PCMtec

[Rolls]

From their site:

This. The 64 bit version is MUCH faster and we highly recommend using it at all times. Even if you have a Tactrix you can do all your work in 64bit and revert to 32bitb for flashing via the options menu, however the OBDX cable is faster and also supports Bluetooth/wifi/elm327 for full diagnostic support with Forscan and other android/iphone based phone packages.

You can even flash GM cars via lsdroid on your phone using this cable.

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[Rolls]

Also for US customers you can technically use an OBDX GT instead of FT but you have to install the drivers manually. They will receive less frequent driver updates that include optimisations directly for our software. The FT has FEPs which is required for the early oak PCMs (Aussie Falcons etc), this is absent on the GT.

 

[Rolls]

Thank you. That's good news. At a quick search a VCM II seems to be much easier to find. It's even available locally - no need to deal with those scammers who can't even write an export form properly and then have the audacity to blame it on me.

I know PCMtec says it works with generic J2534 devices, but there are many of those, and who knows what little foibles each of them may have, which may or may not impede the way PCMtec actually works. We're dealing with the PCM here, which is the single most important module in the car. A little glitch during writing could brick the car, I imagine. That's why I want one that's indeed confirmed to work with PCMtec, not just inferred based on the protocol.
I'm glad to hear a VCM II works for you. Thanks.

VCM2 is very expensive however it does work. It costs over $1k USD, is the sizes of a laptop and their drivers suck so we have to block auto connect .

Pretty much every other cable is subpar but they will work. Things like the VCX nano etc are about 50% slower to flash which is why we don't list support for them. Most eBay cables are China clones and DOA or fail randomly.

As for 32bit cables the now discontinued Mongoose JLR is the most reliable and fastest after the Tactrix.

 

[shogun32]

Most eBay cables are China clones and DOA or fail randomly

hmm, how often does that translate into a bricked car? Or is it a 2-phase write?

 

[mejohn50]

hmm, how often does that translate into a bricked car? Or is it a 2-phase write?

In my experience the Ford PCMs are hard to brick. I’ve had failed writes, laptop battery die, car battery die, etc during a write. Never had an issue recovering the PCM, especially with PCMTEC’s recovery flash capability.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Buy it from the US direct. They have stock there a(afaik), shipping it from Australia would be slow and expensive over Christmas. Aus post is one of the worst postal services I have ever used. There was a rail disaster in WA a few weeks ago that basically cut off all postage from half the country (Australia is gigantic and takes 46 hours+ to drive from WA to QLD) meaning "express" from WA to Sydney took 3+ weeks instead of 2 days. Customs is also notoriously slow. Apparently Amazon stock the OBDX in their warehouses apparently meaning close to next day delivery. It is also manufactured in the US so buying from Aus would mean it was sent from the US to Perth (literally the other side of the globe) and back again.

Whilst we are not affiliated with OBDX and I do not know the full story if you contact us I would be happy to throw in a credit to cover your cost and delay.

It sounds as though you bought from the Australian distributor and not their US one someone. Or perhaps they didn't have stock in the US over Christmas.

I had to choose the Australian warehouse because they specifically state they don't ship internationally from US.

And I couldn't find it for sale anywhere, nor on Amazon, nor anywhere else, apart from their own website.
Do you happen to know of another source?

 

[Rolls]

hmm, how often does that translate into a bricked car? Or is it a 2-phase write?

They are unbrickable from what our testing has shown. We have purposely pulled power mid flash, written half a file. We even written custom code that waited 2 seconds then reset the PCM (meanining it would connect and then kill comms) and you can still recover them using our recovery mode on the bench. (only extreme issues require you to bench flash it, as it needs a true power cycle eg battery disconnected). I can't see a normal cable failure ever requiring this.

The PBL cannot be overwritten via J2534 so you should always be able to recover a modern Ford PCM with our software.

I had to choose the Australian warehouse because they specifically state they don't ship internationally from US.

And I couldn't find it for sale anywhere, nor on Amazon, nor anywhere else, apart from their own website.
Do you happen to know of another source?

Ah you live in Europe. Europe is notoriously difficult to ship electronics to especially with the Ukraine situation, requires many extra stickers and tags. Germany is one of the worst and it likely would have had to go via Germany. You'd have to talk to OBDX, every company in the world is going to have similar issues shipping to Romania.

I know other companies who simply do not ship to eastern Europe full stop and recommend using dropshipping companies who specialise in this.

You'd need to talk to OBDX about this, or you could try buying a European cable instead, eg a UCDS (I believe they support J2534 and ship from Russia). There may be other suppliers within Europe who sell J2534 cables.

I know people in the UAE who have successfully purchased an OBDX.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Just checking if I understand correctly how the PCMtec pricing works. I have to purchase the editor (I guess from the "Global Market" category, but then which one?), plus, in the case of a 2018+ Mustang, three credits. These three credits will allow me to tune one particular vehicle an indefinite number of times, for an indefinite period of time, even if I replace the J2534 interface or the laptop in the future. Is this correct?

