SCT FlashTuner Fallout? All the info is here.

[FPV8U]

Reading over on the XR6T Forums, it seems SCT Via their online live update program to all SCT Flashtuner Tuners has made the Original Flashbox & XcalII (Fordflash whatever you want to call it) as good as doorstops.

They will not be able to re-tune Either the Flashbox or Xcal II, leaving only the Xcal III Sold by Herrod Motorsport (SCT's new dealer) as a usefull tool, and a price tag of around $900ish..

So a big warning anyone looking at picking up a cheap 2nd hand box off Ebay, Hold off untill the dust settle, and some tune shops are about to get a whole lot quieter.

Be interisting to see who Swaps to Hp Tuners or Sniper after this.

[Romulus]

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

[FPV8U]

Thanks jason.. Interisting to see where this goes over the next few days..

[Romulus]

In a nutshell SCT have decided to stop the support of the X1 boxes effective immediately. Thus, if you have a X1 box, want your tuner to do a mod to your flash, and your tuner has done the live update yesterday or this morning your x1 cannot be reflashed. For $995 + retune you can purchase a new XC3 and continue to have your car tuned. Your XC1 box can be used as a paperweight.

At least, that's how I've interpreted the development. Happy to be corrected.

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by TVS Super Pursuit

In a nutshell SCT have decided to stop the support of the X1 boxes effective immediately. Thus, if you have a X1 box, want your tuner to do a mod to your flash, and your tuner has done the live update yesterday or this morning your x1 cannot be reflashed. For $995 + retune you can purchase a new XC3 and continue to have your car tuned. Your XC1 box can be used as a paperweight.

At least, that's how I've interpreted the development. Happy to be corrected.

Sums it up pretty we'll from what i have read.

Jeez isn't it amazing that to continue custom tuning your car and to use the same tune files you have to buy a new SCT product.. the only way they will get my money is if there still isn't another mainstream solution.

[roberts]

What About X2

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

Sums it up pretty we'll from what i have read.

Jeez isn't it amazing that to continue custom tuning your car and to use the same tune files you have to buy a new SCT product.. the only way they will get my money is if there still isn't another mainstream solution.

From a personal perspective I simply want to know I can use my existing XC1 and XC2 boxes on my software, and buy or use what ever I or someone else who's car I tuned without any drama's.

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by roberts

What About X2

From what i understand Xcal II is a useless as the original Xcal1 flashbox.

[RG]

I have moved this here to The Pub, all other threads on this topic will be closed and redirected here due to the info supplied by TVS Super Pursuit.

[snappy]

thats poor form

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by Russell

I have moved this here to The Pub, all other threads on this topic will be closed and redirected here due to the info supplied by TVS Super Pursuit.

To be fair it would be good if Rob from Herrod could present the information that he distributed by email. There are always 2 sides to a story.

[RG]

Originally Posted by TVS Super Pursuit

To be fair it would be good if Rob from Herrod could present the information that he distributed by email. There are always 2 sides to a story.

Rob is a member of these forums so there is nothing to stop him from airing his side of the story.

[b2tf]

Very rough deal by the sounds of it, also means that I'll now have a flash tuner that is useless. If thats the case, regardless of what money Ive put into it compared to others, that's enough to put me off tuning for good - no point doing it if theyre just going to shaft you down the track.

[roberts]

sounds like capa s*** where it sleeps and was trying to go behind sct back. Buy just selling tunes not boxes so sct get nothing and capa gets to sell there labour and no product, well capa makes me very nervous about buying my supercharger through you

not happy that i just brought a xcal2, but if this is the case i wont be buying a xcl3
seems like the sct and capa manoplised the market hence why there is not many options im sure sombody will come up with somthing and thats where i will spend my money

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by b2tf

Very rough deal by the sounds of it, also means that I'll now have a flash tuner that is useless. If thats the case, regardless of what money Ive put into it compared to others, that's enough to put me off tuning for good - no point doing it if theyre just going to shaft you down the track.

Other options besides the SCT Software, the LS1 guys have been getting a good deal for years.

That FG is begging to be unleashed :

[nugget378]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

Other options besides the SCT Software, the LS1 guys have been getting a good deal for years.

That FG is begging to be unleashed :

Are there any other tuning options currently available for BA/BF?

[mrbaxr6t]

I got a CAPA flash tuner that came with my car, it has SCT written on it, does this mean that its useless? if so that bites the fat one hard, I am planning to finish the mods PROPERLY the prev. owner did and get the tune adjusted, having to buy another fricken flash box bites, this is HORRIBLE after sales support, and if they don't reverse this I will be talking to the ACC.

