Anyone here using a Superchip or Hypertech tuning device for their vehicle(s)?

I am thinking about getting a Superchip Cortex and wanted fellow resource members' opinions on HP and Torque gains, as well as fuel economy.

They will void you're engine warranty if anything goes wrong with the motor, regardless if it's the chips fault or not.

And no, taking it off before sending engine in foe work will not hide the fact you had it on.  The dealer will still figure out you had one.

Other than that, then go for it.

I had one on a GMC 2500 diesel turbo.  Worked good.

There is modest gains in all 3 of those, the starting point is a cold air intake and performance exhaust. After that the tuners work a lot better.

They will void you're engine warranty if anything goes wrong with the motor, regardless if it's the chips fault or not.

And no, taking it off before sending engine in foe work will not hide the fact you had it on. The dealer will still figure out you had one.

Other than that, then go for it.

I had one on a GMC 2500 diesel turbo. Worked good.

100% false, it is illegal for a dealership to void your warranty based solely on the fact that you have installed an aftermarket product. But always remove the tuning before going to a dealer for service.  The reason to remove the program is no to try and hide the fact you had it but because when they plug into the diagnostic port to read the vehicle their computer will not recognize the new parameters and will wipe the vehicle and reinstall the factory parameters and your superchips program will be lost and you will have to buy it again.

http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=60128

I don't care what your dealer may have told you it was wrong.  

Now for the original question.  I would recommend the Superchips programmer that is my #1 seller.  Before any quesitons about hp, torque or mileage can be answered I would need to know what kind of vehicle you are going to be putting it on.   But in general on most gas motors in trucks you will see gains of 10-20 hp and 10-30 foot lbs. of torque.   There are different settings you can choose from most of them will give some level of mileage increase but a number can't really be put on that because it is highly effected by driving style.  

They will void you're engine warranty if anything goes wrong with the motor, regardless if it's the chips fault or not.

And no, taking it off before sending engine in foe work will not hide the fact you had it on. The dealer will still figure out you had one.

Other than that, then go for it.

I had one on a GMC 2500 diesel turbo. Worked good.

100% false, it is illegal for a dealership to void your warranty based solely on the fact that you have installed an aftermarket product. But always remove the tuning before going to a dealer for service. The reason to remove the program is no to try and hide the fact you had it but because when they plug into the diagnostic port to read the vehicle their computer will not recognize the new parameters and will wipe the vehicle and reinstall the factory parameters and your superchips program will be lost and you will have to buy it again.

http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=60128

I don't care what your dealer may have told you it was wrong.

Now for the original question. I would recommend the Superchips programmer that is my #1 seller. Before any quesitons about hp, torque or mileage can be answered I would need to know what kind of vehicle you are going to be putting it on. But in general on most gas motors in trucks you will see gains of 10-20 hp and 10-30 foot lbs. of torque. There are different settings you can choose from most of them will give some level of mileage increase but a number can't really be put on that because it is highly effected by driving style.

That's what I thought. I spoke with a Superchips sales rep over the phone and he said, just make sure you flash your vehicle's ECU back before taking it in for servicing.  I had a GIAC chip ECU on my VW Jetta which I recently sold and the dealer never had a clue since I put the factory ECU back when I serviced the car.  

Anyway, to answer your question Burley, I am leaning towards the Superchips Cortex Tuner.  I have a 2006 Nissan Frontier and a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder that I just purchased today.  My daily driver is the Frontier, but on long road trips I will most likely return the Frontier back to factory settings and use the tuner to flash my Pathfinder to the Mileage XS program for extra MPG or the Towing Program when I hauling my boat.  The Superchips "guy" stated that it VIN locks to the vehicle while using a program but once you restore factory settings you can use it on other vehicles within the tuners parameters.  Is he correct? What MPG can I expect to get versus factory settings and HP/Torque gains?  

Lastly, can you get me a deal? I joined a group buy through a Nissan web forum where I can purchase it direct for $315, compared to $429 direct from Superchips.  

Thanks in advance!

Interesting.  GMC voided my warranty and wouldn't replace the blown motor because they found the chip.

