[Muldoon]

I Have a 2010 F-250. I have decided to do the CTS tuner. I have been scouring the forums trying to answer all the questions that I have and would like to draw from the experience from the users! I am looking for increased fuel economy and powertrain longevity (a little more power is always welcome!).

I live in California and am aware that the CTS is not CARB certified. What does this me for me and others that want to tune their truck.

Has anyone had any problems with dealerships giving them trouble because of their programmers? Warranty issues or not covering repairs?

If I pull the programmers prior to going in for service will they be able to tell I have done the modification?

Thanks for all I have already learned from all of you! Always searching for more knowledge.

[JackandJanet]

Originally Posted by Muldoon

I Have a 2010 F-250. I have decided to do the CTS tuner. I have been scouring the forums trying to answer all the questions that I have and would like to draw from the experience from the users! I am looking for increased fuel economy and powertrain longevity (a little more power is always welcome!).

I live in California and am aware that the CTS is not CARB certified. What does this me for me and others that want to tune their truck.

Has anyone had any problems with dealerships giving them trouble because of their programmers? Warranty issues or not covering repairs?

If I pull the programmers prior to going in for service will they be able to tell I have done the modification?

Thanks for all I have already learned from all of you! Always searching for more knowledge.

Most people say they get improved economy with a programmer. I know I did. There's also better "driveability". Bill is careful with his tunes so that they don't impact negatively on the longevity, but this factor is only evident when you've had a tune for a long time. I've had mine for about 25,000 miles. No problems whatsoever.

The CTS IS CARB certified in California, I think. Bill's custom tunes are not. In any case, that has not stopped many California drivers from using them. I have emissions testing here in Tucson. When it has to be performed, I simply remove the CTS cable from the OBDII port, and tuck it out of sight. In California, I would remove the CTS and mount from the dash too. LEAVE THE TUNE IN PLACE! DO NOT RETURN THE TRUCK'S TUNE TO STOCK FOR AN EMISSIONS TEST! If you return the tune to stock it will set a code that will guarantee failure. Everyone that follows this advice has passed the emissions test. The CTS does not have to be in the truck to drive it.

Taking the truck to a dealership is a different story. Here, you want to set the truck's tune back to stock before removing the CTS and cable. If they "flash" your ECM/TCM, (and they could easily do this on a new truck), it needs to be at the "stock" setting. Yes, if they perform certain diagnostics, they can tell if you've been using a programmer, but they probably won't unless your problem strongly hints that a programmer has been misused.

Hope this answers your questions.

- Jack

[Muldoon]

Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Would I be correct in assuming that a programmer would void my factory warranty?

[JackandJanet]

Originally Posted by Muldoon

Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Would I be correct in assuming that a programmer would void my factory warranty?

Only if it can be shown that the programmer contributed to the failure. Look at the third FAQ under the green "FAQs About Everything Else" title on PHP's FAQ page: Power Hungry Performance - Frequently Asked Questions

The problem is though, Ford might deny a warranty claim if they know you've used a programmer and then it would be up to you to prove (probably in court) that they were wrong. I don't know that this has ever happened - yet. But, I've heard they are being a bit more "careful" with the new ecoboost engine.

But, Bill is fairly conservative with his tuning. He does not write tunes that are inherently dangerous, because he wants your truck to last just as much as you do. Still, a completely new engine is where things are likely to go wrong, often due to design defects, so maybe waiting till the warranty's up is a good idea in that case.

- Jack

[Muldoon]

Thanks for everything.