Bad tunes from Whipple?

[Notheryote]

Idk just frustrated after all this. The guys at Whipple have been good when I needed help and I think their kit is great but there’s obviously either a problem with the tomahawk or the software and I’m being made out to seem like an idiot driving around town with a stock tune wondering why it’s running like shit.

I feel the same. It’s a great kit, high quality through and through and makes insane power. When I’ve called in they’re always helpful. The tune I got just made me uncomfortable once I started seeing how much it knocked. I went down a rabbit hole for weeks thinking I was having false knock and doing everything I could to fix it but was afraid to go WOT at that point for fear of it being true knock. I tried the lund tune and immediately had no more knock and knew that there was no way I could go back to the whipple tune.

Sponsored

 

[engineermike]

I believe the tomahawk will automatically update the device firmware but you have to go through the menu to get it to reflash the car. Mine only takes 60-90 seconds to flash.

 

[TX-Ripper]

I believe the tomahawk will automatically update the device firmware but you have to go through the menu to get it to reflash the car. Mine only takes 60-90 seconds to flash.

The only automatic update that’s done is the firmware update.

To flash any tune, you have to manually select it.

 

[sigintel]

Does the Whipple documentation warn the Tomahawk firmware update and flashing is not to be misconstrued as the ECU being flashed?
The Whipple Tomahawk video shows that? or nah?

Hopefully both parties take a breather as they are both frustrated.

Everyone knows Whipple puts in incredible hours and really freakn cares. There are a million possible screw ups and incredible attention to detail to insure every single part in the kits are manufactured correctly and all the tolerances and fit and finishes are correct. I cant imagine the hours of addressing constant attention to mechanical detail.

It is highly unlikely a customer would go through all the effort to install a Whipple kit and then KNOWINGLY thrash their own motor on a stock tune.

Anyone with PREVIOUS install experience might suspect that start up and off idle were wrong and shutdown; then go contact Whipple to get the instructions to confirm what tune is running in the ECU before proceeding. But that's kinda of the hitch, the whole point of buying a Whipple is to get the safest, most reliable, most OEM FI experience in the industry.. even without previous experience.
Whipple sets the standard in this regard.

Really crossing fingers for both Whipple and the OP on this one.

 

[markmurfie]

Modern auto mechanics 101, the OBD port and the data/ insight it gives you. It should be reviewed after any and every modification you do to your car. idle, slow revs, easy driving, moderate driving, then WOT.
Not everyone owns a simple OBD scanner. Well Whipple added the function to their software and instructions on how to use it. No more excuses. No more"listen for anything that doesn't seem normal" / "listen for engine detonation" BS in the instructions. (steps 211 and 215 of A1R31 August 19 2017 instructions). Whipple is not perfect, but they are constantly improving trying to make kits perform as expected and the ability to be installed by any one that can read.

Lund, PBD, or any other good tuner would make you go through a similar process like this. The common core idea isn't really their original idea, its basic modern auto mechanics.

If it was logged/ reviewed and If there was an issue flashing the calibration, it would have been obvious and caught from the first startup/ log review, never getting to the WOT event where damage most likely happened.

IMO blame should fall 100% on the installer. Whipple giving any compensation is absolutely outstanding customer service.

I never like hearing anyone has serious engine problems as coyotes can be very expensive, and down time for the car means no fun, I feel bad for you.

 

[jhunt47]

I had installed the tune to the tomahawk and plugged it into the car. Car automatically started to flash with “erasing” then it programmed where everything went blank and came back on. Drove approximately 50 miles and everything was fine. Did a small burn out and that’s when engine light started flashing. Pulled into my buddies shop about a half mile down the road (babying it cause now I don’t know what is going on). Misfire on all cylinders, imrc, and active air shutter codes all came on. Was able to talk with Whipple tuning support the next day and he had me read the file name. It was the stock file. Idk how this was possible as the car was fine up to that point with no codes and the a/f was always 14 +/- 1. Was told that it didn’t download possibly because of a loose cable connection on tomahawk? Don’t see how the car would go blank and come back on. Whipple instructed me to redownload tune and everything was dandy. Drove it about 100 miles that night. Took my friend for a rip and after a probably 5 second wot pull check engine light was flashing for all cylinder misfire. Cleared it with the tomahawk and read cylinder 7 misfire. Next day diagnosed it and pulled the motor.

