Xcal 1 Going Offline Discussion

[genebaby]

For anybody with AFF access, have a look at this thread: Australian Ford Forums

Only earlier this month someone wanting to buy an X1 box and Herrod replying they can be tuned by any SCT tuner etc. No advice that the box had days of life left thanks to SCT.

This goes with the advice that we could tune X1 boxes as legit customers until they no longer worked, which is how things are meant to be.

What a joke. I want my $1300 back.

[bradles024]

I can't see how they think there doing the right thing offering a $200 rebate on a "useless box". Who made it useless? They did! Who can make it not useless again? They can! Should be $200 to upgrade to a x3 or even an x2, as the first box has been paid for already.

I've had a new fuel pump installed in my car and its now running a bit rich in the top end. Instead of going to Nizpro to get them to fix it, it's now gunna cost me a new X3 as well!!

Edited 20/06/10 12:49 AM by bradles024

[nathen]

Nathen I think you need to read the thread a bit closer or read the instruction that you got with your XCAL1 when you brought it from your tuning shop.

Position "F" in your flash tuner is where yuor factory tune is kept so the XCAL1 knows that its for your car

Position "1,2,3" have your custom tunes in them

There is no reason to pull off your performance parts to flash tour back back to standard, as you dont need to start or drive the car.

Take 5 mins and ring your tuner and he will be able to clear this up for you...

no mate get your facts right!!!!!!!!you need to understand that my car will not run with the factory tune due to my upgraded injectors and I dont want to spend the $595 to be ripped off by herrod and sct!!!!!!!.

I cant use my xcal to tune when I need a retune due to intercooler,wastegate valve spring upgrades!!!

so next tune I will have to pay for a xcal 3 when my xcal1 was working fine!!!

I will be ringing consumer affairs about this b/s!!!

explain to me why herrod or sct cant chase the dodgey tuners!!!!

why legal reasons???.

I will be writing to all the magazines about this..total b/s

on herrods insult $200 rebate and sct screwing us all over.

Edited 20/06/10 03:00 AM by nathen

[Worm]

He means... You go to your tuner... Flash your car back to stock...

Buy an xcal3 off your tuner... Get him to load your tunes... Flash your car... And drive away!!!

And for $595... You gain... Nothing...

[arm79]

no mate get your facts right!!!!!!!!

lol... Probably the wrong person to be saying that to.

[nathen]

lol... Probably the wrong person to be saying that to.

mate I dont care.

im not 1 to be screwed time /money for nothing no thanks

He means... You go to your tuner... Flash your car back to stock...

Buy an xcal3 off your tuner... Get him to load your tunes... Flash your car... And drive away!!!

And for $595... You gain... Nothing...

I understand all of that..

but

TO SCT

WHERE IS IT STATED THAT THE XCAL1 HAS A USE BY DATE???!!!!

IF SCT HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE XCAL1 (cetain company cracking the boxes to store there own dongle in them)WHY DONT THEY MAKE A PRODUCT RECALL AND UPGRADE ALL XCAL 1 AND XCAL 2 UNITS FOR A CHANGE OVER XCAL3 NO MORE TO PAY!!!

LET THE COMPANY PAY FOR ITS RECALL

sct say that capa screwed it for every one .poor sct

well sct screwed capa

Dear Faithful CAPA Flash Tuner Dealers,

On Wednesday, 28th January we sent out an email asking you not to update your software. The reason for this was we were alerted that SCT were in the process of switching off the tuners ability to reflash Flash 1 Boxes. The reason for this as far as we can see, is due to the misinformation provided by individuals not loyal to CAPA. The information given to SCT was that CAPA was not selling boxes anymore, but resetting boxes as a revenue stream. Everyone that deals with CAPA knows that moving forwards, when CAPA had sold the last of its Flash 1 Boxes, that the opportunity existed to reflash Flash 1 Boxes. You may however remember some special emails providing new pricing sent previously advertising FP tuner flashes. This was to create feedback from our tuners to see if any demand exists for a $100 type flash with no box, the same as HP Tuners. The feedback was that the box is the mainstream product and customers have now become accustomed that it’s the correct way to tune a Falcon. We see this as the future. Never the less, recycling a Flash 1 is a great product to compete with HP Tuners. With SCT’s support CAPA would have been able to create a system to reset Flash 1 Boxes that would provide a cost effecting product for the tuner to compete and also a royalty stream for SCT.

