an extended warranty as well.
The the tune warranty is only good to 36,000. I'm at 26 on my truck now?
My biggest hang up is running premium gas.

 

[AzScorpion]

So I'm interested in a tune. But the age old question, I go with the ford and install myself, what about warranty work for anything? I bought an extended warranty as well.
The the tune warranty is only good to 36,000. I'm at 26 on my truck now?
My biggest hang up is running premium gas.

Tony there are several other tunes you can run with 87-89. Livernois and Unleashed are just two of them where you can run these. With the Livernois tune you will get all 5 of their tunes. This way if you want to play around with the 91-93 Performance tune you can just flash that one. Then the have the 87-89 Performance & Soft Shift tunes plus the Tow tune allows you to run any octane. The Ford tune does require a dealer or a certified mechanic to obtain the warranty.

Myself along with many others chose aftermarket tunes and have not had any issues. That's not to say something can happen but unlikely as these are not tunes right to the edge where they'll blow up. It's a tough decision but personally I wouldn't get to hung up on the warranty part. @NOVA_Ranger just had a transmission issue and had a Livernois tune and the dealer still repaired it under warranty. His thread is here if you want to read through it. It really is one of the best mods you can do and not just for the performance but it does help smooth out the shifts. I won't lie the extra power is fun too. ?

 

[Friday yet?]

Read instructions 3 times, cuz, that's who I am

Don't need no stinking 'structions..... me he man!

In reality, yea, I'd read them 3 times. At least.

 

[Fawnbuster]

So easy even a neanderthal could do it

So easy even a neanderthal could do it

 

[Fitzmotor]

Yes. They can tell you've flashed with any tune.

That's what I thought, the guy at JDM said they can only look at key counts, I question that, I figure they have to be able to see the file that's in the ECU as well.

 

[rydfree]

Jeezaloo Clay, just what the heck did you really say on that first phone call?
Enjoy that tune!

I'd like to believe it went something like .........

 

[AzScorpion]

That's what I thought, the guy at JDM said they can only look at key counts, I question that, I figure they have to be able to see the file that's in the ECU as well.

Several on here said they (the dealer) can tell how many times it's been flashed. It makes sense as the ECU should log all the files every time it's flashed. IIRC Chris @Frenchy previously worked at a Ford dealer but I might be mistaken him for someone else.

 

[Frenchy]

Several on here said they (the dealer) can tell how many times it's been flashed. It makes sense as the ECU should log all the files every time it's flashed. IIRC Chris @Frenchy previously worked at a Ford dealer but I might be mistaken him for someone else.

Nope, you are correct. I don't remember the bulletin number, but Ford has it posted for how to check. What it does is check how many times the vehicle has been started since the most recent flash.

 

[Fitzmotor]

Either way I hope I don't get into that situation, I once watched a Ford rep go to 3 different diesels in the service dept, plug in and void the powertrain warranty on the spot, they were in for leaking coolant, where the extra boost picks up the heads, the TTY bolts stretch.

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