Tuner Process When Selling a Car
 

Hey guys didn't know where to put this but I have a couple of questions about tunes/selling car. If I sell my car, can I just leave the 87 octane tune on? My car has a Pypes O/R on it, so the CEL will return if I remove the tune unless I put the factory midpipe back (which I don't plan on doing.) I will of course tell the buyer (private sale) if so. If it's a dealer, I don't plan on revealing much. Or should I return it to stock?

My next question is can I sell a vin-locked tuner? And how much do they usually go for? I have BAMA SF3 and I'd like to sell it with my Airaid Race Intake. What could I get for that?

P.S. I know selling my car would be a sin in the community. ;)

Thanks!

If your going to sell the car with the tune on, leave the new owner with the tuner (X cal or whatever you have.)

If they move to CA and need to smog it for any reason it won't pass emissions. Also if it needs to go to the dealer for programming issues in the future, the new owner will need to throw the stock tune back on.

I sold my 05 Sixxer with the intake and tune still on. i told them it wasn't emissions legal and showed them what to do when the time came for the emissions test.
its your call really.

your tuner will be useless if it is vin locked.
My brother had a tune on his 07 V6 and he was hit by a drunk driver. He got a 13 mustang and wanted to use his tuner but it was vin locked to the 07 still. We couldn't remove the tune from the 07 because the wires were severed at the ECU so he sent it to bama and they said he had to show proof the car was totaled. they are pretty tight on unlocking one.

Either return the car to the stock tune, or include the tuner with the car. Doing otherwise would be a douche-bag move.

:icon_dance-twist:I agree whole heartedly .... :)

Thanks for the advice guys.

So if I do return it to stock tune, I can't sell a vin locked tuner? Don't they unlock it for a cost at BAMA? In other words the tuner would be worth some money vin locked, no?

all I know is I wouldn't touch a tuned or modded car with a 10 foot pole. A modded car is a beaten car.

if you return it to stock, the tuner becomes unlocked

SCT will wipe and reload a locked tuner for $150+shipping

You may have bought the tuner from BAMA and it may have a BAMA sticker on it, but it's still an SCT product. SCT is probably the only ones authorized to wipe & reload it.

I would also check the S/N if you plan on keeping it for the new car. If the tuner S/N doesn't start with an XP, it's useless on a newer model and you might as well leave it with the car.

:icon_clapclap:

If you sell to a private party, just give them the damn tuner and be a good seller. How would you feel if you bought a car, and drove it and the check engine light came on? You wouldn't be happy about it.

Even if the person knows what is in the car and intends to do other mods, just give them the tuner.
I've purchased several modded mustangs, and because they were modded, would only buy if the tuner was included.

If the buyer is aware of the setup, knows there are no cats, knows the CEL will come on, and wants to do more mods or retune it anyways, then you can deal with that situation differently, and toss in the tuner for like $100 and be a cheapskate about it.

If for some reason you end up with the tuner device, if it is an XCAL2, you can unlock it yourself with the SCT software, even if you do not have the car, for up to 5 times, then sell it for about $100. If it is an XCAL3 or other more recent device, you'll have to send it in, pay for shipping, pay for SCT to unlock it, pay $150, get it back, and maybe, maybe sell it for $300 tops. Again, only about $100 difference there in what you could get out of it.

So just give the tuner to the buyer and make them happy. If they don't use it, so what, they wont call you back in 30 minutes about the CEL being on.