Title more or less states it.

I've got the Jet DST(I'm already pounding my head against a wall for this mistake)

I got a tune from a very reputable tuner. He emailed me a CAL file.

Upon reading the CAL file with DST, I found the Vin to be a bit off. I then went and dug further into the tune and found the trans type "switch" set to a 4l80e which I do not have(I've got NV4500 manual transmission)

The vin was close and so I could accept it as an honest mistake. But the transmission type being off has me worried.

So I'm left with two things:
1) Jet DST misread the CAL file and corrupted the hell out of it.
2) The tuner sent the wrong tune. I has been known to happen especially on a tune that got programmed mid "business trip".

Either way, I'm not ready to flash the PCM with this tune because I have no confidence in it.

So, the question is, how reliable is the CAL reading capability of the Jet DST programmer?

Second, does anyone make a "generic" CAL reader? If I could look at the cal and be 100% certain of what I'm reading, I'd be more confident on where the error lies.

FWIW, the swap in question is a 2004 LQ4 with NV4500 swapped into an early 70s Toyota Land Cruiser

 

I go with option 2, I've never seen Jet DST corrupt a file. I hope he sent it to you as a zipped file, if he sent it as an attachment. Why was it a .cal file, if it was a Jet file it should have been a .jcl file? Why didn't he send it to you as a bin file? By the way, I don't see buying Jet as being a mistake, other then it lacking CAN support, it a good entry program, and can do things HP can't do, like change the VIN

PS you have a PM

 

Joe, thank you for the reply. I'll answer the questions as best as I can.
I believe the tuner uses HP Tuners. So I'm assuming the .cal is the default save file for HP Tuners. I loaded EFI live on my computer... and it didn't show saving a Cal format.

I also loaded a hex editor on my computer and it does verify the vin as wrong. As mentioned, the wrong "bits" aren't what I'd classify as the result of file corruption. The first 7 numbers of the vin were correct. Then a wrong number then a right number then a wrong number then a right number then the rest wrong.

I also found a few other problems in the tune. Error codes that weren't tuned off.

I've got an email into the tuner. I'm not going to throw a reputable tuner under the bus over what might be an honest mistake. But before I go get an attitude I wanted to verify my facts.

It doesn't seem too bad of a program... just not a lot of people using it or available support. I would have happily spent the extra $300ish to get either EFI live or HP tuner to get the wide support/usage.

But since I've got it, it'll do the minor bit of tinkering I need to do with it

 

.cal files are Tunercat OBD2 which is what JET DST originated as. Tunercat developed and sold it for a couple of years then sold the entire product to JET. They then became .jcl files. TC OBD2 will not open .jcl files and AFAIK, JET will not open .cal files, but I don't own JET DST to verify that. I do own TC OBD2 and have verified the first.

 

First John never sold TC to JET, he gave them a contract to sell the product. You can still buy versions of TC from several other sources. Jet does open cal files, along with .bins and .jcl. I do have both, installed on my PC.

 

I would guess the .cal file is for the other vin.



Ryan

 

You can still get TC by buying a Roadrunner from Moates. The cal file is Tunercat like Poconojoe said. If you cannot convert the file on the fly send TC a email with the file requesting the change in format and he will do it for you.

My guess is the file that you received from the tuner was a previous tune from another car not necessarily a bad tune but he may not have bothered with the vin or any other changes which is what a lot of people see when they have problems and end up taking it to another tuner.

 

Did you specify a VIN #? Maybe I'm missing the point? Emissions?

 

Thanks for the info on the Cal file format.

To be clear, I provided the Vin information, the OS versions for everything, the engine information(ie no mods but rear o2 removed and no air diverter), the transmission information(ie NV4500 and not the 4l80 that came with the engine stock), and tire/gear ratio info. I included that it had headers and funky 2 elbow filter charger.

There are several issues with the tune but I'll address three specifically:
1) The vin was wrong... but only partially. Not a huge issue since the Jet DST allows me to change it. But if Jet DST didn't let me change it, that eats a license since the licenses are by vin(ie roughly throwing $90 out the window).
2) The rear o2 codes were not turned off. Again, not a huge issue with the Jet DST to modify it. But then again, at time of tune order placement, this was specified.
3) Transmission "flip bit" for specifying the type of transmission was not changed to manual. Again, the switch isn't a huge deal... but as I have found out, there is MUCH more different than just this switch between an auto tune and a manual tune... and those are just in the constant parameter lists. If they aren't changed, the engine will NOT run off idle.

Those are just the three items I found at a casual glance that were wrong. And I'm sure if I crawled all over the tune, I could find other issues. But those three items are enough that I have NO confidence in the tune in my email box even being usable... nor that it is even what I asked for.

The gearing and tire size WERE done correctly... but that is something I could have done. But it does confirm that there wasn't something corrupt.

I'll be the first to admit that this was a mail order tune and about average price for a mail order tune. I'm not expecting absolutely perfect. But I'm expecting something more than the BS hack I did to get my engine running (a funky combo of the stock 6.0L tune with a 4.8l manual tune)

Here is exactly what I put for my desired goals(I was also this exact covering what I had):

 

Still a little unclear what you did, but you should have provided the tuner a copy of the stock file you read out of the PCM you were using and had him modify it and sent that back to you, not just provide him with a VIN. Also it sounds like you needed a trans segment swap also. All this at the risk of having poconojoe correct me again.

 

The tuner did not request the stock file. The stock file was available. The tuner required the VIN and list of modifications.

I have finally gotten a hold of the tuner and I am satisfied with the tune he gave me. But I will have a few questions at another time related to tuning so I can take this good baseline and tweak it.

For my requirements, I needed the trans segment swapped but also the fuel and timing maps tweaked across the board.

 

How can I change a vin with JET??? Did you meant to say tunercat? I really wish I could change vins, it is alot of trouble shipping pcm's out. Thanks for the help in advance! If there is a certain version I need or something I need to do please let me know. Thanks again

 

JET's DST is one of the best editing software out.
I just got an update the other day.

I use DST all the time. I use a different cable setup. I can program as I please.

You need something fixed let me know. You need a stock bin or jcl let me know. You need one converted from bin, cal, or even hpt to a jcl let me know. I will try to help

 

I would like a way around buying licenses! ie change a vin to a licensed vin and then use mt dst! Any info for that?

 

I have an AVT cable and other sofware. The trick is getting a .cal or a .jcl back to a .bin.
A bigger trick is getting a hpt into a bin.
Once you have a bin you can flash it.
DHP can flash bins. You can find other software that works with an AVT cable and bin files.

 

Polar Crypto Light