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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS  ·  COMMON QUESTIONS

What is bench tuning?

Bench tuning means removing the ECU and connecting to it directly, which is needed on vehicles that cannot be tuned through the diagnostic port.

For car owners

Plain answers for anyone having their own car tuned, serviced or repaired. No account, no tools and no jargon needed.

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Tools
Diagnostics and ECU

Bench tuning is one of the ways we get at your vehicle’s software. Instead of connecting through the diagnostic port, we remove the ECU from the car and connect to its circuit board directly. Once the file is written, the ECU goes back in and everything is refitted as we found it.

Why it is sometimes necessary

Manufacturers increasingly lock the software so it cannot be read or written through the OBD port. On those vehicles the bench route is the only way to do the job properly. It is common on newer models and on certain ECU families.

What it means for you

  • It takes no longer than any other remap. Allow around 2 hours, or 4 to 5 if the car is going on the rollers as well.
  • It is all done in house. Your ECU does not get posted anywhere.
  • The end result is the same custom written file, held on record for your lifetime software support.

We will tell you at the enquiry stage which method your vehicle needs, so there are no surprises when you drop the car off.

The JF Automotive team
Meet the team

The team behind every job

Technicians, calibrators and the front desk, all in Maidstone. No call centre and no subcontracting - the person who books you in is the person you can ask about the job.

Newsletter

Offers on parts and tuning, first

A short email now and then: new vehicle support, parts deals, open days. Nothing daily.