Stage 1 vs Stage 2: choose by the specification, not the number.

Both stages need a current original read, ECU identification and a clear description of the vehicle. The difference is the configuration being requested. A standard-hardware Stage 1 brief still needs the engine, transmission, fuel, previous software history and customer priorities. It is not a request to skip those details.

A Stage 2 brief must describe the installed modifications accurately enough to assess the job. List parts and relevant specifications, and separate anything planned for the future. Do not assume a stage label tells the file preparer which components are fitted or how the vehicle has been checked since installation.

The customer may be asking for a change in everyday response, or the workshop may be completing a specific hardware project. Those are different starting points. First establish the requirement and vehicle condition, then decide which service describes the work.

If a vehicle has one replacement component, that fact alone may not answer the service question. Likewise, a long parts list does not establish that a particular target is appropriate. Send the specification when the category is unclear. It is better to resolve the scope before ordering than to buy a higher stage because it sounds more complete.

Compatible additional options selected with Stage 1 or Stage 2 are included without extra credits. Standalone options, ordered without either stage, cost 0.5 credit each. Inclusion is a pricing rule; compatibility remains a technical question for the vehicle and control unit.

A Stage 1 request with two compatible options still uses 1 credit. A Stage 2 request with those options still uses 2 credits. Two standalone options also total 1 credit, but they do not include a Stage 1 tune. Those examples explain why a matching credit total does not necessarily mean the same work is being ordered.

If the project also involves a gearbox file, identify it as a separate control-unit request and confirm the service selection. If hardware installation is incomplete, say so. If the customer intends to change fuel after the appointment, record the actual plan rather than assuming it will be understood.

The same applies when returning to a previous job. A Stage 1 delivery should not be assumed suitable after the configuration changes. Reference the previous submission, describe the new specification and ask what work is needed. Keep the sequence clear in the workshop record.

Write the current specification first. Then write the intended result. Compare the request with the service descriptions and identify any unanswered compatibility question. Finally, check the displayed credit cost before submitting the file.

This gives the customer a quote tied to real work. The workshop can separately account for inspection, hardware, programming and validation rather than treating the file-service stage price as the entire appointment cost. Use current package prices when converting credits into your purchase cost.