ECU tuning - is it technically legal

[Immortality]

.... and yet so many guys on here say there W kits are custom tuned.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Walkinshaw I believe use a generic tune on all of their vehicles. I.e. they're not individually tuned. I would expect that they would have a 'blanket' certification for the tunes that they have developed so insurance and warranty claims wouldn't be an issue.

Would be interesting to know for sure though.

I sent them an email about their tune in relation to ADR/EPA compliance. I will be suprised if they respond at all.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Decided to go ahead and get it done. **** it

 

[426Cuda]

Decided to go ahead and get it done. **** it

Resilience in motion brah!

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Resilience in motion brah!

Totally bruz

 

[revster]

Yes Walkinshaw supply a generic tune but then it is customized on the dyno to suit the car. At least with my W557. I spoke with the State distributor for WA and SA about ADR and he told me but that does not necessarily mean they meet different jurisdictions requirements. There is no way a W557 would meet emissions just based on the change in Cats never mind the ECU. But I don't think any of that would fuss too many insurance companies but if you are really unlucky/stupid the police could make life tough. As has beed mentioned in the thread, tuners are not authorized to do official tests. SA only has one emissions testing place permitted that has to do the entire state.

 

[Skylarking]

What I’ve never understood is why no 3rd party manufacturer puts together a system and certifies it as complient. Then sells the kit, including the tune, along with the certificate for all to be installed by a workshop of ones choice.

And if a specific tune can’t be produced for a specific kit comprising headers/exhaust, intake upgrades and cam for a LS3 because it’s too ‘individual’, then there is something rather non deterministic occurring or more likely just a money grab by lazy 3rd parties that don’t want to play by the rules.

(some extra carriage returns were needed so I can see the ‘post reply’ button that was hidden under the stupid add banner - seriously this is a pain and must be fixed)

Guess I simply can’t fathom why Walkinshaw doesn’t comply a specific kit and sell it along with a compliance certificate and tune. A $2000 or so compliance test can be amortised to a much smaller amount, so how does a $20 sound on 100 kits? Heck triple the cost for repeat tests, then double it so the margins are good on the test process and it would still be $120 over 100 kits... something just doesn’t tell here...

 

[VS 5.0]

What I’ve never understood is why no 3rd party manufacturer puts together a system and certifies it as complient. Then sells the kit, including the tune, along with the certificate for all to be installed by a workshop of ones choice.

And if a specific tune can’t be produced for a specific kit comprising headers/exhaust, intake upgrades and cam for a LS3 because it’s too ‘individual’, then there is something rather non deterministic occurring or more likely just a money grab by lazy 3rd parties that don’t want to play by the rules.

(some extra carriage returns were needed so I can see the ‘post reply’ button that was hidden under the stupid add banner - seriously this is a pain and must be fixed)

Guess I simply can’t fathom why Walkinshaw doesn’t comply a specific kit and sell it along with a compliance certificate and tune. A $2000 or so compliance test can be amortised to a much smaller amount, so how does a $20 sound on 100 kits? Heck triple the cost for repeat tests, then double it so the margins are good on the test process and it would still be $120 over 100 kits... something just doesn’t tell here...

The question of "Why don't 'they' just do 'x' ?" would be second only to "What is the purpose of our existence ?"

 

[Skylarking]

The question of "Why don't 'they' just do 'x' ?" would be second only to "What is the purpose of our existence ?"

Ah not quite in the same scope since companies have legal responsibilities for the products they sell.

But to answer your navel gazing question about ones existance, isn’t it to live hard an drive fast in which case who cars about such legalities

 

[saroadie]

Ah not quite in the same scope since companies have legal responsibilities for the products they sell.

But to answer your navel gazing question about ones existance, isn’t it to live hard an drive fast in which case who cars about such legalities

In terms of compliance a car whether modified or not must be compliant to be truly legal. The car manufacturer looks after unmodified cars. The responsibility for modified cars has to be the owners. A kit could contain forced induction and plumbing. Nothing to stop a third party fitter or owner from swapping some bits eg turbos, boost level, injectors and then the certificate supplied with the kit is saying something is compliant when it may not be despite looking exactly as sold once fitted.
Point is making a regulation where Company A sells a kit and compliance certificate to be fitted by Company B would be full of loopholes and this is my guess why you can't buy such a kit.

It's great to live hard and drive fast. Not so much if you get nabbed for a non-compliant vehicle (granted unlikely but not impossible)