GDE Tune prices and alternatives

dirtmover · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 8:11 am

Just been visiting the revamped GDE site. I was on the verge of placing an order until I noticed that the price of his KJ tunes are now listed as $500. I could swear they were $450 a few weeks ago. Can anyone confirm? It would also appear that shipping is no longer included in the price!

asonyi · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 8:53 am

I also noticed prices jumped to $500. Not sure about the shipping charges.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:19 am

As far as I know shipping is included, at least it was never a separate charge (ie ship to you is covered but shipping to GDE is not). As to price I have to say prices change and GDE is a business. For what it's worth back in 2009 list was $550 but for a while there was a $50 off promotion, then IIRC the price dropped to $500 and later to $450 so now it's back up to $500 but not the $550 where it started. Yes I know as I still have my invoice from 2009 with the $50 off the $550 price for my tune and stoutdog's.

That said I'm not particularly fond of the new Shop GDE portion of the site. The old drop down list was ok but I'll admit getting long. Unfortunately the replacement is somewhat confusing: 1) first thing you see is some sort of (yes I know what it is but....) Tool Rental and an R-class tune with no hint that it's a Jeep CRD tool and a Mercedes tune which is odd as the items immediately below contain vehicle names and 2) there is no immediately obvious way to go directly to products for your vehicle (for example it takes an additional 3 clicks starting in the Product list at Engine Tune to get to KJ CRD tunes and then the list is only for tunes). IMHO the site would be much easier to navigate if the very 1st screen right at the top had direct links to ALL the products for each vehicle or at least each vehicle company.

dirtmover · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:56 am

A new line for shipping has been added to the cart. It's actually very reasonable, especially international where I'd normally expect to get gouged.

For a product that is purely IP I'd normally expect to see a downward pressure on price as it reaches end of life. Based on the number of CRD's out there and the fact that the newest of them is 6 years old one must assume that demand for this product is on the decline.

Of course, I may be completely wrong and GDE may be seeing a surge in demand for this product as 2nd & 3rd owners enter the market and upgrade their vehicles or emissions testing dictates that the CEL must be extinguished :lol:

.

The price progression to date ($550->$500->$450) is exactly what I would have expected, start it high to pick off the early adopters and gradually reduce it as the product matures and progresses through it's life cycle. In the meantime, introduce new products for other vehicles which they have been doing.

I'm not suggesting that this product isn't worth the $500 they're asking. I'm just b****ing a bit because I wasn't smart enough to pick one up at it's sweet spot.

On a brighter note, I see that the price of the programming tool has been reduced from $300 to $195.

striperman36 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:07 pm

I purchased it with the scanner option to then download it via email.

I think the prices are reasonable the ROI depending on how and much you drive can be within a year. I went from 22.5 sumer to 26.5 with the tune and the thermostat inline upgrade.

ChooChooman74 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:45 pm

striperman36 wrote:

I purchased it with the scanner option to then download it via email.

I think the prices are reasonable the ROI depending on how and much you drive can be within a year. I went from 22.5 sumer to 26.5 with the tune and the thermostat inline upgrade.

And don't forget cleaner oil and engine.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

striperman36 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:50 pm

ChooChooman74 wrote:

striperman36 wrote:

I purchased it with the scanner option to then download it via email.

I think the prices are reasonable the ROI depending on how and much you drive can be within a year. I went from 22.5 sumer to 26.5 with the tune and the thermostat inline upgrade.

And don't forget cleaner oil and engine.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

With the tune and the ehm, I pulled the map while I was working the tbelt change, it was totally clean.

No rolling coal on hard accelerations either.

more immediate turbo spin up, you still have to spool it up, like covering the cross over on 195 to 24 N!!

OldSkull · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 11:38 pm

GDE got no choice to cut prices since we got a third player in town now take a look
http://malonetuning.com/?page_id=1000

Stage 1(eco tune) $489

Programmer $190

Keith help lot of people here and even give me my second file for a extra $50 two years ago, I need another programmer and since he lower his price I will order one from him again.

But his VW tuning is already far behind what you can get from APR
http://www.goapr.com/products/ecu_upgrade_20tdi_140hp.html

Here what a friend knowing his "game" say about it...

This outfit (APR) has some very innovative ECU tunes for the 2.0L TDI
diesel engine. Switchable tunes from stock to whatever level tune is in
the ECM, all from the cruise control button. A $500 tune with this kind
of ease of use for switching from stock to tuned, plus the ability to
clear OBD codes, security features beyond the stock IMO programs and
more power and torque. 30 day warranty and free upgrades. I know
Malone and RC have some similar features that they've been offering for
sometime. Unlike the Malone tune, APR does not require flashing the DSG
transmission in order to take advantage of the extra power.

This also makes the latest VW offering from GDE look obsolete and over
priced by comparison right from the start, in any area; performance,
features and cost just don't come close. GDE costs $200 more for far
less. In fact, GDE doesn't actually have any VW TDI CR tunes yet, just
older PD and ALH engines.

I see APR is smart and is using fully encrypted software to keep
competitors from ripping them off. Good move.

dirtmover · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:52 am

OldSkull wrote:

GDE got no choice to cut prices since we got a third player in town now take a look
http://malonetuning.com/?page_id=1000

Stage 1(eco tune) $489

Programmer $190

Thanks, it's great to see more competition and options out there.

