Tune question - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

roorback · 02-25-2015, 01:56 PM

So I found a very lightly used Malibu (with turbo 2.0) that I'm interested in buying. Car is clean with records but inexplicably was tuned. Car has 32k now and was tuned at 20k. I know tunes aren't awful but they do place stress on parts and could cause them to wear more quickly. Any thoughts on the risks to buying this car? I'd flash it back to stock but I'm worried that parts are going to wear prematurely. If it's not a concern then I'm ready to buy.

Thanks for any input.

stoopid · 02-25-2015, 02:09 PM

What tuner was used? Was it one of those crappy hand held things or a decent mail-in? (or even better, dyno?)

How good is the price? If it's for less than lowest black book, then it might be worth any risk inherent in buying a 'driven' vehicle (this person obviously DROVE the car, why else spend the money and time to tune it?).

roorback · 02-25-2015, 02:24 PM

Tune was the trifecta and seemingly done right. Owner told me car was never raced or redlined, but then why get the tune? Looks cherry and is pretty cheap.

stoopid · 02-25-2015, 02:45 PM

Trifecta uses something called 'transparency mode' so supposedly the tune is undetectable AND doesn't log in the ECU as a flash, so they have no way of knowing.

The TPS (auto transmission only I believe) tune might not be transparent, you'd have to verify with Trifecta. In the very least the transmission tune shows as a flash in the tables, so they'll know something was done. However, that could have been done by the dealer to correct something for all you know (wink wink). They sell a lot of tunes and most people are happy with the tunes (biggest complaint is the speed of getting the tune, which can be a while).

Make sure you get a cable, software, and copy of the flashed / stock tunes so you can revert as necessary.

Anyone getting a car tuned is looking to drive it hard. The engine in the Malibu is the same as the other 2.0T being put in the Cadillacs, fwiw. The question mark would be whether the transmission is up for the task of someone with a heavy foot.

Number 3 · 02-25-2015, 04:20 PM

Essentially the car now has no powertrain warranty. The recalibration voided that.

GM is very particular now and requires a "snapshot" of the ECU be submitted prior to authorizing powertrain warranty work. they can tell even if you revert back to stock that it was modified.

So buy the car........................you just don't have a powertrain warranty with it.

Avoid it like the plague unless you get a realllllly good deal.

02-25-2015, 01:56 PM	#1
roorback Drives: V8 permagrin Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: here Posts: 613	Tune question So I found a very lightly used Malibu (with turbo 2.0) that I'm interested in buying. Car is clean with records but inexplicably was tuned. Car has 32k now and was tuned at 20k. I know tunes aren't awful but they do place stress on parts and could cause them to wear more quickly. Any thoughts on the risks to buying this car? I'd flash it back to stock but I'm worried that parts are going to wear prematurely. If it's not a concern then I'm ready to buy. Thanks for any input.

02-25-2015, 04:20 PM	#5
Number 3 Hail to the King baby! Drives: '19 XT4 2.0T & '22 VW Atlas 2.0T Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 12,184 View My Garage	Essentially the car now has no powertrain warranty. The recalibration voided that. GM is very particular now and requires a "snapshot" of the ECU be submitted prior to authorizing powertrain warranty work. they can tell even if you revert back to stock that it was modified. So buy the car........................you just don't have a powertrain warranty with it. Avoid it like the plague unless you get a realllllly good deal. __________________ "Speed, it seems to me, provides the one genuinely modern pleasure." - Aldous Huxley

02-25-2015, 02:09 PM	#2
stoopid Drives: 4 wheels Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: anyplace, USA Posts: 1,177	What tuner was used? Was it one of those crappy hand held things or a decent mail-in? (or even better, dyno?) How good is the price? If it's for less than lowest black book, then it might be worth any risk inherent in buying a 'driven' vehicle (this person obviously DROVE the car, why else spend the money and time to tune it?).

02-25-2015, 02:24 PM	#3
roorback Drives: V8 permagrin Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: here Posts: 613	Tune was the trifecta and seemingly done right. Owner told me car was never raced or redlined, but then why get the tune? Looks cherry and is pretty cheap.

02-25-2015, 02:45 PM	#4
stoopid Drives: 4 wheels Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: anyplace, USA Posts: 1,177	Trifecta uses something called 'transparency mode' so supposedly the tune is undetectable AND doesn't log in the ECU as a flash, so they have no way of knowing. The TPS (auto transmission only I believe) tune might not be transparent, you'd have to verify with Trifecta. In the very least the transmission tune shows as a flash in the tables, so they'll know something was done. However, that could have been done by the dealer to correct something for all you know (wink wink). They sell a lot of tunes and most people are happy with the tunes (biggest complaint is the speed of getting the tune, which can be a while). Make sure you get a cable, software, and copy of the flashed / stock tunes so you can revert as necessary. Anyone getting a car tuned is looking to drive it hard. The engine in the Malibu is the same as the other 2.0T being put in the Cadillacs, fwiw. The question mark would be whether the transmission is up for the task of someone with a heavy foot.