TunedMercedes M278 Tune

Description

Expected Output

The M278 tunes to approximately 507 HP and 604 TQ (820 nm) in a stage one configuration and achieves approximately 20-40 HP with air intakes, another 40 HP with 400 cell metallic cats, and an additional 20-50 HP with ethanol blend fuel mix.  With m157 hybrid turbos, methanol, and hpfp you can find achieve than 800HP in a daily driver tune.  With appropriate upgrades to the car a quarter mile speed in the 10.5-10.9 range should be achieved with a CLS 550 2014 4matic and a 0-60 time under 4 seconds with a 1 foot rollout (which is how every auto magazine tests).

The Process

As soon as an order is placed we confirm all your details through direct communication.  Most of the time we will send you a few items in a TunedMercedes mailer.  These will connect your car to your windows laptop as long as this laptop isn’t locked in some corporate or school mode.  This process has 3 parts.

Step 1 Reading the ECU

TunedMercedes technician will remote desktop into your windows laptop while connected to the car.  They will read your current software configuration and confirm we have access to the file on the servers to perform a “virtual read”.

Step 2 Calibration

Our technicians will calibrate your file matching your modifications to your car’s exact software.  The calibrations take place in this model will take part in a special part of the ECU that is designed to be modified or calibrated.

We are telling the ECU that we expect more air and we want more power in these areas.  For example raising the top speed isn’t done by tricking the car into thinking it is going slower (this is what a piggy back tuner does in an extremely simplified example) it actually tells the computer in the programmed area to go to 200 mph or whatever is suitable for your current tire rating.

Step 3 Writing

At this point we will have our technician log back in during a scheduled session where the laptop and car are connected with supplied gear that we shipped quickly to you. In this session we will write the calibrated file back to your ECU.

In certain rare cases we may ask you to send your ECU or come in for a bench flash if there is no matching software found.

Bench Flash Method

Step 1

Remove the ECU, take pictures of it, send it to us packaged and we will read it on the bench, then calibrate it, then write the software on the bench.

Step 2

Reinstall the ECU

What to Expect

Expect faster throttle response and tuned mercedes experience.  However, there are important differences between AMG cars and the 550s including cooling set ups.  It is important to expect more heat and more heat soak with a tuned car.  Back to back pulls will yield in much higher times unless cooling has been upgraded.  It is important to note the heat with a tuned cars and to back off when the car gets hot.  This is true with any tune on the market and would be true with an OEM tune under extremely hot conditions.  We leave some heat protection in place so the car will feel slower with higher than normal coolant temperature

The car will likely be louder on downshifts and smoother on deceleration and the fans will be louder.  The car should pull very smoothly and provide an excellent experience rolling from 40-80mph where it should match most any car on the road.

The M278 is a really cool engine, and the tuning reveals it is very fun one too.