Ard Tuning's Response

[MattyXXL]

You also need to think that his "tuning" abilities have grown, especially after the free tuning threads were posted.

But that doest mean people who bought tunes on day one werent shafted with a altered boost map only(like myself).

Anyone can learn and become good at it, its a matter of if your not ready to send your work out to the world dont do it! Especially if your charging that amount of money..

With that said do I think lucky is a asshole? NO

Do I think he tried to corner a niche market with out knowing 100% what he was doing? Yes

Does his Customer Service blow dick? Yes

Does it really matter what I think? NO, so im going back to staying out of it..

Its just a shame it took for all this to come out of the woodwork for him to start caring what happens once the ECUs leave his house

[dimka18]

If you ACTUALLY talked with Robert and not his wife you are one lucky man. All i get is "Robert is to busy" or "We went over your tune file and everything looks good".

You also need to think that his "tuning" abilities have grown, especially after the free tuning threads were posted.

But that doest mean people who bought tunes on day one werent shafted with a altered boost map only(like myself).

Anyone can learn and become good at it, its a matter of if your not ready to send your work out to the world dont do it! Especially if your charging that amount of money..

With that said do I think lucky is a asshole? NO

Do I think he tried to corner a niche market with out knowing 100% what he was doing? Yes

Does his Customer Service blow dick? Yes

Does it really matter what I think? NO, so im going back to staying out of it..

Its just a shame it took for all this to come out of the woodwork for him to start caring what happens once the ECUs leave his house

100% to this. ^^^

[hotpantslovebug]

You'll need a suitable software tool like TunerPro to make the comparison, but knock yourselves out...

Stock: https://www.dropbox.com/s/im15bh78xicz2cs/0261204611_1037357530_SV70R.bin

Blue: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d3nk3vdhebmi5yk/ARD%20Blue%20X70R%20turbo%20manual.bin

um yeah... I'm no rocket scientist but I can easily use the comparison button in TunerPro. Difference between VE part load and Ignition Timing compared to stock is nothing. Maps are the same. Only thing I found that was adjusted was the Target Load Set Point. I've only looked into it a little but If i had payed for that as a tune i would be pissed. Others could make more of it but thats what I've seen at a glance. It's really sad things are going the way they are. Is your tune an older tune? Hopefully this situation can be resolved in a professional manner...

[Commander Riker]

You also need to think that his "tuning" abilities have grown, especially after the free tuning threads were posted.

But that doest mean people who bought tunes on day one werent shafted with a altered boost map only(like myself).

Anyone can learn and become good at it, its a matter of if your not ready to send your work out to the world dont do it! Especially if your charging that amount of money..

With that said do I think lucky is a asshole? NO

Do I think he tried to corner a niche market with out knowing 100% what he was doing? Yes

Does his Customer Service blow dick? Yes

Does it really matter what I think? NO, so im going back to staying out of it..

Its just a shame it took for all this to come out of the woodwork for him to start caring what happens once the ECUs leave his house

We're all learning. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't he apart of the tuning efforts at IPD long ago... didn't they have a niche market cornered? Especially with the onsite of self tuning, it doesn't seem like a very cornerable market to me.

I'm all for there being multiple tuning methods and services, honestly. The free self tuning threads were just starting when I swapped in my K24+greens... and at this point, I made the decision to go with ARD because there was a considerably less likely chance of my car's motor having bendy parts on the inside. I think learning to tune my car myself is something I very much may get into the more I learn about it's specifics, but for now... I really way paying for ARD's knowledge. They applied settings based on what they've learned in cars, and I haven't. It's that experience that I was paying for... which to me, last I checked, was cheaper then my previous motor swap.

If you ACTUALLY talked with Robert and not his wife you are one lucky man. All i get is "Robert is to busy" or "We went over your tune file and everything looks good".

100% to this. ^^^

Are you accusing me of lying?

[dimka18]

I got my tune little over a year ago, but just yesterday i got an email back from ARD and they said they went over my file and everything looks good.

