Do you have to have a tuner/programmer to get custom tunes? Or can you take it to a place and have the truck tuned?

 

You can get a custom tune without a tuner.

Everytime you need to reflash your PCM (like when you take it to the dealer), you will have to make two trips to the tuner.

1. flashed back to stock before going to the dealer
2. get your tune re-installed after going to the dealer

 

as far as i know yes you will need a tuner

EDIT: thats true^ but that will cost enough after a few trips having them take the tune off and on itd be better to just get a tuner

 

well my truck isn't under warranty or anything so it shouldn't matter if the tune is on there when i take it to the dealer. What might be a reason other than warranty issues that i would have to put the stock tune on there again?

 

other than that theres really no reason to worry about putiing it back to stock

 

Not exactly. If you take your truck in for normal service and there's a TSB, CEL, or other PCM/ECM type issue, the dealer might flash your truck.

If they do, you will loose your tune.

If the tuner didn't store your data, you'll have to dyno it all over again (to rebuild the tune). As Roush stated, it's about the same cost to get a tuner and three custom tunes as it is to dyno the truck (reputable, experienced Ford tuner - there aren't many) and get your tune loaded twice. Plus you'll only get one tune.

 

^ All true. I would stick to a programmer so it stores your data so if you have to, you can return it to stock and still keep your tunes.