Those with Tunes Be Careful...My Story with MB
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C300
why cls and not kia ? it might be ***** for you and life style for others
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2018 E63S
OP, thanks for sharing your story, and hope you enjoy your C63. Drove it; certainly a beast.
Agree with everyone here...tuning (or not) is a personal choice. If you're OK with the potential of having to pay for some things to extract some additional performance, go for it. If not, don't do it. Either way, this car is a blast. Enjoy your toy.
Agree with everyone here...tuning (or not) is a personal choice. If you're OK with the potential of having to pay for some things to extract some additional performance, go for it. If not, don't do it. Either way, this car is a blast. Enjoy your toy.
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From: Maryland
'14 E63S & '14 Audi SQ5
Call me a cynic, but what prevented the MB dealer in the OP from just saying they needed to buy a new ECU? They charge the customer, flash the old ECU back to stock and pocket the extra $1K.
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From: Northern NJ
2015 E550 Coupe
I agree with you that it might be possible that the MB dealership might have opted to re-install the old ECU back into the vehicle after the transaction was completed and then simply off-loaded to the car to a third-party reseller in "as is" condition, while putting the new ECU back into stock. I guess anything is possible, but I would think MB corporate would have a record of what ECU serial number is installed in a vehicle when a replacement unit is ordered. Maybe I'm wrong on that aspect of how MB tracks their parts to dealerships. Anyway, this was an interesting thread with some good info.
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From: Zion
W212 E550 4M P2
For me, the rub with the Magnusson Act is the dealer has what we want. Therefore they have the power by default. I'm confident that a tune can't cause everything to go south, but it's too easy easy for the dealer to broadly refuse warranty service and leave us holding the bag. We can fight it, but most of us don't have access / patience to go up against a dealer who may be misinformed, passive aggressive or acting as a gatekeeper for the auto MFG.
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Dallas, TX
ED1 e63S
I think the dealership couldn't come right out and tell a customer that for $1K they would remove the flag notification on the vehicle. That could technically be called extortion. So they offered the customer an option, buy a new ECU at wholesale cost, and they would remove the flag notification from the MB system as part of the transaction. That way both parties ended up getting what they wanted. OP got the onerous flag removed from his vehicle, which saved him thousands of dollars and the MB dealership, which was under no obligation to do anything, picked up a easy $1K profit while also helping out the customer who was in a bind. As OP already stated, this solution actually saved him a lot in potential lost dollars and a lot of needless aggravation trying to unload a flagged vehicle.
I agree with you that it might be possible that the MB dealership might have opted to re-install the old ECU back into the vehicle after the transaction was completed and then simply off-loaded to the car to a third-party reseller in "as is" condition, while putting the new ECU back into stock. I guess anything is possible, but I would think MB corporate would have a record of what ECU serial number is installed in a vehicle when a replacement unit is ordered. Maybe I'm wrong on that aspect of how MB tracks their parts to dealerships. Anyway, this was an interesting thread with some good info.
I agree with you that it might be possible that the MB dealership might have opted to re-install the old ECU back into the vehicle after the transaction was completed and then simply off-loaded to the car to a third-party reseller in "as is" condition, while putting the new ECU back into stock. I guess anything is possible, but I would think MB corporate would have a record of what ECU serial number is installed in a vehicle when a replacement unit is ordered. Maybe I'm wrong on that aspect of how MB tracks their parts to dealerships. Anyway, this was an interesting thread with some good info.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Dallas, TX
ED1 e63S
For me, the rub with the Magnusson Act is the dealer has what we want. Therefore they have the power by default. I'm confident that a tune can't cause everything to go south, but it's too easy easy for the dealer to broadly refuse warranty service and leave us holding the bag. We can fight it, but most of us don't have access / patience to go up against a dealer who may be misinformed, passive aggressive or acting as a gatekeeper for the auto MFG.
To the poster who said private party the car, this is simply not an option for me if I wanted this ED 1 C63. For one, used C63's are extremely rare, as of last week only 28 in the entire country. 2 in my entire state, of which I'm buying from half way across the state. Additionally, given the mods to my car it would make it more difficult to PP. Plus I'd have to deal with meeting people to show them the car, pay to list it, take time to photograph it, deal with tire kickers, a chance I would be without a car if it sold until I found the new car, etc. I put the full amount of my trade down on the C63 and it's not like I'm liquid enough to just write a check for that not having sold my car yet if I wanted to get this particular car. I could go on and on but all that headache for $1k? No brainer to me.
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From: Maryland
'14 E63S & '14 Audi SQ5
Just to be clear because this keeps coming up in this thread, this has absolutely nothing to do with warranty. My cars CPO warranty had already run out back in May of this year. This is about having a car flagged which most do not know that if traded in back to an MB dealer can cause you the exact problems I experienced and completely jeopardize a deal by them refusing to take the car as a trade which means you have to private party it or dump it at Car Max which likely means you stand to lose money from it.