We have always supported SCT even after the numerous amounts of things they have done wrong against us including selling us 700 GM boxes on the condition that they would initialise the GM tuning system in Australia 3 years ago. We purchased 700 units which we still have in stock, costing us hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the best that SCT can tell us is that they can’t help us because deal was done with the old directors in the previous company. Also, as you may also remember they threw support behind Dreamscience in the UK and gave them power to undermine us and take over the dealers in Australia, they called all the Australian dealers after SCT gave them the database details, telling everyone in Australia that they were the new exclusive distributors for Australia. Everyone stayed loyal to CAPA, it ended up falling in a heap. It is refreshing to see the same thing happening again with Herrod Motorsport, calling all the dealers to inform them that they were now the exclusive Australian distributors.

You all know that CAPA still has stock of Flash 1 and Flash 2 boxes and we have our own responsibility to liquidate our stock. We see this action by SCT as being a direct action against CAPA. It is unfortunate that they are using yourselves as independent tuners to get at us. As you all know, CAPA has for years, supported SCT and via Scott, we have supported all of the dealers and absorbed the cost of this over time. It seems that SCT does not feel dependent on CAPA anymore, after appointing Herrod Motorsport as a SCT distributor.

As you all know due to our previous price rises, SCT have increased the cost and is now pushing the new X3 Flasher. It seems that the motivation for SCT is to make the current units obsolete and start selling X3s. This assures SCT a new money stream. We received a call this morning from Torque Performance after talking to Charlie at SCT complaining about being shut out, and Charlie told him that they may give him the ability to continue programming flash 1 units for the next 3 to 6 months, but would have to charge him $2,000-$2,500.

Remember, CAPA bought all SCT Flash 1 stock a few years ago, spending over a million dollars Australian with SCT at one time. As you appreciate this put thousands of SCT units in our stock at the time. SCT have had a very small money stream from CAPA for the last few years.

We will continue to support our loyal dealers to the best of it’s ability with the constraints that SCT has and will put upon us.

The best course of action for the tuning community is to put pressure directly on SCT to get support to continue tuning existing Flash 1 and Flash 2 product in the marketplace.

If you have any further questions and wish to speak to Tony direct, please call any time.

I have listed below the details of people who need to be contact at SCT to try and assist you with your software problems.

Rick Trudo – President

Email: rickt@sctflash.com

976 Florida Central Parkway

Unit 136

Longwood, FL 32750

407-774-2447 ext 102 voice

407-765-5094 cell

407-260-6275 fax

Charlie Mahoney – National Sales Manager

charlie@sctflash.com

976 Florida Central Parkway

Unit 136

Longwood, FL 32750

407-774-2447 ext 111 voice

321-363-7969 Direct

407-260-6275 fax

Tony Rullo

CAPA Performance

www.capa.com.au

P: 08 8582 3499

F: 08 8582 3477

Intl: +61 8 8582 3499

My reply from Charlie Mahoney...

SCT is interested in resolving all concerns. We will work directly with each dealer to ensure that a solution is available. This latest change in the software it to prevent piracy and keep those from unlocking devices and using them over and over again. SCT apologizes to all affected however, this change had to be implemented in an effort to stop others from exploiting tools used to help customers. We hope that you continue to support your local dealers and distributors. Please rest easy knowing that the precautions we have taken on the X3 will ensure that this never happens again.

If you have a flash 1 or flash 2, your devices can still switch between tunes but will not longer be custom tunable via software. Moving forward, you will be able to purchase the X3 and Livewire (ST225 applications) through authorized retailers and dealers only. The new devices give you the same features as the flash 1 and 2 with more memory, a larger screen, and on device data logging not to mention many additional parameters.

so we have to pay for the original stuff up from sct

Edited 20/06/10 04:05 AM by Dagabond

[nathen]

just received a pm on the other forum from herrod

im now awaiting a phone call

my message to mr herrod

Originally Posted by nathen

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herrod Motorsport

HATS OFF TO SCT AND HERROD.