Are you saying the a/f was always 14 even while under boost?

 

[Boduke0220]

basically you fucked up. All good, we have all been there. Get a new shortblock and send it!

 

[Patmcgee957]

If I did just the firmware update then this is 100% on me as the instructions are very clear. Say this is what happened and I ran the stock tune after the firmware update then I have a couple questions.
1) how many times does the dash go blank during initial firmware update and ecm reflash?
2) initial start up was hard starting after kit install but manual warns about this and car evened out after a minute. Started and idled fine and ran fine through all rpm ranges. Wouldn’t it have been popping and felt like the motor was shaking like it did after the engine light came on?
3) wouldn’t the imrc codes and lean code along with misfires appeared almost instantly as soon as I would’ve started driving it?
4) is the on board a/f gauge trustworthy enough to watch? As long as I was watching it everything seemed fine

I’m sure I’ll come up with more questions but these are the ones off the top of my head. If this is the case then I’ll own responsibility and don’t want anything from Whipple.

 

[Mustang_Lou]

What I'm reading here is there may need to be a message at the end of the upload process to CONFIRM that indeed the Whipple calibration did in fact load to the ECU. Maybe there already is??

 

[Bluelightning]

What I'm reading here is there may need to be a message at the end of the upload process to CONFIRM that indeed the Whipple calibration did in fact load to the ECU. Maybe there already is??

The Tomahawk tool has a progress indicator that tells you when it reaches 100% and I think it also tells you it was successful if I'm not mistaken.

 

[TX-Ripper]

If you want to see what it looks like, gauge cluster, tomahawk messages ect.

Just re flash your car with the tomahawk , will not hurt anything to flash it 20 times...

the firmware wont update again unless you get a new calibration from Whipple and they update the firmware (this happens to add features and new data logging options)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

@Patmcgee957

I feel for you, I've installed 3 2018+ Whipple kits and can see how it could get confusing.

I wore Whipple support out with questions, complains, and praises.

I'm sure they hate me, but I will still give them money as the product and the after sale support is like nothing Ive ever encountered in 20 years of chasing speed.

I'm not a mechanic, I'm a hobbyist.

Anything that needs to be gone, I do it (or it doesn't get done)

95% I'm scared to death, I read 5 times and cut twice

 

[sigintel]

I cant believe there is no display of what the current firmware version number or name is that the ECU is running on.

Query ECU firmware identifier string
Flash new firmware/tune
Query ECU firmware identifier string
Confirm you flashed the correct file

Where is this in install directions?

 

[TX-Ripper]

I cant believe there is no display of what the current firmware version number or name is that the ECU is running on.

Query ECU firmware identifier string
Flash new firmware/tune
Query ECU firmware identifier string
Confirm you flashed the correct file

Where is this in install directions?

There is a way in the menu to get the current os strategy number, it’s how whipple support helped him identified that he was on the stock calibration still.

 

[raydog1]

I cant believe there is no display of what the current firmware version number or name is that the ECU is running on.

Query ECU firmware identifier string
Flash new firmware/tune
Query ECU firmware identifier string
Confirm you flashed the correct file

Where is this in install directions?

Even better it should be:

Query ECU firmware identifier string and assign it variable X
Flash new firmware/tune
Query ECU firmware identifier string and assign it variable Y
If X=Y PRINT "ECU UPDATE FAILED! DO NOT DRIVE!"
If X≠Y PRINT "ECU UPDATE SUCCESSFUL. SEND IT!"

 

[sigintel]

Even better it should be:

Query ECU firmware identifier string and assign it variable X
Flash new firmware/tune
Query ECU firmware identifier string and assign it variable Y
If X=Y PRINT "ECU UPDATE FAILED! DO NOT DRIVE!"
If X≠Y PRINT "ECU UPDATE SUCCESSFUL. SEND IT!"

Great minds think alike. Lol, I actually do something near identical to this in my firmware.
Caching strings in processor flash, device flash and target flash as well as ram with some additional hashes. Gotta make sure and display anything out of sync vs what is desired.

Sponsored