The master tech at my local dealer told me flat out that a regular performance flash on a non turbo car will not hurt anything. They sell a few of them, and they said they never had a claim on a non turbo car denied because of a flash.. Sales pitch or truth? Who knows. But they have never screwed me over on any repair I ever had and always did right by me.

 

flash doesnt add anything to a NA car..waste of good money

 

That's an easy statement for them to make - it's not their car and they wouldn't be the one damaged if a claim is denied.

 

Below is an e-mail I received from a dealership that performs flashes. I can only assume that being "dealer installed" would have no effect on the factory warranty on 3.4L engines still in warranty.

Porsche of Melbourne is pleased to present the ultimate ECU Upgrade for your vehicle's engine. APR's extensive research and development provides you with a powerful ECU Upgrade with no loss of drivability or reliability. After months of long nights and many hours of testing, development and more testing, APR has developed an ECU recalibration that is second to none. Expect huge increases in low-end torque, improved throttle response and a smoother, more powerful top end.

The APR’s ECU upgrade is an expertly recalibrated engine control strategy that remaps the boost pressure, timing and air fuel ratios to provide smooth and reliable power as if intended by Porsche Engineers. APR's ECU Upgrade is developed to work within the Tier 1 Supplier specifications for engine component stress tolerances and performance specifications. APR's ECU Upgrades are available in octane specific versions to allow you to take full advantage of the fuel quality available in our area. APR's patented EMCS functionality puts the control of the engine's operation at your finger tips and allows for additional features and options to be installed to your ECU.

For example, the APR 987 S ECU Upgrade comes EMCS equipped (Enhanced Modular Chipping System). The "Extra steps" don't stop with the software development process. The ECU Upgrade development far surpasses anything else offered by any tuner in any market anywhere in the world. They have left the traditional method of re-flashing a chip in the 90's and have moved on to the next generation of ECU Upgrade tuning. No longer are you limited to replacing one program with another program. With the EMCS, you can replace one program with four programs and several ECU features.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please contact a member of our Service Team at 321-956-0600. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Best Regards,

Jason Brannam
Parts Manager
Porsche of Melbourne

 

Nice letter...but no mention of any warranty. The factory warranty is a Porsche warranty. Dealer may decide to provide his own "warranty" but don't go looking to Porsche to make good on a warranty claim that results from installation of aftermarket (non-Porsche) equipment.

 

Nothing to do with warranties and I know it's well documented that a decent flash adds a lot of HP/Tq , particularly with changed catback and intake, but what does this mean - "recalibrated engine control strategy that remaps the boost pressure" - on the NA Cayman 3.4?

 

Now we know for sure Porsche won't honor any warranty with this remapping of the "boost pressure". Nice catch.

 

Flashed cars are fully covered by warranty, until you have an issue that requires repair.
-Getz

 

Even if you do not do anything to modify the car, Porsche still can give you a hard time when it comes to an expensive repair. I say if you want a fast car then buy it right the first time.