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Anyone go for RENNTech's Intermediate Tune?
Hi there, I have a 2016 CLS with M278 engine with a couple of years of warranty left and I'm interested in getting a tune to improve throttle response, and performance, but don't want to overly stress my drive-train or impact reliability so I'm thinking the RENNtech intermediate tune is ideal for me... about 50HP/150LB-FT that will work with normal 91-octane pump gas. Here's the link:
https://www.renntechmercedes.com/ind...s550-fl-detail I'm thinking it should give me a nice boost in performance, maintain reliability, and I like the trust and reputation they have, even though they are more expensive, I'm willing to pay more for some peace-of-mind and hopefully reducing my chances of having a bad experience. Apparently they can also disable the Eco mode default at startup and I can later upgrade to the full tune for the difference in price if I choose to. I'm wondering if anyone else has gone this route? Or what others think of my approach to this. |
I was going to get Rentech on my CLS55 way back in the day but simply wasn't worth the money with other dealers providing it at much cheaper cost. I assume it will be the same case in this matter that you are just paying for the name. I personally do tunes now and plan on getting my CLS in a week or two, which 150HP and 200TQ gains for $900.
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Originally Posted by djrabbi
(Post 7440537)
I was going to get Rentech on my CLS55 way back in the day but simply wasn't worth the money with other dealers providing it at much cheaper cost. I assume it will be the same case in this matter that you are just paying for the name. I personally do tunes now and plan on getting my CLS in a week or two, which 150HP and 200TQ gains for $900.
When you say you do tunes, you mean you create tunes or you flash other company tunes to your own ECUs? I will have some different questions for you, if you don’t mind, once I know what you mean by this statement. Do you know how the tune you’re considering achieves that much power? (That’s a rather hefty 50% increase in power) there has to be some trade-offs right? That kind of power gain is not just going to magically appear for free. There’s going to be changes like higher boost levels or advanced timing and those are going to stress things right? What gas does that tune run on? What plugs/gaps? How often will the plugs and coils need to be replaced? What are the chances of misfires or limp mode occurring? Can the tranny and differentials and CV joints take that torque consistently in first gear - for how long? Does anyone consider any of this when selecting a tune or it’s just the tune with the highest performance gain regardless how they got it, or how long the various related engine and drive train components last? I see this a lot on the forums... that with RennTech you’re just paying for the name. In my experience, paying for the name, usually but not always, has some merit. For example, I’ve heard people say if you buy Apple, BMW, Mercedes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Leica or other top brands, you’re just paying for the name. Certainly these brands charge a premium and make larger margins on lower sales volumes, but you usually do get a better experience, whether it’s in the design, the performance, integration, prestige, or the service. So are you just putting RennTech down the way many people I know would say the same thing about Apple, for example? Or are you saying there’s truly nothing special in your mind about RennTech that’s worth paying any extra for? RennTech do have a relationship with Mercedes, they did have a founder (maybe still do) that was formerly at AMG, and they have a good reputation from what I’ve seen, is that not worth anything in selecting a tune? RennTech is to Mercedes as Dinan is to BMW... true? |
Has anyone even considered this intermediate tune? |
I’ve certainly considered it. I wouldn’t want to trash my drivetrain. They claim 700 ft-lbs for stage 2 tune. I’m afraid that may be too much power for my 9 speed tranny. The 12 cylinder models put out about 700 and I think they all use the 7 speed. I haven’t decided on anything yet. |
It’s definitely something I’ve been considering over the full tune. Just enough to offset what is lost with the 4matic, but not too much risking the drive train. |
Originally Posted by wmkizer
(Post 7521275)
It’s definitely something I’ve been considering over the full tune. Just enough to offset what is lost with the 4matic, but not too much risking the drive train. Lately, I’ve started considering OETunings Stage 1 tune that ends up with similar power gains. Slightly more but not excessive. And when OE is on sale, I can get a second ECU AND a tune for the price of a Renntech tune. Since I still have 2 years of warranty left, having a 2nd stock ECU on hand seems like a wise move. I’m not sure yet what direction to go. |
if you are concerned about warranty, then get a renntech tune from a Mercedes dealer. Aristocrat (the MB dealer in Kansas City) is an authorized Renntech dealer and any renntech upgrades you do through them are not only fully warrantied, but they do NOT affect the original MB warranty in any way.
