Prime Motoring and JR Tuned....NOT the best

[vgi]

Based on raving reviews I had decided to go to PrimeMotoring for my Kraftwerks supercharger kit installation and tuning. The tuning at PrimeMotoring is done by JuniorAWD who's basically a subcontractor for tuning.

The idea was to drop off the car for installation/tuning and then enjoy the boost a week later. Unfortunatelly the next day logging reveiled that the installation/tuning has major issues. Here are the log and screenshots of analyses:
https://drive.google.com/#folders/0B...V9tc3NhY1pPeHc

the good:
- the install looks clean
- Mike is an awesome guy

the bad:
- it's pretty hard to get anyone to talk to over the phone. All the communication is handled via the receptionists girl.
- the intake has an inlet for crank PCV hose but it wasn't noticed, so the crank PCV hose was left opened to air and the intake inlet was also opened to air sucking unfiltered air into the engine.
- the MAF o-ring was ripped and was leaking boost.
- the silicon pipe from supercharger to intercooler (which is behind the bumper cover) was clamped on the intercooler pipe bend and was leaking boost.
- the fuel pump installation was not done correctly and fuel pressure was dropping towards redline on less than half a tank of fuel (the tightening ring was not completely screwed on - marking was off and I was able to unscrew it fairly easy with just my hands. There were 3 o-rings although DIY postings say it should be 4. The fuel filter sock lock ring is missing and the rubber grommet is missing too)
- the car was tuned on the dyno (no street tuning was done even though new fuel pump and injectors were installed) and none of the problems mentioned above were noticed. If they were noticed then JR just worked the tune around those issues.
- the tune has never run well. it was semi-well after I fixed the MAF o-ring leak but then after I fixed the boost leak at the intercooler piping - the car started jerking at cruising.
- no support from JR. He replied first with a new rom (2 maps) where I assume he just pulled a lot of timing asking me to test those and that was it. He never replied to any of my emails after that. I have asked PrimeMotoring multiple times to revise the tune and each time I was told that they would let JR know. And again no response from JR.

summary:
The hardware issues I have mentioned can happen and they can go unnoticed very easily, but a simple pressure test after installation would show the problems.

I could be better off if I had done installation/tuning at the shop/company that has its own tuner, where mechanic(s) and tuner work together on any issues and stand behind the result. That's not the case with PrimeMotoring + JR tuning arrangement.

UPDATE:
Thank you PrimeMotoring for stepping in and refunding me money for tuning!

[dp1]

I did not have a good experience with @PrimeMotoring and @JuniorAWD. Majority of what Prime did for me was good but we should have had less issues, they shouldn't have been at my expense (few thousand dollars and many hours), and I could have been treated better. Junior's tune was not as good as a the latest tune I got elsewhere. I wish I would have taken my $30k business elsewhere.

I removed my subsequent posts because they could be very hurtful to their businesses in the long run. I wish them all the best.

[BadBRZ]

So frs300 blows his motor with a fullblown kit
Swaps to fa20club
Gets ramrodded
Takes car back and sends it to prime motoring
And not prime motoring is very quickly going the route of fa20club...

@Frs300

Everything good with you?

[King Tut]

Originally Posted by BadBRZ

So frs300 blows his motor with a fullblown kit
Swaps to fa20club
Gets ramrodded
Takes car back and sends it to prime motoring
And not prime motoring is very quickly going the route of fa20club...

@Frs300

Everything good with you?

Go easy on him bro. When he sent it to Prime it was only supposed to be a three week tour...

[vgi]

Originally Posted by King Tut

Go easy on him bro. When he sent it to Prime it was only supposed to be a three week tour...

i've seen his car sitting outside. not PrimeMotoring related, but i have seen 20yro cars in better shape in-n-out.

@BadBRZ this thread is not to start a shit-storm. Hardware/parts wise I don't think PrimeMotoring even half as bad as FA20Club based on the latter reviews, sloppy perhaps? Their tuning arrangement with JuniorAWD though sucks IMO - that is where the fa20club stories remind me my experience with JR

[BadBRZ]

I know nothing anout prime motoring personally, i have however seen an influx of jr hate threads and people complaining about prime motorings work.

Like i said just stating the obvious, nothing remotely personal.

