# Trifecta vs BNR



## ndanza1 (Nov 28, 2019)

I’ve decided I would like to tune my Cruze after the CAI and cat back exhaust upgrades.

seems like there are really only two worth while tunes out there; the BNR tune and the trifecta tune.
I am a bit concerned about voiding warranty and I understand the trifecta tune has the transparency tune that allows it to be sort of hidden or something along those lines, but how well do these tunes actually work? Has anyone come across any real problems that don’t make it worth while to get the tune in the first place?

Also, has anyone done a dyno comparison before and after the tune with the upgrades I have?

really considering just going with it but I want to be sure it’s worth the money


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

When you take the vehicle to the dealer, either vendor has provisions to re-tune to stock.


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## Iamantman (Sep 24, 2018)

Not sure of anyone actually taken the time to dybo before and after besides the manufacturers, but that would be interesting.

Seems like both work pretty well though. Sorry don't have a tune but there's a ton of info if you search this forum.


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## nathanroe72 (Nov 25, 2016)

I'm going to throw my two cents in, provide some evidence and I'll let you make your own decision here. There is an old adage, "You gotta pay to play." This is one of those times. If you're worried about voiding your warranty, don't get a tune. Why risk it?

GM has a part number for every calibration and each calibration has a checksum (GM calls it CVN or calibration verification number) to verify it's integrity. If the calibration checksum doesn't match what GM says, wave goodbye to your powertrain warranty. Also when you change calibrations (including 'stealth' tunes) the computer keeps a log of the calibration number and it's checksum. Now some tuners found they could tweak the tune enough to get the same CVN and retain the same calibration ID to fly under the radar. However, the problem with that is the flash counter and it's calibration history. Even though the ID and CVN might stay the same, the computer still counts it as a flash (regardless if you do a full tune or not).

Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let's say you take your car in for warranty work and the engine or transmission has a mechanical failure. If they require replacement, GM requires the tech to use the MDI (or TechII) to grab a screenshot of the complete calibration history and send it to GM. Here is where you'll get DENIED. Any time a calibration is changed on your vehicle, the dealership is supposed to file a claim with GM so they have a record of your vehicle calibration history (for future reference and if the dealership wants to get paid for doing the work). If your calibration has been even flashed once since it left the factory (even with the original CAL ID and CVN) and there was no claim even submitted, you'll be DENIED warranty work. End of story.

If you don't want to void your warranty, DON'T GET A TUNE! PERIOD. This way you don't have anything to worry about. However, your car will probably run better tuned (yet could still have a mechanical failure, ask Andrew M). Do I love my BNR tune? Yes, yes I do. Do love the Trifecta tunes I've had on other cars, yes, yes I do. I've also had Blackbear tune a Silverado for me, ZZP tune a Cobalt with HPTuners and played with HPTuners myself. Doesn't matter who you run to, or what they claim. There is a trail and that trail will deny your warranty if that time comes. Yes, you could get a spare ECM and tune it, but that's a whole another topic and you could still get your warranty voided (through harder to prove).

I attached the ECU calibration history from my Cruze that I pulled back in July of 2018 and what I pulled off tonight. Note that I only flashed my ECU once between these paper trails. Oh and this isn't even GM's factory scan tool showing this, just a 'cheap' Autel MK808.

EDIT: Added an image of all the CAL ID and CVN for my VIN's ECU. However even though there are five calibrations available from GM, only 12678809 should show once with the CVN of 4FE4.


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## ndanza1 (Nov 28, 2019)

nathanroe72 said:


> I'm going to throw my two cents in, provide some evidence and I'll let you make your own decision here. There is an old adage, "You gotta pay to play." This is one of those times. If you're worried about voiding your warranty, don't get a tune. Why risk it?
> 
> GM has a part number for every calibration and each calibration has a checksum (GM calls it CVN or calibration verification number) to verify it's integrity. If the calibration checksum doesn't match what GM says, wave goodbye to your powertrain warranty. Also when you change calibrations (including 'stealth' tunes) the computer keeps a log of the calibration number and it's checksum. Now some tuners found they could tweak the tune enough to get the same CVN and retain the same calibration ID to fly under the radar. However, the problem with that is the flash counter and it's calibration history. Even though the ID and CVN might stay the same, the computer still counts it as a flash (regardless if you do a full tune or not).
> 
> ...


thanks for your input.

so does this mean it would really only void your warranty if they have to scan the ECU? Let’s say an injector goes, or maybe the timing belt/chain (whichever it may be), valve, etc., would anything that goes wrong with these parts be out of warranty?
Seems like it would be alright to tune so long as you don’t beat the living sht out of the car.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Well, in theory, they'd have to prove the tune caused that. A tune isn't going to cause an injector to **** itself, or a timing chain to break.

