Does anybody really think the added 3psi of boost combined by a piggy, is going to hurt the engine? I am sure there is a lot more tolerance the engine components where engineered to take than 3 psi over stock- I wouldn't be surprised if the C43 turbos are operating at 80% capacity or less stock. It is crazy to think that MB is getting 100% output from those turbos. Piggy's are just turning that up a tiny bit and optimizing overall performance like all bolt on HP parts- headers, exhaust, intake, downpipe etc... I have read many stories about 60's muscle cars that were purposely sold to the public with purposely de- tuned down motors, to meet federal emissions, insurance and safety issues i.e. Carb too small, retard timing, restrictive exhaust camshaft too small etc.

On a side note I was interested in the Race Chip Black, until I read on the C43 Facebook page many people bashing the crap out of it and much prefer the BMS JB1, which was very surprising to me, as I was strongly considering it.

In case no one knew all of the Polar Bears are dying from global warming and they are the only bear species that see's a human as a food source- go figure.

 

A racing stripe should add about 15 hp, but that might not be true.

 

It does if it adds contrast and is aerodynamic.

 

Hey CFG,
JB and Dinan do the track warning because they both are located in Cali and need to abide by all of that state's emissions and consumer product laws and regs. Regardless, Racechip appears to be a very good product. From what I read, it appears to be one of the preferred piggy back options in Europe. I think they are based in Germany and have set up US distribution fairly recently.

If I wanted a PnP and forget it module, I'd go with Racechip. If I was looking for more multiple maps and modes for different fuel grades and just a little more tweaking and customization, I'd do JB1. Once the BT module is added to the JB1 the pricepoint becomes very similar to Racechip. Both companies appear to stand by their products and customers.

 

There are dozens of BIG law firms in the US that specialize in doing this; specifically, suing auto manufacturers for violations of MM. A few seconds spent googling key words such as "Magnuson Moss + law" will immediately reveal this. Do a bit of homework before letting your opinions get ahead of the facts.

 

 

This isn't rocket science folks. Engines and drive trains are designed to be modular and to meet specific design tolerances. So the M276 motor and the 9G tranny are designed to withstand the forces created by the most aggressive applications in which MB uses them. Currently it would be the E43 for the motor and the GLC63s for the tranny. Some additional tolerance is built in for robustness. It is safe to say that if you are not boosting the motor above E43 specs you should be 100% safe for the lifetime of the motor. Similarly the transmission and drivetrain are more than capable of handling modest bumps in power output. You only need to start worrying about increased wear once you exceed the design specifications of the components.

Adding a piggy that increases boost a bit and raises peak hp/tq by 10-12% is no big deal. Adding an ecu flash that increases peak hp/tq by >30%... well, you might now be operating outside of the design parameters. If you are running a very aggressive tune and the drivetrain ****s the bed, that's on you, not the manufacturer.

 

 

You guys need to come back down to reality. I'm not worried about a tune hurting the motor or increasing wear. I'm worried about normal engine and transmission failures that occur all the time. Stock still has failures. So you get a normal problem but MB sees that you were tuned, they deny warranty claim and you have to come out the pocket.

 

M276 seems to be a pretty tough engine. The 9g is still relatively new. Most commonly reported issues with the 9g so far appear to be software related.

MB generally is known for solid drivetrains, it's electrical gremlins and suspension wear (especially on airmatic cars) that you need to worry about.

 

Just an example: Lots of threads about jerky transmission shifting in S+ out there. You think MB will work on your car for free if they know you have an ECU tune?

I don't know the answer because I'm not familiar with MB, its an innocent question, not a loaded one

 

Are we talking about ECU flashes or piggyback tunes? These are two very different animals.

The surging issue in S+ with the 9g is a complex issue that has multiple threads devoted to it. Throttle tip-in on the glc43 in S+ is very aggressive. Some users may have an issue with software or adaptation others like myself just needed to adapt to the this aggressive setting...others have had different experiences. Introducing it's discussion in this thread is not appropriate to the discussion of the OP's original question.

Some people get into trouble by adding a tune before correcting a pre-existing problem. This is a very bad idea. For any troubleshooting process it's important to have an established baseline.
It's easy to go back to baseline with a piggyback, just remove it. Returning to stock with an ECU flash is more difficult. Again, two different animals.

If you had a minor issue like a boost leak and were running a piggyback, then yes; just remove the piggy and take it in for service. The tech will easily diagnose and repair it. There are multiple accounts of this exact issue on this forum.

It's easy for MB to detect an ECU tune. There are physical signs that are obvious without any examination of the software. The use of an aggressive piggyback may be detected if the amount of boost applied triggered a soft error code on the ECU event log. It's possible that a mild piggyback may be detected if a highly skilled technical specialist digs deeply enough. It's not likely but it's definitely possible.

This is not black and white. If you use a mild piggy and always remove it before taking your car to dealer service then yes, you are unlikely to have any issues with warranty service. If you use an aggressive piggy or run an ECU flash that frequently pushes the boost levels well beyond the design parameters and your motor grenades then it's going to be on you to pay for it.

If a dealer finds a piggyback attached or notices a modified ECU when they service your car they may flag it. They might make some bold BS proclamation like "this voids your warranty"! This is never true. No mod "voids the warranty". What happens is that a detected mod may cause the car to become flagged. If the car is flagged and is brought in for service of any systems or components that may have been affected by the mod, warranty coverage for those specific repairs may be denied. This would be decided on a case by case basis and could potentially cause an affected owner some big headaches.

 

I've done LOTS of homework, have studied law and have friends that are lawyers. The only ones I've found related to tuning the consumer lost. Now I have found a number where it's obvious there was a violation of MM and the consumer won, but they had nothing to do with tuning. If you know of any related to tuning I would sure like to see it.