What the hell???

[Sweet35th]

You can already overwrite a tune that is locked on a Ford. We do not prevent you from doing that.

Eric, how do we go about this? I did not think it was possible. Especially in some cases where the SCT dealer that wrote the tune did it in a different strategy ID, I have seen this mess with the HP vin licensing..

So let me set up an example that I would like to know how to flash over a locked file.

I get a 2010 Mustang GT in from a customer. He purchased used from a dealer. Has a CAI, so thus presumably a tune as well. I install a supercharger on it and go use HP tuners to read the existing PCM calibration, and I find that it is a locked file. HP tuners will not even allow me to open it up. I can manually read the strategy ID/calibration, but without having that calibration with that VIN, how do I go about flashing over the locked tune?

[caniggia]

Its not that bad as gm where you need to exchange pcm when locked.

Find that calibration in repo and ask support to put there your vin

[Eric@HPTuners]

Eric, how do we go about this? I did not think it was possible. Especially in some cases where the SCT dealer that wrote the tune did it in a different strategy ID, I have seen this mess with the HP vin licensing..

So let me set up an example that I would like to know how to flash over a locked file.

I get a 2010 Mustang GT in from a customer. He purchased used from a dealer. Has a CAI, so thus presumably a tune as well. I install a supercharger on it and go use HP tuners to read the existing PCM calibration, and I find that it is a locked file. HP tuners will not even allow me to open it up. I can manually read the strategy ID/calibration, but without having that calibration with that VIN, how do I go about flashing over the locked tune?

Find a stock file from the repository, license it, flash the vehicle.

[Sweet35th]

Find a stock file from the repository, license it, flash the vehicle.

But then wont vin not match?

[wbt]

The responsibility of protecting their "intellectual property" falls on them. Locking out a component that they do not own, have rights to own, nor even have rights to manipulate without permission from the owner is not the right way to do it. From what I have been told by my customer, its not the lawful way of doing it either. Not sure what his plans are, kinda want to stay out of it personally, but do not want to continue losing business and time because of this.

This is just plain wrong, no matter how you look at it. SCT does not own the PCM, they do not own the vehicle, they do not own the hardware in the vehicle, they do not even own the software that is in the PCM. They may hold their "manipulation" of that software as proprietary, but that does not justify them rendering the software unusable for the owner should they choose to use another product..

Now I suppose that would depend on the end user license agreement (EULA) from SCT. Last I heard is that if you use their tools to write a tune, that tune also belongs to them per the EULA. I would suggest your lawyer friend/customer review the EULA.

I will say my personal opinion on the matter is, if you don't know how to write the tune yourself, opening up someone elses and modifying it is just going to eventually get you in more trouble anyways. If you do not know what you are doing, seeing it in front of you is not going to help. If seeing someone elses tune, gives you ideas on how to improve it, then everyone benefits.

I have shared 100s of my custom tunes with other tuners, in only asking if they making improvements or changes that they share them with them. We all learn from it. There will however always be some people who thing much "higher" of themselfs than justified.

I feel the same way. I have no issues giving and receiving and have done so in the past although I have become much more selective with whom I share with.

You can already overwrite a tune that is locked on a Ford. We do not prevent you from doing that.

+1. That is the point I was making earlier.....return the car back to stock via SCT, un-marry the device, pull the stock calibration with HPT and write or simply use a strategy for the correct year model car/trans and flash directly to the PCM over-writing. Read the calibration, license and carry on. 2 credits either way.

[wbt]

But then wont vin not match?

That is not an issue.

[Sweet35th]

That is not an issue.

Not that it will set an CEL on, but it does create mass quantities of U-codes throughout nearly every module on the network. Also you may find out very soon that if VIN identification across the networks do not match, various vehicle functions will shut down. (Navigation, back up camera, remote start.) Updated calibrations in modules such as APIM, CIP, HEC, ect ect are likely to start doing this to prevent people from installing modules in vehicles that were not originally equipped with/or modules with options that were not originally equipped in the vehicle.

Currently we see the issue the other way/ (when another module is swapped into a vehicle and its VIN doesn't match the pcm). I have also seen first hand where an improperly programmed VIN in the PCM of an MKT (same as a flex) put the vehicle into failsafe mode and created a no start. Despite PCM/PATs ids matching still the IPC shut the vehicle down because of the incorrect vin mismatch.

Regardless if it can be gotten away with, I personally feel leaving a vehicle with the incorrect VIN in the PCM is a very bad idea.

[Sweet35th]

+1. That is the point I was making earlier.....return the car back to stock via SCT, un-marry the device, pull the stock calibration with HPT and write or simply use a strategy for the correct year model car/trans and flash directly to the PCM over-writing. Read the calibration, license and carry on. 2 credits either way.

The issue is am starting to see is that customer have lost their SCT handheld, or never even knew it had a tune in it to begin with (purchased vehicle used). So returning to stock with the device is not an option. Only options is reflash to stock with IDS, or as I see you guys are saying is possible, flash over with an HP tune from the registry. However that is high hopes that a similar tune is in the registry, and as I said above having the VIN mismatch for me is IMO a future issue.

[wbt]

Not that it will set an CEL on, but it does create mass quantities of U-codes throughout nearly every module on the network. Also you may find out very soon that if VIN identification across the networks do not match, various vehicle functions will shut down. (Navigation, back up camera, remote start.) Updated calibrations in modules such as APIM, CIP, HEC, ect ect are likely to start doing this to prevent people from installing modules in vehicles that were not originally equipped with/or modules with options that were not originally equipped in the vehicle.