 

[Rolls]

Just checking if I understand correctly how the PCMtec pricing works. I have to purchase the editor (I guess from the "Global Market" category, but then which one?), plus, in the case of a 2018+ Mustang, three credits. These three credits will allow me to tune one particular vehicle an indefinite number of times, for an indefinite period of time, even if I replace the J2534 interface or the laptop in the future. Is this correct?

Our licensing is based off PCM serial and the operating system. 1 credit for the "flash license" 2 credits for the "edit license".

If you are DIY and tuning only your vehicle you would purchase the protuner package which includes 3 credits. So your total cost is
PCMTec. PCMTec Editor - DIY ProTuner Edition - Global : ~$130 USD

If you want full Custom OS access you would purchase the ProTuner + CustomOS Edition, this includes 10 credits.
PCMTec. PCMTec Editor - DIY ProTuner One Car CustomOS Edition - Global ~$630 USD

If you are a workshop and want to tune multiple vehicles with dedicated support and trade pricing you would purchase the Global Workshop edition. This includes 10 credits + 10 more R&D credits upon application (eg a shop car etc).
PCMTec. PCMTec Editor - Workshop Edition- Global ~$1990 USD

You can upgade your edition to any of the above at any time for the difference in price.

You would then purchase a supported J2534 cable - We highly recommend the OBDX FT. If you are a workshop member and already own SCT Advantage 3 you can also use an XCAL4 for flashing. Official non beta support will be announced for this in the next week or so.
PCMTec Flashing Hardware Requirements - PCMTec. Support

Then you would read your vehicle for free.

Eg FSJJDxx.

You could then spend 1 flash license and restore this vehicle to stock (any compatible operating system)
HOWTO: Reset to Stock for 1 Credit - General HOWTO Guides - PCMTEC Forums
HOWTO: Return Existing Tuner locked Vehicles To Stock - PCMTec. Support

OR

You would license the vehicle completely to edit and tune it at a cost of 3 credits (or 10 for a Custom OS). You can then edit/flash/modify this vehicle as many times as you like. The license is cloud based so if you lose your dongle, your laptop, your file it does not matter. You can simply re-read the vehicle or make a new stock file for it at no added cost.

The software is not host locked, you can use it on multiple Laptops/Home PC at the same time (within our fair use guidelines). You can also use any cable you like.

If you were to change to FSKK2 for example (not that it would make sense to) it would cost 2 more credits as a new "edit license" is required.

 

[Rolls]

You guys might like this. Software only Spark Cut with antilag Coming soon with transbrake through selected dealers in mid 2024.


Mustang Spark Cut Launch Control - Software Only (youtube.com)

 

[Vlad Soare]

All of the active exhaust tables are defined in PCMTEC, and so are the idle defaults and software switches to completely disable/enabled it along with MIL codes if you have removed the system.

I set mine up so quiet mode is quiet and normal/sport/track are all full volume. Works great.

Would you mind telling me exactly how you did that?
I've installed the software and done a full read of the vehicle, and I'm now looking at the active exhaust section. My God, it's absolutely overwhelming! There are dozens of options, 98% of which I have no idea what they actually mean.

I can see the tables which I've modified in HPtuners (and which in my car seem to be ignored), plus a lot of other options which weren't present there. What I fail to see is where the selected exhaust mode comes in. And I don't know what things like "extun", "fmem", etc. mean.

What I want is quite simple:

1. Quiet mode stays as it is.
2. In all other modes the valves are open 100% all the time, including at idle, no matter what. At any temperature, in any season, any day of the week, any phase of the moon, you name it. Always 100%, no exceptions.

How do I do that?

 

[Vlad Soare]

What I fail to see is where the selected exhaust mode comes in.

Actually, I think I see it, but I can't seem to figure out how it's supposed to work.

How should I read this? Do the numbers on the x-axis represent exaust modes? Like, say, 1 is Quiet, 2 is Normal, 3 is Sport, etc.?

 

[Rolls]

1. Quiet mode stays as it is.
2. In all other modes the valves are open 100% all the time, including at idle, no matter what. At any temperature, in any season, any day of the week, any phase of the moon, you name it. Always 100%, no exceptions.

How do I do that?

Trial and error. Ford wrote the software not us. We have no idea either, we work it out the same way you do.

 

[Vlad Soare]

We have no idea either, we work it out the same way you do.

Sure, I get that, but I was hoping that you've already worked it out and might save me some time.

 

[Rolls]

Sure, I get that, but I was hoping that you've already worked it out and might save me some time.

Here you go, for an 18+ GT this will be in track mode at all times except when "quiet mode" is selected on the dash. This will mean on the street you will only meet noise regulations when in quiet mode.

1 is "quiet" mode. I set it to still open the valve at WOT and high RPM.

Map 2,3,4,5,6,7 set to 1.0 at all times

Map 8, 9 and 10 leave as stock (0) we are not sure if these are ever used, so we simply left them at their default of 0.0 at all times.

Mustang 18+ GT Active Exhaust - All modes fully open except for quiet mode. - Mustang HOWTO Guides - PCMTEC Forums

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