It would be very interresting to see some PBOX numbers with mhe FVD flash

 

I know this is probably a repeated question, but anyone using the fvd exhaust and flash upgrades in particular, have existing warranty (first or CPO) and had any interactions with dealers after installing? Curious to know if dealers are still inconsistent in their treatment with these mods in place (FVD in particular is of interest to me as it seems to be one of the premier systems by all accounts and one I would highly consider using). My guess is each owner will have different results with their individual dealer(s) and what the particular warranty issue was (and whether the dealer thought the flash or exhaust mods were somehow a factor). However, rather than guess, I thought it would be interesting to hear individuals' actual experiences, if any. Thanks!

 

Car wouldnt start last week so dealer analyzed it last week via the ECU port (which showed nothing) and then they determined the starter motor was bad by the clicking it made.

They disconnected the battery and replaced the starter motor then plugged into again into the ECU to cancel defaults since the battery was disconnected.

They never said a word to me about any ECU flash (FVD).

The starter motor was replaced under warranty.

I dont think its SOP to look for ECU flashes when they diagnose an engine.

I now have a new starter motor.


Cab

 

had mine in for 50k svc, they checked everything, fixed a few warranty items, never said a peep. i saw the scan myself which showed nothing.

 

TT only 2 beers in 1.5 hrs!? Lol! Cant wait for my cable to get here so my 996tt can fly! Thanks, Rhonda and Mark you are truly stand up people who provide A+++ customer service! Thank god I canceled my order with those other guys. FVD FTW!

 

Hi..I thought the boost gauge was limited to reading a maximum of 1.2 BAR regardless of increased boost on the 997 Turbo???

If this isn't the case, I may indeed have a boost leak. Thanks.

 

The scan tool at the dealer just won't pop up and show something. You have to go look for it under the "Porsche Watch Dog" tab on the computer. When you run this program that's when it will show if the car has been flashed. Even if the software is "cloaked", which it probably isn't, then the counter will be off. Most dealers don't go looking BUT if Porsche USA get suspicious they will request the mechanic to check it out OR they will hook up to the ECU itself remotely. This is where the trouble begins...

Also remember that if you're going to sell the car back to the dealer and they want to CPO it OR a private party wants a pre-sale inspection from the dealer, there is a box on both forms showing the "Porsche Watch Dog Program was run along with the results. They can not CPO a car that fails.

FYI, the above is absolute fact and not disputable. The good thing is Porsche, unlike Nissan, really wants to take care of their customers. Plus Porsche builds enough head room into everything so the cars can accept reasonable mods without problems. Think about it, they don't go rebuilding the motor when they release "S" versions, etc...

My history with mods from Imagine, GIAC, etc.., has resulted in the following:
The car throwing CELs occasionally
The car going into "Limp" mode once (This was the RUF actually)
Two sets of ruined plugs from to rich of a mixture, expensive to replace!
Software mods identified every time even when the above swore up and down it was impossible to detect.

Make sure and use the best fuel you can get.

 

With GIAC, I used to see 1.3 occasionally depending on environmental conditions, usually 1.2, up from 1.0 stock.

 

I'm 100% sure that all flashes are detectable, just how big of a deal is PCNA going to make about it.

 

I have the exact set-up you describe. My boost hose to the IC popped off. Took it to the dealer and they covered it under warranty, no problem, no questions asked. I think it all depends on what the repair is.

 

Where it got sticky was with the tranny and RMS issues on the 996's. Just remember the two places it will absolutely bite you is when you sell it to a dealer who wants to CPO it or if somebody wants to PDI your car before they purchase it. Either will trigger them to go into the "PWD" program. Just understand the consequences and be straight up about it. Most likely Porsche will play dumb unless you blow an engine under suspicious circumstances.

Also be careful when insuring to claim the proper HP. They don't have to cover the car if you lied on the application. This means if you have a serious accident you could be left open to person liabilities. Just something to think about while driving/owning our hot rods

 

Here's why I went with FVD, because it does not trip the flash counter and the check sums stay the same:

Here's what Rhonda at FVD explained to me.

Thanks for your interest in us. Hopefully this info will help. Dealers cannot detect our software on their PIWIS (PST3) tester. There are 3 things that they look for.

1. Check Sum - Ours is always equivalent to what the car left the factory with.

2. Number of programming operations - Cars leave the factory with a 0 or a 1. This is the number of software program updates that the car has received. Our software does not change this number. Many other tuners don't go to this length (it is very, very difficult for this number not to be logged) and dealers will see a 2 or sometimes even a 3. This will be apparent right away to a dealer.

3. Sector of the DME (ECU) where the program resides - Many tuners store their files in a seperate sector of the DME so that it is not overwritten when porsche updates the software at regular service intervals. Our program resides in the factory location for 2 reasons, 1 it can't be detected and 2 factory software updates are important. Although our file will be overwritten we can just email you an updated file.

Now having said that there is a caveat, if a car goes into warranty all of the programming is downloaded and looked at. There is a number in the coding, a signature if you will that no tuner on earth can get around. No matter what they tell you. If they catch that code, 95% of the time they don't even look at it, they can void your warranty. However going to a tuning friendly dealer is your best bet. By the way many dealers say that they will warranty their brand of software, this is simply not the case. Call Porsche North America and ask them. No dealer is allowed to do this. So in closing, we have been tuning these cars for the last 25 years in germany. We work hand in hand with Bosch & Siemens to keep our software in Porsche tolerance. It is one thing to extract power, most tuners just take of safety features and boost these cars into oblivion. It is another to tune these cars within tolerance and do this will all of the engine management safety features intact. Whatever you do, make sure you do your homework. This is a very important decision.

 

Had the same thing happen on my Stage lV X50, hose popped off, didn't run very well to say the least.

 

Well Rhonda is indeed being straight up. I've been flat lied to by others I won't mention. Even the dealer can't get around the file she's talking about. They just notate it in the car's file if they have to replace your stock ECU if it fails. Once again, already been through this, one of my stock car's ECU took a static hit and fried when it was removed from the car, by the dealer, in order to repair another situation. It was obviously replaced under warranty and notated. After the fact the counters didn't match, etc... In another area of the computer the thing actually knows how many time you start the car and tracks that. This is another place where you get caught when you attempt to pop ECU's in and out before going to the dealer to avoid detection. They have themselves pretty well covered. They just build strong cars and ignore the rest at this point. The fact they're so profitable probably doesn't hurt...

 

Has anyone used the FVD sw on their 997 GT2?