They're not really giving much information away as to what they're offering apart from the published power/torque figures. I wonder what extras, if any, they are providing. I've pinged him and will post any response I get. Heck, it's these extra features that are drawing me to the GDE tune in particular disable EGR, turn off CEL for FCV failure and fuel economy benefits. I need to pass an emissions between now and next March so the CEL needs to go out. I'd rather invest my money in a tune than a new FCV.

What appeals to me about the Malone product is that I can go to my local dealer and have it installed rather than having to buy the programmer.

A quick :google:

reveals yet another option http://www.kermatdi.com/servlet/Categor ... iberty+CRD For $649 they offer the programmer with a fully customised tune. Again it looks like they're using a re-labelled Alientech programmer.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:53 am

I got my tune when there was a price drop to 450 but that was really still 500 when you factor in the charge for tool rental of the programing tool. He did not charge me shipping but I could be wrong about that though I am pretty sure he did not. he did charge my credit card the price of the time and tool but refunded it when I mailed it back prepaid. over all it was a good deal and he was great to work with.

OldSkull · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:12 pm

Same here he didn't charge me shipping for my first $300 programmer and the OEM timing belt he sold me. Now time has change and there are more players in the game so he drops the price of the programmer and his tune. I suggest you ask question to others resellers before buying from them; I'm sure some of them got an option to cancel the EGR valve since they do it for VW and Audi tunes they sell.

In brief...Check all option, check what you get for your money, check final price and check if he can be done locally to save a few $$$.

Anything else to add? :roll:

Radman · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:23 pm

To the OP, if your looking to test drive a GDE tuned one and ever come to Montreal you can try mine. I have both the ECO tune and TCM Tune.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:35 pm

I might offer to let some near by me take mine for a test drive to see what the tune is like compared to stock. of course I would want to ride with them though. I just have the standard ECo tune

cerich · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2012 4:41 pm

for me going with GDE was easy when I had the money. They freely give any CRD owner advice on virtually anything to do with the CRD and is a true expert resource that is invaluable. Our CRD is a rare vehicle, quite honestly released by DC without enough testing or thought but with the right knowledge and care can be a excellent vehicle with exceptionally rare qualities (power, towing, off road capability, mileage, heck even super easy to park) for North America that can really fill a wide variety of roles.

Without GDE, Sir Sam, Geordi and a few others on here owning a CRD would be greatly foolish, it would end up costing a fortune to maintain in drivable condition. With the knowledge they have freely given the CRD become a incredible value.

Coming up on a week now with the eco tune, loving it.

Big Montana · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:51 pm

cerich wrote:

for me going with GDE was easy when I had the money. They freely give any CRD owner advice on virtually anything to do with the CRD and is a true expert resource that is invaluable. Our CRD is a rare vehicle, quite honestly released by DC without enough testing or thought but with the right knowledge and care can be a excellent vehicle with exceptionally rare qualities (power, towing, off road capability, mileage, heck even super easy to park) for North America that can really fill a wide variety of roles.

Without GDE, Sir Sam, Geordi and a few others on here owning a CRD would be greatly foolish, it would end up costing a fortune to maintain in drivable condition. With the knowledge they have freely given the CRD become a incredible value.

Coming up on a week now with the eco tune, loving it.

x2 on GDE. I trust them. Keith has responded to many of my questions and the tune has been great. I also got it at $450 though. I'm not bashing the new game in town, but I trust the old standard based on past behavior and service to the group.

OldSkull · **Posted:** Sun Jul 29, 2012 4:04 pm

TKB4 wrote:

I probably would consider others though with the degree of cost difference especially combined with lagging in development if i owned a tdi

Sorry to not agree with you because Malone and APR never lag in development they are top ranked Tuner facility but don't just drink my Kool-aid take a look a their web site http://www.ridelust.com/a-visit-to-apr-tuning/

APR beat the a... of anybody out there GDE included for TDI VW/AUDI engine tuning. The company has a “do it yourself” attitude common with businesses founded and staffed by engineers. To test their high pressure fuel pumps, for example, APR built their own test rig at a cost of around $60,000; that may sound expensive, but commercial units designed to do the same thing cost in the neighborhood of $500,000. APR is the only company, aside from manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers, to have such a fuel pump test rig in their facility. If you get the feeling that they’re obsessed with quality.

Malone know their business and doing the tune for the CRD is not just a ECU cloning for them, no they do it right from scratch! No bashing here just common sense! GDE have been in this game for long that's why I have full confidence in them and honestly their ECO tune combined with stock TCM (F37) give me good MPG towing my 3000pds camping trailer, I can't hope for better except using the secret TCM swap you can get for cheap (-$100) from another Chrysler rig... In testing since 2 years :-)

So if you ask me if I buy again the ECU ECO tune from GDE ....I say "YES" as long the price is equal to others tuning available.

TKB4 wrote:

However if the new Grand Cherokee diesel is what its expounded to be by many I can't wait to pick up a used one in two or tree years after bugs are known.

Problem is spare parts price, Chrysler support and lacking of mechanics training..
Let see what the market will bring to us in a neer futur. Now I just hope things get better for our exotic rig (AKA rare as pope butt skin). :ROTFL:

flman · **Posted:** Mon Jul 30, 2012 7:01 am

dirtmover wrote:

Just been visiting the revamped GDE site. I was on the verge of placing an order until I noticed that the price of his KJ tunes are now listed as $500. I could swear they were $450 a few weeks ago. Can anyone confirm? It would also appear that shipping is no longer included in the price!

Wow, inflation is real? Maybe he should just do it for free because he lives in inflation free Michigan? :ROTFL:

GDE Tune prices and alternatives

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