We're all learning. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't he apart of the tuning efforts at IPD long ago... didn't they have a niche market cornered? Especially with the onsite of self tuning, it doesn't seem like a very cornerable market to me.

I'm all for there being multiple tuning methods and services, honestly. The free self tuning threads were just starting when I swapped in my K24+greens... and at this point, I made the decision to go with ARD because there was a considerably less likely chance of my car's motor having bendy parts on the inside. I think learning to tune my car myself is something I very much may get into the more I learn about it's specifics, but for now... I really way paying for ARD's knowledge. They applied settings based on what they've learned in cars, and I haven't. It's that experience that I was paying for... which to me, last I checked, was cheaper then my previous motor swap.

Are you accusing me of lying?

Where does it look like i said your lying? I said your lucky to have talked to him because all we get is his wife. Im just trying to get my tune fixed just like the rest of us.

[Yosser]

um yeah... I'm no rocket scientist but I can easily use the comparison button in TunerPro. Difference between VE part load and Ignition Timing compared to stock is nothing. Maps are the same. Only thing I found that was adjusted was the Target Load Set Point. I've only looked into it a little but If i had payed for that as a tune i would be pissed. Others could make more of it but thats what I've seen at a glance. It's really sad things are going the way they are. Is your tune an older tune? Hopefully this situation can be resolved in a professional manner...

April 2012, so I guess that is probably an early tune.

[Commander Riker]

I got my tune little over a year ago, but just yesterday i got an email back from ARD and they said they went over my file and everything looks good.

Where does it look like i said your lying? I said your lucky to have talked to him because all we get is his wife. Im just trying to get my tune fixed just like the rest of us.

You put the word "ACTUALLY" in all caps... I thought you might be insinuating that I hadn't spoken with him... at length... a few hours ago. Took a few days for me to sync up my schedule with his, but we figured it out.

Email him and ask to go over the tune via Team Viewer.

[mattsk8]

I get you're frustrated but that's a little crazy.

For what it's worth anyone who doesn't think that a non-warranty charge is valid is deluded.

The tunes should speak for themselves.

I'll do a small map pack for anyone interested in finding out what this is all about.

Just for the record, he actually never threw the $75/hour fee for testing at me. But, having been fed the usual lines when it was obvious that the tune was at fault, I wouldn't have been receptive to it at all. The rental fee was more sarcasm.

All that aside...

I actually responded to Lucky yesterday w/ a point blank request for an explanation and still have yet to get an answer; that's the most frustrating part for me in all of this. Yesterday evening I got another overboost CEL, and I wasn't getting on the throttle at all. But wait... there's more.

This morning I go to start the car and it won't fire, had to try 3 different times before the car started. Once it started, I drove it about 60 miles round trip and it seemed to be doing ok, aside from the weird hesitation I get at 2500 rpm and a weird 'hickup' that comes every now and then at about 45mph when I'm in 5th gear (the hesitation and hickup came w/ the tune). Bear in mind the only CEL I've gotten is for overboost, and I cleared it both times because I wanted to see how frequently this was happening (I still don't have my boost gauge, its ordered but prob won't see it till Tuesday).

I get back home from my 60 mile round trip and have to run inside the house for 10 minutes before I take my son to where he needs to go. I get back in the car and it starts running like absolute crap, bucking, popping (or backfiring) through the intake, etc... its all I could do to complete my 7 mile round trip to drop my son off. I pull the car in my garage and now it sounds like its missing. But here's the best part... no CEL.

At this point I guess I'm done driving the car. I'll pull the plugs and do a compression test and hopefully it measures good; but then what?? Am I on the 48 hour/question schedule?? If so I could see this taking a while. The best part (more sarcasm on my end) is that I didn't even want this tune yet; I spoke w/ Lucky himself before I did all this and he said I could get a manual tune for around $200 (not exactly sure on price). After I get all my parts coming for this manual swap, I email ARD to set up the tune and Michelle tells me I can't get the manual tune w/out getting one of their performance tunes. So faced w/ $1100 worth of manual transmission parts already on the way and no one else that I knew of that could do this tune; what was I to do? In addition to that, no one mentioned that this could potentially be fatal to my engine if everything wasn't in perfect order; I was told NOTHING regarding that except what you read about 'stage 0' on ARD's website.

