Guide to tuners, who locks and who doesn't.

[dr20t]

i must have been one of the lucky ones but pulse didnt lock my tune, have since taken it to scott at insight at blacktown and he hasnt locked it. i have to say i went back a second time to scott for a re tune,he spent over 4 hours on it and didnt charge me a cent .

one on the more decent tuners.


norm

Thats good to hear Norm - i hope i too am in the same boat when scott looks at it in a few weeks

I will be extremely disappointed (to put in nicely for the www) should the reverse be true, especially considering i had verbal confirmation three times now that the ecu is not locked.

Mick

[jacks-GTB]

MSR - Michael South Engineering

Locked : No
Advised : Yes

Good Prices too

[<GB>]

Rev zone. said they dont lock them as they have nothing to hide

[coyote]

Anyone else seeing a trend here?

[Kekotic]

You mean nobody posting the tuners who lock?

[dr20t]

I think Tony was referring to the ryhthmic beating persuasion.

[Rome_BRZ]

You mean nobody posting the tuners who lock?

No, I think he means that the tuners who lock don't advise that they lock, whereas the tuners that don't lock specifically advise that they don't.

[coyote]

All correct, but what I thinking was actually that although the claim is that locking is to protect their tuning secrets, the tuners with the best results and least problems seem to be the ones that don't lock.

I don't lock anything I do and I know for a fact I'm doing a couple of things the lockers haven't worked out yet. If anyone thinks they can replicate it, good luck to them.

[tangcla]

AutoRacingTechnik (ART)

Locked: No
Advised: No need

[HyRax]

Extreme Racing Tuning
Locked - Yes
Advised - No

Technically this is not correct. The ROM itself simply has the signature changed so that tools like ROMRaider don't recognise it as a readable ROM (hence you think it's locked). Either you can make a new definition for it to cater for the XRT signature, or use a hex editor to change the signature in the binary ROM file back to a normal Subaru one. Either way, it will open up easily.

[t.renshaw34]

SnJ (ECUTEK)

- Sean custom tunes using the ECUTEK software.
- Free unlock at your request, back to stock ROM.

Lock: Yes
Advised: Yes

[Gambit]

SnJ (ECUTEK)

- Sean custom tunes using the ECUTEK software.
- Free unlock at your request.

Lock: Yes
Advised: Yes

note when it's unlocked do you only get the stock factory def file back or the unlocked tuned file? Double check that.

[coyote]

Extreme Racing Tuning
Locked - Yes
Advised - No

Technically this is not correct. The ROM itself simply has the signature changed so that tools like ROMRaider don't recognise it as a readable ROM (hence you think it's locked). Either you can make a new definition for it to cater for the XRT signature, or use a hex editor to change the signature in the binary ROM file back to a normal Subaru one. Either way, it will open up easily.

That's how at least one of the others on the list does it too.

Not exactly sophisticated, but effective in making it inaccessible to virtually every customer.

If you saw his work, you'd know why it was locked (and it wasn't because it was good).

I'll say it again, I don't think there's anything wrong with putting measures in place to protect your work - if the customer gives their informed consent before.

I'm yet to meet a person who was properly advised.

[coyote]

SnJ (ECUTEK)

- Sean custom tunes using the ECUTEK software.
- Free unlock at your request.

Lock: Yes
Advised: Yes

Are you absolutely sure about that? There have been some very misleading claims about what is done (and what state the ecu is left in) if someone wants Ecutek removed.

I'm not doubting you, but there's a long list of people who have been mislead about Ecutek reversal. MRT send dealers suggestions on what to tell customers and well, some of it would make Peter Foster blush.

[t.renshaw34]

SnJ (ECUTEK)

- Sean custom tunes using the ECUTEK software.
- Free unlock at your request.

Lock: Yes
Advised: Yes

Are you absolutely sure about that? There have been some very misleading claims about what is done (and what state the ecu is left in) if someone wants Ecutek removed.

I'm not doubting you, but there's a long list of people who have been mislead about Ecutek reversal. MRT send dealers suggestions on what to tell customers and well, some of it would make Peter Foster blush.

Sean is different to MRT yes he sells their power kits XA, XB, XC but he doesn't always use their parts.

With his removals of ECUTEK, he removes the ECUTEK rom and puts your factory one back on.

Seans a really nice guy who smiles at every Subaru owner no matter how big/small their mod list. unlike MRT, Sean has a true passion for what he does.