ikt

iTrader: (18)

Okay, a friend of mine is a factory trained Evo X Master Technician, and here is the gospel regarding cobb AP's, tunes and warranty.

Please NOTE: the info in this thread is only as it relates specifically to Evo X warranty, the access dealers have to ECU information, and how the warranty program works. Programmers may be able to access more on their own, let us thank god they don't work for Mitsubishi.


1. Does a "flash counter" exist in the stock ECU?
No.

2. If I have a Cobb AP with a tune, and uninstall it then bring my car to service, will they know that my car has previously been tuned?
No. The ECU does not story any information regarding tunes, as it was never designed to do so.

3. If my car has a tune on it, will they know, and how?
Yes, but nothing specific. It makes the MUT scanner wig out and give crazy readings, and the technician will know it has some sort of tune, but that's all.

4. Does the factory log cars known to be tuned by VIN numbers?
No. Mitsubishi has no way to know unless a tech calls them and tells them. There is no database connected to the MUT terminals. Also, they don't care enough to worry about it.

5. Does having a tune void my warranty?
Not necessarily. If you have a tune and your tranny blows our t-case blows, they will still warranty it since there's no connection. If you have a big *** turbo and you clutch is burned up, too bad. Throw a rod and we see a big turbo? Sorry, no coverage. You can have a million mods on your car, but if it is not related to the failure, we will cover it. There's no way that having a turbo back exhaust would make your AC quit or axles go bad-so we would cover it.

6. Who makes the final call?
Each area has a specific, single person who has sole control over the authorization. If the tech says it should be warrantied, 9 out of 10 times they go with it. The techs and service department get paid to do warranty work-it is in their interest to warranty as much as they can.

7. Is there some sort of log in the ECU that can tell how fast I was going, or what was done to the car, anything like that?
No. The only log is the DTC numbers (CEL light codes). If you "scatter" or crash the ECU (limp mode), it might show what RPM you were at, but that's all, and even that is a pain in the *** to get to and doesn't matter anyways. I only know this cuz I got bored at work one day and tried to see how deep I could get into an ECU.

8. So to clarify, Mits has no log of tuned ECU's, there is NO flash counter, and a flash doesn't void your warranty unless you're trying to warranty the ECU itself, correct?
Correct.




....and there you have it

Magnumpsi

iTrader: (2)

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...g-counter.html

Mitch

ikt

iTrader: (18)

ECU FLash has access to a counter. OEM ECU does not. What he found was a string of binary that the numbers change after a flash ONLY tested with ECUFlash. Read further, that counter is not something MUT, or anything else, even reads.

I'll take the word of a Mitsu master tech with an actual MUT terminal and factory training over a post about some string of numbers with ECUTek on the internet when it comes to warranty. What tephra found is so far beyond anything anyone at Mits would ever have the skill (or time) to get into that it really shouldn't deter anyone.

alex the great

I talked to both of my local dealerships and both told me the same almost with the exact same words and that was that they do have a way to tell if you have a tune or even if you flashed back to stock. I dont know how accurate that is but yea. Hopefully they are just trying to scare people so everyone stops tuning the car?

ikt

iTrader: (18)

They can tell it's been tuned if the tune is on there, yes. Flashed back to stock, no. They might bluff you, since they know a modded evo probably has a tune. Even then, unless you're trying to get your ECU warrantied, they will cover it. Some dealerships seem to have a chip on their shoulders about that stuff.

All I know is that this guy has no allegiance to anybody. Doesn't care. Doesn't own an Evo, never did. Doesn't tune them, doesn't race them, nothing. It's a job to him, and this is what it says in their books and policies and trainings that are Evo X specific, as well as the training and experience with the MUT terminals.

RazorLab

iTrader: (8)

lol, there is a flash counter.

Whether or not a "master tech" has the tools to see it, is another story. Which is basically what you are stating.

Everything in proper context...

I do know for a fact the dealer logs and tracks ROM ID's so that is something they can and do check. I've seen it with my own two eyes via a MUT held by a "master tech".

ikt

iTrader: (18)

There's not, in anything that the company uses. Maybe there's a counter buried somewhere that changes with number of code writes, but yes. I don't know a ton about programming those like some, but I do know that what is "there" varies depending on what you have to see it, does that make sense?

And I should clarify, I did ask about the MUT logs. They exist, but those logs aren't transmitted back to Mitsubishi.

RazorLab

iTrader: (8)

We are both saying the same thing, in different ways.

ikt

iTrader: (18)

agreed. I'm just trying to relay what I was told, not second guess a real life programmer. Everything in the thread is meant only as it relates to Mitsubishi warranty work. I figured it would be useful to get it straight from a guy who doesn't care one way or the other.

Evod350z

iTrader: (6)

Alright. So if i get a Cobb ap and get a tune, i can always unplug the Cobb ap and mitsu wont know i had the car tuned. I can finally get a tune again. Car feels so slow without one.

ikt

iTrader: (18)

Correct. You just use the uninstall function.

ikt

iTrader: (18)

Indeed. It's almost more of a "way to count flashes" with ecuflash than a dedicated flash counter, it seems almost like a session ID counter like a remote login. But for 100% sure there is not one in the MUT terminal.

ThePrecisionIma

This makes me want a Cobb ap. really really bad.

Jake.barratt

Its worth the money you can always change anything you want on the fly and see whats going on. Any Idiot including myself can use one

ikt

iTrader: (18)

get one then. The tuning software is free for X owners, it's $149 for most other platforms, even if you buy it used!

all the new firmware updates and built in failsafes have really made it easy too.