How Vehicle Software Updates Can Improve Performance & Safety

There are many parts of the car which can be replaced to make your car run stronger and faster. This is true no matter what the manufacturer. Simply pulling one part and dropping in another will alter the amount of power or gain which is achieved by the engine. Many people looking to enhance the performance of their vehicle will run into a wall unless they take the time to update the software which is being used by their car. This means altering the engine computer software which is being used to regulate the many different functions the vehicle performs.

Like it or not the vehicles of today are far more advanced in every way. Functions do not happen simply by mechanical means. There are computers on board which control everything from air flow to the amount of gas which is being used. Having the right balance will make it where the engine can run as efficiently as possible.

If your vehicle has not been to the dealership in the past 2-5 years, or your current repair shop has not offered to check your vehicle for a software update, then you have about an 80% chance of requiring an update. Ask this simple question the next time you see your mechanic, “does your shop have the ability to update my vehicles software if needed?” If they have the famous deer in the headlights look on their face and say no, then you may need to look elsewhere for a repair shop with current training and up to date tools required to properly service your vehicle and keep you safe.

I know a lot of technicians and repair vehicle check shops that have never performed an update, stating “all that does is mess up the computer, and causes future problems”. They could not be further from the truth. The manufacturers would not spend time and money on correcting their faulty software if they did not need to. With parts becoming more reliable, and vehicles designed to be virtually maintenance free of tune ups until 90,000 miles, we are seeing the need of parts replacement declining as fast as software updates rise.

Recently there were customer complaints of their rear brakes locking up during certain stops, causing loss of vehicle control, which could result in a crash without warning. The vehicle manufacturer inspected the entire braking system, paying special attention to the rear brakes, and found no reason for the brakes to fail. They eventually found the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) computer on about 50,600 vehicles with software programmed to lock up the rear brakes during certain stops. The “Fix” for the Recall consisted of a software update; no special or replacement parts were needed.

As you can see, even cars which are not being enhanced to get more performance are in need of software updates to correct faulty programming. Correcting safety concerns is likely the most important reason to have your vehicle checked for updates. Other issues fixed by software updates may include repairs to the check engine light, transmissions, alternators, and even belt “chirp” noises.