Interesting. GMC voided my warranty and wouldn't replace the blown motor because they found the chip.

Bassn with my VW I kept a extra ECU so there is no way they could have found the chip unless they searched my house and found the modified ECU. With the CORTEX programmer it is my understanding that it "flashes" the ECU memory to the setting you chose, but before this it saves factory settings to the tuner allowing you to restore factory settings.

I'm no mechanic and probably shouldn't even be commenting on this thread to tell you the truth.

Here is what happened to me and it may be something totally different than what you guys are talking about.

I get a GMC Diesel Turbo (I think 2500) assigned to me from a forfeiture where it had been used to transport drugs. I had it for a week and the engine blew, at no fault to me. The motor was still under warranty and was going to be replaced but GMC found this chip that gave the engine extra horsepower. (The chip was installed from the previous owner.) GMC also figured this out by looking at the pistons. GMC said the chip caused the the extra horsepower which caused the engine to blow which voided the warranty. .The truck belonged to my department and was assigned to me so I personally had no conversation with the dealership or any input into the matter.

Bassn Blvd--That would be the only case where a warranty would/could be voided.  The part about being able to look at the pistons and tell there was a program installed is hogwash as well.  Any number of things could cause adverse scarring on the piston cap such as a faulty O2 sensor which would cause the engine to run to lean.   The dealer did have a case with that one and can say that the program did lead to the failure, but if you had known about the program and was able to reflash the ECM then they wouldn't have known or been able to prove that it just didn't fail on it's own.

South FLA-- First things first, I'm not Burley and I'm not real sure if I should be insulted or not.  

Now for your programmer yes you can switch it between you Frontier and Pathfinder no problem.  It does vinlock to whichever vehicle it is in at the time and you have to return one back to stock to put it in the other but your plans will work.  

As far as getting you a deal I can't really do anything.  As a Superchips MVP dealer I have to sell them for the price set by Superchips at $429.  

Personally I would not waste my money on a hand held tuner. I had one in my truck and while I thought it was nice the difference between it and a custom tune was like night and day. The handheld are basically one size fits all whereas a custom tune is specifically for your vehicle. You can get a custom tune either in person or even mail order. I know for my Chevy you get a whole new PCM which takes about 15 minutes to install. When you need to take it in for service you just place your stock PCM back in, drive it for about 100 miles and presto, they dont know any better. No voided warranty, no flashed PCM.

I dont have the time right now to go into much detail but if you want more information on good tuners PM or email me and I'll share.

South FLA-- First things first, I'm not Burley and I'm not real sure if I should be insulted or not.

Sorry about that the Username threw me for a loop since Burley is always freaking playing with it.  I figured it was him!

Bass-Mike    True that is the best way to go but most people aren't that inclined to go pulling the PCM out of their vehicle themselves.  I have a place here in VA that does custom tunes but they take the vehicle in and do it off of a in house dyno per vehicle.  Even ordering a new "custom" tuned PCM like you were talking about you are still getting a generic tune and not one actually tuned to your vehicle specifically.  There are alot of different paramiters involved that each vehicle will react differently to each cahnge.  For most people this is to cost prohibitive.

Bass-Mike    True that is the best way to go but most people aren't that inclined to go pulling the PCM out of their vehicle themselves.

I consider myself "Mechanically Challenged" and I have no problems performing the "Brain Swap" in 15-20 minutes. It only consists of 2 clips and 2 bolts

Even ordering a new "custom" tuned PCM like you were talking about you are still getting a generic tune and not one actually tuned to your vehicle specifically.  There are alot of different paramiters involved that each vehicle will react differently to each cahnge.  For most people this is to cost prohibitive.

As to a custom mail order tune it all depends on the tuner. The reputable ones require information specific to your vehicle, year, make model, any modifications, CAI, Cat Back, etc. as well as what you plan on using it for.

As to the cost, most are no more than a hand held tuner would cost you and some of them even offer free upgrades when you add more performance mods. One that I know of will even credit you the price of your old tune if you purchase a new vehicle.

While a dyno tune is by far the best a custom mail order tune still will blow away any hand held tune.

