Tuning questions???

Have a new '07 and wish to extract maximum efficiency and performance from the car but am fearful of having the fact. warranty voided. I have reviewed the various threads on CF and note the claim from a certain mail order tuner that claims that a dealer tech cannot tell if a vehicle has a custom tune....how is this possible? I have also read all the stuff about the Predator tuner being able to restore the factory tune but I do not feel qualified to screw around with a $60M automobile.

Based on what I have read, most feel there is no substitute for a dyno tune by a good tuner. In order to get this to I have to make the decision that the fact warranty may be voided? I would be interested in any comments or advice from anyone who has wrestled with this isssue:yesnod:

My only mods so far are long tubes w/hi flo cats and 160 deg stat.

My understanding of the law (IANAL) is that the dealer has to show that the modification affected the warranty claim item. Of course, the law and the practicality of getting the dealer to fix the thing are two different things. The dealer can claim the warranty is voided and invite you to sort it out with GM.

A dyno tune isn't worth all that much on a stock car. 10-15 rwhp would be a lot. Is it worth hassling over?

If it is, and you want to be SURE you can get by the Warranty Police, what you need to do is buy a laptop and a copy of the tuning software your tuner will use. You would take an image of your stock tune and save it. Have your tuner do his thing, and make sure he will not "lock" the tune. Explain your plans, and have him give you a copy of the tune when he is done. Then, if you should have to take it in for a warranty issue that will involve the PCM, you can install your original tune before you take it in, and restore your dyno tune when you get it back.

Software will cost $5-700, plus a computer to run it on if you don't have one. It doesn't have to be a particularly powerful computer. Anything that runs Windows XP and has USB ports will be fine.

So you're looking at $1-1.2k for 10-15 rwhp. $100/rwhp is usually considered the dividing line between expensive and insane. Only you can know how much it is worth to you.

Anyone with the appropriate software can tell if a car has been tuned. That is, if the tuner actually does anything. Do dealers have that, and if so, do they care? I don't know.

Given that you've already installed headers & such, I would have thought you were somewhat casual about the warranty.

I would ignore the claims of mail-order tuners. In fact, I would ignore mail-order tuners altogether, especially those with a decidedly speckled reputation.

My advice would be to build a relationship with a GOOD local Corvette specialist and have them do any modifications, including the dyno tune. Ask their advice on your questions. They aren't the only ones ot ask, but if you go with the right shop, they can be very helpful. Be picky about the shop. You're lucky; we have a number of good shops in central Florida.

Good luck!

P.S. You ever read some of the storys about guys who take their cars in for warranty work? Like the couple who just had their brand-new C6 near-totalled by a shop employee? It was in for a loose antenna or something and the guy decided to joyride. They found some of his drugs under the seat. Another fellow just took his car to a dealer for a clutch repair and got it back with chicken grease soaked into the passenger seat. Me, I can't stand warranties. I wouldn't dream of taking my car to a dealer. I hope none of these bad things happen to you, truly.

Kind of a shorter version of what Gannet said. There's the LAW, and then there's the dealers interpretation of the LAW. Since you've already installed headers and cats, you're playing with the possibility the dealer may deny warranty coverage on your car. Some dealers will let it slide, others will make you fight for it. I don't know of any custom tune a dealer could not detect if they looked for it. Also, if you've got a custom tune and take the car in for any maintenance that requires a reflash, goodbye custom tune. Bottom line I guess is, if you're going to mod your car, be prepared to duke it out with the dealer, unless they're really cool. Good luck.

As far as the tuning being able to show up at the dealership.....here is how it works. When the program is uploaded into the dealership's computer, the O.S. number shows up. When a hypertech or other handheld was in the car the O.S. number shows as XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. A custom tune is modified under the stock O.S., therefore it has a stock O.S. number making it virtually undetectable. The dealership has no way to modify tunes or read parameters in the programming, all that can happen there is datalogging through the tech2.