[ProTekk]

Dunno what's been going on but I'd like to chime in with my experience with Prime and JR. All visits were painless, professional and courteous.

[Frs300]

I havent had a problem with @Prime Motoring at all. They have been nothing but helpful and very straight forward through the process. As for taking a long time the heads took ages to get fixed because of fa20clubs fuck ups but thats not related to prime at all.

I got kicked out of the military 6 months early which so that has a little to do with the wait because i have no job at the moment.

[JuniorAWD]

I won't indulge to much into this post. Your always going to have a few unhappy customers and I am fortunate enough to really only have a very small unhappy amount.

I see one unhappy customer with my "lack of response"
I have the emails to prove I offered a day of just looking it over, the customer couldn't make it. Afterwords I sent him a map to try because the logs he provided where not matching what I had from the tuning I supplied. From the first log I told him it was a mechanical issue and I would not let a car leave in that condition.... Reading this reply your both telling us about the leaks you found, the problem with a pump AND you still blame me. Trust me I wouldn't ruin my reputation over a 550 dollar tune, so leaving it or tuning around said issues would not have happened. Your oring blew out after the tune, you had a fuel delivery issues AFTER your tune... I can't fix those via an email.
I do appologize for my lack of response time, but I do try my best. I don't waste time telling people the same thing over and over ... Aka your mechanical issue.

As for Donko, 4 "tunes" eh?
You got one tune, you told me car is great BUT had a small hesitation. I fixed it, you were happy then again small hesitation... Flashed again.. Finally you find some sort of leak. You come back and get touched up. You then TEXT me how awesome the car is, you see my days later and AGAIN in front of demtri tell me it's so awesome etc..
How am I supposed to know you have a problem if you don't tell me? I can't fix or help an issue?
You also got told we will no longer support you because you send in an email at 11 am about how much better and how awesome your new tune is... Then 3 hours later how you suddenly you ran into a problem with a blown out cat and it's my tune that caused it... AFTER YOU SENT AN EMAIL SAYING HOW AWESOME YOUR CAR IS NOW... AFTER
See the problem? Your not straight forward, and it's both hard to deal with people like that and frustrating because you don't know what's the actual facts.

Either way I wish you both the best. Like I said I try and in 14yrs of doing this you will find a few unhappy people. They are mostly like you 2, who just blame the tune. I've got no guilty conscience here, and I know I did my part like I always do.

Good luck guys!

Jr

[dp1]

(removed)

[vgi]

Originally Posted by JuniorAWD

I see one unhappy customer with my "lack of response"

I know at least 2 other people who haven't posted here that aren't happy with your tunes

Originally Posted by JuniorAWD

I have the emails to prove I offered a day of just looking it over, the customer couldn't make it. Afterwords I sent him a map to try because the logs he provided where not matching what I had from the tuning I supplied.

You did write "let's take care of it this weekend".

After that I asked you which date (sat or sun) and time.

Your response was, quote: "How about since you are pretty pretty savvy with your logging I can start sending you some revisions until we can meet up on a date that is better for the both of us? I can start today, and we can start by clearing up that knocking".

After that you sent me the rom with 2 maps on May 23. And THAT was your last email. I have sent you the log back and 7 email with no response from you. I have bugged PrimeMotoring numerous time with NO RESPONSE neither from you nor from them on tuning part.

So now, 2 month later you say I shouldn't be unhappy?

And I do have all the emails to prove that.

Originally Posted by JuniorAWD

From the first log I told him it was a mechanical issue and I would not let a car leave in that condition.... Reading this reply your both telling us about the leaks you found, the problem with a pump AND you still blame me. Trust me I wouldn't ruin my reputation over a 550 dollar tune, so leaving it or tuning around said issues would not have happened

Read the topic! This review is for PrimeMotoring + your tuning.
I paid the money for installation and tuning. The very NEXT DAY logging shows that car is NOT running well at all. Ask me if I care whos f.. up it is - yours or PrimeMotoring.

And if you didn't work around those issues (or did not notice them at all) how come your tune is still so bad now that I have fixed those issues (thanks to jamesm)

Originally Posted by JuniorAWD

Your oring blew out after the tune, you had a fuel delivery issues AFTER your tune... I can't fix those via an email.

