Wasted $400 on a 'stage 2' tune that was pure garbage

I fell for one of those mail-order tuners for my 6.7 Powerstroke last spring. The guy on the forum swore it would wake up my truck and pick up 80 horsepower easy. Spent $400 on the whole kit and loaded it up in my driveway. First tow with my 28-foot camper the trans started slipping on a hill near Chattanooga. Pulled the tune off after 3 days and the check engine light was on for a week. Ended up paying a local shop $150 just to flash it back to stock and tell me the tune was way too aggressive. Now I just stick with the canned tunes from a reputable brand. Anyone else get burned by a shady tuner that promised big numbers?

2 comments

2 Comments

sammoore1mo ago

Buddy of mine had a tuner fry his ECM on a test drive, cost him $800 to replace it.

west.anna1mo ago

Sammoore's buddy got off easy compared to some I've heard about. A guy on the Powerstroke forum had a mail-order tuner brick his whole PCM, not just the ECM, and the dealer wanted $1,200 for a new one plus labor. After that, he said he'd never touch a tune that wasn't from a company with a real shop and a phone number you can call. My local mechanic told me those aggressive tunes are basically just cranking up the fuel and timing way past what the sensors can handle. He said it's like running a marathon at a full sprint right out of the gate, your parts just can't take it long. The cheap ones always cut corners on the safety tables, and you're the one left holding the bag when something blows.