Tunning Horrific Nightmare
Actually, it's not my first post. I've been around for quite some time (6+ years) on a different handle (in the W210 days). And no, nobody asked me to come on and post. I just read this yesterday and it just sounded so eerily familiar. I just confirmed that these were the guys I met earlier in the week.
As for being pro 'shop'... I have never had a problem with any of the work they've done. At the same time, if something had gone wrong, it's what insurance and extended warranties are for. If they want to compensate me for my time, great. However, I know it's not reasonable to ask for more than being made whole.
At the same time, these guys seemed like very nice folks on first impression. And it's in their every right to demand their bumper be fixed. But it should be a claim with the tow company, not 'the shop.' As in previous posts, they are expecting 'the shop' to absorb the liability (through chain effect as their logic). That's sounds like emotional rationale as opposed to logical.
Again, I sympathize with their frustration. However, I do not approve of any form of extortion. Here is how that is defined: "Most states define extortion as the gaining of property or money by almost any kind of force, or threat of 1) violence, 2) property damage, 3) harm to reputation, or 4) unfavorable government action."
'I want the ELM AND the ECU tuning gratis, or we'll see you in court.'
'I want the ELM AND the ECU tuning gratis, or we'll make this very public.'
Not okay in my book...
If the shop has met their obligation to repair the vehicles and return them to like original (or better), then this soapbox is moot. I honestly (withtanding being a client) feel like the burden has already been met.
Last edited by foreverbeta; Feb 3, 2008 at 11:13 PM.

It was quite the coincidence when I read the thread... wondering "no, it couldn't be the same day... the same shop... the same guys..." But sure enough, it is. And really, no one asked me to jump in. I'm just giving my opinion as a bystander who is closer to the action.
I have done around 30 or so Quarter mile track runs since Oliver did my tune so I am hoping I have nothing to worry about. If something were to happen, I suspect it would have happened by now. Maybe the ECU tune is not the issue but the TCU tune that was done. I am wondering what we should do as clients of Olivers tuning?? What a mess man............
Last edited by higginsbeach; Feb 3, 2008 at 11:26 PM.
Last edited by sack5000; Feb 3, 2008 at 11:14 PM.
EE obviously has had a number of satisfied customers, just seems many of the negative ones are surfacing the last couple days
Last edited by juicee63; Feb 3, 2008 at 11:16 PM.
I would say unless you have extra time and are wiping you asses with C notes then stay away form any mod/upgrade until at least 10cars have been done fully, tested a few xxxxx miles have been driven, dyno sheets posted before you pull the trigger.
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Seriously though, is this the general consensus from the majority of forum members here regarding performance modifications?
Does the customer not even have a reasonable expectation of zero - modest results (not even considering an optimal outcome) when we pay for modifications? I understand that every car may be somewhat different, but come on..!!
Obviously many mods described on this forum require a lot of initial R&D and brave souls to offer their vehicles as 'test mules'. But... what about those mods that are on the market and supposedly 'tried and tested'?
We all know that MB may or may not honor your warranty if you mod your car. If something malfunctions because of insufficient R&D or attention on the part of the vendor is that IT? Are we S.O.L.?
I gotta say - this thread has been a real eye-opener for me. While acknowledging that a lot of you guys doing serious mods have cars far more valuable than mine, I will definitely not be going the 'mod' route if this is the type of outcome I can expect if things go south.
Anyone else having 'AMGSC / HPS' flashbacks?

I LOVE IT!
but no, i do not have a vested interest in the outcome of this situation. what do YOU think is a fair outcome? do YOU think it has been met? if not, what else could 'the shop' do for them? do YOU think extortion tactics are fair? how do YOU think a court or mediator would award the plaintiffs?
YES, it's easy to cry conspiracy theory. BUT NO, it does not help the situation come to a resolve. And am I not entitled to post my opinion? The last I checked this is still America (at least where I am). Yes, it's a place where I am protected by the first amendment to free speech. Also, last I checked, this was a public forum on the Internet, where someone with as few as 5 posts can speak their mind, the same way someone with 1,000 posts can speak theirs.
Renntech did the actual modifications as Adam was only a middleman in the deal ( I think Jeff actually did the work at Renntech). I sure hope this kind of story doesn't trickle down to me too. One thing is for sure, even if I don't ever have problems with my Renntech upgrades, I'm never doing this again on a future car again.
I really can't understand how doing ECU/TCU upgrades can get such differing results from one car to another car of the same exact model???. Looks like a program is a program is a program.
If I were you, I'd be upset, too. I don't have any negative opinion of you and your cousin. In fact, we got along great. So, I have no reason to 'fight' against you. I'm not being paid or incentivized to speak my opinion either.
Now, with regard to your post, even if the cars did not come by way of dealer auction (which honestly MANY used cars do), you still don't know how the car was driven in the past. Bad cars come from reputable dealers. Sometimes, even new cars are bad cars. Hence, the term 'lemon car.' Yet, somehow these cars pass factory inspection/QA.
But that is not the issue at hand. The issue is what you want to receive as a result of the problems experienced. Unfortunately, asking for your time to be compensated just isn't reasonable. You can't ask the doctor to discount your bill because he had a backup of patients before you, can you? If you can, I'd love to get the name and number of your doctor.
The OP obviously has the cars he says he does...look at his stuff on youtube. The OP also obviously went into the shop in question and had the experience he said he had with them, because if that weren't the case the shop would be on here screaming "it wasn't us!". They have not. As to the vague references to defamation, the truth is always an absolute defense in defamation actions...so unless there's something hinky going on, then the shop shouldn't worry about posting what really happened.