[dimka18]

You put the word "ACTUALLY" in all caps... I thought you might be insinuating that I hadn't spoken with him... at length... a few hours ago. Took a few days for me to sync up my schedule with his, but we figured it out.

Email him and ask to go over the tune via Team Viewer.

Nah, i put it in caps because im surprised someone actually got a hold of him instead of his wife. I dont know anything about tuning but what i do know is that my car did not run right from day one of the tune.

[Commander Riker]

Just for the record, he actually never threw the $75/hour fee for testing at me. But, having been fed the usual lines when it was obvious that the tune was at fault, I wouldn't have been receptive to it at all. The rental fee was more sarcasm.

All that aside...

I actually responded to Lucky yesterday w/ a point blank request for an explanation and still have yet to get an answer; that's the most frustrating part for me in all of this. Yesterday evening I got another overboost CEL, and I wasn't getting on the throttle at all. But wait... there's more.

This morning I go to start the car and it won't fire, had to try 3 different times before the car started. Once it started, I drove it about 60 miles round trip and it seemed to be doing ok, aside from the weird hesitation I get at 2500 rpm and a weird 'hickup' that comes every now and then at about 45mph when I'm in 5th gear (the hesitation and hickup came w/ the tune). Bear in mind the only CEL I've gotten is for overboost, and I cleared it both times because I wanted to see how frequently this was happening (I still don't have my boost gauge, its ordered but prob won't see it till Tuesday).

I get back home from my 60 mile round trip and have to run inside the house for 10 minutes before I take my son to where he needs to go. I get back in the car and it starts running like absolute crap, bucking, popping (or backfiring) through the intake, etc... its all I could do to complete my 7 mile round trip to drop my son off. I pull the car in my garage and now it sounds like its missing. But here's the best part... no CEL.

At this point I guess I'm done driving the car. I'll pull the plugs and do a compression test and hopefully it measures good; but then what?? Am I on the 48 hour/question schedule?? If so I could see this taking a while. The best part (more sarcasm on my end) is that I didn't even want this tune yet; I spoke w/ Lucky himself before I did all this and he said I could get a manual tune for around $200 (not exactly sure on price). After I get all my parts coming for this manual swap, I email ARD to set up the tune and Michelle tells me I can't get the manual tune w/out getting one of their performance tunes. So faced w/ $1100 worth of manual transmission parts already on the way and no one else that I knew of that could do this tune; what was I to do? In addition to that, no one mentioned that this could potentially be fatal to my engine if everything wasn't in perfect order; I was told NOTHING regarding that except what you read about 'stage 0' on ARD's website.

How do you know it was an over boost CEL? Have you reseated connections on COPs and MAF? My personal experience is more with the 4.x cars... so I don't know if it sounds like an ETM issue or not. I know they have the reputation of being a blame point... but don't know personally how often they actually fail.

1100 for all parts? That's cheaper then I pulled it off for... for sure.

[mattsk8]

How do you know it was an over boost CEL? Have you reseated connections on COPs and MAF? My personal experience is more with the 4.x cars... so I don't know if it sounds like an ETM issue or not. I know they have the reputation of being a blame point... but don't know personally how often they actually fail.

1100 for all parts? That's cheaper then I pulled it off for... for sure.

1100 ish, at least that's what I had coming at the time (900 for the trans, linkage, clutch, etc; then the pedals and the clutch master). After the fact I also had to order Hussein's mount (awesome mount too BTW), a throw out bearing, and some other misc things.

My only point was that they kind of forced me into the performance tune and I didn't have much option short of being stuck w/ my car having a bad transmission, and all these parts on the way. You can actually track this by reading my build thread (see post #19) '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

Then, after I'm forced to go this route, I have nothing but trouble. Regardless of what's going on (whether its the tune or its something on my car because I got the tune), I can't get any kind of realistic help from ARD w/ this, short of stupid, generic responses that IMO are only aimed at steering me away from any kind of possibility that my issues are related to the tune (and this is once I finally get a response at all).

