Today was a bad day.

Had the day off today, which started everything off as a good day, one would think. Sky was blue, and a faint crisp of mother nature's bite in the Canadian air.

I thought I would use today to swap out my nitto trail grapps on my factory 18's for the Bridgestone Blizzaks I have on factory 17's, before mother nature decided it was time to sink us into the deep freeze, and make me shovel the white stuff off my driveway again. It's comin, it does every year about now, and the first one is usually a doozey.

So I haul out the wheels, jack up the truck and do the simple swap. All that is left is to plug in the SCT, re-install the 91 performance tune with the new rev/mile setting, and re-train the TPMS and away I go right? Oh boy how wrong I was. I start with the tuner, plug it in, go through the motions, set new rev/mile setting, and wait it out. 10 minutes later (or so) it says all is good, so I start the truck, and life is so far so good. I have done the TPMS training thing several times before, and it had always worked, with these very wheels just last spring. Problems start right here. Set the truck in learn mode, it tells me to start with the front left wheel, and after letting out way more air than I know it should take, the horn honks twice telling me I failed. So, back to the beginning, fill it, drive it for 5 minutes around the block, and bring it back in, through the motions again, air out, and again double honk. HMMMMMM

Well, I thought somehow maybe this trouble is in the 91 tune, for whatever reason. Didn't see how, but eh, I got all day right? I plug the SCT back in, and return to stock. Almost. just before it finishes it gives me an error code 1016, and I got bupkiss. No start, no nothing. I try to re-install the 91 perf tune, nope it wont let me.

I go inside with the device, and call 5star. Mike tells me to call the SCT help line and have them remotely reconfig my device. I spent almost 90 minutes on the phone with SCT, on my dime I might add as they have no 1800 number that I knew of. I'm not overly familiar with what "Paul" at SCT was talking about, but basically, my tuner somehow lost the factory tune, and they had to strip the remnants that were there, and re-install using the same code I gave 5star when I ordered it in the first place. While I was waiting for them to do whatever they were doing, I darted outside and put a battery charger on the truck, for good measure. Before I got off the phone with SCT helpline, he had me plug into the truck, and re-install the "new" factory tune. It fired up, life is good again right? I was breathing a sigh of relief. He told me I can re-install the 91 perf tune, and be on my way. "Thanks Paul" I say, and hang up the phone.

So I re-install the 91 tune again, and just as it finishes, I remembered about the tire pressure monitor problem, and the little dash reminder area tells me "tire pressure monitor fault". So at this point I'm thinking that somehow I may really have a simple sensor problem, and a dealer trip is in order. Plug in the tuner yet again, and do the whole return to stock thing again. start the truck.................................... and holy christmas tree, the dash lit up like 4th of july fireworks. I got park brake light, ABS light, check engine light, air bag light, traction control light, and a "check brake system" in the usual mpg window. WTF?.........

I use the SCT as a code reader, and it spits out P1639 Vehicle ID Block Corrupted, Not Programmed.

SCT is closed for the weekend. and there is no way I can drive this truck with that many dash warning lights. I'm screwed. I'm lost. And I'm angry. Partly at myself, partly at my truck, but mostly at this X3. Up until today, I have had great things to say about it, and fantastic results. Today, I'm not impressed. Changing the wheels and tires has cost me about 6 or 7 hours so far, and it is not over yet. I'm mighty tempted to take the truck to the dealer and play stupid. Not sure how well that will work. It sure wouldn't suprise me if I got bigger troubles that they are about to catch me on.

Today turned out to be not a good day.

 

Sorry to hear that.....

 

Well, After a breif email chat with Mike at 5star, he assures me that the tech support team at SCT can, and will fix my problem. I have decided to hold off on going to the dealer, that little bug in my ear tells me that going that route might be a very big mistake. The bad news is that they have absolutely no tech support on the weekends. Purely a monday to friday bunch. Considering that a large portion of the weekend warriors will save a mod tune for the weekend when we have more time to play, having no tech support on the weekends seems kinda dumb. That said, I'm pretty sure I would rather have a guy in Tennassee, (or whatever state they are in), deal with my troubles on monday, than to have a call service in India run me through some kind of check list.

I still wish they had someone to help on saturdays. For now, I'm left to stare at my 40 thousand dollar christmas tree in the garage, and I am so much looking forward to a fabulous bus ride to work monday morning. In theory, the truck starts, and I could be daring enough to drive it as it is. I can't do that. I love her too much.

When it's running, this is what I get to stare at.... the bottom window alternates between the two different messages.





Now I just have to leave work early on monday, take to loser cruiser back home, and call SCT yet again.

 

Just how are you supposed to train the TPMS sensors in a 2010 anyway ?? You don't use a 'training tool' like the earlier trucks ??????

 

Key in ignition, turn to "on". Push the hazard light switch on, then off 3 times in a row, it honks, but the dash screen tells you it is in learn mode, and says something like "train left front wheel". Begin letting air out of the front left wheel till it honks once, then go to the right front, let air out, "honk" right rear, "honk" left rear, "honk", and you're done. If it honks twice at any time, it failed, and you gotta start all over again. Don't forget to fill the tires back up before driving away

You could always read your owners manual, this info is in there.

