ECU remapping files start with accurate identification.

A make, model and advertised engine output help describe the vehicle, but they do not replace the ECU's own identifiers. Record the hardware and software information reported by your programming tool. Add the model year, engine, transmission and reading method so the request can be understood without guessing what is fitted.

Keep the identification report together with the original read. If a filename has been shortened to something like original.bin, the report supplies context that the filename no longer carries. A short internal job reference also helps your workshop avoid mixing reads from similar vehicles on the same day.

Tell us whether the file came from a direct read or a virtual read. AutoTuner's documentation distinguishes a direct read of the ECU's present content from a virtual original retrieved for its software number. That distinction matters when the vehicle has already been modified: the word original in a filename is not a reliable record of tuning history.

Also identify whether you are supplying a calibration file or a tool-generated backup container. Different tools and operations can produce different outputs. Keep the original export intact and check the required format before trying to extract, convert or rename its contents.

Use the service selection to state the job, then use the notes to explain the vehicle. Stage 1 is the starting point for a request based on the existing standard hardware. Stage 2 requires the hardware changes to be listed and assessed. In either case, tell us about previous software work, the fuel being used and any known running concerns.

An engine ECU file and a transmission control unit file are separate requests. If the intended work involves both, identify both control units and ask which submissions are needed. Do not assume an engine file includes gearbox software simply because the two requests relate to the same car.

When the submission is completed, download its prepared file and read the delivery notes. Before programming, confirm the vehicle's software has not changed since the submitted read. AutoTuner specifically advises reading again before writing because a manufacturer update may have taken place between visits.

Archive the original, delivery and job notes under the same reference. If the customer returns after other work, you then have the information needed to explain what was previously done and establish whether a fresh submission is required. The portal's file history supports that record; it does not replace the workshop's vehicle checks.