fordboy1996

I'd just get a flasher with a custom tune...it would cost about $1500 and net you about 260rwkws and could be put back to stock on about 2 minutes...

Dave.

__________________
SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM!!!!
-------------------------------
"The car is the closest thing man can create to.....something that is alive" (Founder of Jaguar Cars Pty Ltd, Sir William Lyons)
-------------------------------
"Can't sleep, Clown'll eat me, can't sleep, clown'll eat me"
"I am the angel of death, the time of purification is at hand"
-------------------------------

 

Paulv

I'm still of the opinion that the CAPA/Stealth options are simply tuning tools - with basic outcomes no different to the tuning done prior to the invention of PCMs. All the tuner is doing is optimising fuel/air ratios and spark/valve timings to get the most out of the motor. I can't see how this is any different to someone tuning their pre-PCM car to get the most out of their engine. All that's happening is that you're spending some time to make sure that YOUR engine is a good as it can be rather than living with a "lowest-common-denominator" tune from the factory. The final tune will still be within the maximum tested spec from the factory - remember that Ford were originally testing the turbo engine at quite serious states of tune for squillions of hours to see what broke.

Now if however you remove the speed limiter that's put in place to stop you destroying your dodgy drive-shaft then that's a separate issue.

Also in an accident - blame is placed on the point of failure, not on the maximum performance of the car. If the cause was speed then that was the cause - no-one is blaming a car tune-up unless it fails. The police will be looking for failure to adhere to driving laws first and then component failure second. Component enhancement is going to be very low on their list of priorities unless it is obvious and could be critical to the cause of accident.

bobski

Someone mentioned an edit improving fuel ecomony... How tangable is it for an XR6T Auto? Trying to do the hard sell on the missus :)

YOOT

If you crash the car or whatever with the edit in place and you don't get the chance to reflash the stock program back, need not worry. It is totally stealth - the only thing that has changed is te 1s and 0s

__________________

flappist

Not exactly.

What is "stealth" about it is the way it can be removed in 3 minutes leaving no trace.
If an investigator gets hold of your modified ECU and reads the program it is simple to tell if it is not a genuine Ford one.

__________________
Revelations 13:18
Here is wisdom.
Let him that hath understanding count the number of the BEAST:
for it is the number of a F6 Typhoon; and its number is 0217.

Dannopower

Regarding the "Stealth" or "Flash Tuner"

Lets have a look at what we are carrying on about, i mean, really.

There seems to be 2 ridiculous issues here,

1- The ECU edit causing a car to be more likely to have an accident (well thats what some of you are making it sound like!)

2- The edit causing the warranty to be voided for all claims (again, thats what some people posting here seem to think!)

Answer number 1 -Its not the issue of a modified computer program causing you to have an accident. If you think an edit is going to reduce your ability to drive your vehicle with an acceptable level of responsibility then dont buy it! Spend the edit money on driver training instead! Because somebody has worked out a higher performing and more efficient way for your ECU to run doesnt increase the daily risk of having an accident anyway!

If you happen to be responsible for causing an accident, its exactly like PaulV stated,

"blame is placed on the point of failure, not on the maximum performance of the car. If the cause was speed then that was the cause - no-one is blaming a car tune-up unless it fails. The police will be looking for failure to adhere to driving laws first and then component failure second. Component enhancement is going to be very low on their list of priorities unless it is obvious and could be critical to the cause of accident."

Its not even as detailed as "component enhancement" We are talking about your standard, stock as a rock looking car ECU. Probably the last thing in an entire line of accident causing factors that an investigator would be worried about! If the accident was not your fault then why would they give a f*&K about diagnosing your ECU?

Answer number 2- Fact of the matter is, if you buy a new home PC with warranty, then you upgrade the RAM chip, install your own antivirus etc, and your monitior dies, or the mouse buttons stop working, they're not going to void the replacement warranty on those faulty parts just because you have done an upgrade on the software.

My ute has a flaw in the casting of the sump, therefore the sump needs to be replaced under warranty. Do you think they are worried about the ECU?
One of my mates has a XR6T with upgraded injectors, modified exhaust, piggypack ECU management, and a Cold air intake. His radiator shat itself and started leaking all over the place, and was replaced under full factory warranty, and why shouldnt it be?

At the end of the day, if you want to upgrade your vehicle from stock, everyone has their own reasons and their own boundaries of how far they want to go. Some of these boundaries are restricted by things like responsibility to someone elses property, or finances. Most people are looking for the best value for money enhancement they can get, so thats why the Flash tuner has generated a lot of interest.

Just use your common sence in respect of your responsibilty, dont be paranoid and enjoy your driving!

__________________
Mandarin MK1 XR6T Ute, XTREME tuned Auto with PWR Trans Cooler, Team XTREME tuned edit, Dual CAI and K+N filter, 968's, Walbro Fuel Pump, Centre Muffler Removed and 4 inch Custom Cat.

288rwkw
Go You Good Thing!!

flappist

Just quick answers to your points.

If there is an accident, the insurance company will do every thing they can to not pay, that is their nature. Simmilar example, you put 140km/h max tyres on your XR8, it is uninsured, end of story. Even if the accident was at 60km/h the tyres are incorrect for the vehicle i.e. "It has an unauthorised modification". Read the fine print of you insurance policy.

As far as PC with RAM upgrade, and your mate's ute, this is warranty not insurance, no Police involvement, no assessor, no agendas. If the warranty agent (usualy Ford or FPV) is not aware of the mod then you will be ok.
I wonder if your mate would remove all his mods defore taking his vehicle in for a warranty claim on the engine or gearbox.

If, on the other hand, like a local idiot up here, you display you car in several national magazines with very overt modifcations that you detail thoroughly and you then have a catastrophic engine failure you WILL have the warranty voided.
This is not hypothetical, it actually happened last year.

You have stated "don't be paranoid", but the original thread starter has asked if he could have problems if he modded his car. Many have replied.

stealth n.
1) The act of moving, proceeding, or acting in a covert way.
2)The quality or characteristic of being furtive or covert.

antonym) blabbing about it to all your mates and putting stuff on an internet forum that is commonly read by the people you want to hide it from.

Like speeding, everyone does it, some more than others, but no one does it in a place where they KNOW they will get caught.

My personal experiance in this, as stated earlier, is from the situation of being an expert witness for the prosecution on several occasions and they will try ANYTHING not to pay.

__________________
Revelations 13:18
Here is wisdom.
Let him that hath understanding count the number of the BEAST:
for it is the number of a F6 Typhoon; and its number is 0217.