As to the bumper, the shop ordered and authorized the tow...not the OP. The OP shows up weeks later to find the damage already done. In that scenario, the shop is responsible. It's clearly a bailment, and they are liable for any damage occurring while the car was in their possession. Remember: They called for the tow, not the OP. They were responsible for making sure it went ok.
EE should pay for the bumper and then turn around and collect from the tow company to reimburse themselves, 1: Because legally they will have to do that anyway if the OP pushes the point and 2: Because it's not fair of them to say "oops $%#& happens, so now it's up to YOU to waste your time going after the tow truck driver that we had to call because we $#@!&*% your car up so bad that only the dealer could fix it..." Come on, that's not fair, and you all know it.
I can't believe the amount if crap getting heaped on the OP. This has been a giant hassle for him, and the tuner isn't standing up to make it right. If the OP not only wants his car back in the condition it was when he dropped it off, but also wants a partial refund, a new tune, or some other kind of acknowledgement for his time and headache, then SO WHAT? He deserves some "free $%#&" for having to deal with this crap and being without a car for a month.
And why are people making poorly veiled threats of violence? That's retarded. We're not in middle school, and most people aren't 12-yr olds that you can intimidate with biceps. Somebody shows up at my door threatening me and I won't give two $%&#s about what their muscles look like compared to mine...I don't need much strength to pull the trigger. Threaten enough people and you'll eventually run into someone who feels the same way. Perfectly legal too, at least in my state.
This thread just makes me ill. The OP is owed an apology, both by the tuner and by a lot of the folks in this thread.
Way to stick up for your fellow members.
To those that had a similar experience and chose not to post it ... I don't understand that at all. You don't have to slander or libel someone to make a point about quality. Speaking up in a responsible fashion could save others from ruining an engine and wasting money.
EE obviously has had a number of satisfied customers, just seems many of the negative ones are surfacing the last couple days
It's a stage 4 tune....Headers, TB etc.. but not for a pully. That would be my next step. Now I am in a quandry based on the thread........I was thinking of a TCU tune but I think I will wait till the dust settles on that matter.
I had great service and timely return of my ECU by Adam........
To those that had a similar experience and chose not to post it ... I don't understand that at all. You don't have to slander or libel someone to make a point about quality. Speaking up in a responsible fashion could save others from ruining an engine and wasting money.
If this can happen it should be told to us prior to paying 2k for a ECU remap. None of the tuners I have used have said anything about the risk of such damage.
How long did it take before the other members here engines failed?
It's a stage 4 tune....Headers, TB etc.. but not for a pully. That would be my next step. Now I am in a quandry based on the thread........I was thinking of a TCU tune but I think I will wait till the dust settles on that matter.
I had great service and timely return of my ECU by Adam........
If this can happen it should be told to us prior to paying 2k for a ECU remap. None of the tuners I have used have said anything about the risk of such damage.
How long did it take before the other members here engines failed?
The S55 got ECU and Pulley, and SC failed?
Bumper damaged on the way to dealer,
but I think it was the symptons of the ECU and Pully install that got them a new SC. Not sure if the SC actually failed. For instance, my SC was most likely fine, but the jerkiness and chirping was enough of a concern for MB to replace the SC.........
To those that had a similar experience and chose not to post it ... I don't understand that at all. You don't have to slander or libel someone to make a point about quality. Speaking up in a responsible fashion could save others from ruining an engine and wasting money.
EE obviously has had a number of satisfied customers, just seems many of the negative ones are surfacing the last couple days
The OP obviously has the cars he says he does...look at his stuff on youtube. The OP also obviously went into the shop in question and had the experience he said he had with them, because if that weren't the case the shop would be on here screaming "it wasn't us!". They have not. As to the vague references to defamation, the truth is always an absolute defense in defamation actions...so unless there's something hinky going on, then the shop shouldn't worry about posting what really happened.
As to the bumper, the shop ordered and authorized the tow...not the OP. The OP shows up weeks later to find the damage already done. In that scenario, the shop is responsible. It's clearly a bailment, and they are liable for any damage occurring while the car was in their possession. Remember: They called for the tow, not the OP. They were responsible for making sure it went ok.
EE should pay for the bumper and then turn around and collect from the tow company to reimburse themselves, 1: Because legally they will have to do that anyway if the OP pushes the point and 2: Because it's not fair of them to say "oops $%#& happens, so now it's up to YOU to waste your time going after the tow truck driver that we had to call because we $#@!&*% your car up so bad that only the dealer could fix it..." Come on, that's not fair, and you all know it.
I can't believe the amount if crap getting heaped on the OP. This has been a giant hassle for him, and the tuner isn't standing up to make it right. If the OP not only wants his car back in the condition it was when he dropped it off, but also wants a partial refund, a new tune, or some other kind of acknowledgement for his time and headache, then SO WHAT? He deserves some "free $%#&" for having to deal with this crap and being without a car for a month.
And why are people making poorly veiled threats of violence? That's retarded. We're not in middle school, and most people aren't 12-yr olds that you can intimidate with biceps. Somebody shows up at my door threatening me and I won't give two $%&#s about what their muscles look like compared to mine...I don't need much strength to pull the trigger. Threaten enough people and you'll eventually run into someone who feels the same way. Perfectly legal too, at least in my state.
This thread just makes me ill. The OP is owed an apology, both by the tuner and by a lot of the folks in this thread.
Way to stick up for your fellow members.
but I think it was the symptons of the ECU and Pully install that got them a new SC. Not sure if the SC actually failed. For instance, my SC was most likely fine, but the jerkiness and chirping was enough of a concern for MB to replace the SC.........
Also, OP, could you kindly tell us how you knew your S/C needed to be replaced? Is there a difference in feeling between S/C failing vs. pump failing?





