Out Of The Box Impressions: Bully Dog BDX Tuner

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Tuners have come a long way from the days of having to swap the chip in the ECU. Bully Dog has taken the next step in the tuning world with the release of its BDX tuner.

Vehicle owners are looking for easy ways to add horsepower and torque, and tuners can unlock that just by plugging into the OBD-II port. There’s no need for fancy machines or trips to the shop to get the power you want, because it can all be done in your garage.

Plugging the tuner into the OBD-II port and following the onscreen instructions was all it took to get the tuner installed on the vehicles.

“The BDX is a handheld tuner based on the X4 hardware,” Doug Rust of Bully Dog explained to us. “It’s designed to fill a void in the Bully Dog Light Duty product lineup. Currently, the Bully Dog electronics line consists only of the GT gauge-based units and adding a handheld programmer provides a lower-cost, ‘plug and play’ solution that Bully Dog has not had in its product line for several years.”

The handheld tuner has some great features, the most interesting one being that there is only one part number for any vehicle. This means no more searching and hunting for the tuner that will fit your truck, since the BDX tuner covers all the available vehicle applications.


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For vehicles that support them, the tuner can hold up to 10 custom tunes. Rust said, “This allows for the ultimate customizability, allowing customers to get a tune written specifically for their vehicle’s modifications and the type of driving they do.” Having the ability to adjust the vehicle on the fly is important, because you just never know where your adventure may take you.

BDX Tuner Features

  • Can hold up to 10 custom tunes
  • Wireless updates
  • Read and clear diagnostic trouble codes
  • Full gauge views
  • Update tuner via Livelink
Having to run to a computer to update the firmware is now a thing of the past. The BDX tuner allows for wireless updates with its built-in WiFi. “Since the device is shipped without any calibrations on it, the owner will first read the vehicle, then hit the server either via Wifi or using Product Updater to get the correct files for their vehicle,” explained Rust. “You don’t have to leave your vehicle during the installation process, provided you have access to a network.”

Any automotive nut can be stopped in their tracks if the check engine light pops up. Thankfully, the tuner will read and clear diagnostic trouble codes. For more in-depth monitoring, the BDX tuner allows for full gauge views.

Bully Dog also offers Livelink, a free download from their website. Rust explained, “Data can be logged using the record option and then played back by uploading the file to a computer using Livelink.” This allows users another way to see more of what is going on with their vehicle.

Getting the tune installed was easy as pie. We followed the on-screen instructions that walked us through the whole process.

For more information and the latest news from Bully Dog, make sure you check out its website and Facebook page.


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Steven Olsewski

Steven Olsewski grew up with a true passion for anything with a motor. He loves his wife and kids, and during the year can be found enjoying quality time together. They are a huge part of his life and their passion for God.
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