Alientech tune controller questions and ECU's - calling Tim/Parso/Gavin etc

[parso_rex]

You won't be able to reuse the controller as it will be locked by their UK office and if it were to be unlocked/reset then you would lose the file but you could also use it again. It does sort of mean that other people could do the same thing and resell them but it should be quite easy for someone to arrange if you approached them nicely perhaps the UK side just simply doesn't allow it and the guys here are sort of stuffed
The device is locked by the VIN only isn't it ? and I think not by additional things like the current flashcounter values as per a bluefin so perhaps the controller would simply work as before - have you tried it yet ?

The tuned file will still be on the old ECU even if you can't communicate with it via the OBD interface. I could get it for you but then you probably couldn't use the controller for it anymore and you'd be better off just buying another tune from xx provider or the same possibly anyway

Edit: I see its been answered above

[Lucas_R]

LOL, good luck with that.

Even if you get a response, it'll take you a year to decipher it.

Cant you just download the powergate software (forget the exact name) and reset it all?

What happens if you plug the unit in on the new ECU and try to read the stock file?

I got a response from Alientech overnight actually (im surprised too as i wasnt expecting one) but its not much help. Massimo from Alientech says that Viezu have to unlock it, whereas Viezu say that Alientech have to unlock it..... I think this is a lost cause. Doesnt matter, we had written it off anyway, it was just a bit of an experiment to see whether it could be reset. I wont give up just yet but im doubtfull ill be successfull.

We tried to use the controller to connect to the new ECU when it first came back from VW, but the hand controller came up with an error.

The correct course of events here is the old unit which is locked to the old ECU, needs to be reset. That costs more than anticipated by the time its gone back through the process. So I offered a few alternatives to help out in the unfortunate circumstances, one being a $199 vRace file with free dyno at the new local Dealer in Newcastle, and upgrade to the latest vRace with full indirect DSG. But this was turned down as the preferred option was to use the controller.

Just to clarify Simon, the option was $299 for the tune at the local dealer. Extract from your email is below:

So the two most cost effective methods are this:

I can ship you out a heavily subsidised 'new' unit for $399 in exchange for your old one. I say 'new' but it's an opened box unit and looks brand new, still in the new box with cable ties – in fact if I recall it's one that's never been used, but I used it to demonstrate to a client what it was so unpacked it and plugged it in etc. Of course – as you're an existing client of ours there is no charge from us for the new files (which are upgraded btw – free indirect-dsg-tune on these now is epic…) And I can have that shipped today so you'll have it Monday.

OR – get you into a Dealer for $299 as a nominal fee for them to read an write a tune on (payable to the Dealer – we won't be charging for the actual tune)

I'm not saying that your friend caused the ecu failure, but from your posts I'm getting that; your friend had choose the cheaper option to DIY with the hand flash controller and then later when the things go south he expects more for free or as cheap as possible?

I also got from your post that, he is 2.5hours from the Viezu dealer, so I'm not blaming him for trying to save money, but I'm sure that if he'd use the Viezu dealer instead DIY, he would get his map flashed back in for free.

Miro, the ECU failure in my friends car was nobody's fault as such - we weren't fiddling with it or anything. It hadn't been touched in about a year since a tune was written to it. It just failed out of the blue - very bad luck. The car was literally perfect one minute, then it wouldn't start. As im sure you know the tune + handcontroller option is more expensive that just a simple tune via a dealer, not cheaper as you have suggested. But my friend purchased this tune just as Etech Remapping (Viezu) had arrived in Australia about 2yrs ago and there were no dealers - so a hand controller and DIY was the only option.

You won't be able to reuse the controller as it will be locked by their UK office and if it were to be unlocked/reset then you would lose the file but you could also use it again. It does sort of mean that other people could do the same thing and resell them but it should be quite easy for someone to arrange if you approached them nicely perhaps the UK side just simply doesn't allow it and the guys here are sort of stuffed
The device is locked by the VIN only isn't it ? and I think not by additional things like the current flashcounter values as per a bluefin so perhaps the controller would simply work as before - have you tried it yet ?

The tuned file will still be on the old ECU even if you can't communicate with it via the OBD interface. I could get it for you but then you probably couldn't use the controller for it anymore and you'd be better off just buying another tune from xx provider or the same possibly anyway

Edit: I see its been answered above

Hi Mark - not worried about losing the file thats on the controller currently as we were just hoping to sell the hand controller anyway (once its been reset). My friend has moved to a different tuner and has a new hand controller so this original hand controller is now surplus. And yes i believe that it locks to the VIN. Have tried the hand controller on the new ECU but it comes up with an error. So if i cannot get it reset for a decent price then its going in the bin. We had already written the controller off anyway so its no big deal. I just thought id explore the possibility of resetting it.

[kaanage]

So if i cannot get it reset for a decent price then its going in the bin. We had already written the controller off anyway so its no big deal. I just thought id explore the possibility of resetting it.

Surely Simon would pay something for the controller. Your friend may not be happy with the way things turned out but he could at least get something for it.

[Greg Roles]

This whole nightmare could have been avoided, that's all I'm saying!! Knowing both sides it's hard to sit in the middle, but I do always invite anyone nationwide to contact me if they are not getting where they need to, I have a billion less things to deal with that Simon does, and can often spend a lot more time on any one problem and also offer my own perspective.