But say you put a hole in a piston? Easy enough to say detonation from a tune caused that.


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## nathanroe72 (Nov 25, 2016)

Well technically they could just flat out deny your warranty any time they plug a scan tool into your car regardless if repairs are made or not. All they need to do is grab a screenshot, notify the service manager, send the CAL/CVN history to GM and file a 0600014 labor code to be paid .2 of an hour... and your warranty is officially VOID. Chances are that if an injector fails, timing chain failure, fuel pump quits, MAP sensor goes south, etc, they probably won't be checking calibration history. The tech will probably want to get the car out of the bay as quickly as possible and because GM won't be requiring a screenshot it would go virtually unnoticed. You could probably leave the tune on and still go unnoticed, however leaving the tune on could potentially raise a red flag if a parameter got changed as is no longer in spec (ex. boost pressure is higher than normal). Most techs would probably never know the difference anyways. 

I tuned my car at 8,500 miles, still well in the normal PT warranty period and even now at 54,000 miles it would still fall in the warranty window. However I consider my warranty as voided through I've never been 'caught'. If something were to go wrong, I'll end doing the work myself and paying out of pocket. I'm prepared for that. In fact, I'm almost considering buying a salvage car to use as a parts car.


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## ndanza1 (Nov 28, 2019)

Okay well here’s another question; does tuning increase the risk of the dreaded cracked piston?

and if so, does this failure require a picture of the ecu data to be covered under warranty?


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## nathanroe72 (Nov 25, 2016)

ndanza1 said:


> Okay well here’s another question; does tuning increase the risk of the dreaded cracked piston?
> 
> and if so, does this failure require a picture of the ecu data to be covered under warranty?


This is a bit of a grey area... some will say tuning will decrease the probability of cracking a piston. Some would say that the opposite is true. It would be hard to know as there are too many variables at play (octane, ethanol content, oil used, oil change interval, mods, tunes, driving style, original style piston vs updated design, etc). LSPI as far as we know is what caused all the failures, more so on the larger 1.5L engine used in the Malibu than the Cruze's 1.4L engine. Low-speed preignition according to GM came down to oil. Oils that had a higher concentration of calcium were causing LSPI events and thus damaged pistons. However, oil isn't the only factor in my book.

Many here, including myself, recommend doing the following:

Use a good quality Dexos Gen 2 oil with the appropriate viscosity that your car requires (earlier models required 5w-30 and later ones 0w-20)
Run 91/93 octane as an extra layer of protection
Don't accelerate hard at low rpms/don't lug the engine
Supposedly if you break a piston and the cylinders are not damaged, GM will replace the pistons. This shouldn't require the tech to email your calibration/cvn history to GM. However, your mileage may vary. If your cylinders are damaged, you're gonna need a new engine and GM will require your CAL/CVN history to be emailed to the Calibration Group to verify the data. If they find that it is a mismatch in any way, that means your warranty is null and void. You'll be stuck buying a new engine, paying the labor and all associated items necessary to do the swap. Should you find yourself in that unfortunate scenario, my suggestion is to find a good reputable independent repair shop and go find a used engine. With some luck, you may find an engine with the updated pistons or an 18 or 19 model year engine.


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## WillL84 (Aug 5, 2019)

Thanks for your info in this post. I've been wanting a tune but I'm definitely waiting until the powertrain warranty is up first


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## nathanroe72 (Nov 25, 2016)

I do want to be clear here. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from getting a tune or to call out any tuners. If you're still under warranty and you'd like to keep it that way, just wait until the warranty is up. I know waiting is the hardest part (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, anyone?). If you want to press your luck or don't care (like me), by all means, go for it. I'd just hate to see someone get caught with their pants down (AC/DC reference) leaving them exposed. You knew the risk but you ignored it. Don't get mad at the tech assigned to your car who ratted you out, GM who denied your warranty, the tuner who turned the wick up or some peep who told you 'tune A from tuner XYZ is better than tune B from ZYX'. 

The reason I got quite involved in this thread is to help educate everyone. There is so much disinformation out there (even on other forums I frequent) and just wanted to help clear that up. I'm not a GM employee or tech in any way. Just been playing with GM cars and trucks for many moons. I'm not the most knowledgable person on this forum, but I was glad I could shine some light and provide some evidence. What you do with all this information is up to you.

TL;DR meme


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## nathanroe72 (Nov 25, 2016)

This handy chart should help those wondering what to do


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## funkyman (Apr 15, 2017)

Get your car tuned and just drive it normally and enjoy the power every now and then and when you need it.Nothing will happen .Does not void warranty .Nothing is going to go wrong unless you're racing your car everyday in which case,it means you're a dick and a car with 60-70k on it is not going to have warranty anyway and be worth only 5-6k anyway.


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