Hey guys,

This is my first car, and I'm new to all this stuff. And I was just wondering if the dealership can trace a base flash. The reason was if anything ever went wrong with the car and I needed to take it into the dealership, I didn't want to run into them detecting the flash and blaming that for the trouble, whatever it may be.

-thanks
shawn

 

Yes they can detect it. Anytime a flash is done at the dealer ship or outside ( for performancfe gains or whatever) the ecu records all the number of instances when a flash occurs. If you had a flash done say.....from AMS performace for example and realized that you had to take the car in to the dealer for any reason, you then get it flashed back to stock, they can still tell that it has been flashed either way. Sorry man..... its sucks I know cause I had the same thought in my head.

 

The above is true, but it requires them to check it. I don't know of many dealers that actively check if a car has been flashed.

 

i work at a dealer and i do check them, only when their is a recall and a reflash has to be done though. if you do have a flash and you take it in dont have any recalls on the ecu done, itll be flashed back to stock on you.

 

I think thats right. The guy at AMS told me that depending on the dealearship they can be real difficult with you or they may just flash it back to stock. I think it really depends on the dealearhip you are at, they are all very different with respect to attitude. On a side note ( but still related) I have had FOUR instances in the last three months with hard, hard starts. it refuses to turn over ( unless I do the gas pedeal hold down) I have an app. with the dealer ship Tue and the guy is going to check his TBS site sheet and see if there is a flash to help with the crappy starting problem. For the record it has happend in -10,-5, 0 and +7 degress of temp) If there is one, then my ecu will register a flash, done by the dealership.

 

well itll reg the current up to date flash. they are numbered from the dealer and they can be seen with the dealer only scan tool. as far as mods go i would think if you where good to the dealer it wouldnt be so much of a problem with the small things. we have extreamly modded cars come through all the time and they dont have a problem with warr. cause they also get all the servicing done.

 

hey does anyone work for a mitsu dealer in miami/broward?

 

I kind of find that hard to believe cuz all my life, I have modded my cars, heavy or light, they always rejected it!! If that is the case, then I am in love wherever you work at!! LOL!! Sorry to be off topic but had to mention this.

 

i know....


but thank you guys for the quick reply and the great responses.

 

Yeah i went to the mitsu dealer where i live and asked the same question but just about anything voiding crap and they sad anything that adds horsepower will do away with it all even a intake. . . . . -_- guess i got one of the stupid dealers, but he also said they dont go around looking to see what people have done to their cars that come there unless a District manager happens to be there and wants to take a look at the car THEN their hands are tied and they take pictures and all of that good stuff so it is a risk you have to just weigh it all out and decide this is assuming nothing goes wrong with the car either like lets say if you sst messed up yeah their going to pretty much give you heck about it.

IMO how im looking at it right now ive already got the k&n drop in filter im prob going to do test pipe, exhaust, and as far as everything else goes god knows i want to just do it all at once BUT until i have the money to pay for anything i blow up when they tell my my warranty is voided im not risking it when i get the money i can just fix it myself im going to go all out. like i said thats my opinion on it all

 

My dealership said to buy the approved parts that they can list for me and have them put them on it for me. If they do the work then I get to keep my warranty.

 

That's absolutely the best way to go -- costs a bit more, and you have to have a dealer where you trust the mechanics, but get them to do the install work, and the warranty issues will probably never come up (at least not at that specific dealer). Main downside is that there are an awful lot of really nice mods that no dealer mechanic will ever install for you (emissions violations, ECU upgrades, etc., etc.)

 

my delaer is cool with anything that I do to my car, but thats becasue I know alot of the people there and I know the GM and Manger. So It all depends I guess, On a side note I never had any recals with my 08 lancer gts.

 

that sucks.. i really was looking foward to getting the ecu flashed.. but now im not so sure.. i voided my warrenty on my last car.. and had a bunch of probs later on that i had to spend alot of money out of pocket..

 

Hopefully the dealers in Canada arent so strict, My previous car 2007 VW GTI, the dealership actually had a inhouse performance shop, and they flashed the cars brand new with REVO technik, they did mine, but the dealership that i bought my car from did touched nothign aftermarket