I wonder why tc will not allow you to lock a file. You can with hptuners, efilive, and even westers. Which is about the same program as tunercat. Just saved as a different ext.
I wonder why tc will not allow you to lock a file. You can with hptuners, efilive, and even westers. Which is about the same program as tunercat. Just saved as a different ext.
Not sure why you would want to lock the file and give someone a massive headache later on!!! I gave a fellow Titan guy a copy of my tune a while back for my 2012 Titan. Before long I was looking at a tune someone else had paid for and saw MY spark map in their tune. I did ALOT of work at the track tuning my spark map to get me off the line without alot of wheelspin and come on hard when the RPM and MPH started to increase. Didn't even anger me.
Last edited by Fast355; 07-04-2014 at 01:37 AM.
It was a question.
I started tuning 16 years ago. Now 5 others local are tuning. It does get to me when I redo there work and see some of my stuff in there. They don't understand each vehicle is different. I will work on the dyno and build a file. Then see it show up in another vehicle.
The good thing is If they want to program it elsewhere. Give them a key to unlock it. I would email them a factory file with the key code to unlock it.
imo If and when I have a locked pcm. I don't mind starting fresh. It sucks for the customer having to buy a new computer. Unless you can get it unlocked.
Standard or Pro cable?
There is no mechanical problem so difficult that it can not be overcome by brute strength and ignorance.
Regarding Wester's, do you mean locked in the pcm, or just saved with a PW?I wonder why tc will not allow you to lock a file. You can with hptuners, efilive, and even westers. Which is about the same program as tunercat. Just saved as a different ext.
I understand locking.I did ALOT of work at the track tuning my spark map to get me off the line without alot of wheelspin and come on hard when the RPM and MPH started to increase.
1) Customer paid for tuning, somehow someone else gets copy of unlocked tune, suddenly customer's pay for job is freebie tune for everyone else. Not fair to paying customer.
2) You work hard to build spark map, suddenly "Joe Tuner" shows up on Ebay getting $50 for magic spark map mod. You get nothing, yet Joe earns $$ while doing no substantial work.
Probably not worth getting angry over. But not too fair to your wallet and time. Some folks feel the time / money tradeoff should be honored so it's frustrating.Didn't even anger me.
The market seems to be showing it's the level of detail to which the tuner pays attention, and the interest level to get it right that really define the value in a pay for tune. IMO locking to prevent unexpected prying but supplying customer with a means to unlock calibration is probably best way for the folks who feel like their work may be mis-used. Or do some "real" work and write a truly custom calibration!
I have dealt with locks for a long time, they are a PITA
However, I prefer to have a lock so nobody copies or messes with my work. When a locked PCM gets to my shop I will gladly start over than messing with an unknown tune.
There are amateur tooners popping everywhere, they think because they have tuning software they can tune a car. Most of them know nothing about a car let alone tuning, but they advertise and have ridiculously low prices.
When somebody gets something for free, He/She will sell it very cheap, then the price will plummet. It is a known fact
The tunerlock is the only way to force those tooners to learn how to develop their own tunes. When they are forced to spend the time and money to learn, to practice with their own cars (if they even own one), buy equipment, buy books and dvds, read a lot. Then they will become real tuners and will not want their work copied and sold cheap.
The information is out there, you just have to spend the time and money to find it, learn and apply it. If you are too lazy or don't want to spend a dime, you should not be tuning. I spend like 4 hours a day studying and reading, I have spent thousands of dollars in books and courses, many thousands more in equipment. I'm not thrilled when somebody sells copies of my work, that's why I lock all the PCMs I tune.
A locked PCM may be a headache for the car owner but how would I know, nobody has complained yet or asked for unlock.
Wester's GMT was designed from its onset as a more secure program TC2 and GMT are close, but not exactly the same. The 2 company owners did work for one another at one time. Jet DST, TC2 and Westers GT are similar to each other. IIRC they were written by the same person, with some VDF's done by another.
You can lock TC2 files with the Tunercats Dealer kits.
peace
Hog
How do you lock with a dealer kit?
I just finished unlocking one took me 4 days the guy was a dick and wouldn't give us the key all it was is a swap vats and emissions delete. I can see if it was a cammed or F/I deal to protect work but this was lame.I found the key then used EFI live to assign it a stock key I didn't have to license it to use that feature and you can lock them using the same deal.
I asked to TC and was told OBD2 software does not have lock capabilities. So how are people locking PCMs with TC?
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