Tune and warranty issues

[JimiJak]

So, if I read the above post correctly; as long as the vehicle is flashed back to stock, and a full drive cycle is completed, there is no "ghost" of the tuned flash that can be found with "special Ford software and equipment" like we've all heard?

Example; If a formerly tuned, used SHO is traded in to a dealership, but has been reflashed back to stock for 3,000miles. Is there ANY way the dealership, or Ford, can tell that vehicle has had an "unauthorized flash"??

TIA

[FoMoCoSHO]

So, if I read the above post correctly; as long as the vehicle is flashed back to stock, and a full drive cycle is completed, there is no "ghost" of the tuned flash that can be found with "special Ford software and equipment" like we've all heard?

Example; If a formerly tuned, used SHO is traded in to a dealership, but has been reflashed back to stock for 3,000miles. Is there ANY way the dealership, or Ford, can tell that vehicle has had an "unauthorized flash"??

TIA

According to the personnel I have spoken with, this is correct, but I cannot verify for 2013+, yet.

[JimiJak]

So, if I read the above post correctly; as long as the vehicle is flashed back to stock, and a full drive cycle is completed, there is no "ghost" of the tuned flash that can be found with "special Ford software and equipment" like we've all heard?

Example; If a formerly tuned, used SHO is traded in to a dealership, but has been reflashed back to stock for 3,000miles. Is there ANY way the dealership, or Ford, can tell that vehicle has had an "unauthorized flash"??

TIA

According to the personnel I have spoken with, this is correct, but I cannot verify for 2013+, yet.

Eager to hear follow up on this...I'll try to get a hold of my guy tomorrow too.

[FoMoCoSHO]

So, if I read the above post correctly; as long as the vehicle is flashed back to stock, and a full drive cycle is completed, there is no "ghost" of the tuned flash that can be found with "special Ford software and equipment" like we've all heard?

Example; If a formerly tuned, used SHO is traded in to a dealership, but has been reflashed back to stock for 3,000miles. Is there ANY way the dealership, or Ford, can tell that vehicle has had an "unauthorized flash"??

TIA

According to the personnel I have spoken with, this is correct, but I cannot verify for 2013+, yet.

Eager to hear follow up on this...I'll try to get a hold of my guy tomorrow too.

When dealing with issues such as these, the more verification the better!

[BiGMaC]

So simple.... just disconnect the battery for 30 minute after I flash back to stock.... drive cycle too is easy after this....

BUT... I would really like to hear verification for '13+ models.

Hope your guy can give it Jack

[SwampRat]

Sorry guys but whoever has told you this ..... THEY ARE FLAT OUT DEAD WRONG.

FORD diagnostic software can tell exactly how many times the ECM has been reflashed and can actually retreive an overwriten file .
Just as in computer hard drives be they SSD or Rotary Plater old school  they have access to "special" software that can restore/retrieve overwritten data.

This is somthing that they RARELY use or do and is usually only done on major , high dollar claims .

[CooperS7777]

Unfortunately Ford can deny any powertrain warranty if THEY choose too .
All they have to Prove is that the ECU has had an unauthorized re flash , easy for them to do .

This is not quite true, in fact it's illegal for an manufacturer to deny warranty coverage in part or in full due to the installation of aftermarket parts.  They have to do a bit more than prove the ECU was flashed as well; the burden lies on the manufacturer (or dealer) to prove that the failure was directly related to the installation of the parts (or program in this case) in question.

All this law is covered under the Magnuson-Moss Act for those interested in reading up on it.

[Needmoreboost]

I love having a great Ford dealer and service advisor which tells me to bring the car in tuned so they can enjoy it.  Lol.  For real.

[ShoBoat]

I love having a great Ford dealer and service advisor which tells me to bring the car in tuned so they can enjoy it.  Lol.  For real.

Nice, wish they were all like that!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SwampRat]

Magnuson Moss does protect you. however, you might have a legal fight on your hands getting them to pay.

If you put on a tuner, and have a drivetrain / powertrain issue, your issue could be denied for warranty payment. maybe without merit, but denied. now you have to take them to court and get them to pay. they are gonna have experts (their engineers) and plenty of data (failures of other similar vehicles with aftermarket additions similar to yours) to bring to court to make the case as to why your aftermarket addition caused the failure and subsequent warranty denial. what are you gonna have ? your word ? your buddies word ? you are gonna have to hire your own set of experts, and it ain't gonna be from internet forums. that's gonna be time consuming and expensive. period.

[ZSHO]

I wonder why Rick,formerly from Livernois all those years went to work for ford,just a little skeptical??.

[CooperS7777]

I wont argue with you there SwampRat; just wanted to point out there was more to the story than simply being told "denied".  I'm not sure what the outcome would be should someone decide to raise the question in court.  Id imagine a very compelling argument could be made on behalf of the owner in many circumstances; the question for the dealer/mfg then becomes does the potential negative publicity and/or associated legal fees outweigh the cost of simply repairing the issue?

I can't say I'd want to be the one to test the theory.

[BiGMaC]

I wont argue with you there SwampRat; just wanted to point out there was more to the story than simply being told "denied".  I'm not sure what the outcome would be should someone decide to raise the question in court.  Id imagine a very compelling argument could be made on behalf of the owner in many circumstances; the question for the dealer/mfg then becomes does the potential negative publicity and/or associated legal fees outweigh the cost of simply repairing the issue?

I can't say I'd want to be the one to test the theory.

Agree with you Cooper!   But...Remember the other side, there's a reason that "litigation is the sport of kings". 

Having gone through this process on a horse issue ...(3 times district court, 2 times AZ Court of Appeals, and one time to the AZ Supreme Court)... to the tune of $70K in my legal fees+ court costs ...and in 6 years of litigation never actually got to the cause of my action... just associated issues.
It would be pretty easy to have them contest the issue enough to raise costs above the price of a new car... just saying.

[JimiJak]

Did you tune your horse?

[SwampRat]

Did you tune your horse?

I think that is done with uber secret steroids ...