Well to be truthful with you a canned tune isn't something a tuner sets up. Most tuning software comes with pre-loaded files for any given PCM code. These "tunes" are based on bone stock engines and are simply slight adjustments in the fuel and ignition tables and removal of the factory set limiters(vehicle speed, rpms, PATS codes). And unless you take your vehicle to an excellent tuner with a dyno these canned tunes are better than most files that a tuner can draw up based only on numbers. They were written by tuning gurus who spent thousands of hours developing the best possible SAFE parameters. I've got a folder of base tunes I wrote for the most common engines(Ford 4.6 SOHC and Intech mod motors, Triton motors, new Chrysler Hemis and of course the B, D and H Honda motors). I use these as starting points and after learning what the customer has done to their vehicle I adjust where I see fit. I hate canned tunes but since nobody wants to bring their cars to me I have no choice but to send out something I can't test. EVERY tuner will have a clause somewhere stating we are not liable for damage due to a mis-adjusted tune. The reason isn't because we are scared our tunes are fouled, it is because in my experience over half of the customers are lying about their vehicles mileage and the mods performed. If I see a 250k mile B16 with a stock, unported head and exhaust manifold I'll reduce the aggressiveness of the tune. Since those ricers want all the power they can get, they lie to us and we end up sending them a tune with the probability of damaging their junk. If any of you have experience with them you know how weak and pathetic the timing belts are. Well they are supposed to be changed every 80k. The idiots ricing them out NEVER change them. Now I send them an aggressive tune that alters the Vtec ramping and boom, the 250k mile belt pops. Since they are interference motors, the pistons slam the valves and it all snowballs from there. Now they call back and say I owe them an engine because the tune killed their car.
not necessarily, if you're referring to a mail order tune (i.e. places like wheatley and blackbear) as a 'canned tune' then a tuner absolutely does set it up. it may not be a datalogged dyno specific tune, but they will still need to tweak things like the PE delay, shifting parameters, VATS, VSS calibrations, etc, based on the customer's requests usually starting with a base stock tune. as far as 'canned tunes' that come with a tuning suite, its usually software dependent. I have been using EFILive for years and am one of their resellers, and although there are scores of tunes available, both stock and otherwise...I've never seen any general 'lab' tunes that it has with it at purchase, but the tunes that are available as downloads at the holdencrazy repository are not lab created tunes, they're bone stock ones pulled from existing vehicles. so when using those, the tuning does need to be custom taylored at least a little bit for the customer, and each mail order tuner has their own recipe for what they tweak.
I agree that the complexities of tuning a customer's car have it's problems like you stated, I mainly tune my own and my familys/friends vehicles, since my business is educational and journalistic by nature, I prefer to teach people how to tune it themselves. but even with that I have a standard disclaimer that they are responsible for anything they do to their vehicle, but typically for me, its not a problem as the people who are able to purchase the tuning suite and put the time into learning it are a lot more advanced than the guys who never change their timing belts...heh