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You will use the RTD4(Current Device needed to tune the newest PCM's) and the TDN app on your phone to read the Stock and submit to your Tuner. Then they will send a base file. This is where there could be a delay if you have a new Strat, because the tuner will need to contact HPT to define it. After that you will receive your base file, and load it and do some logging per instructions. Send those and most likely get a revision. This is at least the base process ZFG follows. I did confirm with Adam@ZFG that he can do the 25's eventhough they are not listed on the HPT website as supported.
What tuner did you go with?
Nope. Both can currently tune the current PCM's from the OBDII port. Livernois's hardware is locked to them. Using an HPTuners device, you could pay for tunes from ZFG, MPT, 5Star, and many others. Also can buy credits for other vehicles and tune them with the same hardware. Livernois, one tuner, is locked to one vehicle, and if you want tune another vehicle you have to pay Livernois to Unlock it. One vehicle at a time. Livernois's tuning has gotten much better for the 10R80(Trans) in the past few years, on my 2020 Expedition it was CRAP! The reason I like HP Tuners is the customization that most tuners can do. If you don't like a particular shift, ask them to tweak it.
All the tuners, your modes still exist, how they are tweaked depends on the tuner.
I will work on one and get it up.
I tend to remove my tunes before I take mine in. From what I can tell this saved my bacon recently, as I had to take mine in for some warranty work (phasers again) and while it was in, they did the O2 recall, which changed my PCM strategy codes. If it had been tuned, my understanding is I would have had to go through the process of getting an unlock code to change/remove the tune. I still had to pay 5star for a new strategy update on my existing tunes, that stung a bit.
Interesting. What hardware are you tuned with?
Using the bullydog tuner with 5star tunes. Once I got the rig back, I waited a couple weeks after service just to make sure everything was good, and tried to reinstall the tunes. It failed every time saying it was "missing the vehicle files". That's when I noticed my PCM strategy code went from PMGM0C7 to PMGR2A8. Once 5star updated the tune files, it worked flawlessly. They told me if I left it tuned, the device wouldn't have been able to return it to factory without and unlock code from Bullydog.
