Why tuners, not computers?

[kwillett]

Why do you have to buy tuners? Why didn't they make a cord for a laptop and just tune your car from that? I know tuners are expensive and I don't have that cash just lying around. And just a question. If i find someone with a tuner with the same ecu code can I load up their tune? THANKS!!!!

[Sponsor]

[sleepyboy]

I've always wondered the same, and no you can't use someone's tune. When you flash the tune to the car, the stock tune gets stored on the flasher. Also the flasher marries itself to the car so it will only flash that car. Sucks I know, it was one of the first things I thought about back in the day. Those dreams were squashed real fast

[kwillett]

there must be some way that a person good with computers (not I) could get into the flasher, save the tune on the computer, then format the flasher, then load the tune back, and "re-marry" the car and tuner... People jail-break iPods and make pc's into macs... A tuner can't be that complicated....

BTW, if anyone wants to tune my car for FREE i would be more than happy to ADVERTISE *wink wink* you know u could always use more business :P

[sleepyboy]

there is a way but only SCT can do it or "unlock" it. Being that the flasher is so expensive along with tuning there a few if any people willing to try that. I know I wouldn't, it's not every day I have 400 bucks to drop on a new tune and flasher.

[kwillett]

well i know someone who has a flasher for his zx3 he traded in, ill see if he still wants it. If not maybe i can get it and try to do it myself. or find someone who is willing to try, how much is it to unlock one anyway?

[sleepyboy]

It's 150 bucks the last time I heard. You send it into SCT and they unlock it, sen it back. Yhen you can get a tune put on it and use it. You can get a tune from Tom for another 150 so all together you would have spent 300 which is a great price for a tune and tuner compared to shelling out the 400 for a new one. (I say 400 as a genral statement, yes Tom's is a little cheaper and FSWerks is a little more expensive hence the middle ground price of 400)

[kwillett]

hmmm... the guy told me i could have it for $40... maybe ill convince SCT to unlock it for free. haha doesn't hurt to try.

[sleepyboy]

Well good luck with the convincing, you'll need it lol

[mikebontoft]

I'm kinda glad they don't do it that way...... if they did, everyone and his dog would be trying to make their car run "great" and end up destroying the crap out of it or defeating emissions or just making it run like crap in general. If it came that way from the factory then there would be so many lawsuits that they would prevent people from trying to tune them again like that. Hooray for stupidity.


BTW megasquirt is awesome and costs near as much. THAT is a ton of tuning from your laptop http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/d...kit-p-421.html

Aren't they unlocked when they are "unmarried" from the vehicle the tune is installed on? I know it's no good that way because it was traded in though.

[iminhell]

MS, in any current form, is archaic compared to the stock Focus ECU programming.


There is computer software/cables out the to tune Fords, but it costs more than the tuner and tune itself.


Odds are if you can't afford a tuner/tune, then you don't need one. Quit being a cheap ass.