Of course, the o-ring, the clump, and the fuel pump - all the issues must have happened on my way home under the rain when I never even pushed the car above 5k rpm.

That is exactly why I am NOT happy with my experience. You blame on hardware installation and Mike from Prime says the car looks good and he doesn't see any issues. On top of that, it's impossible to get hold of you. And no one told me - bring the car over any time convenient for you and we'll take care of it.

Originally Posted by JuniorAWD

I do appologize for my lack of response time, but I do try my best. I don't waste time telling people the same thing over and over ... Aka your mechanical issue.
Jr

Right. Like I said, last email from you was on May 23. If that the best you can do you tell people that in order for them to get support it's about 2 month period between email communication. Oh, wait, I still didn't get an email, so may be more.

And mechanical issues - I did send you emails with my findings. And Mike must have told you as well. Well, did I mention I got NO RESPONSE from you?

[Scalzo]

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[loogs]

FML. subbed too

[PrimeMotoring]

Originally Posted by vgi

Based on raving reviews I had decided to go to PrimeMotoring for my Kraftwerks supercharger kit installation and tuning. The tuning at PrimeMotoring is done by JuniorAWD who's basically a subcontractor for tuning.

The idea was to drop off the car for installation/tuning and then enjoy the boost a week later. Unfortunatelly the next day logging reveiled that the installation/tuning has major issues. Here are the log and screenshots of analyses:
https://drive.google.com/#folders/0B...V9tc3NhY1pPeHc

the good:
- the install looks clean
- Mike is an awesome guy

the bad:
- it's pretty hard to get anyone to talk to over the phone. All the communication is handled via the receptionists girl.
- the intake has an inlet for crank PCV hose but it wasn't noticed, so the crank PCV hose was left opened to air and the intake inlet was also opened to air sucking unfiltered air into the engine.
- the MAF o-ring was ripped and was leaking boost.
- the silicon pipe from supercharger to intercooler (which is behind the bumper cover) was clamped on the intercooler pipe bend and was leaking boost.
- the fuel pump installation was not done correctly and fuel pressure was dropping towards redline on less than half a tank of fuel (the tightening ring was not completely screwed on - marking was off and I was able to unscrew it fairly easy with just my hands. There were 3 o-rings although DIY postings say it should be 4. The fuel filter sock lock ring is missing and the rubber grommet is missing too)
- the car was tuned on the dyno (no street tuning was done even though new fuel pump and injectors were installed) and none of the problems mentioned above were noticed. If they were noticed then JR just worked the tune around those issues.
- the tune has never run well. it was semi-well after I fixed the MAF o-ring leak but then after I fixed the boost leak at the intercooler piping - the car started jerking at cruising.
- no support from JR. He replied first with a new rom (2 maps) where I assume he just pulled a lot of timing asking me to test those and that was it. He never replied to any of my emails after that. I have asked PrimeMotoring multiple times to revise the tune and each time I was told that they would let JR know. And again no response from JR.

summary:
The hardware issues I have mentioned can happen and they can go unnoticed very easily, but a simple pressure test after installation would show the problems.
Overall to me, it was $550 wasted money for the tune and I'd say about $200 wasted money (of $600 paid) for the installation considering I had to redo the fuel pump, do boost leaks testing and take the bumper off to f.. around with intercooler piping.

I would be way better off if I had done the installation myself and got an e-tune or a base tune w/ following street tune from another local tuner.

I would also be better off if I had done installation/tuning at the shop/company that has its own tuner where mechanic(s) and tuner work together on any issues and stand behind the result. That's not the case with PrimeMotoring + JR tuning arrangement.

@vgi we take full responsibility for the issues you had with your car. We are not here to argue or point fingers, the issues like the leaks from the MAF o-ring was our overlooking. We did indeed boost leak test the car with you there to witness and it did not show any leaks. The fuel pump oring is inexcusable and I apologize for the issues you had with the car post install.

Because of this I have to take responsibility in terms of the issues you had with Jr. When he tuned the car, all seemed well on his end and we have never witnessed him give a half assed car to a customer. thats why we trust his expertise and knowledge for you yourself mentioned you wanted him to tune the car from his reputation from the Subaru forums. He does not have any control over the product that leaves here and that is why I can say I assume 100 percent responsibility.