Is my ECU locked?
Some controllers are locked. Some of those can be opened. Some cannot be opened by anyone, ever.
What locking is
Manufacturers protect the calibration held in the engine controller so it cannot be overwritten. On a lot of newer vehicles this means no calibration — ours, anyone’s — can be written until the protection is removed. Removing it is a physical service performed on the module, with its own turnaround.
The hard stops
Certain manufacturer-locked controllers cannot be unlocked at all. Not by us, not by a competitor, not for more money. When your vehicle falls into that category we will tell you on the phone, before you ship anything and before you pay anything.
We would rather lose the sale than take a module we already know we are going to send back.
How to find out
Call with the year, make, model and engine — the VIN if you have it. We will tell you which controller you have and which of the three categories it falls into. If it is unlockable, we quote turnaround alongside your calibration.
Once you order, we email you an HP Tuners order number on our account. Wait for that email before you ship, and write the number on the OUTSIDE of the package in marker. You remove the module and send it to HP Tuners in Illinois at your cost; they unlock it and air-return it from Illinois straight to you. That return is billed when you order, once per order — $100 for 2-day air or $140 for next-day.