Ken at MD just told me today that the tuners across the nation see more and more messed up tunes. The reason is that many dealers automatically put the latest Ford tune on your car when you bring it in. You bring it in for any service and they 'do you a favour' and put the latest software in...
If I ever bring mine in (not much left I have warranty on) I'll block and flag the OBD II port with something like; SPECIAL TUNE DO NOT RETUNE ! I would also tell the guys and keep an eye on them.
Your CAIed etc. car would run lean with Fords tune. There is also the issue when you or your tuner try to 'retune' it back to your performance tune. Supposedly it gets all messed up...
__________________
KJ, poorer but happier
Thanks to: Modular Depot Fox Lake Racing Tunable Induction Power House 411 Sun Coast Creations
Ken at MD just told me today that the tuners across the nation see more and more messed up tunes. The reason is that many dealers automatically put the latest Ford tune on your car when you bring it in. You bring it in for any service and they 'do you a favour' and put the latest software in...
If I ever bring mine in (not much left I have warranty on) I'll block and flag the OBD II port with something like; SPECIAL TUNE DO NOT RETUNE ! I would also tell the guys and keep an eye on them.
Your CAIed etc. car would run lean with Fords tune. There is also the issue when you or your tuner try to 'retune' it back to you performance tune. Supposedly it gets all messed up...
That happened to me and it messed up the computer so my tuner would not work...
Be careful and tell the dealer "DO NOT RE-TUNE"!!!
Guys, please elaborate a little more. What exactly are you saying? You're going to freak a lot of people out.......
I brought my car into the dealer the other week, and before doing so, I removed my CAI and re-installed the factory back-up tune. This action also re-set my Predator tool, so that it could then be used on any car (it no longer was holding the original tune or any custom tunes).
When I got the car back, I re-installed the CAI and re-installed my custom tune. I could swear the car is not preforming like it did before I brought it in to the dealer. I might be imagining this.
If what you say is true, and the Ford dealers are loading revised software, how exactly does this affect you re-installing your custom tune all over again? It should not affect this at all.
Does the Cal ID change?
Are certain parameters being "locked" so that you (or your custom tune) cannot change them?
Some of what you are saying does not make any sense- I would like to know more.
What is the solution to this problem? Does every person that is affected have to contact the company where they bought their tune from (DiabloSport, in my instance) and tell them that the tune they originally purchased won't work anymore, because Ford changed the software in the car? Can they give me a revised tune that will work?
If what you are seeing is true, this is a pretty big issue.
You will have to ask for what updates (if any) they put in on your car. I'm guessing their tuner reads what you have and then load in any updates it has that your car don't have.
It will reset your timing, A/F etc. to Fords calibrations automatically. But if your car was stock when in your 'home tune' later should override anything Ford did in regards to engine parameters...?? Ken said that ppl going in with tuned cars then trying to retune at home ended up with the car not even running, I'm guessing from the mix of three tunes (custom-Ford-custom again)?? You may have an issue from this, something lingering from Fords tune...??
You may want to data log your car?
The only thing you can do is make sure they don't download anything into your cars computer. If they wanna read codes fine, but if they plug it in and let it do its thing it will upgrade and bring your car to stock and update all small fixes etc. Ford have come up with these past two years...
__________________
KJ, poorer but happier
Thanks to: Modular Depot Fox Lake Racing Tunable Induction Power House 411 Sun Coast Creations
I have NOT had anything bad happen to me BUT I have been reading it on the net...
senario:
You pull your custom tune off and reload OEM stock tune. Dealer changes oil et cetera and "updates" your PCM. You get home where it is safe and hook up your SCT for the "good" tune. A couple things then can happen:
1) CALID is changed.... your little hand held friend no longer "knows" your car and you can not get it to recognize the device. Just get the new CALID hash off to your tuner and he can convert it and get you a tune that works.
or:
2) CALID is changed....but your car serial number still stays the same (both cases it will).... the SCT X2... WILL reload your custom tune because the markers are there for it to "think" that it already has the stock tune backed up. You load your great custom tune and are now NOT a friend to your service dept. when you show up with your OEM backed up tune in there that IS NOT the one they sent you on your way with the day a while back when your oil was changed and they did their little "update".
from SCT's site: "The tuner (they mean your handheld) does not know the calibration code in the vehicle changed, but the vehicle is the same vin, the Xcal2 does not know the vehicle calibration changed. The best option would be to "unlock" the tuner once you got back from the dealer update."
As I see it ,you should release the car from the tuner (clear the VIN ) and then start over again to get a current OEM written tune off and into the Tuner. BUT first check the CALID and see if it has changed. (YOU must know it BEFORE you take it in for service work of course). It is not the same as the little number you gave SCT when you bought the tuner.
Hope this saves someones arsss ! I am seeing (reading peoples troubles) ... it can roll either way right now.
READ THIS SLOW and understand that if you return your stock tune, & RECORD your CALID, and take it in for service AND then when it gets home READ YOUR CALID and it is the same. NOT a problem IT it is a different CALID get that number to your tuner so he can hash it and get another tune to you. DO NOT attempt any retuning (loading your custom tune) UNTIL you KNOW this stuff.