[black98t5]

1100 ish, at least that's what I had coming at the time (900 for the trans, linkage, clutch, etc; then the pedals and the clutch master). After the fact I also had to order Hussein's mount (awesome mount too BTW), a throw out bearing, and some other misc things.

My only point was that they kind of forced me into the performance tune and I didn't have much option short of being stuck w/ my car having a bad transmission, and all these parts on the way. You can actually track this by reading my build thread (see post #19) '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

Then, after I'm forced to go this route, I have nothing but trouble. Regardless of what's going on (whether its the tune or its something on my car because I got the tune), I can't get any kind of realistic help from ARD w/ this, short of stupid, generic responses that IMO are only aimed at steering me away from any kind of possibility that my issues are related to the tune (and this is once I finally get a response at all).

That is ridiculous that they made you buy a tune. At the very least you should be refunded for the price of the tune and returned to stock IMO.

[Commander Riker]

1100 ish, at least that's what I had coming at the time (900 for the trans, linkage, clutch, etc; then the pedals and the clutch master). After the fact I also had to order Hussein's mount (awesome mount too BTW), a throw out bearing, and some other misc things.

My only point was that they kind of forced me into the performance tune and I didn't have much option short of being stuck w/ my car having a bad transmission, and all these parts on the way. You can actually track this by reading my build thread (see post #19) '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

Then, after I'm forced to go this route, I have nothing but trouble. Regardless of what's going on (whether its the tune or its something on my car because I got the tune), I can't get any kind of realistic help from ARD w/ this short of stupid, generic responses that IMO are only aimed at steering me away from any kind of possibility that my issues are related to the tune (and this is once I finally get a response at all).

I don't understand how you were forced into it. Not sure if you could get a partial refund and have them revert it back to a stock tune... with the manual modification only. I don't know at all what is involved on that.

I want to help you with your car, man.. really do. Sending you a PM to help if I can.

[mattsk8]

How do you know it was an over boost CEL?

Forgot to answer this... I have an OBII scanner.

That is ridiculous that they made you buy a tune. At the very least you should be refunded for the price of the tune and returned to stock IMO.

W/ no real correspondence or warning on exactly what it was I purchasing. In my mind at the time I was thinking, "I guess I'll have to swing the extra $500 because if I don't, I'm stuck w/ all these transmission parts". Also seeing the claims for "63whp" I thought maybe it would be cool. At the time I also googled ARD reviews and found nothing bad, only good.

I don't understand how you were forced into it. Not sure if you could get a partial refund and have them revert it back to a stock tune... with the manual modification only. I don't know at all what is involved on that.

I want to help you with your car, man.. really do. Sending you a PM to help if I can.

You've been awesome through all of this. If you knew me better you'd know my sarcastic humor, and I know on a forum that can come across a little douchy; for that I'm sorry. I have to go to a nephew's b-day party now (hooray ), so I won't be able to respond till later tonight.

[cheat2win99]

um yeah... I'm no rocket scientist but I can easily use the comparison button in TunerPro. Difference between VE part load and Ignition Timing compared to stock is nothing. Maps are the same. Only thing I found that was adjusted was the Target Load Set Point. I've only looked into it a little but If i had payed for that as a tune i would be pissed. Others could make more of it but thats what I've seen at a glance. It's really sad things are going the way they are. Is your tune an older tune? Hopefully this situation can be resolved in a professional manner...

I emailed Lucky yesterday, haven't been able to hit my target boost since I got the tune, I was thinking about when I got my tune, which was in July of 2011. So I was thinking maybe he didn't know that much back then or his tunes were not that elaborate or changed in some way. I got the orange tune for my lpt back then which was set for 14 psi, but I know he changed his tunes around, not sure when, but now the lpt orange is for 12 psi "with considerable work done in the timing and fuel." The green tune is 14 psi for lpt's "with added enrichment/timing in select spots on the map."