za355tx

iTrader: (108)

Soooo.....Just found out that Bryan no longer honors his "lifetime retune" he charged people for way back....My old man got in contact with him to retune his TA he's had for like 15 years and he told my dad he will no longer do the free lifetime tunes because people were abusing it and tuning all their buddies cars for free. I understand that...but he should have taken the proper precautions in the first place. The lifetime retune was something he charged extra for way back and of course we jumped at the idea since we change stuff all the time. Now he is saying that there are no longer lifetime retunes for free...even though we've paid for it. Not extremely happy about it...again I understand why but I just think he should honor his prior commitment. We will most likely not go back to him. I've had ION do a tune for me and I loved it so not an issue getting someone to do a tune for us...just a little venting.

shbox

Bad business to do such a thing to legitimate customers. IMHO, he is legally responsible to honor the deal. You should get what you paid for.

fex77k

iTrader: (2)

Ask him for your refund then go get a real tuner.

BALLSS

While I don't, and would never, use Herter if he sold services for a $ that said "lifetime" tunes he should as a business do it let alone because he said he would. I met him once years ago at a B-body event and based on my impression of him socially I would not choose to use him. Also at that time there were MANY reports of problems but again I don't have any direct experience with him so I will not post what I "heard".

I don't know the language or "fine print" if any for his service when it was sold to you but if you have documentation that states that you purchased a "lifetime" tune feature and he does not honor it than small claims court would be the step to take. At the very least he should refund whatever premium he charged for the "lifetime tune" portion of his bill

Unfortunately that action may be more pain and suffering than the results. Fortunately there are other, more qualified, tuners available.

RamAir95TA

iTrader: (2)

Welcome to four years ago. Truthfully I can't blame him with the amount of volume he does. People were asking him for free tunes and in turn they were selling them to their friends. His operation has gotten much bigger from when he started tuning in the early 2000s. While it may not be fair to many you guys would probably do the same.

I got something like 3 or 4 free tunes in before he decided to charge for the reflashes. His tuning has been good to me so I don't have a problem paying for it to keep his tuning economical.

shbox

Surely he had a problem, but should have chosen another way to handle it. There really isn't any excuse for penalizing customers because there was not enough forethought given to future circumstances.

killerz97

iTrader: (1)

Why not see if he will take the extra price you paid off of the price of a new retune? I think that would be an acceptable thing for him to do even though it won't be free.

Bigtoyz

iTrader: (2)

I'm with the guy who went to Ion and another good one is Solomon. Solomon is a one time charge and will tweek it with your datalog till it is right. Then if you do something years down the road to change things. You just purchase another tune and work with you till it is right. Solomon was 90 bucks for email order. I think that is fair. And I have dealt with Ion also and he doesn't leave you hanging either. Both have quick turn around times. Ion did my OBD2 socket

And think that is basically how he has gotten around the issue the pcm4less has had. I wasn't impressed with them either....had them do me an email one and did one retune and never was close. And the guy that took his place wouldn't even deal with me anymore. Not saying that others have not had good luck with them just not me.

BoostedDSM

iTrader: (6)

I was getting ready to send my pcm to them for a tune too, this makes me want to change my mind. I've not seen any contact info for solomon or madZ posted to check their stuff out though.

shbox

http://madtuner.com/

BoostedDSM

iTrader: (6)

Thank you rob, I kept seeing madz28 and such with no luck.

BTC

Does PCMforless have a good rep as far as tuning capability? I spoke to Bryan years ago about tuning my car, but I haven't done anything. If I ever get it off jack stands I might. All I've really done to my car is headers and exhaust. I also deleted the EGR and Air pump. I hear people say that even a stock car would benefit from a tune. I've heard Ed Wright is a good tuner. Is he still tuning?

sweetbmxrider

iTrader: (13)

Bryan was and still is great when I use him. I paid for a mail order and got a couple tunes from him tweaking the setup. Did a dyno tune with him and was very happy with how he went over everything he did and generally seemed to enjoy what he was doing and my constant questions didn't bother him one bit. I then changed my setup again and it was $100 i think for a retune and it took a few tunes to get it right all being emailed in a timely fashion. Eventually I'll get back on the rollers with him.

SAPPER

iTrader: (10)

Years ago, I also purchasedthe "lifetime tune" from Bryan but then found out it was not honored anymore when I need an update. No biggie. I went to a dyno and gained about another 15hp.

Also, at the time I first did the hotcam set up I had purchased both Bryan's and Ion's tunes just to see what the difference was. I was loading my own so they were email so they were cheap. Both were almost dead even both on the track and dyno. Ion's was much richer at idle and could burn your eyes in the garage but one email and it was fixed. Neither did any real transmission tuning so I tuned my own shift points.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Herter gets a FEW cars right, they are the exception though not the rule. Just enough to perpetuate the myth of his greatness.

8-9 years ago I got tunes from him so bad I had to reflash the car just to get it back in the driveway after backing out. I have sold multiple stock pistons to guys who had his "too lean and over 40degrees at WOT" tunes.

I am glad a FEW folks have had decent luck with his stuff but don't mistake it for normal.

Far as the not honoring lifetime retunes, he stopped responding to emails about that a LONG LONG time ago.

nascarnate326

iTrader: (1)

I had ion do my car, seems pretty good. On my second tune.

cbr600rx7

iTrader: (12)

The fact is a few bad apples can ruin it for every one and that's what happened here. And for the price I don't know if any one can complain. For the guys who have been running his tunes for many years and had multiple retunes I think the service has paid for its self. I mean what's a good dyno tune run these days 350-450 bucks? Also if you kept using his tunes for that long of a period then obviously you did have any issues with the service. I think its unfortunate that it has came to this but once again a few can ruin it for every one.

whytryz28

iTrader: (28)

I've had both Madz28 and Herter tune my 93 with the same mods. It ran a lot better on Herters tune.

CALL911

iTrader: (17)

Bryan is the man. I think honestly the others that have been mentioned will also do fine for tuning, but if you have a difficult car to tune like mine was (maxed out blower, fully built 383, stock PCM, stock MAF on pump gas), I would highly reccomend going with Bryan.

There's a reason he got as big as he did. Mario Andretti still brings his Corvettes to him for tuning. He has some of the most experience out there, and it shows on his tunes.

I agree with RamAir though, he can't afford to do retunes for free. Not on the scale he is at, and certainly not for the abuse people were putting him through. It sucks he can't when he started off doing that, but in this day and age, I think a good tune from him is worth having to pay for with each change.

The only bad part about PCM's for less is now that he has gotten so big, he has branched out, and has made a partner (Kieth) who works and tunes for PCM's for less in Ohio. Kieth is a big DB, and only cares about your money and not taking care of you on your tune (that's what happened to me, and others from what I have been told). So if you do go PCM's for less, make sure Bryan is doing the tuning.

But again, I think all the others do a fine job, so if PCM's for less isn't your flavor, you do have other options.

Gojira94

iTrader: (4)

I had PCM4L do a $175.00 mail order for a bolt on 94 car. Found out that the car had an almost new 95 PWM trans in it. He did me a new tune like a 95 for only $75.00 more. May be my ignornace, but I believed him when he told me that adding PWM attributes couldn't simply be added to a 94 base tune, and that the tune needed to be redone like a 95. I've been happy with it so far. Still working on the car after a break to get married and have a kid.