WHEN I BOUGHT MY LITTLE BLACK BOX IT NEVER STATED IT WOULD HAVE A USE BY DATE!!!!!

SO I HAVE PAID $995 FOR A XCAL1 WITH GENERIC TUNES

$500 FOR A CUSTOM TUNE ON MY CAR WICH RUNS BIGGER INJECTORS AND FUEL PUMP ETC.

NOW YOU WANT ME TO BUY THE XCAL3???

PLUS ORGANISE TIME OFF WORK TO GET CAR TUNED AGAIN.

HOW LONG TO YOU SCREW US ON THIS 1

HATS OFF GUYS YOU HAVE LOST ALL RESPECT FROM ME.

I am so sorry that you feel this way that you have been screwed.

We know that we have a very delicate situation and have tried to address it the best way that we can.

You say that you paid 995.00 for the box so it must have been when the units were just on the market around 6 years ago .If your car is running fine there is no need to upgrade but if you want to do a retune you will need to upgrade.We are offering you a $200.00 rebate on a unit that is 6 years old.

Nathen if you want to upgrade you dont need to have the car re tuned ,have the tuner put the existing tunes into the new box as he should have them in his file.

so mr herrod what happend to this statement then that you did post

JUST TO CLARIFY EVERYTHING!

For all of those out there questioning the life-span of the XCal1, this is the news you’ve been more than waiting for!

In previous forum entries, we have noted that what we need is if you have a tune shop that you use, get them to contact Rob or Chris Herrod on +61 3 9464 5100 or email support@sctflashtuning.com so as we can collect of all the information we need as these tuners need to be registered with the Herrod/SCT as of now…

Now, this is the part that should make EVERYONE out there happy.

So long as these tune shops contact us ASAP on the details above, those who do will be able to update the XCal1 for as long as they have customers needing updates... So, if you CURRENTLY own and use an XCal1 unit then you are fine and have nothing to be concerned about. Nothing has changed for you at all, you have lost nothing... As long as your unit has already been tuned to your car, you are fine. We are supporting currently tuned XCal1 units.

This being said, all new tune sales from here on will need to be done on the X3 (if your chosen tuner doesn’t have any stock of the other units), as again, components are no longer available to repair the XCal1 or add future years to them.

In relation to unlocking XCal1 units, the ability to unlock the XCal1 is being retained so long as the unit has been put back to FACTORY STANDARD (Meaning the car it was in, has been put back to standard).

If it hasn’t been put back to factory standard, then it’s all over! It is ILLEGAL to unlock a unit that hasn’t been as it is not the intended use of the product. In this case, the unit will remain, as it always should have, locked to the car that it is currently until it expires. This means that no boxes will be able to be reset! You can't put a tune in one car, have it unlocked and tune another! Doing so is ILLEGAL!

This I’m sure will put EVERYONE at ease now and prove that there is nothing to be concerned about.

Trading is as normal for your chosen tune-shop and others alike!

Cheers,

The Team @ Herrod Motorsport & SCT

Australia's No1 Ford Enhancement Specialist

103 Northgate Drive

Thomastown

VIC 3074

Phone: 03 9464 5100

Fax: 03 9464 5166[/QUOT

Nathen please send me your phone number and I will call you

what do I wish to be acheived ?fingers crossed that they will reopen the xcal1 box

to see if they will let the honest tuners to still tune our cars

Edited 20/06/10 04:23 AM by nathen

[icer]

fyi, there ix an x3 for sale on ebay for 535 few hours to go.

[nathen]

briefly spoke to herrod phone cut out

hats off to the guy he is doing his best to sort the problem

this has a lot to do with capa and sct.

and a court case that he couldnt go into due to legal reasons

[Jman]

So SCT... What happens to cars that were being tuned at the time when this all happened?

Since there seemed to be no notice that the boxes would be turned off.. what are we to do? - drive around in a high powered car with half finished tune?