To the poster who said private party the car, this is simply not an option for me if I wanted this ED 1 C63. For one, used C63's are extremely rare, as of last week only 28 in the entire country. 2 in my entire state, of which I'm buying from half way across the state. Additionally, given the mods to my car it would make it more difficult to PP. Plus I'd have to deal with meeting people to show them the car, pay to list it, take time to photograph it, deal with tire kickers, a chance I would be without a car if it sold until I found the new car, etc. I put the full amount of my trade down on the C63 and it's not like I'm liquid enough to just write a check for that not having sold my car yet if I wanted to get this particular car. I could go on and on but all that headache for $1k? No brainer to me.
To the poster who said private party the car, this is simply not an option for me if I wanted this ED 1 C63. For one, used C63's are extremely rare, as of last week only 28 in the entire country. 2 in my entire state, of which I'm buying from half way across the state. Additionally, given the mods to my car it would make it more difficult to PP. Plus I'd have to deal with meeting people to show them the car, pay to list it, take time to photograph it, deal with tire kickers, a chance I would be without a car if it sold until I found the new car, etc. I put the full amount of my trade down on the C63 and it's not like I'm liquid enough to just write a check for that not having sold my car yet if I wanted to get this particular car. I could go on and on but all that headache for $1k? No brainer to me.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Dallas, TX
ED1 e63S
I hope you didn't think I was implying that you did anything "wrong" or that your story was in any way a distortion of what the dealer told you. I just don't trust dealers. For $1k I would have done the same thing. Although I can't believe the dealer can resolve this issue without going through tons of red tape with MB USA involvement. That is why I think the dealer was playing games.
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From: Dallas, TX
ED1 e63S
Just an update on Renntech tuning I wanted to share. My shop foreman at my dealership who does not sell Renntech spoke with MB corporate and they will not cover any repairs as a result of engine damage based on a tune. The dealers that sell Renntech and claim "warranty coverage" for the tune are doing so on their own dime. Given that I do not have an MB dealer in my area that sells Renntech, I'm going to keep my C63 S stock for now.
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From: Dallas, TX
ED1 e63S
C63 is slow compared to my CLS. Lol. Also, I have yet to see anyone successfully and more importantly openly get a 2nd ECU for any of these cars W212 or W205 included. Some people in Germany claim to have some sort of hookup but nothing any dealer will do publicly.
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From: Northern NJ
2015 E550 Coupe
So you're saying that if you went to your local MB dealership service department and said you wanted to order (buy) a second ECU for your car, that they would actually refuse to do so? Interesting info. First car company I have ever heard of that would refuse to sell you any car parts you're willing to pay full price for. What did the dealer's parts department tell you was the reason they wouldn't or couldn't order a second ECU for you?
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E63
So you're saying that if you went to your local MB dealership service department and said you wanted to order (buy) a second ECU for your car, that they would actually refuse to do so? Interesting info. First car company I have ever heard of that would refuse to sell you any car parts you're willing to pay full price for. What did the dealer's parts department tell you was the reason they wouldn't or couldn't order a second ECU for you?
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C300
I have 2 ecu w212 , nov 2014 .
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C300
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From: Northern NJ
2015 E550 Coupe
I already knew that the replacement ECU had to be programmed by MB to work with the specific VIN number vehicle. But I didn't realize that MB kept such tight inventory control of their ECU's that they required both a return of the original ECU from the same vehicle, as well as proof that the ECU being returned was already officially flagged in their service system as being bad. That would pretty much ensure that no one could buy a new second ECU for quick swap out purposes.
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Dallas, TX
ED1 e63S
OK thanks. Makes perfect sense and I learned something new about how far MB is going to try and prevent modding of their vehicles.
I already knew that the replacement ECU had to be programmed by MB to work with the specific VIN number vehicle. But I didn't realize that MB kept such tight inventory control of their ECU's that they required both a return of the original ECU from the same vehicle, as well as proof that the ECU being returned was already officially flagged in their service system as being bad. That would pretty much ensure that no one could buy a new second ECU for quick swap out purposes.
I already knew that the replacement ECU had to be programmed by MB to work with the specific VIN number vehicle. But I didn't realize that MB kept such tight inventory control of their ECU's that they required both a return of the original ECU from the same vehicle, as well as proof that the ECU being returned was already officially flagged in their service system as being bad. That would pretty much ensure that no one could buy a new second ECU for quick swap out purposes.
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'03 E55, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Ducati 748R
Not exactly accurate. These cars can run 2 ECUs. The original needs to be copied which has nothing to do with erasing it for the second to work.