I'm a Dodge Technician, you can always tell when someone has a tuner on their truck.  If I can prove that the fuel system was lean, ya maybe a faulty o2 sensor but there will be a code most of the time, then im going to turn them in and their warranty will be void.  If it is a vehicle that I know has a programmer, and the same thing keeps going wrong and we are replacing it under warranty then there are other ways other than void the warranty if I can't directly prove it.  I will say 75% of people with programmers on their trucks we will fix them once but if the same thing happens again then we will deny service, which we have the right to do.  I have denied more service on vehicles due to programmers than anything else.  We give them the estimate of what it will cost, another thing you have to remember is a Technician is going to diagnose your vehicle and if he can prove it had it then he has no worries, we get paid more when its not warranty.  I will say our shop is honest we sell things that need to be done, and we will diagnose and fix the problems that need to be fixed but if we narrow things down to a tuner then your sol.

I'm a Dodge Technician, you can always tell when someone has a tuner on their truck. If I can prove that the fuel system was lean, ya maybe a faulty o2 sensor but there will be a code most of the time, then im going to turn them in and their warranty will be void. If it is a vehicle that I know has a programmer, and the same thing keeps going wrong and we are replacing it under warranty then there are other ways other than void the warranty if I can't directly prove it. I will say 75% of people with programmers on their trucks we will fix them once but if the same thing happens again then we will deny service, which we have the right to do. I have denied more service on vehicles due to programmers than anything else. We give them the estimate of what it will cost, another thing you have to remember is a Technician is going to diagnose your vehicle and if he can prove it had it then he has no worries, we get paid more when its not warranty. I will say our shop is honest we sell things that need to be done, and we will diagnose and fix the problems that need to be fixed but if we narrow things down to a tuner then your sol.

this is where an informed consumer comes in handy. of course you can only "void" the warrenty on the parts affected directly by the tune, or performance mods. Most people don't know the difference, so they won't fight it, but you would lose that fight if the mods were not the direct cause of the failure. I've had warranty work done on my car that they didn't want to do, but since I knew my rights they just went ahead and fixed it.  yea there's the bs ways that scumbag techs can word it to make it stick, but that's just a dirty move.  But i've always been honest and have always felt like if it's my fault something broke, I should man up and fix it.  Unfortunately, not everyone is like that.

as far as handheld tuners, yea they'll help, but they're a waste of money compared to a real tune.

No. Federal law prohibits a dealer from voiding your warranty just because you are using aftermarket speed equipment, with only two exceptions: the warranty can be voided if the aftermarket part causes damage or adversely affects the emissions or the emissions system. In recent documents produced by the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), a trade association-representing specialty automotive parts manufacturers, and the following quotes have been extracted:

"The vehicle manufacturer is not allowed to void the vehicle warranty just because aftermarket equipment is installed on the vehicle. This protection for consumers is the result of a parts self-certification program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

"Under the program, if a parts maker completes the EPA process of self-certifying its parts, the vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty even if the certified part has failed and is directly responsible for the warranty claim. In cases where such a failed aftermarket part is responsible for a warranty claim, the manufacturer must arrange a settlement with the part manufacturer, but the new vehicle warrant is not void under the law.

"If the failure to honor a claim involves the new-vehicle warranty, and it appears that the manufacturer is improperly denying a claim, the incident should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is responsible for monitoring compliance with the warranty law; the agency's telephone number is 202/326-3128."

fatmanslim247  you may want to have your dealership reconsider this practice of voiding warranties since it is illegal.

Speaking of voiding warranties I actually voided my warranty quite awhile back but the trade off is well worth it. I've got "Stupid Power" and at the same time made my truck much stronger and much more reliable. I can turn low 12's all day long on street tires and still haul my 210 Elite without any fears.

I'm a Dodge Technician, you can always tell when someone has a tuner on their truck. If I can prove that the fuel system was lean, ya maybe a faulty o2 sensor but there will be a code most of the time, then im going to turn them in and their warranty will be void. If it is a vehicle that I know has a programmer, and the same thing keeps going wrong and we are replacing it under warranty then there are other ways other than void the warranty if I can't directly prove it. I will say 75% of people with programmers on their trucks we will fix them once but if the same thing happens again then we will deny service, which we have the right to do. I have denied more service on vehicles due to programmers than anything else. We give them the estimate of what it will cost, another thing you have to remember is a Technician is going to diagnose your vehicle and if he can prove it had it then he has no worries, we get paid more when its not warranty. I will say our shop is honest we sell things that need to be done, and we will diagnose and fix the problems that need to be fixed but if we narrow things down to a tuner then your sol.

