My regional service rep tells me that they can easily see if a tune has been done, even if it's been reflashed to stock. He didn't go into specifics of how they can see it, just that they can. Standard procedure on any SST or engine claim is to check the flash history, at least in Canada.

 

they can see it by checking the Flash counter. every time u flash the ecu it adds one to the counter, and if its a higher number than usual theyll assume youve been tuning it

 

That's exactly what I was thinking, but my service rep didn't talk about it so I'd be just speculating.

 

Hasn't this been beaten to death? Stealerships CAN tell, one way or another.

 

yea and 90% of dealerships will void warranty for an intake. pretty much anything u do to the car voids warranty. if your worried the only answer is keep it how it is. although u can chance the flash back to stock. i got my warranty shafted due to an ultimate racing upper ic pipe and turbosmart blow off valve. it also depends on the dealership.

 

I'm taking it in on Wednesday and asked about a K&N Filter, and they said they don't do that there and that it would interfere with the warranty. It appears that if you sneeze it interferes somehow. Too bad, as I really wanted to get a tune, but I think I just might wait it out. I flippin love the car though.

 

Don't forget that for a dealership to deny any warranty claim they have to prove that the modification is responsible for the problem. See the Magnuson-Moss warranty act.

 

I thought that doesn't apply to us here in Canada; AFAIK we don't have something like that Magnuson-Moss warranty act that is passed here.

 

So if I took my car to a guy with a Dyno in Calgary and had my car tuned, would I really notice that big of a difference? Do you need to periodocially go back and get tuned again? I have been reading about tuning and Dyno's and base maps and GST...uggg I feel a bit lost and still don't feel like I know what to do...sigh.

 

Just a tune by itself should give you between 10% and 20% increase in performance depending how agressive the tune is and the type of fuel you are tuned for (91 vs 92). For example, the Basemap from GST with a boost pill seams to get you approximately 15% increase in performance.

If you don't mod your car after, you won't need to get another tune unless your tuner discover some incredible settings that can open up new possibilities :P

If you mod your car after your initial tune, you MAY need to get a tune. Things as simple as changing your exhaust will impact how well your turbo will spool and may lead to an increased intake pressure. If you had a very aggressive tune this could potentially leads to some overboost in the lower-mid-range (where your turbo still can provide extra airflow). Also, some intake setup can lead to an erronous reading of the airflow (usually iunderestimating the airflow) and cause you AFR to be too lean which can be damageable to your engine (detonation and overheating).

Keep in mind, no matter who does your tune and how it is being flashed into the ECU, there is no way to garantee that the dealer cannot discover it even after flashing back to stock. Early in the thread you seamed worried about losing your warranty; if you don't have the nerve and some money (or good mechanical and electronic skills) it is best to stay away from tunes and major modifications.

If you still decide to do as most of us, the gain you will see are considerable. With the GST basemap, an EVO X Intercooler, boost pill and and test pipe, you should notice an increase of approximately 25% in peak power. Also, your turbo should spool slighly faster and your torque curve will be much flatter which will make your car feel much smoother (no sudden spike in power) and faster (considerable torque all over you RPM range).

Also, if you decide to modify you car, some modifications car help reducing the risk of problem. The best one is to get a larger intercooler as this will help reduce your intake temperature. An AFR Sensor with gauge (ex.: Innovate LC-1) will allow you to monitor your AFR in real time and ensure you are not running lean. If you tune by yourself, a Boost gauge and an EGT gauge should be a very good asset too.

Hope this helps a little bit...

 

It does help and I thank you for taking the time. The reality is that I just got the car and that I have very limited knowledge (although I'm trying to educte myself). It all seems pretty complicated (for me anyways). That said, after driving the car for a few days I can already tell that I will want to get a little more out of the girl.

 

You will always want more... If there's one thing I learn now; it's that there is never enough HP :P

One way I found to attenuate this is to have a few different cars. I alternate between them so each time I get in one I appreciate it for what it is. They all have a little something different to make me smile

 

I drive my wifes traverse. I instantly feel dull when I can't take a turn half the speed I do in the 'art. Sure I can carry a small family across the state but what's the point if I can't do it quickly =(

 

Not quite. There is a way to tell, but its nothing so simple as a counter. It's actually a couple different sets of numbers that need to correlate properly in order to determine if the software has been altered.

9/10 tunes are detectable with minimal effort, though we have had one car come in that I know for a fact was previously tuned, yet managed to pass as original when submitted to Techline for evaluation. I won't go any further than that, but the fact is, it has been done...

 

u gotta get us in on that lol. u can be our inside guy who knows how to get around voiding the warranty lol