I have NOT had anything bad happen to me BUT I have been reading it on the net...
senario:
You pull your custom tune off and reload OEM stock tune. Dealer changes oil et cetera and "updates" your PCM. You get home where it is safe and hook up your SCT for the "good" tune. A couple things then can happen:
1) CALID is changed.... your little hand held friend no longer "knows" your car and you can not get it to recognize the device. Just get the new CALID hash off to your tuner and he can convert it and get you a tune that works.
or:
2) CALID is changed....but your car serial number still stays the same (both cases it will).... the SCT X2... WILL reload your custom tune because the markers are there for it to "think" that it already has the stock tune backed up. You load your great custom tune and are now NOT a friend to your service dept. when you show up with your OEM backed up tune in there that IS NOT the one they sent you on your way with the day a while back when your oil was changed and they did their little "update".
from SCT's site: "The tuner does not know the calibration code in the vehicle changed, but the vehicle is the same vin, the Xcal2 does not know the vehicle calibration changed. The best option would be to "unlock" the tuner once you got back from the dealer update."
As I see it ,you should release the car from the tuner (clear the VIN ) and then start over again to get a current OEM written tune off and into the Tuner. BUT first check the CALID and see if it has changed. (YOU must know it BEFORE you take it in of course). It is not the same as the little number you gave SCT when you bought the tuner.
Hope this saves someones arsss !
Russ
I am seeing it roll both ways right now
I think that's the best way. Clear/unlock the tuner (delete all the tunes). Then upload your .ll3 tune files back onto the device and reprogram the vehicle. It should then pull the updated stock tune back into the device. Not sure if the Predator would work the same way.
You will have to ask for what updates (if any) they put in on your car. I'm guessing their tuner reads what you have and then load in any updates it has that your car don't have.
It will reset your timing, A/F etc. to Fords calibrations automatically. But if your car was stock when in your 'home tune' later should override anything Ford did in regards to engine parameters...?? Ken said that ppl going in with tuned cars then trying to retune at home ended up with the car not even running, I'm guessing from the mix of three tunes (custom-Ford-custom again)?? You may have an issue from this, something lingering from Fords tune...??
You may want to data log your car?
The only thing you can do is make sure they don't download anything into your cars computer. If they wanna read codes fine, but if they plug it in and let it do its thing it will upgrade and bring your car to stock and update all small fixes etc. Ford have come up with these past two years...
I suggest MOVING the port, or making a device lock. I am going to discover a way to do one of these things!
With the predator I think you can record up to 45 minutes of engine time.
__________________
05 GT Redfire Metallic,IUP,Red Leather Accent Package,16lb aluminum rims ,Alarm with Remote Start,Eibach Progressive springs 1.3 front 1.7 rear,C & L intake, Diabalosport predator tune 91 octane A/F 12.5, SLP loudmouths,Modded run 13.88 @ 101.3mph
Max Power = 258.69
Max Torque = 262.86
4:10's installed now but now new numbers.
Well, like I said, I returned the car to stock and reset the predator tool, prior to bringing it in for service. When I got the car back, I backed-up whatever stock tune was in it, and re-loaded my custom tune. My understanding is that (with teh Predator) once you return the back-up tune to the vehicle, the tool resets and any custom tunes are lost and they must be loaded back onto the tool (as was my case). I did not check the Cal ID when I got it back from the dealer. Is there a chance my tune is screwed-up?
Is C&L going to send me a new tune if my Cal ID changed? Are they going to do this for each and every person? I seriously doubt it unless they start posting their tunes on the web-site again, so that people can take care of it themselves....
So what are the 'updates' Ford is adding to the computer?
NO one will be able to post an answer to that here. I would bet it is proprietary dabblings that they want to do to the car. ANY answer here would just be conjecture.
So what are the 'updates' Ford is adding to the computer?
It's just a normal software or firmware update. Probably discovered something in the code that was off. It's routine for all service departments to do this, not just a Ford thing.
Well, like I said, I returned the car to stock and reset the predator tool, prior to bringing it in for service. When I got the car back, I backed-up whatever stock tune was in it, and re-loaded my custom tune. My understanding is that (with teh Predator) once you return the back-up tune to the vehicle, the tool resets and any custom tunes are lost and they must be loaded back onto the tool (as was my case). I did not check the Cal ID when I got it back from the dealer. Is there a chance my tune is screwed-up?
Is C&L going to send me a new tune if my Cal ID changed? Are they going to do this for each and every person? I seriously doubt it unless they start posting their tunes on the web-site again, so that people can take care of it themselves....
This is all very disturbing.
Surely you did not mean to say that your custom tunes are lost....? (not true)
What you did (and saw happen) is correct. You are fine.
I'll say this, the Predator seems to be written with a "looser" configuration in terms of acceptng a car. There are jsut a couple of PCM codes anyway and I think all of the '05's are the same and the errors are just a few '06 PCM codes that are not compatable, and the '07's are way different, (they require more room.)
WARNING Dealer 're'-tune 