I owned a VW 2002 Jetta and I used a APR performance chip ECU, the kind the was permanent, and swapped out my to my factory ECU about 50-100 miles before taking it in. I don't care how many codes it throws, there is no way you could prove I had a non-factory ECU, since the factory one was in the vehicle before servicing generating code logs. I guess most people don't restore factory settings to ECU before servicing and run it for a bit (?)

Nevertheless, the darn VW was the worst vehicle I had ever and would not recommend it for anyone. Although the engine was rock solid there were too many issues outside of major mechanical problems that is faced. I became a "VW" IV generation expert after warranty period and even had my own diagnostics cable and computer program to keep up with issues.

No. Federal law prohibits a dealer from voiding your warranty just because you are using aftermarket speed equipment, with only two exceptions: the warranty can be voided if the aftermarket part causes damage or adversely affects the emissions or the emissions system. In recent documents produced by the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), a trade association-representing specialty automotive parts manufacturers, and the following quotes have been extracted:

"The vehicle manufacturer is not allowed to void the vehicle warranty just because aftermarket equipment is installed on the vehicle. This protection for consumers is the result of a parts self-certification program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

"Under the program, if a parts maker completes the EPA process of self-certifying its parts, the vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty even if the certified part has failed and is directly responsible for the warranty claim. In cases where such a failed aftermarket part is responsible for a warranty claim, the manufacturer must arrange a settlement with the part manufacturer, but the new vehicle warrant is not void under the law.

"If the failure to honor a claim involves the new-vehicle warranty, and it appears that the manufacturer is improperly denying a claim, the incident should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is responsible for monitoring compliance with the warranty law; the agency's telephone number is 202/326-3128."

fatmanslim247 you may want to have your dealership reconsider this practice of voiding warranties since it is illegal.

fatmanslim247, dude, if you can document the warranties that were voided. Give me the people's name, I have a college buddy of mine that is a "class action" lawyer.  Your stealership would join the ranks of GM and Chrysler.  , but you can be the whistle blower. ;D

No. Federal law prohibits a dealer from voiding your warranty just because you are using aftermarket speed equipment, with only two exceptions: the warranty can be voided if the aftermarket part causes damage or adversely affects the emissions or the emissions system.

That line right there says it all, if u can say that rolling black smoke out the tail pipe of a diesel truck, that has a tuner, doesn't adversely affect emidsions I don't know what would. Black smoke is partially burnt fuel going straight into the atmosphere. I have seen the new trucks, 6.7 diesels that have had programmers on them, that will roll smoke, that alone is damaging the catalyst system.... thats one of the problems we are having now is because of programmers plugging up our particulate filters, that definitely affects the emission systems.

South FLA, ya there is no way to prove that, you have 2 pcms, one stock one thats juiced. They are referring to handheld programmers.  Stealership huh?  Your paying for experience, and knowledge period... I bet there aren't very many people on this board that can talk about can b bus high speed, and almost no one in an independent shop knows what that even is.  We are trained with the latest and greatest, no last years car, you pay for what you get.  The whole put the dealership out of business thing is kind of unneccesary, considering I lost my job and half my graduating class(Oklahoma state university-Okmulgee, Chrysler Automotive program) did when chrylser decide to close shops.

"Under the program, if a parts maker completes the EPA process of self-certifying its parts, the vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty even if the certified part has failed and is directly responsible for the warranty claim. In cases where such a failed aftermarket part is responsible for a warranty claim, the manufacturer must arrange a settlement with the part manufacturer, but the new vehicle warrant is not void under the law."

Did you miss this part?  You still can't void the warranty, to explain it the work is done under warranty and the dealership has to go to the cmanufacturer of the programmer and get reimbursed for the cost of the repairs.