Help!! Problems with SCT XCAL

[BackinaStang]

Does anyone know how to get in touch with Doug from Bamachips other than email? My car just got a facelift after I installed JBA Longtubes and O/R H pipe, and JLT CAI yesterday. After all that work I tried to load custom tunes to my car that Bamachips sold me and the tuner shoots error code 1034 saying download failure detected, Please return to stock, then when I download stock tune it says download failed Turn key off and press start, Then it says Error 1016 Program tune failed. That was very dissapointing as I now cant drive the car even though it starts. I read forums all night and I am seeing this pop up several times and thought I would try it this morning, disconnect battery for 10 min pull certain fuses and then try to load tune, sounds rediculous but Ill try anything now. Can someone please help me or give me a contact for Doug at bamachips as I can not get in touch with him. Thanks in advance,
Jimmy

 

[Sogwap55]

Doesn't his website list a phone number? Although he might be off for the holidays...

I would also suggest if you get ahold of him, try SCT. Sounds like a SCT error not a tune error from your description perhaps

 

[BackinaStang]

I cant find a number anywhere on his website. And even well before the holidays it took a week or so before I could get a email response. I am going to try SCT though and see if it is something that they can do. Thanks

 

[BackinaStang]

Well SCT is closed until Jan. 4th. This totally @#$%ing sucks. Is there anyone out there that has got a bama tune on SCT XCAL that can provide me with some insight on how to use this thing? Please? There were no instructions on how to use this thing. I was to the understanding that all I had to do was plug and play. After reading troubleshooting on SCTs site they talk about updating firmware and tuneware and all kinda mess, anyone have to do all this mess after Doug gave you custom tunes or did you just plug and play?

 

[BackinaStang]

Come on guys none of you bought a tuner from Bamachips? A month or two ago everybody was screaming bamachips or brenspeed. And for those thinking about doing mods, DONT because these computers are to finnicky and nothing is fast about these tuners. Im totally down because of this tuner mess. My longtubes sat on workbench for 3 months waiting on tuner and now that they are installed it wont work and customer service doesnt appear to be very good.

 

[Informant736]

Like someone else mentioned it does sound like an issue with the SCT tuner more so then the tune itself. I would say to try to load up a strategy tune and to see if the error codes pop up again. This will let you know if its an issue with the device or an issue with having a corrupt file, which can happen but doesnt happen frequently.

 

[BackinaStang]

I believe you are right. I have tried to load a strategy tune also and it says not strategy tune capable or something to that nature so im guessing that is because custom tunes were loaded into it by Doug. The reason im trying to get up with Doug is because the warranty is voided once he loaded custom tunes to it and SCT's site says contact your SCT dealer with problems with the unit. He is the dealer. It almost seems like it is locked up because it is not allowing me to do anything at all to the car. A friend of mine seems to think that while it tried to load the custom tune the first time and there was some kind of interruption and it did not finish that it has locked the unit up because it thinks that im trying to use it on another vehicle. I really dont know what to think about this tuner mess. I dont have much good to say about the situation at all but my props go out to JBA for an awesome Long Tube. It was a breeze to install and no leaks and clearance is alot better than I expected.

 

[Informant736]

So, i dont think you mentioned this but does the Mustang start up, or is it cranking but no start? If it is at least starting but throwing codes i would say that is better then a no start situation. If its a no start then it sounds like it failed part way through loading if the car still starts then the tune didnt start to load and you should still have your stock tune. I would say to try contacting Doug still cause he is going to be your best help here since he wrote the tunes for you. But something to maybe consider is to update the tuner by redoing the firmware on it by using the X3LW updater.

 

[BackinaStang]

It will start. It loaded the stock tune out of the car and into the programmer, then as it loaded the custom tune out of the programmer it stopped halfway through and said tune file failed to load / if car doesnt start return to stock tune, but the car starts so im thinking it never took the stock tune from the car. I was just hoping somebody that recently bought one these programmers could give me a quick rundown of how they used it. SCTs website does recommend updating firmware and something else and since i cant get in touch with them I tried it. Updates went to my computer but tuner will not take them. I hope nobody else has to go through this. IT SUCKS

 

[JR@SCT]

If it's firmware version 1.2.118, then be sure you turn the key on as quickly as possible when prompted to. If you ever get error 1034, you HAVE to return to stock before trying the custom tune again. X3 lists Strategy Tune as an option, but doesn't do anything when you pick it because X3 is a custom tune only device. Hope this helps.

 

[traffic142]

I had a similar incident with a new tune from doug. I had to update my tuner. SOOOOO I went to the site and tried to download software, firmware, etc. Somehow, I could not get the tuner to accept it. Doug was a great help in responding to emails etc.

However, SCT totally dropped the ball. I got on the help site, with live chat and after several attempts, over several days, on many different times, no one was alive to chat. Lol

I emailed SCT at least 4 times, telling the problem to them. This was over 2 months ago and still have not been contacted by SCT.

Off my soap box now, this is what I did, go to your computer start button, go to your programs and find the SCT file and then click on one of the files (for the life of me, I cannot remember) and that should open up the program to allow you to update your firmware, etc. Maybe that will work for you, it will prompt you to plug in your tuner using live load to your computer.

 

[bradleyem]

traffic142...that sucks that you had a bad experience with SCT.

My experience with them has been just the opposite.

I was having a problem with my SCT livewire not reading trouble codes....it would just get a bunch of random garbage scrolling on the screen, and I would have to disconnect it and remove power to get it to reset. I called SCT, and they knew right away that it just needed a firmware update. They had me load the stock tune back into the car, then connect the tuner to my laptop. They were then able to remote in and download and update the tuner in less than 10 minutes.....all remotely while I was sitting in a coffee shop using free wireless internet.......

While I had the tech on the phone I asked about connecting analog AFR and boost/vacuum sensors to my livewire, and they placed the wiring diagram on my laptop in PDF format for me to use........

I have had nothing but great customer service from them and they are extremely knowledgable.

I'm sure that once the OP gets ahold of Bama or SCT he can get the problem fixed rather painlessly.

 

[R Martin]

I bought my SCT through AM and was fine with them. But I got a tune from them and it didn't work right. So since then I have been going straight to SCT for my tunes. So if your having issues go to them the customer service is awsome.