Xcal 1 Going Offline Discussion

[genebaby]

You said an important word there. Choose.

Having the choice to upgrade is a consumers right. To look at Microsoft again, not a lot of people/companies CHOSE to upgrade to Vista. A lot, like where I work stayed on XP until now we have Win7. Did MS ever force us to move to Vista or even Win7? No, we can all choose to stick with XP. It's not as secure now as Win7, but it's our choice to continue using it regardless. It sill works like the day we bought it.

Same deal here. My Xcal1 isn't as fast as the newer units, I know that. Heck, neither is my car, so they go great together! I would like to choose to keep using it as before until it dies or I require some functionality it cannot provide.

[Jman]

what more did you want a registered post letter addressed to you and a comfirmation to say you recieved the notice that the flash tuner was going to be phase out...

THAT IS ALL I WANTED!!!!

I don't care about the price of a new unit, just an end date would have been nice so I could have prepped to have the final Xcal1 tune finished before going to a Xcal3.

[gregor]

we all know that the xcal 1 could be retuned over and over up until the lock out and now we have people complaining about it's main feature being shut off, but I have just checked Capa's advert for the box and there is no mention of retuning over and over like we have been doing.

I believe they could argue that that this feature was not it's main function but just a by product of what was possible

CAPA : Ford Flash Tuner

Has any one got an advert showing that retuning the box was it's main function?

I have checked old SCT adds etc and can not find anything re retuning the car, only mentions about having up to 3 custom tunes in the box

From that capa link:

Flash Tuner Boxes Overview

A: Once the Flash Tuner has been used to program a vehicle, it will be VIN locked to that particular vehicle until the programming has been returned to the stock setting.

B: The Flash Tuner Box can store up to 3 custom programs at any one time, loading to and from the flash tuner box can be done an infinite amount of times.

C: The flash tuner can be changed over to a new vehicle, it must be cleared using software available from CAPA. This process can only be performed 5 times. Then it must go back to SCT / USA for a Reset.

D: Software will be available to download original program from vehicle processor if code has not already been made public. This software must be requested.

E: General software files generated by CAPA will become available to all dealers upon request.

F: CAPA Tune Files are also available as part of the Flash Tuner for retail sale. This retail product is also available to dealers.

Infinite was a bad choice of words since you can no longer load to the box as advertised. Someone affected might want to screenshot that site.

Edited 22/06/10 10:09 PM by gregor

[Worm]

For those who want it!!!

[Full Monty]

So to clarify my understanding of SCT's viewpoint:

We weren't meant to use the XCal 1's to re-tune our cars everytime we make a mechanical change?

Even if its still vin locked to the original car it was purchased for?

Damn that's an expensive little box filled with $10 of parts for a one off file transfer.

So is that their intention for XCal 3's? we get the car tuned once, and cannot visit our tuner again for each modification / tune update? Have to buy another box???

Gonna put allot of workshops out of business, if that's their plan.

[turbs06]

Hi,

Thought I would send SCT an email to let them know we are not happy. The more complaints they get the better.

Status:

Message successfully sent

To:

<rickt@sctflash.com>, <charlie@sctflash.com>

Cc:

<www.capa.com.au@localhost>

Subject:

Ford Flash Tuner Xcal-1

To SCT,

Just wanted to let your company know that your decision to turn off tuning software for the Xcal-1 flash tuner has caused a lot of concern from all parties who went out and purchased this product. I understand that you have had issues with this unit and breaches have been made in terms of its use, but at the end of the day consumers of your product are to suffer. I will be very reluctant in buying any more of your products. If I buy the Xcal-3 version who is to say that in a few years time you will switch this product off line too.

Disappointed Xcal-1 owner,

[HIRO F6]

SCT does not make money unless we buy flash tuners

Is that correct?

Dont tuners pay for the software?

Is there not also a cost to update once a tuner has used up all of their burns?

[our06t]

one thing seems to be left out , these guys are complaining about people not using the boxes properly ie Hacking them cleaning them and re-selling etc . What have sct made all this money from Hacking a product of ford motor company seems like a huge double standard to me.

[genebaby]

Is that correct?

Dont tuners pay for the software?

Is there not also a cost to update once a tuner has used up all of their burns?

I think I read recently that tuners don't get charged for extra burns. This system seems to be in place simply so a tuner needs to report back to SCT, and get any updates they want implemented, every week or so, depending on how fast they burn through their burns. No pun intended.

To this end, at this very point in time a tune shop may be able to flash an Xcal1 if they haven't reported back and received the update to lock out that box. Once those burns are used up they will need to contact the SCT server for me and their program will be updated to lock out Xcal1.

I'm not sure how SCT get paid once a tuner has purchased the software and we have bought the box. There may be a charge for a major software revision, I don't really know though. Ratter could fill us in.

SCT not getting any money unless we buy Flash Tuners is a very damning thing to say. It's how business works. Take cars. Ford brought out the BA and I bought one. Ford get no more money from me now and it's up to them to entice me to buy an FG, not cripple my BA so I'm FORCED to upgrade to an FG and give Ford a revenue stream.

See how illegal this is Theo?

[ratter]

As tuners we do not have to pay for normal updates when our burns are low or have been exhausted, we had to pay for the software initially and then for the FG update, we can also pay for the european type cars if we want that ability, If we want to tune american based cars, ie mustangs etc, we have to pay a fee which allows us to access 1 processor code.

I consider some of the cost of a flash box to be a licence fee which most business type software will charge, If I was use my VCM suit to tune a car, I have to pay 2 somes times 4 licence fees per car which I have to charge my customer on top of my tuning costs and this is still after paying for the intial software purchase