In recent years, custom ECU calibrating (i.e., “custom tuning”) has become all the rage for diesel truck owners. Thanks to the availability of various software and tuning platforms, tuners are capable of tailoring the way a truck drives and performs to a specific owner’s needs. However, the one drawback up to this point is that if a tuning revision is needed, a laptop or SD card has to be employed in order to upload a new (revised) file into the customer’s tuning device (and ultimately the truck). This means downtime, which doesn’t sit well in the instant gratification world we live in. Truck owners don’t want to wait a week, a day, even an hour to see results; that’s precisely why the EZ Lynk Auto Agent is revolutionizing the tuning industry.
The EZ Lynk Auto Agent allows you to tune, diagnose, monitor and data log your truck through the use of your iOS or Android smartphone. There’s no more connecting your handheld programming device to a laptop, no more microscopic SD card(s) to keep track of and, more importantly, no more waiting around. Everything is done from your phone, without the need to ever even visit a shop.
We recently got our hands on an EZ Lynk Auto Agent and decided to give it a shot on a ’17 F-350 Super Duty, which PPEI had just released aftermarket tuning for. Follow along as we run through the install and spotlight a host of features that set this technology apart from the tuning devices of yesteryear.
All-Inclusive
On the hardware side of things, the EZ Lynk Auto Agent comes with everything you need to get started, including the Auto Agent router, OBD-II cable and phone mount. The dealer network for EZ Lynk is growing by the day, but we sourced our unit from PPEI — a company known for its reputable custom tuning and good customer support.
To link your smartphone to the EZ Lynk hardware, you simply download the free app (from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store), create an account and you’re granted full access to the EZ Lynk cloud.
Unlock Cable
Because ’13-newer Ram trucks equipped with the 6.7L Cummins require the ECU to be unlocked in order to tune it — and because the EZ Lynk Auto Agent can be used in multiple vehicles — EZ Lynk ships this cable with each unit it sells. It allows you to unlock the ECU without having to buy a separate device (thereby eliminating an added expense).
Obviously, considering the fact we were installing the EZ Lynk on a Ford, we didn’t need to use it.
Wi-Fi Router
The Auto Agent box is essentially a Wi-Fi router that speaks CAN. It broadcasts a wireless access point which allows your iOS or Android device to be directly linked to your vehicle. The Auto Agent plugs into the vehicle’s OBD-II port using the included cord.
After ours was installed on our ’17 Super Duty test mule, we zip-tied it up and out of the way, under the dash.
Phone Mount
As far as mounting your smartphone goes, the supplied mount is secured via suction and adhesive. It’s designed to be installed along the dashboard or windshield, but it can literally be mounted anywhere in the vehicle.
Spring Loaded
The smartphone mount is also spring loaded (no need to tighten or loosen anything) and can accommodate the size of any phone currently on the market. This makes for a quick release and install for anyone on the go.
ECU Profiles
Once everything is up and running, the Auto Agent will immediately recognize your specific vehicle (there is no longer a need to supply the truck’s VIN, ECU or TCM serial numbers to your tuner).
From there, and if you wish to tune the ECU, you have to establish a link between the vehicle and your preferred tuner using the Auto Agent app; then, your tuner will be able to send you ECU files through the EZ Lynk cloud. Once a tune is received (which literally takes seconds), you simply “fetch” it, then upload it to the ECU.
Easy Uploading
After tapping the “install” button, the new tuning file is uploaded into the ECU. Tuning the ECU is no different from the handheld programmers of yesteryear; you simply follow the onscreen prompts and cycle the ignition on and off when told to do so.
5 Minutes or less
Installing the new tune took less than 5 minutes, which got us thinking…
This type of technology would be ideal for someone testing at the drag strip or dyno, as your tuner can email a different ECU file directly to your phone, and you can have it uploaded in a matter of minutes. With the ability to data log and change ECU calibrations so quickly, EZ Lynk is the perfect tool for making adjustments per the track conditions you’re facing.
Smartphone-Turned-Powertrain Monitor
Beyond the tuning, reading and clearing DTCs and data logging functions, your smartphone doubles as a gauge monitor to keep tabs on key vitals like transmission temperature, coolant temp, rail pressure, boost and more.
This rules out the need to fork over even more money on an aftermarket monitor or analog gauges.
Data Logging Capability
Should you need to data log (be it for performance testing or diagnosis purposes), you simply hit the red button in the top right corner of the smartphone screen. The data logging function is perfect for solving intermittent issues vehicles sometimes experience.
Instead of taking your truck to a shop, having your mechanic drive it and hope the problem resurfaces during his or her test drive, you can simply hit record and document what your truck is doing when it acts up. From there, all you have to do is email the log to your tuner (or mechanic), and the problem can likely be pinpointed. This saves you a lot of downtime, and (trust us) your mechanic will appreciate not having to chase down a mysterious issue.
Easy to Configure
Once the EZ Lynk installation was complete on our ’17 Super Duty, we configured the eight parameters we wanted to watch in gauge form and took the truck for a test drive.
Injection pressure, engine coolant and oil temp, boost pressure and transmission temp were among the key vitals we like to keep an eye on in any diesel-powered vehicle.
Seamless Updates
Automatic firmware updates are extremely convenient with the EZ Lynk system, for both the end user and the tuner. Instead of updating each EZ Lynk on a case-by-case basis, your tuner can send out an update that applies to all devices. This helps resolve minor issues before they ever have a chance to become a problem.
Current Availability
- ’11-’16 Ford 6.7L Power Stroke: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control, Flash Programming
- ’17 Ford 6.7L Power Stroke: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control, Flash Programming
- ’11-’16 GM 6.6L Duramax: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control, Flash Programming
- ’17 GM 6.6L Duramax: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control (Flash Programming coming soon)
- ’13-’17 Ram 6.7L Cummins: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control, Flash Programming