having said that, if you aren't concerned about the warranty then go elsewhere for cheaper. most tunes are going to create more power by upping the boast level and adjusting the timing. You can also create more power by leaning out the fuel mixture, but you take additional risks there. |
but they do NOT affect the original MB warranty in any way
I believe that Mercedes Benz LLC will tell you a different story. This has been discussed for years on this and other forums. To my knowledge, Mercedes authorizes NO AFTERMARKET TUNES, and can bounce driveline warranty coverage on a tuned vehicle. The only advantage I see in a tune purchased at a Mercedes dealer: The dealer is the gate-keeper for warranty repairs. As long as Mercedes doesn't know of the tune, likely no problem. But you end up with a holed piston or a smoked tranny, and Mercedes investigates, you are toast. And don't doubt Mercedes knows which dealers are selling tunes. The OE Tuning products with which we have experience, and certainly Renntech, have been thoroughly tested and will likely not result in any issues. But make no mistake, safety margins are narrowed, limits pushed, and fuel quality and octane requirements become critical. And if you are enough of a heathen, you can break things. Driven with a little bit of common sense and attention to proper (maybe slightly accelerated) maintenance intervals, you should be fine with either tune. Just don't expect Mercedes to pick up the tab after a weekend at the drags and something lets go. |
Originally Posted by GermanCars
(Post 7561899)
but they do NOT affect the original MB warranty in any way
I believe that Mercedes Benz LLC will tell you a different story. This has been discussed for years on this and other forums. To my knowledge, Mercedes authorizes NO AFTERMARKET TUNES, and can bounce driveline warranty coverage on a tuned vehicle. The only advantage I see in a tune purchased at a Mercedes dealer: The dealer is the gate-keeper for warranty repairs. As long as Mercedes doesn't know of the tune, likely no problem. But you end up with a holed piston or a smoked tranny, and Mercedes investigates, you are toast. And don't doubt Mercedes knows which dealers are selling tunes. The OE Tuning products with which we have experience, and certainly Renntech, have been thoroughly tested and will likely not result in any issues. But make no mistake, safety margins are narrowed, limits pushed, and fuel quality and octane requirements become critical. And if you are enough of a heathen, you can break things. Driven with a little bit of common sense and attention to proper (maybe slightly accelerated) maintenance intervals, you should be fine with either tune. Just don't expect Mercedes to pick up the tab after a weekend at the drags and something lets go. |
Originally Posted by carguyshu
(Post 7561939)
My friend bought a brand new CLS 63 in 2014 that had every single Renntech option put on the car (tune, larger turbos, exhaust, etc.). Shortly before his car was about to go off warranty he had the entire engine replaced with a new one because of high oil consumption. This was at Aristocrat in Kansas City. If you read their website it specifically states "RENNtech performance parts do not alter the Mercedes-Benz manufacturer warranty as long as they are installed by a RENNtech authorized installer." you can view that exact sentence and other info about the dealer's program here https://www.aristocratmotors.com/ren...formance-parts
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Originally Posted by bhdien
(Post 7562239)
Would this happen to be a white one? I've only seen one CLS63 and it's white and looks awesome!
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"RENNtech performance parts do not alter the Mercedes-Benz manufacturer warranty as long as they are installed by a RENNtech authorized installer."
I was not aware of any such arrangement with Mercedes and stand corrected. They may have a deal similar to Dinan/BMW. Dinan takes responsibility for the warranty for the modified components and BMW continues to cover the balance. However they do it, that certainly gives the customer a huge load of peace of mind. It also goes some way as to explaining the high cost of the RENNtech product line. Standing behind the modified driveline components to the extent of the factory warranty period has got to be a significant exposure. |
Hey VirtulRain,
there's an update to the RennTech website. They now do OBD2 port tuning via a handheld for all updates. No longer have to go to a garage or send parts out for updates!! Both the Full tune and the partial tune are $2480.00 now. Here's the descriptor: RENNtech HHT (hand held tuner) allows you the unlimited ability to switch between tuned and stock ECU programming and requires no ECU removal! Our proprietary tuning module stores both the RENNtech tuned file and your vehicles stock file. The module plugs directly into the OBD2 port and delivers the file you choose directly to the ECU. Programming takes only a few minutes and the vehicle can be reflashed at any time as many times as you wish. Our proprietary ECU upgrade for the Mercedes M278 Biturbo engine offers huge gains in performance across the entire RPM range without sacrificing around town comfort or daily driver reliability. With the newest update of their Software Upgrade for the M278 – 4.7L V8 BiTurbo, RENNtech boosts the 550-Series to AMG Power Levels. The RENNtech upgraded M278 now produces up to 540 HP and 705 LB-FT at crank. Compared to power numbers by Mercedes-Benz, the CLS 550 gains up to 105 HP and 262 LB-FT. This Software update delivers up to 10 HP and 99 LB-FT more than the previous version. The vast amount of increased torque across the entire RPM range gives the 550 an extra edge to compete with AMG powered vehicles. All this without sacrificing around town comfort and daily driver reliability. https://www.renntechmercedes.com/ind...s/mb/cls-class |
Nice catch, @wmkizer , but going back to the original question. Does anyone have personal experience with the Intermediate tune? I've got a stock W212 E550 and am thinking it may be better for long term durability (vs. the full tune). Really curious to hear what folks have to say about the modest power bump...
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well that's the route I'll be going when I finish off paying the factory extended warranty I was fortunate enough to just be offered. I'm good to go for 100K and 3 more years.
But yes, the intermediate route is the way I'd like to go for the same reasons as before; less strain on the system. But Renntech is Mercedes friendly so a no brainer for me! Sorry, I can't offer you experience yet... |
I think Renntech removed the intermediate tune from the online store...
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