VWA Detection of a Tuned Vehicle and the Manufacturer's Warranty?

[Guy_H]

I agree, to find out if the ECU or any control unit was reprogrammed is matter of 5 seconds, when the diagnostic unit is connected. So, not much wast of time.

Sorry Transporter - the good tuners read & re write the flash counter back exactly as it was. It's the cheap tools & handheld units that keep incrementing the number you see in your picture.

[Candyman]

Sorry Transporter - the good tuners read & re write the flash counter back exactly as it was. It's the cheap tools & handheld units that keep incrementing the number you see in your picture.

I thought the flash counter wasn't even bothered with by dealer diagnostics any more, they access encrypted logs on the ECU and TCU ?

[Transporter]

Sorry Transporter - the good tuners read & re write the flash counter back exactly as it was. It's the cheap tools & handheld units that keep incrementing the number you see in your picture.

I'm not arguing that you can't make the ECU look like it wasn't reprogrammed, but tell me, how is that stalk going to rewrite the flash counter, when switching back to VW stock map? Is it the VW stock map or is it still the APR stock map? In which case it wouldn't be too stealthy, would it?

[gavs]

VAS no longer looks at the flash counter as its sole guide to tuning, from the info I was given, without giving too much away, it's looking more into the actual software itself, like a license key for high end software. If your key doesn't match the same one on the VAG server, it instantly flags it.

[gavs]

I thought the flash counter wasn't even bothered with by dealer diagnostics any more, they access encrypted logs on the ECU and TCU ?

You are correct, there is no point because they now go to far less effort....

[Guy_H]

I'm not arguing that you can't make the ECU look like it wasn't reprogrammed, but tell me, how is that stalk going to rewrite the flash counter, when switching back to VW stock map? Is it the VW stock map or is it still the APR stock map? In which case it wouldn't be too stealthy, would it?

The way that the APR EMCS system rewrites when you switch with the cruise control switching does not trigger the flash counter. It writes the stock VW map back in (but the APR switching code still sits in the background).

On hand held "controllers" you need to check what the flash counter looks like before & after using them - we have seen first hand that some (like bluefin units & Alientech Powergate units) increment the flash counter each time they rewrite a partial map.

On ME9, EDC16 & earlier (Golf R, Scirocco R, Golf V TTS etc etc) the check is to check the flash counter.

On the MED 17 & EDC 17 & the latest Siemos systems >>>> its an electronic checksumm sniff that detects the modified code (online to Germany) and if an anomaly is recorded and the car is tagged "TD1" in the online database.

If you restore your ECU to 100% factory binary (your APR dealer can rewrite this back in - no problem) then TD1 does not show - but this must be a full rewrite of the ECU, not a partial binary bit that some tools can only do (ALIENTECH, CMD, EVC etc etc)

[Guy_H]

I thought the flash counter wasn't even bothered with by dealer diagnostics any more, they access encrypted logs on the ECU and TCU ?

On Golf R's and similar family, they still run the ME9 ECU's which are still tagged by a flash counter. On a MK6 GTI or a Polo GTI 6R its the other method mentioned above .

[gavs]

The way that the APR EMCS system rewrites when you switch with the cruise control switching does not trigger the flash counter. It writes the stock VW map back in (but the APR switching code still sits in the background).

On hand held "controllers" you need to check what the flash counter looks like before & after using them - we have seen first hand that some (like bluefin units & Alientech Powergate units) increment the flash counter each time they rewrite a partial map.

On ME9, EDC16 & earlier (Golf R, Scirocco R, Golf V TTS etc etc) the check is to check the flash counter.

On the MED 17 & EDC 17 & the latest Siemos systems >>>> its an electronic checksumm sniff that detects the modified code (online to Germany) and if an anomaly is recorded and the car is tagged "TD1" in the online database.

If you restore your ECU to 100% factory binary (your APR dealer can rewrite this back in - no problem) then TD1 does not show - but this must be a full rewrite of the ECU, not a partial binary bit that some tools can only do (ALIENTECH, CMD, EVC etc etc)

^^^ this.

Problem is though that some people have learned this the hard way.

[Candyman]

Wow, info varies depending which country tuners you "talk" to

Always has been a case of muddy water and fairy dust and sounds like it still is

To reference a very wise man ....



Considering the number of people who have had warranty issues rejected with well known tunes.

You tune, you risk warranty. Simple as that.

It doesn't matter whether you purchase from someone who charges a lot or someone who charges a little. It happens.

[walbjj]

A mate experienced this in his mk6 gti. Was running stg 2, got misfires. Removed his parts and recoded, and dealer fixed under warranty. Replaced coil packs and plugs.