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Mp215 to MRX

Zormecteon

Active member
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361
Location
Kelso
#1
I called mountune last week about how much it would cost for me to take the car to them in California and have them to the work themselves to change from my present mp215 to the MRX. First, it would have to go to a Ford dealer to have the the mp215 programming reverted to stock. That's about $180. Next the kit itself. He said cheaper to have the kit sent here then brought to them as they have free shipping and would have to charge sales tax of over 9% if I bought it there. The sale will be off by the time I can get this done so $1800. Next, besides the kit one must purchase the AccessPort for $500 to be able to tune the new turbo. This includes custom tune(s). I would need the downpipe $600 and blow off valve $200. That all comes to $3300 for parts and getting ready. He said they want the car for two days and the cost for install of the kit (not including downpipe) would be $800, so the total not counting the cost of driving to and being in L.A. comes to a around $4000. ... ...hmmmmmm.... ..

I could use a trip to California! ?
 


Pete

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San Diego
#2
You don't have to go to the dealer. I had the MP 215 kit, and the accessport just overrides the mp215 tune. It reads it as the stock tune and saves it for if you ever remove the device.
 


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Location
Suburbs
#3
I don't see why you would need to take it to the dealer to revert it to stock. I had the MP215 tune and just flashed a Cobb OTS tune over it, no issues. It should be the same for whatever custom tune you put on there, so save yourself the $180. I'm a little surprised they won't just reprogram your current mTune, like they do for the MP215 to MR230, rather than make you buy a whole new Accessport. You can probably sell your mTune for at least $100, so you can knock that off the price as well, puts you closer to $3,750.

I don't really have a basis for comparison on what installation costs would be but if you are going to pay someone to install it for you and you are willing to drive to Mountune that would be nice peace of mind. If you pull the trigger I am in for results.
 


Messages
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Location
Los Angeles
#6
Thanks [MENTION=1650]Pete[/MENTION], [MENTION=4058]Quasar[/MENTION], and [MENTION=4133]Zormecteon[/MENTION] (for initiating discussion).

I too was under the impression that the MP215/MR230 must be removed by Ford dealer. Even believed rumor that to flash a AP over mtune would "brick" the computer. Thanks for clearing that up [twothumb]
 


Messages
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155
Location
Los Angeles
#7
Thanks [MENTION=1650]Pete[/MENTION], [MENTION=4058]Quasar[/MENTION], and [MENTION=4133]Zormecteon[/MENTION] (for initiating discussion).

I too was under the impression that the MP215/MR230 must be removed by Ford dealer. Even believed rumor that to flash a AP over mtune would "brick" the computer. Thanks for clearing that up [twothumb]
 


OP
Zormecteon

Zormecteon

Active member
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361
Location
Kelso
Thread Starter #8
You don't have to go to the dealer. I had the MP 215 kit, and the accessport just overrides the mp215 tune. It reads it as the stock tune and saves it for if you ever remove the device.
I've always been under the impression that the mp215 was locked, and that's what the mountune person told me over the phone. I do know that the mtune that comes with the mp215 kit is coded to the VIN number of the car on which it is first installed and won't work for any other car. EVER.
 


Messages
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Location
Suburbs
#9
I've always been under the impression that the mp215 was locked, and that's what the mountune person told me over the phone. I do know that the mtune that comes with the mp215 kit is coded to the VIN number of the car on which it is first installed and won't work for any other car. EVER.
This isn't entirely true. You are correct in that you cannot uninstall the mtune from your vehicle then load it onto someone else's, however you can send the mtune device to Mountune and they will reprogram it for $500, allowing it to be installed on someone else's vehicle.
 


meFiSTo

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Redmond
#11
That's a long way to go to get that stuff installed. I'd bet there are a number of shops in Portland that could do that for you. Up here in the Seattle area, I work with Cantrell Motorsports. It's a Porsche shop, but they work on anything and have done a ton of work for me on my prior modified SVT Focus and now with this car. It's a couple hours from Kelso to Bellevue. A couple of days sounds right. Matrix Integrated in Portland is also a German specialty shop with a good reputation. I think Cantrell has a wider experience base due to being around longer. But those guys might be able to help you out. Everything you are doing is bolt on.