[flappist]

Of course this also opens the door to reverse engineer the technology and then ignore SCT from then on and maybe even export the new product back to "private individuals" in USA via the net.

Australian law is not the same as US law, just ask Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo etc.....

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by nugget378

Are there any other tuning options currently available for BA/BF?

According to a post on the Nizpro forum the VCMsuit program is in the finishing stages with many test cars done and the system is capable on 90% of the PCM's

And The Sniper from BPT has been avalible for a while but hadn't took off due to SCT having an decent product at a lower price, but that may have just changed.

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by nugget378

Are there any other tuning options currently available for BA/BF?

It's surprising this question is asked....HP Tuners and Sniper can also tune Fords. It's not uncommon for most tuners to have multiple tuning products like LS1 Edit, HP Tuners, EFI Live, Sniper Tuning and SCT Advantage to name a few...

SCT is easy to use but I've tuned my SP and Terri with Sniper, it's more comprehensive.

[nugget378]

Originally Posted by TVS Super Pursuit

It's surprising this question is asked....HP Tuners and Sniper can also tune Fords. It's not uncommon for most tuners to have multiple tuning products like LS1 Edit, HP Tuners, EFI Live, Sniper Tuning and SCT Advantage to name a few...

I have never been interested in these flash tunes before, but having just bought a T things have changed, Its like wading through a minefield ATM, lucky I hadnt bought a second hand box yet..

Good to know as I dont think I would buy from this monopoly as things stand.

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by TVS Super Pursuit

It's surprising this question is asked....HP Tuners and Sniper can also tune Fords. It's not uncommon for most tuners to have multiple tuning products like LS1 Edit, HP Tuners, EFI Live, Sniper Tuning and SCT Advantage to name a few...

SCT is easy to use but I've tuned my SP and Terri with Sniper, it's more comprehensive.

Im not suprised, SCT was and still is the only mainstream well supported program for Fords, the flash tuner buried Unichip and hasn't rally had any competition for few years.

Hp Tuners only just released theirs and Sniper never really seemed to take off.

[Fireblade]

Sounds like microsoft............

[Steve]

I think DiabloSport in the US might be looking at bringing either the Predator or the Trinity to Australia as well.

[xr6t_ute]

If its the not the large companies screwing the investors we got companies screwing car enthusiasts from america.....Go beep yourselves

[Scott]

Originally Posted by roberts

sounds like capa s*** where it sleeps and was trying to go behind sct back. Buy just selling tunes not boxes so sct get nothing and capa gets to sell there labour and no product..

That's what i read into it.

I would expect that there will be some sort of class action as the product/solution that people bought has funadmentally changed to a point that they no longer perform their basic roles. Support can be reduced or stopped quite easily and legally if correct steps are taken but to 'break' the equipment that was previously sold is a no no.

Imagine if Microsoft just said - from this day forth, your current operating system will no longer do what it has always done because we are tired of people owning it. Sure they can engineer the future to steer people in a particular direction but they cannot steal from their clients.

[Grunter]

To those that actually know the facts, could you clarify the following.

I have the CAPA flashbox and have been using it for the last couple years with my tuner. When I modify my car, it's retuned to suit.

Does this mean that when I modify my car further, and that change requires a tune, I can no longer use the flashbox I own? This because it cannot be accessed by my tuner who has been forced to upgrade the SCT tuning software so he can continue to sell a newer version of the flashbox to new customers?

[Fireblade]

So because CAPA bought all SCT's stock that means theyre going behind their backs, what about the 700 GM boxes sold to CAPA that are useless because theyre not supported, cmon give them a break, im waiting to hear what Herrod have to say on this issue and which direction I will take, as a matter of coincidence I have been looking into HPtuners because my mate has it for LSx tuning but its updated now to support my car, but having 3 tunes in a box is quite handy too. Waiting in limbo to hear how this turns out.....

[roberts]

Originally Posted by xr6t_ute

If its the not the large companies screwing the investors we got companies screwing car enthusiasts from america.....Go beep yourselves

it dosnt matter in the grand sceam of things when SCT go into liquidaion from the credit crunch i will buy the company for $1 and make all forum members car running sweet for beer

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by Grunter

To those that actually know the facts, could you clarify the following.

I have the CAPA flashbox and have been using it for the last couple years with my tuner. When I modify my car, it's retuned to suit.

Does this mean that when I modify my car further, and that change requires a tune, I can no longer use the flashbox I own? This because it cannot be accessed by my tuner who has been forced to upgrade the SCT tuning software so he can continue to sell a newer version of the flashbox to new customers?

Thats the way i understand the situation.