# ECU & Trifecta Tune



## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

So took my 2012 Cruze in for service today and forgot to switch back to my stock tune. One of the issues I was having was my steering binding and the speedometer jumped up when I was sitting at a stand still. They had to re-route the steering harness to fix the binding, but in order to fix the other issue, they needed to update the ECM. Since my car was not flashed back to stock it, it appears the update to the ECU failed so they ended up having to replace my ECM (under warranty of course). So now my question is, can I reflash my ECM with the Trifecta Tune will it keep the new update as well? Also the tune is VIN specific, so will it work the same?


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## Evofire (Oct 3, 2013)

if the ECU was replaced under warrenty, then the dealer flashed it with the correct vin and all that stuff. Besides other sort of ID tag in the ECU (if there is one) i dont see there being an issue with getting the same tune back from Trifecta or your local Trifecta dealer. Might cost you....not sure on that, 

moral: VIN is the same on the ECU as it was before.


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## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

Evofire said:


> if the ECU was replaced under warrenty, then the dealer flashed it with the correct vin and all that stuff. Besides other sort of ID tag in the ECU (if there is one) i dont see there being an issue with getting the same tune back from Trifecta or your local Trifecta dealer. Might cost you....not sure on that,
> 
> moral: VIN is the same on the ECU as it was before.


I figured it wouldn't matter too much, as the VIN is still on there. But will flashing the ECU change the updates they did to the ECU to resolve issues? I guess that is the real question here.


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## snowvette (Oct 9, 2012)

Don't get your hopes to high. There is the VIN and the ECM has its own number. I have 2 ECMs for my TrailBlazer SS and they both have the same VIN but 2 different ECM numbers. One of the ECMs I can tune the other one I haven't bought a license for and can not tune. I think most tuning software works the same. HPtuners, EFIlive or Trifecta, you have to license the ECM. I think it will cost you somthing to get that new ECM tuned.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Contact [email protected] I suspect since it was a warranty replacement of the ECU that he'll be more than willing to work with you.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Hi AkotaHsky,

Please feel free to follow up with us regarding your dealership visit. We would like to hear your feedback. Also, I am not able to offer any technical advice, but you can send us a PM with your VIN and I can see if I can get the best answer for you regarding your question about re-flashing your ECM with the Trifecta Tune. We look forward to your reply!

Kristen A.
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

chevy customer care said:


> hi akotahsky,
> 
> please feel free to follow up with us regarding your dealership visit. We would like to hear your feedback. Also, i am not able to offer any technical advice, but you can send us a pm with your vin and i can see if i can get the best answer for you regarding your question about re-flashing your ecm with the trifecta tune. We look forward to your reply!
> 
> ...


aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


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## got_boost (Sep 29, 2011)

Chevy Customer Care said:


> Hi AkotaHsky,
> 
> Please feel free to follow up with us regarding your dealership visit. We would like to hear your feedback. Also, I am not able to offer any technical advice, but you can send us a PM with your VIN and I can see if I can get the best answer for you regarding your question about re-flashing your ECM with the Trifecta Tune. We look forward to your reply!
> 
> ...


Probably not the smartest thing to do. If you have a problem with your ECU contact Vince. Unless you don't like your warranty. 


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## AVCruze12 (Feb 27, 2013)

I too am curious if a trifecta tune wipes out the new updates...I imagine it would unless you send the latest stock pull to Vince and have hip update that one..I did hear that the reprogram for the speedometer has included some other updates possibly that make the 12's behave more like the 13's in the sense of they feel a little more peppy.


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## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

hificruzer226 said:


> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


Agreed.


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## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

got_boost said:


> Probably not the smartest thing to do. If you have a problem with your ECU contact Vince. Unless you don't like your warranty.
> 
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


Obviously, not going to be contacting Chevy. lol..


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## [email protected] (Nov 12, 2011)

Who did you buy your tune from? If it was us, read the ECM out with the newest GM stuff on it and send it in and we'll have that tune modified so you can keep the latest GM stuff and have the Trifecta tune on it. If not, whoever you bought the tune from can request Trifecta to do this also. Keep in mind that Trifecta uses the latest updates on every tune, so it's very possible that you already had the latest updates on your Trifecta tune and the dealer just didn't know about it for obvious reasons.


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## AkotaHsky (Feb 11, 2012)

[email protected] said:


> Who did you buy your tune from? If it was us, read the ECM out with the newest GM stuff on it and send it in and we'll have that tune modified so you can keep the latest GM stuff and have the Trifecta tune on it. If not, whoever you bought the tune from can request Trifecta to do this also. Keep in mind that Trifecta uses the latest updates on every tune, so it's very possible that you already had the latest updates on your Trifecta tune and the dealer just didn't know about it for obvious reasons.



My car was tuned back in 2012. So I am sure there have been updates to the ECM in the past 2 years. I did try and do an engine read, but it got stuck at 5% for over an hour and nothing occurred and had to pull the plug as the laptop was about to die. I had been in contact with my dealer, and that was also his suggestion, but I can't get the ECM read to work. He suggested trying to put the stock tune on the car and then take it to a dealer and have them re-flash the computer, just to ensure the ECM is not locked and will accept a tune. That is a bit of a hassle though and only 1 dealer around the area, which is the one I use and shouldn't try this with, unless I want to drive an hour out to the next dealer. 

Do you know if you flash the tune on the car does it wipe the updates or does it just change the values? I know Vince has a backlog of probably weeks/month, and at this point if I can't read the ECM, I dunno what else to do.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

From previous cars (Subaru), I had a handheld tuner and had a bad ECU replaced. When I tried to use the same tuner programed to the old ECU, it bricked the 1 day old ECU that was programed by the dealership. Cheaper to get a new tune dedicated to that vin/ecu than pay for a new ECU, tow, diagnostics, and a new tune again anyways. Lessons learned at $1000 a ECU, $300 a tune, and left me not so eager to flash a tune again w/o an adult present. LOL!


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