Choose the right ECU tuning equipment
If you want to start your own chip-tuning-Business, you will definitely need some quality tuning tools. We would strongly advice against buying a cloned or cracked tool. These Chinese clones do not have the latest updates and are poorly built without the necessary quality needed for the newest ECU family.
We would like to remind you that the cost of one ECU is between 1200 and 2000 euro. So better be prepared and use the right equipment.
Bootmode tools & OBD flasher.
There are two ways of programming an ECU; through the diagnostic socket. This is called OBD tuning and through a built-in communication port on the circuit board. This is called in bootmode or debugging mode.
With OBD tuning tools you can flash an ECU over the diagnostic port from the car.
With the Bootmode tool you can program the ECU through one of the communication ports (BDM/JTAG) on the circuit board. The ECU has three data carrier which can be read, two eproms and a processor. Usually the engine controlling maps are inside the large eprom. But there are a few exceptions where the information is (partly) stored inside the processor.
| The OBD file : Most OBD-flashers only read the part which contains the engine controlling maps. The OBD file does not always contain all information from the ecu but if more confortable than bootmode (don’t need to open ecu). For example, as Kess reading. THE NEW KESS3 SUPPORT BOTH! |
The Bootmode file: Complete back of the ecu. Sometimes it is necessary to make a full backup, because you can’t read all you need through OBD. When you remove the ecu from the car and read it in boot mode, you are able to make a complete backup of the ecu. For example, as Ktag reading. THE NEW KESS3 SUPPORT BOTH! |
Master vs slave
All tuning tools from Alientech are availible in two versions. The master tool and the slave tool.
The slave tool is cheaper to purchase but has the disadvantage that it can only flash tuning files obtained from the master tool which is owned by the tuning supplier. We can only sell slave tools which are connected to our master tool.
With the master version of the tuning tool you can read the content of the ecu and edit it yourself or use service as tuningbot. The master is a lot more expensive. We adivise you to buy a master tool when: * you want to develop your own tuning files and * you modify more than an average of 25 vehicle a month * you want to be able to switch from tuning file supplier
Real Alientech Tuning Tools vs Clone Tuning Tools
Clone tuning tools – Just say NO!!
Clone tools are one of the biggest dangers to you as a tuner in the industry today. Nearly the full range of Alientech tuning tools have now been cloned, some may see the idea of cheap flake Alientech tuning tools as a great way of cutting costs, but cloned tuning tools, fake tuning equipment and knock of replica remapping tools are a ticking time bomb that will topple a cars ECU.
If you are using fake and clone tuning tools it is not a case of if it will happen, but simply a case of when.
When you spend so much time and energy on your market presence, on developing and updating your social media profile through facebook / twitter and Instagram, on updating your website with new products and testimonials, on canvasing the local car shows and garages for work …
…. Why, oh why, would you risk all your hard work by using a fake tuning tool that risks having problems reading the vehicle or worse killing the ECU?
Clone tuning tools are very unstable. They are copied from old out of date software versions of the genuine tool and offer such a limited range of vehicles compared to the genuine tools that there simply is no point in using them.
When something goes wrong with your fake tool, how are you going to fix it? There is no technical support for the tool. You cannot ask for help now from the manufacturers of a genuine tool as they will see you have used a cheap and cloned fake version of their product.
The fake knock-off tools are cheap imitations of the real thing. They do not comply with any safety or compliance legislation and would cause issues with your insurance should you have a catastrophic failure with the device. Take it a step further and you have a piece of electrical equipment that has not undergone any safety testing and could even cause a fire.
How much is your business and reputation worth to you? How much do you value your customers?
Using fake tuning tools and equipment is dishonest and unsafe. If you use them you are risking your company reputation and the respect and business of your customers.
Once word spreads that you have are using fake cloned remapping equipment for tuning, nobody is going to trust you to tune their car, but what is worse, you could now start losing other business once word of mouth begins to travel. The knock-on effect could be devastating for your business!
There is no need to have all the stress, worry and anxiety that comes from fake copied remap tuning tools. Simply buy genuine tuning tools and you will instantly feel safe in the fact that a huge tuning tool manufacturer now supports you. A full team of technicians at the factory to help should you have an issue. Brand new vehicles being released and updated onto the tool ever few weeks.
The peace of mind this gives a tuner in today’s volatile world is worth its weight in gold.