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Tune warranty - spare ecu

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SpecOps2087

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A couple of us were talking - since dealers can see some kind of counter to indicate the map has been changed, what if you had a spare ecu that you got tuned and saved your stock ecu for any dealership activities? Ecus are relatively cheap, pretty easy to swap out, couple hundred dollars could be worth no eye brows being lifted during any dealership work. Does a tune only affect the ecu or do other modules get programmed as well. Understand ignition count or whatever probably would be reset when changing ecus but anytime you disconnect the battery that happens also right? Doesn’t seem like a reliable way to indicate anything.

Before I get the pay to play lecture, I’m not implying blow your engine up due to some wild tune and then claim warranty but there are some pretty bad dealers that even the scent of a modification and your car is black listed. Not having to worry about that would be nice.

thoughts?
 

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Cruising68

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If you are that intent on cheating a dealer then by all means go for it. Or just accept that if you are modding your vehicle YOU should accept responsibility and not try to trick your dealer into giving you something for free.

Ok rant off. I even bought an extended warranty even thought the drivetrain is not covered…..but I guess that’s just me.


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mycbtech

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SpecOps2087 said:
A couple of us were talking - since dealers can see some kind of counter to indicate the map has been changed, what if you had a spare ecu that you got tuned and saved your stock ecu for any dealership activities? Ecus are relatively cheap, pretty easy to swap out, couple hundred dollars could be worth no eye brows being lifted during any dealership work. Does a tune only affect the ecu or do other modules get programmed as well. Understand ignition count or whatever probably would be reset when changing ecus but anytime you disconnect the battery that happens also right? Doesn’t seem like a reliable way to indicate anything.

Before I get the pay to play lecture, I’m not implying blow your engine up due to some wild tune and then claim warranty but there are some pretty bad dealers that even the scent of a modification and your car is black listed. Not having to worry about that would be nice.

thoughts?
Click to expand...
Ive done this for SMOG reasons here in California since they fail you for having a tune on the car. I dont see why it wouldnt work other than the ECU may show the dealer hard coded VIN information other than your vehicle? Also the tunes reset your key cycles which is the possible flag. so the flip of the ECU would have a short set of cycles which could lead to a question from the dealer that a tune could have been on the vehicle anyway.
 

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G’sCGST

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i would think sapping the ECU would throw up more of a red flag to the dealer then just flashing it back to stock.
They would absolutely know the ECU has been swapped.
 

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i8iridium

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The VIN would be the first problem, the other is the security. There's a pairing process between the ECU (PCM) and the BCM, without FDRS, and likely a NASTF account, you couldn't just simply swap the PCM.

The ignition count is only reset with tune loads and normal FDRS calibration updates/reloads. Problem is these days you can't even talk you way out of the key cycle thing by saying you had another non-ford shop do maintenance because FDRS loggs every action to the vehicle online, so any dealer that pulls the VIN in PTS or any other Ford tool will easily call BS on you.
 

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Superloud

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Sorry if it seems like I'm thread jacking, but this question seems fitting to have in here.
So removing the tune by reflashing with the stock tune.... the dealership will know something has been done?

I usually keep my new vehicle for 2 years. It will have about 20k miles at that time.
Let's say I have a ZFG Tune. Then, before I trade it in, I flash it back to stock.
I've traded many vehicles, they never check that.

Now let's say the new owner buys my vehicle that still has manufacturers warranty. They experience an issue that needs warranty work for engine.
Would they be screwed because they could deny warranty?
 

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I Bleed Ford Blue

I Bleed Ford Blue

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I suspect the dealer only looks deeper into the issue if there is a problem or they suspect abuse. In your case if they vehicle had issues related to the tune after you traded it in and they can prove it because of what you did, my guess the new owners attorney would come after you because ford denied the warranty claim.
 

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i8iridium

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Superloud said:
Sorry if it seems like I'm thread jacking, but this question seems fitting to have in here.
So removing the tune by reflashing with the stock tune.... the dealership will know something has been done?

I usually keep my new vehicle for 2 years. It will have about 20k miles at that time.
Let's say I have a ZFG Tune. Then, before I trade it in, I flash it back to stock.
I've traded many vehicles, they never check that.

Now let's say the new owner buys my vehicle that still has manufacturers warranty. They experience an issue that needs warranty work for engine.
Would they be screwed because they could deny warranty?
Click to expand...
They will know that the PCM has been flashed just by the key cycles, but they can't say with authority that it was a non-stock tune unless that non-stock tune was still there. They would have to analyze the damage to the engine, transmission or whatever other component failed and decide that it was due to the suspected tune or something else.

If you flashed the vehicle back to stock before you sold it, and it broke later on down the line, I HIGHLY doubt anyone is coming after you for damages. They gotta put out a lot of money to prove that the damage was caused by the tune that you may or may not have had. When you trade into the dealer, it's rare that they even sell it off the lot. It's usually off to auction after they get the title.
 

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