I'm in a city where the only thing available is going to be "road tuners." They all use the ECU-flash software and claim that road tuning is better than dyno tuning for various reasons like real time data logging and such. The pricing is around $350-$375. Reflashes would be somewhere in the vicinity of the low $300's.

In a nearby city, roughly 75 miles away from my home, there is a pretty reputable shop who uses ECUtek software to tune the stock ECU. They have a mustang dyno with loading capability. They charge $700 for a tune and $375 for re-flashes when further modifications are done.

So--I'd like to get some feedback from you all. Which would you do and why?

P.S. Oh and the shop w/ the dyno also told me that the ECUflash software is pirated software stolen from ECUtek and dealers who use it (that also have an ECUtek license) are actually breaking their agreements. Does anyone know the story on THAT?!

 

Get a mail-in flash and datalog from that, modifying it accordingly.. =)

Flash: $50
Cable $80

Knowing you saved $600 some odd dollars and won't have to depend on a tooner again.. priceless

 

375 for a reflash? I could be wrong but that sounds kinda high. Once the Cobb AP is released my local shop is doing the initial tune for around 200 and re tunes for around 150.

 

I wouldn't waste my money on an EcuTek license when I could get flashed with EcuFlash. Road tuning is very good, so there's nothing to worry about there. However, random noobs using EcuFlash to road tune people probably shouldn't be charging $350-375. Dynoflash has been flashing for 3 years and charges that much and then $300 for a custom reflash with free base reflashes for life. Usually, the new guys who just jumped into it when FREE EcuFlash came out only charge $250 or so. Therefore, if those local EcuFlash tuners are major Evo tuners who have been doing it for years, then I'd go with that option. If they are just random chumps not known in the Evo community, I'd look elsewhere, but I still wouldn't pay for an EcuTek tune. That same shop that uses EcuTek could easily download EcuFlash for free and use it...

PS. It's best to fill out your location so that we can help you better. We don't know if you're in SoCal or Maine...

 

Where are you that prices are so high? you can get a reflash for $50 from jestr, ttp, etc and dyno tuning for as low as $100 per hour at some shops, most around $200 per hour

 

Gotta be new to the Evo community if you think $375 is high for a full custom reflash. That is very low and has been the lowest for quite a long time. In the past, tuners had to spend around $3000-5000 just to get the tuning software (TechTom or Ecutek) to then tune people. That is quite an investment cost to get started. Because of that, it was normal to spend over $650 for a flash.

Your local shop may give tunes for $200 with the Cobb AP, but you forgot to mention the initial cost of the AP. The AP is a great device, but a flash requires no hardware to be purchased. Also, it will be extremely unlikely that shops will do full custom tunes for $200 even if it's with the Cobb AP. If yours does, they would probably be half the price of most places.

 

$50 is for a base flash and only got that low after EcuFlash was released. Dynoflash offered up $50 e-flashes, then Jestr and TTP followed suit. It's not $50 for a full custom flash. Also, $100/hr is normal for USING the dyno, but by no means is it normal for dyno use AND tuning. That would be extremely cheap...

 

Sorry--it's San Antonio.

So then on the road tune, they can get everything where it needs to be, and optimize the engine. The only thing that would be missing would be the actual HP gains from the baseline to the end result?

I'm wasting my money for an ECUtek dyno tune? This place is also the only place close by w/ a 4 wheel dyno.

 

Im paying 400 for install of 880cc's and reflash.

 

Im in Miami\Ft. Lauderdale area.

 

Indeed I am new to the evo community but as you stated before, most big named tuners are charging that, so I would think that unless you had a big name in the community that it should be cheaper. I also didnt say that it was an insane price, just a little higher then what I have seen from most mom and pop shops thats all.

 

Thats wat i was saying ...i got a $50 base flash and $200 per hour for a tune on the dyno