I have outlined a detailed process of what to expect broken down into four phases. PURCHASING, SETUP, TUNING, and FAQs with regards to being tuned and what to expect from SONICTUNED specifically.
Please click this link here for an explanation as to what remote street tuning is and why it is our preferred method of tuning. https://www.sonictuned.com/post/remote-street-tuning-1
If you have already purchased the remote tune, please skip to Step 4.
PURCHASING:
When purchasing a remote tune kit, there will be a few options for you to go through. The final price will vary greatly depending on the options required to tune your vehicle. I will break down each of those options below. The first two steps/options are not tuner specific and required. The rest of them are options can vary from tuner to tuner. In this case, we will be using options specific to this company and website.
1.ECU LICENSE
The ECU is your engines computer. It is the brain of the drivetrain and is your engines management system. ECU stands for ENGINE CONTROL UNIT. It can also be referred to as an ECM or ENGINE CONTROL MODULE which is the same thing.
If your car has never been tuned before, your vehicle will require an ECU LICENSE. This is a one time purchase required to give your tuner access to be able to tune the car. This is not a physical item but a digital purchase. If your vehicle was tuned on ECUTEK previously, this will not need to be purchased again as it will already be installed on your vehicle's ECU. If you previously purchased your tune and it came with a DESKEY or dongle, the license is transferred from that to the ECU the first time you load a map into the car and is no longer on the DESKEY. The DESKEY is a small black USB module that gives you and your tuner access to your ECU if you are not able to be tuned via PHONEFLASH. The ECU LICENSE does not stay with your DESKEY/DONGLE or BLUETOOTH CONNECT KIT. If you sell your DESKEY or Bluetooth connect kit after you've been tuned, the new owner will need to purchase a license and tune separately if their car has not already been tuned/not currently tuned. For the VR30 twin turbo Q50/Q60, you will have to select the option that matches your vehicle. The 2016-2020 require one license while the 2021 and up require another. The 2021 license is an additional $105.00 due to the vehicle having a completely different ECU than the 2020 and below. If you are purchasing a tune for a G37,370z,M, or the 2015 and older Q50 with the 3.7 liter engine, you will only have one option for the license.
2.BLUETOOTH CONNECT KIT
The Bluetooth connect kit is a small green module/plug from ECUTEK that gets plugged into the OBD2 port on your vehicle. This is required to allow the tuner to transfer tunes into your vehicle remotely and for you to be able to send datalogs to your tuner via your phone and the ECUTEK CONNECT app. This is also what is needed to use its special features and to setup your custom gauge layout so you can also monitor what your car is doing if you choose to do so. This module is not specific to your vehicle and can be used between multiple vehicles. If you have 2 cars tuned via Ecutek, you do not need 2 connect kits. This is basically a bridge between the tuner and car. No license or vehicle information is stored on this module. If you already have one, you will not need to purchase this again. Once tuning is complete, this can be removed from the vehicle and only the phone app and its features will not work. The tune will still be functional.
Please note, if you buy one used and not from your tuner, it will not be covered under warranty through your tuner and you will need to purchase another one if it becomes defective.
3.The rest of the options are add-ons and not required unless you need them. Launch control is a custom feature setup by your tuner. For the FLEX FUEL option, if you do not have an aftermarket flex fuel kit installed on your vehicle with the intentions of running ethanol, you do not need to purchase this option. The same goes for the aftermarket fuel injectors and aftermarket turbocharger options.
SETUP:
**Once the tune is purchased, you must do the initial setup(link below) as soon as you receive the kit. There is a schedule that needs to be followed to ensure every customer has their tune done in a timely fashion. Even if the car isn't ready yet, that step must be completed so the BASEMAP can be made for the car. You will then have 30 days to load the BASEMAP in and begin tuning. Once tuning has started, the tune needs to be completed within 30 days of the first log sent. The tuning process should take less than a week to complete. If you do not do the initial setup within 30 days or go past the 30 day tuning period, you will be charged a $250 scheduling fee to be put back on the schedule. There is no exception to this rule. **
4.If you have already completed the 3 primary steps and are ready for the tuning process, please skip to Step 5. Once you have purchased the remote tune package that fit your requirements, one of two things will happen. For the customers who already have a BLUETOOTH CONNECT KIT, there will be nothing needed to be shipped to you and you will need to visit this link to begin the process: https://www.sonictuned.com/post/copy-of-ecutek-phoneflash-initial-setup
If your tune requires an ECU CONNECT KIT, it will ship within 5 business days and you will receive a 4x6 card inside the box with a QR code scannable with your phones camera that will bring you directly to the initial setup linked above. The card also has a datalog list referenced on the back to make the third step of the 3 primary steps easier to complete. Please read the list carefully as some of the parameters are almost exactly the same. If you see an extra word or the parameter is missing a word, it is the wrong one. The list not only matches the required parameter name EXACTLY, but it is also in the order the parameters are listed in the app.