Currently we see the issue the other way/ (when another module is swapped into a vehicle and its VIN doesn't match the pcm). I have also seen first hand where an improperly programmed VIN in the PCM of an MKT (same as a flex) put the vehicle into failsafe mode and created a no start. Despite PCM/PATs ids matching still the IPC shut the vehicle down because of the incorrect vin mismatch.

Regardless if it can be gotten away with, I personally feel leaving a vehicle with the incorrect VIN in the PCM is a very bad idea.

As-long-as you use a tune for the proper year model range (11-12 & 13-14), I have never had an issue. If this was indeed a problem then there would be many cars running Roush strategies that simply wouldn't function correctly. That simply isn't the case.

[caniggia]

Issues are when you want to install new module into the car.
But looks if you can access all of this codes and doing modules swap, you have ids, then problem don't exists. Reflash to stock.

[Sweet35th]

As-long-as you use a tune for the proper year model range (11-12 & 13-14), I have never had an issue. If this was indeed a problem then there would be many cars running Roush strategies that simply wouldn't function correctly. That simply isn't the case.

How many vehicles are running Roush strategies carrying over the VIN. When using SCT for example if you flash a vehicle with a Roush strategy it is not changing the VIN.

I have not ever tried to flash a strategy over an existing one using HP. Before I even opened up the can of details, I supposed I should have asked Does flashing a strategy from the repository over an existing strategy in a vehicle (in this case a locked one) does it change the VIN in the PCM?

[Sweet35th]

Issues are when you want to install new module into the car.
But looks if you can access all of this codes and doing modules swap, you have ids, then problem don't exists. Reflash to stock.

I have access to an IDS, I do not own it. So every time I run into a locked tune, it costs time and money to flash back to stock. I have no issues flashing a repository tune over a locked one as long as it is available and does not change the VIN in the PCM.

[wbt]

How many vehicles are running Roush strategies carrying over the VIN. When using SCT for example if you flash a vehicle with a Roush strategy it is not changing the VIN.

I have not ever tried to flash a strategy over an existing one using HP. Before I even opened up the can of details, I supposed I should have asked Does flashing a strategy from the repository over an existing strategy in a vehicle (in this case a locked one) does it change the VIN in the PCM?

I have flashed different strategies onto various cars without issue so long as the year model range matches (11-12 or 13-14). If I flash a 13-14 strategy onto a 11-12 car then cruise control doesn't work for example.

When I do this I have to re-license the vehicle as the VIN/OSID combo change meaning the VIN number of the car flashed to doesn't match the existing strategy I married to on another car using the same strategy.

I guess that is why I am a bit confused by your VIN hang up.

[Sweet35th]

I have flashed different strategies onto various cars without issue so long as the year model range matches (11-12 or 13-14). If I flash a 13-14 strategy onto a 11-12 car then cruise control doesn't work for example.

When I do this I have to re-license the vehicle as the VIN/OSID combo change meaning the VIN number of the car flashed to doesn't match the existing strategy I married to on another car using the same strategy.

I guess that is why I am a bit confused by your VIN hang up.

It sounds like it is my confusion. Based on an earlier post, I was under the impression that when flashing a calibration from a different vehicle, that it was "overwriting" the VIN in the vehicle I was putting it into. Writing the VIN from the vehicle that the calibration was taken from into the vehicle I am flashing it into. I believe that was a misunderstanding on my side, and the VIN does not change. Is that correct?

[TunedByNishan]

Flashing in a tune file that doesn't have YOUR vehicles VIN is not an issue. I've done it several times when changing strategies using a file from a different car.

The car will start right up and give no issues.

Read the file back from PCM afterwards, you will see YOUR VIN in the new file.

I believe the vehicle's VIN is stored in the PCM regardless of the calibration just like how the VID Block works with speedo/gear data.

[Slowb00st]

Flashing in a tune file that doesn't have YOUR vehicles VIN is not an issue. I've done it several times when changing strategies using a file from a different car.

The car will start right up and give no issues.

Read the file back from PCM afterwards, you will see YOUR VIN in the new file.

I believe the vehicle's VIN is stored in the PCM regardless of the calibration just like how the VID Block works with speedo/gear data.

So basically your just wasting 2 credits to be able to flash the new strategy only, since its VIN related.

Eric@HPTuners would there be a possibility of an option that allows a user to only flash a different strategy without using credits? User will then read the file from the car with the correct VIN and tune from there with the original credits. Would be nice for a person wanting to test different strategies for example Boss and Roush.

[TunedByNishan]

So basically your just wasting 2 credits to be able to flash the new strategy only, since its VIN related.

Eric@HPTuners would there be a possibility of an option that allows a user to only flash a different strategy without using credits? User will then read the file from the car with the correct VIN and tune from there with the original credits. Would be nice for a person wanting to test different strategies for example Boss and Roush.

The way the licensing works for FORD's is based off of the VIN and OS combination, not just the serial number alone like GM's. So if one or other is different from what you originally licensed, the software is going to request that you license the file in order to be able to write the tune.

So yes, it will eat up a few credits if you're in the business of changing strategies via HP Tuners since it was always designed with "direct flash" in mind.

Eric has mentioned before that he has requested there be a way to work around this since changing strategies is more often than not, common practice for Fords.

[OverNightPartsFromJapan]

Curious if there is any updated info for this thread regarding flashing different strategies but not using 2 credits just to do so.

[PuristAuto]

any news on this? :-)

[caniggia]

You can flash any OS you have already licenced, read and licence what you read, cost you same as regular licencing. Problem is if you don't have licenced OS you wan't to use, then you have to licence twice.