Just gotta ask! Why is OBD2 tuning (credits etc) so expensive?

[EDZIP]

Just wondering why you can program OBD1 systems with low cost (and often free) software, BUT with the OBD2 stuff you need to buy credits etc for each VIN. Is the monopoly related to the technology, legal obligations or just $$$

[steveo]

it's a monopoly thing. they require a lot of research and testing; which is a niche market, and those guys want to get paid. from what i've seen obd-ii ecm software is much more complex and harder to reverse engineer.

since tuning shops are their biggest customers, they want to make sure 'vin unlocked' versions of their software are really expensive.

[Buzz]

Developing software is an expense ... kind of like the Smartphone APP craze ... only $0.99 for an APP that does X ... difference is that millions of APPs are sold ... keeps the price low.

Ever had to purchase Microsoft Office (Word / Excel / PowerPoint) as a complete package ? Not cheap. If you run a business (large or small) you have to license each copy of Microsoft Office installed (per computer). Same for Adobe, and other popular computer softwares - when run in full functioning mode.

Purchasing tuning software is more expensive than purchasing a custom tune - if you are only going to tune one vehicle. If you are going to tune two or more vehicles, tuning software becomes less expensive than purchasing multiple custom tunes.

[EagleMark]

It's also not only software cost but skills and time invested in reverse engineering the PCM, then uploading and loading new tune to PCM/VCM etc... not a simple process and if done wrong you have a new doorstop.

So big costs and a small amount of sales = high cost software.

OBDII is much more complicated then OBDI chips and such.