Or you could watch this guy do it on You tube. Skip to 4:40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMkSf...yer_detailpage

 

that's crappy' I know the feeling when you mess with the ecu and then the vehicle won't start. I put a chip into an old VW I had then no start.... I put the chip in backwards..doh! But at least mine was an easy fix. Hope you get this fixed fast and free.

 

Well, Mike @ 5star got the service dept at SCt to call me today, and after some remote downloading from my device they told me they would have the engineers look at it and call me back. Some 2 hours or so later, they did call back as promised, and gave me the "I dunno what happened" answer, and I could tell by the tone in his voice that he didn't like having to ask me to return the truck to the dealer for a probable re-flash. They have offered to pick up any tab that the dealer charges (but it's still under warranty so I suspect free). They also gave me the option to return the device, along with my PCM to them to repair. That option would have really blown, as I would have been without a truck the entire time.

As of right now, the truck sits at the dealer, waiting for a tech to become available to look at it. I did drive it there, without problems, other than the christmas tree for a dash. Fingers crossed this is over soon. Apparently, I am the first to have this problem, according to SCT tech support. Yay me!

 

Ive been seriously considering ordering a SCT for my 5.0L, but stories like this really scare me...

 

So, Dealer called today, and informs me that my Smart Junction Box needs replacing. They have one on order, and should be here tomorrow.

The timing of the SJB frying is definitely suspicious to me, considering all was well just moments before I adjusted the tune on the truck to accommodate for the different tire size.

I have absolutely zero idea if the two could even physically be linked. A case of bad timing, or is it possible that the X3 caused this? I suppose it is also possible that the dealer is simply throwing parts at it, because they can. Anyone have any technical info on this? After a SJB replacement, they told me that they needed ALL (3) keys I have cut for my truck, and any that I withheld would no longer work.

What would be the next move for me with the tuner? I'm a little gun shy about plugging it back in to the truck when I get it back from the dealer.

 

Send the sct back and have them send you a new one. That is what I would do.

 

Truck is back home again, and as of right now, it still has the factory tune in it. Mech notes on work order state....

DLC hookup and BCE test, found multiple network codes in all modules, but unable to comunicate to GEM/SJB. Replaced GEM/SJB as per SSM21371. Reprogrammed, retested, pcm codes still present, all other modules ok - p1639, vin mismatch. Reprogrammed PCM with PMI procedure as per pinpoint test, retested, now working ok. No further faults found.

The only parts listed on the R/O is a AL3Z15604C Module-door lock A

I sent pics of the current strategy code in the truck, and all current relevant info to both SCT and 5star. Waiting for word back from them as to whether I'm good to go with the tuner, of if there are any further steps I need to take to avoid this trouble. I am yet to find anyone who believes that the trouble I had was tuner related. I have had 3 different opinions on it, and they all say the same thing. It is hard to accept though, as it seems really co-incidental, but I suppose it is entirely possible. As it was, the first sign of trouble was when I tried to get the truck to learn the new TPMS, and it snowballed from there. The fact that I had just connected the tuner to adjust for tire size change moments before could just be a coincident, and un-related. COULD.

For now, I wait. I suspect that 5star and SCT will come through for me. They have both been the utmost of help so far, or at least tried their best. I really miss the 91 performance tune though. This stock tune is awful.

Today we had our first snowfall. I love 4WD and true winter rubber. Anyway, off to go shovel the driveway.

 

i've had no issues with my SCT but there's always a risk of things like this happening when you change or modify your trucks ECU. it's sort of a double edged sword with all of the options the new tuners have and how much they can change vs. how much can go wrong if there's an issue. sorry to hear this happened to you but i'm glad to hear that SCT is taking good care of you.

 

Today is day 41 without a tuner. It has been a long wait to get things resolved. I have spent probably 5 hours of total time on the phone with SCT tech support, to the point that I have a personal first name basis "relationship" with one of their guys in particular who has been doing most of the grunt work on my particular case. My latest episode eventually had him loadng a "new replacement stock tune" on the device and try to upload it into the truck. This was the first tune that the truck has accepted since the epic failure began. That said, it is a SCT version of the stock tune. It was simply a test to determine if the device itself was an apparent flop or not, and because the tune stuck, they are assuming that it is a problem in the software in the new and re-worked custom tune I got from Mike @ 5star. Mike worked on the issue for a few days, and is not convinced that SCT is right. This morning he sent me a "new" (again) 87 performance tune to try. He said in his last email that if it did not work this time my next option is to either try a replacement device, or has offered me a complete money back return. I will try the new tune today when I get home from work.

Throughout the 41 days, even though there has been no good news as of yet, I have always been happy with the level of service I have recieved from both 5star, and SCT tech support. I just wish this whole mess would be done with. I miss my custom tune.....

 

This song is getting old, but I figured I'd dig up this thread. I have sent my X3 back to 5 star for a replacement. Mike told me to ship it to him, "regular mail is fine". At my expense I might add. I'm not sure what kind of turn around time to expect on this, and my unit has been in the mail system for a little over a week.

Today is day 70 without my tuner since the trouble began. I sure miss the response from the custom tunes.

 

wow man!!! i just read this entire thread!! id be so pist off!!