It's not like I can solve everything, but I am here to support the brand 110%. We all make mistakes, but if you guys had any idea just how many drama's Simon actually solves.....I stick up for the guy as I know a lot of what is actually going on. Like anyone is perfect....

But yes there are problems, and you sure hear about them. Shame all round really.

[parso_rex]

I think you would have been best just to drive to the dealer and just have It reloaded. I did this with one car recently and then re-imaged the stuffed ECU so he has it as a working spare
This is going to occur on other cars too especially ones with the med9
Do you still have the other ECU?

[ViezuAustralia]

Hi Lucas_R

In a later email it was clarified this would be "$199-$299" and I'd firm up the price if you wanted to go to the Dealer. Which was declined, and shortly after confirmed at $199 and with free dyno run and tweaks)

But I know your mate was keen on the hand held so I guess it's irrelevant now in any event.

If I can assist further though please do let me know

Cheers

Simon

[ViezuAustralia]

Surely Simon would pay something for the controller. Your friend may not be happy with the way things turned out but he could at least get something for it.

Ordinarily yes we often offer a buy back scheme on these for $250. But it'll cost more than that to get it shipped and unlocked and back again, so that was really the issue. I'd then have it as a loss leader which is why I'd suggested it's far easier to go to our main Dealer in Newcastle. We offer back to stock for free etc etc and free new tunes in the event of loss of tune at service centre flash update, free stage upgrades etc so really that's why we don't push these controllers any more here - only as an absolute last resort will we offer them.

Dealer support is much better - and remote controllers are fine, but as we can see but nothing beats a proper Dealer flash with all the back up and support that comes with it.

[Lucas_R]

I think you would have been best just to drive to the dealer and just have It reloaded. I did this with one car recently and then re-imaged the stuffed ECU so he has it as a working spare
This is going to occur on other cars too especially ones with the med9
Do you still have the other ECU?

Yes he still has the original ECU.

It was my friends decision to decline the offers from Viezu. The dealer situation is still a pain as its 30 mins away and they are only open Mon-Fri 9/5 which means you need to take 1/2 a day off work each time you go there. Plus have to book in days/weeks? in advance.

Another friend from Newcastle recently got a Viezu tune from this dealer and he has been back there 3 times since...annoying. Once to get reflashed because VW overwrote it, and two more times to try and rectify a massive boost spike which is still currenty unrectified - so he will have to go back again at least one more time. You should see the dyno sheet . He lives closer and works in the evenings so its not so much of an inconvenience to go to the dealer. With an hand controller you can avoid all of this.

[Lucas_R]

To Simon and all the Viezu dealers (Greg/Miro etc) this was not at all intended to be a "bash" against Viezu. To be honest i really should have left the tuners name out of the equation all together - but its too late now. Apologies.

Whats happened doesn't matter anymore - ultimately it was my friends decision to move to a different tuner.

All im trying to achieve in this thread is to see whether this v-switch can be reset. If not, then thats fine. If yes, then good.

[ViezuAustralia]

massive boost spike which is still currenty unrectified - so he will have to go back again at least one more time. You should see the dyno sheet .

To my knowledge he's only been there for the tune 'read' and 'write' and not 3 times.

The dyno sheet was at an alternative dyno centre we have no idea of their work nor set up so I've asked for the car to go and get it on our trusted Dealer's dyno who actually did the tune for proper logging to check whether it's spiking, and if it is, then we'll tweak it accordingly.

I'm told by the Dealer that client did not want the driveshaft off (2wd dyno), which is why it was then logged in full on a road test and no spike - holding a flat 22-23psi everywhere. The limit on the vRace file is 24-25psi which it'll hit and then immediately settle and bleed off to 18/19psi at red line. This one, we have no idea from the dyno run as it was a power run only so not really ideal.

However because this other dyno centre is showing a clear spike when I saw the dyno sheet I said he would have to get it in to have it properly looked at by our dealer - not some random.

If that would have happened in the first place again, this would have been avoided, but client wasn't necessarily to know that.

Really the curves should look like this on his R

Whereas his hits at 3k as here, but then immediately drops on the torque curve significantly before raising back as normal. We suspect the dyno, but need it on our Dealer's dyno for investigation before it can be checked properly and then dealt with/tweaked accordingly as required.

[Lucas_R]

Alientech tune controller questions and ECU's - calling Tim/Parso/Gavin etc

The dyno is fine - the operator is good and he has dynod my car several times as well as a few other R's too. On that car there is something definitely up at around 3,200rpm by way of a massive torque spike then dip (up to 340nm then down to 295nm then builds back up again). This spike is also reflected in the bump/dip in the power curve as well as the A/F ratio too. I've planned to meet up with this guy again this weekend to drive the car and do some logs on it with VCDS. See if the logs back up the dyno.

Anyway - off topic.

[ViezuAustralia]

Then all we'll need is it properly logging on the dyno and we can then tweak accordingly. But to do that we still require it preferably on our Dealer's dyno

[ViezuAustralia]

I've planed to meet up with this guy again this weekend to drive the car and do some logs on it with VCDS.

Great bounce them through when you have them please and we'll take a look. We'll need logs one way or another to check it and tweak accordingly as required.

[boltor]

Really the curves should look like this on his R

Simon - is this just a vRace (stage 1), or with mods too?

[ViezuAustralia]

Hi Boltor

Not wishing to go off topic on this thread - let's PM or email on it. But in short - yes - This is just our vRace level with full indirect DSG, and a CAI. Nothing else. But let's email on it,

Cheers

Simon