I am going to get my MR230-tuned car re-flashed to stock at the dealer right before doing this. I no longer have an MP215 or stock tune here (just the MR230 on the mountune AP). I don't think that the mountune AP captures the current tune before uploading the reflash (unlike the Cobb AP3). That's why you need a Cobb AP -- to get that currently loaded tune. I THINK that it'll take the code for whatever tune is in there, although I imagine it's possible that the mountune tune *could* cause some grief. I've not discussed this with Randy or anyone at mountune. When done, I'll have the MRX tune in the car, the stock tune in the Cobb AP and the MR230 tune on the mountune AP. I still have the stock cat and intake HW and will keep all the stuff that comes off with the turbo replacement. It'll give me more flexibility in the future (as as well more flexibility for any buyer that might happen along as well). That's not likely for many years, but you never know what the future holds.
 


OP
Zormecteon

Zormecteon

Active member
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Kelso
Thread Starter #12
When I talked to them over the phone, the man at the other end said that with a stock tune on the upgraded turbo (MRX upgrade) that car would run like crap. Just FYI. Your idea of having another shop do it other than mountune is well taken. The last time I talked with the Ford Racing Shop (Aldridge Motors) in Portland, they had recently moved and weren't taking in new work. I should give them an call and see if they're taking customers again. (They did all my other installs).
 


meFiSTo

Senior Member
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Redmond
#13
When I talked to them over the phone, the man at the other end said that with a stock tune on the upgraded turbo (MRX upgrade) that car would run like crap. Just FYI. Your idea of having another shop do it other than mountune is well taken. The last time I talked with the Ford Racing Shop (Aldridge Motors) in Portland, they had recently moved and weren't taking in new work. I should give them an call and see if they're taking customers again. (They did all my other installs).

Oh definitely. You really NEVER want to drive the MRX setup on the stock tune. Here's what will happen to my car (which currently has the MR230 tune and HW):

  1. With the MR230 HW in place, car will be flashed back to the stock tune.
  2. I'll carefully drive the car to the shop where the MRX HW and tune will be installed.
  3. Shop bolts up the few items that are coming.
  4. Shop uploads MRX tune from Cobb AP3 to the car; Cobb AP3 captures the stock tune for safe keeping and possible use in the future.
The car will have the MRX tune and the required HW bits to start a process of data logging and adjustment as needed. Then it will get to the track for more test and data logging and possibly more tuning, TBD.

I'm keeping the stock tune for a specific reason: To take the car back to something close to stock in the future if needed for some reason.

I'll have the following options for the car:
  • MRX setuip: in the car once this is done; stock tune in the Cobb AP3 for possible future use
  • Stock tune: Return to stock turbo/BOV and cat. Upload stock tune from the Cobb AP3. I don't think the other bits (FMIC, plumbing, coolers, etc.) will really matter at that point. The car will run like stock as long as the stock cat is in there.
  • MR230 setup: To get back to this, I would restore the stock turbo/BOV back (but keep the mountune cat) and replace the MRX tune with the MR230 tune from my mountune-specific AP (least likely change, but possible). I might have to switch back to the stock tune first from the Cobb AP3, not sure. I'm not sure how the Cobb AP3 handles managing tunes.

It's possible that order of swapout could matter depending on how the Cobb AP3 handles the tunes it sees in the car. I'm new to managing tunes with the AP3. My old SCT tuner for the SVT Focus had some limitations, but I don't recall how it hanlded stock vs. custom tunes.

In any event, I'm wanting to retain some options. I think that if I go straight to the MRX tune from the MR230 tune, then the Cobb AP3 will try capture the MR230 tune as its "default" tune. Not sure that will work right, plus I have that tune in my mountune AP. I'm much more sure that the Cobb AP3 will capture a stock Ford tune correctly when it goes to pair with my car and upload/swap tunes.

Hope that makes sense.
 


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