what will happen if i dont have my car's computer "flashed"?

Question

i paid almost $400 for a new computer in my car about a month ago. the repair shop said that i have to bring it to a dealership to have it flashed. what does this mean and what will happen if i dont do it? i just dont have the money to do it yet...

Answer 1

Flashed would mean rewriting the software to the computer.

If your car works with the new computer installed then it obviously has some software on it but flashing it would ensure that you've got the latest version.

If it's working now you should be able to get away without flashing it but you really should get the updates as soon as you can.

Answer 2

a reflash just updates the software to the latest program. as the manufacturers find small glitches or tweaks they update the operating parameters and create a new "calibration". its basically like d/l a windows update for your car.
if it is running fine then you can leave it as is, but if it seems quirky i do suggest the reflash. on dodges we can see what the reflash is changing so thats kind of a neat feature.
and btw - emissions (pcm and cat converter) warranty is 8-80 on us models under a certain GVW, so heavy trucks are excluded. they are 5-50.

Answer 3

laptop "brains" don't get scrambled. Overheated automobiles do grab up while warm inflicting them to stall. you have a topic with the cooling gadget which may be a warped or cracked cylinder head, a plugged radiator, a bad water pump, or all the themes. locate a mechanic it is attentive to what they are doing in the previous it is too previous due, no rely if it is not already!

Answer 4

It's a generic computer. The dealer needs to program the specific information about your car into it for it to work right.

Answer 5

Does your car have less than 50,000 miles on it? Emission control equipment including the computer are waranteed by law for the first 50,000 miles. Just so you know.