Professional Tuners, do you Lock your tunes?

[podium]

Im going to start offering my tuning services and was wondering if I should lock my tunes. I put a lot of time and effort into tuning and really dont want others to profit from it. The local tuners files I have read pretty much focus on WOT, raise the idle high to keep it running kinda crap. I want to set myself apart and actually offer a full tuning experience.

I of course be up front about this and Im sure most would understand. I would also offer to reflash the pcm with an unlocked file if they wanted to go somewhere else.

What are others thoughts? I know some are very pro and some are very against it.

[Tapout Tuning]

I think it's completely fine as long as you explain it to your potential customers up front. I also like your offer to reflash back to an unlocked file upon request.

[cobaltssoverbooster]

When i used to tune in a shop setting we locked every file. We would offer people the ability to revert back to an unlocked stock file from their vehicle but we wouldnt leave a completed file unlocked. The unlock service was free.

[lukearmstrong1990]

never ever locked one. its just numbers no black magic unless youre hiding something

[podium]

It isn't just numbers though. I feel its protecting your work and investment. I've seen a lot of files from the "tuners" here in MN and you would be surprised at all of the parameters they dont even touch. The car will stumble or stall and they tell customers "that's the nature of the beast". Either they are to lazy to make it work or to lazy to learn. Why should they have the opportunity to read a file I created and learn from it? That's my thought on it.

[5FDP]

I think that if you know you did a good job that was better than someone elses then you already putting yourself further ahead because more people will come to you.

How many people do you really think would pay for your service then go to competition to have them steal your tune?

Also keep in mind that some customers may feel that you don't own their computer and because the computer is the customers property that they won't be okay with having a paper weight if they can't reach you or in an extreme case all your files and software/hardware crashes and burns.


I leave everything unlocked, it's the customers choice on what they want to do and if I asked for money when I did it I got payed from them already.

[lukearmstrong1990]

I appreciate your point of view in the regard. I certainly see the merit in not wanting someone that lacks experience or is lazy getting a free ride from your file.

I'd happily show anyone my file. if they don't understand your edit, the information they have "scored" isn't really of much use. I believe that most pro shops that have cars with poor drivability is because they rush the tune or don't allocate the time that it may take. some cars are very fast to calibrate and others can take hours longer than you thought. were all guilty at one stage or another of its pretty close but I have to move to another task and he's picking it up this afternoon.. a large portion I see from reputable places with driveability issues just look rushed, not like old mate has no idea.

[podium]

I think that if you know you did a good job that was better than someone elses then you already putting yourself further ahead because more people will come to you.

How many people do you really think would pay for your service then go to competition to have them steal your tune?

Also keep in mind that some customers may feel that you don't own their computer and because the computer is the customers property that they won't be okay with having a paper weight if they can't reach you or in an extreme case all your files and software/hardware crashes and burns.

That was my main concern with locking it. It renders the pcm useless to the owner unless its through me.

Ive looked at other tuners work, thats how I know what they do. Curiosity mostly.

[podium]

I appreciate your point of view in the regard. I certainly see the merit in not wanting someone that lacks experience or is lazy getting a free ride from your file.

Thats where I was going with this. You bring up a good point though. They cant really steal my knowledge if they cant understand the file. So many cars are they same model and OS, but have different settings so I guess that would help mask my work as well.

[Ben C]

Also if you do a good job there is no need to hide it.

[cobaltssoverbooster]

i fully understand the computer rights deal. for our shop, at the time i was there, we tested a lot of cam phasing and direct injection settings in solid state and dynamic systems back when the ecotec was the only gm platform with gdi and phasing applications combined in one platform. I dont think i would lock it personally myself now that all the V8 boys got gdi and phasing.

its one of those things where as mentioned previously by lukearmstrong that its more beneficial for hiding stuff. If your a good merit shop and you lock one to hide valuable R&D testing results from people then i say thats something you would have to explain with your customer. If your not hiding R&D then its not really a great option. It also screws any subsequent owners over because they typically forget the shop name that was mentioned at time of purchase and end up having to fork over money at a gm service center to have the ecu completely reset before paying the tuner to just go rock and roll.

i should have clarified my position better in my initial post

[podium]

Also if you do a good job there is no need to hide it.

That seems to be the main reason people do it. Probably why it gets such a bad rap. That and it gives the tuner the only key to something that's not theirs.