There are 3 primary steps(like the one above), each with their own webpage with very specific and detailed instructions. I cannot stress this enough ---> PLEASE READ THROUGH EVERY STEP ENTIRELY!!!!!! People tend to skip through these steps, miss very important steps, and greatly delay the process. Each one of these pages was very carefully made and designed to not only show you the basics on how to operate the app and go through the remote tune process smoothly, but also LIMIT the possibility for mishaps.
TUNING:
5a. If the primary steps have been completed correctly, I will receive an initial datalog of the car idling. This step is done for 2 reasons. It teaches you how to take and send logs and it allows your tuner to verify you have selected the proper datalog parameters needed to properly tune your vehicle. If the list is wrong, you will receive an email explaining what is missing and to check over the list again.
5b. Once this is completed properly, you will receive another set of very detailed instructions. It will be sent via email from TUNING@SONICTUNED.COM. Once this process begins, all communication related to tuning will be done through email. Please read everything thoroughly and pay close attention to any text that is in a different color/bold/underlined. Not doing so will slow down the process for not only you and I, but other customers as well. EVERY single datalog you send during the tuning process will be responded to with feedback and instructions on what is needed to complete the next steps or a possible. Once you have completed the requirements for the BASEMAP, I will take the information gathered from the datalogs and create your first REVISION. These will be numbered. The revision will be uploaded to the cloud and replace the BASEMAP. You will then (and going forward) receive two emails. One will be a notification that your revision has been uploaded to the cloud ready for download and the second email will be the feedback/next set of instructions. After all of the revisions are completed, you will receive a file labeled PUMP GAS MAP. If you have ethanol, the name will have the ethanol content number before it. (E30/E50/E60/E70/E85 PUMP GAS MAP depending on your setup) Once you receive a map with this label, it means that the car is now safe to beat on. This may or may not be your last map, but it is safe enough to race. I am extremely thorough when going through datalogs and if I see something (even minor) I will send you an update with the exact same PUMP GAS MAP name, but you will have the current date in the notes along with an another email explaining what is needed next or that you are done.
FAQS/EXPECTATIONS:
1. Please visit this link to see my main FAQ page:
Below are the two main questions I get once the tuning package is purchased. These two are also on the main FAQ page.
2. When can I expect my BASEMAP?
Remote tuning hours are Monday- Thursday 5a-5p EST and Fridays 5a-11a EST. If you receive your kit on a Friday afternoon or Saturday and complete the initial setup after 11a EST, you will receive your BASEMAP by Tuesday. If you receive your kit and complete the initial setup on Monday, you will receive your BASEMAP by Wednesday.
3. When can I expect my next revision?
Remote tuning hours are Monday-Thursday 5a-5p EST and Fridays 5a-11a EST. During these times, there are also in person tuning requirements that need to be fulfilled as I tune other vehicles. Some of these vehicles, like Corvettes for example, can only be tuned in person. During these times, no remote tuning will be done.
I ask that everyone wait at least 72hours(3 business days) Monday-Friday before asking about your revision/datalog. If you send a datalog and then ask for an update on the following day, your request will go unanswered as it takes more time to response instead of actually revising tunes. Not following instructions during the process greatly extends the tuning process for you and everyone else. If you send me a log on Friday afternoon, the log will be looked at no later than Tuesday the following week. Please be patient. Unlike other companies which make you wait WEEKS at a time for revisions, the tuning process is fairly quick and effortless if all instructions are followed. Every single datalog is thoroughly looked through and no revision is rushed. If something in the datalog is found to be abnormal, you are notified and sent recommendations on what to look for with a potential issue and based on my experience as a certified Infiniti master technician. I cannot always offer advice on what needs to be done to fix the vehicle based on just datalogs or explanations and it may require a more in-depth look from an experienced mechanic.
Please DO NOT send more than one log at a time(which is explained in detail in the first email sent after the BASEMAP). Sending and re-sending a datalog without first checking to make sure the first one was received can lead to a potential re-edit of a revision that was already completed. This can lead to potential engine damage. If multiple logs are sent, the earliest of them will be deleted (potentially putting you to the back of the line) to prevent a potential re-edit.