Pfc Tuning Question

[ECR033]

Situation:

My PFC hand-controller is currently locked (i.e I can't make any adjustments via the HC - everything appears as zero) and has been so since the car was tuned, although I can still access all the menus. Apparantly the tuner routinely does this (via the Apexi software) to prevent me from inadvertly making changes to the tune and potentially damaging the car.

It hasn't really been an issue till now as I don't really have the knowledge to play with the tune myself and haven't had the need to make any changes since I got the car tuned last year. My problem has arisen due to the fact that my car is going into a different workshop next week to get my new turbo, fuel system, afm etc fitted and therefore will also be getting a full retune.

The workshop performing the upgrades has recently purchased the Japanese version of the Apexi PFC tuning software and I'm fairly sure he uses it to do the fuel maps etc, but I have a feeling that he may also use the HC for some of the settings due to being unsure about some of the Jap translations with the software.

Questions:

1) Will reformating/resetting my PFC through the Hand Controller basically return my PFC back to how it was as new (i.e back to base maps and also effectively unlocking my Hand Controller giving me access to tune the car via the HC if necessary)?

2) If not, will my tuner be able to access my current tune with the Apexi software, or is there some sort of password protection (or something along those lines) which will not enable him to tune my car?

I posed this question to my tuner, but he wasn't sure (as he hasn't come across locked PFC's before), so hopefully someone on here can help me out.

Any help would be very much appreciated

[Cubes]

If the new tuner has software he will be able to gain modification rights to the area's he wishes.

No need to worry.

The lock is simply a check box you select from the software to prevent the h/c from accessing those area's.

No password protection or the likes...

Edited November 6, 2005 by Cubes

[ECR033]

If the new tuner has software he will be able to gain modification rights to the area's he wishes.

No need to worry.

The lock is simply a check box you select from the software to prevent the h/c from accessing those area's.

No password protection or the likes...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Excellent - exactly what I needed to hear.

Thanks for that

Just for my own piece of mind, if worse comes to worse and he can't access it with the software, will resetting the PFC restore access with the hand controller?

Thanks again

[paulr33]

youd be better of resetting to factory defaults if your doing such big changes anyway. your tuner is somewhat silly this means if you take in a bad batch of fuel or wanna run on some low octane fuel you cant, norally you could det the timing to -10deg correction and preseto you can run in a "limp mode" of some sort

[ECR033]

If the new tuner has software he will be able to gain modification rights to the area's he wishes.

No need to worry.

The lock is simply a check box you select from the software to prevent the h/c from accessing those area's.

No password protection or the likes...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unfortunately, you can password protect the PFC. I've just found this out first hand

Can anyone please confirm if you can regain access to the tuning maps of a locked PFC by resetting the ecu via the hand controller?

My car is currently sitting in a workshop, ready to get new turbo, afm and fuel system, but they can't do anything if they can't access the PFC.

I've tried calling the original tuner, but the business is no longer there and the new owners don't have his contact details (RUF Perfomance, Ingleburn - Kristof or Adrian).

Can anyone please help me!!!

[Sydneykid]

I have never used the Apexi software so I can't speak for it.

The Datalogit software has no password, just tick the protection boxes.

This is the relevant page from the Datalogit;

As you can see no password.

cheers

[Beer Baron]

are you sure it was tuned with the software in the first place? I thought kristof was tuning with the hand controller? if that is the car he couldn't have locked your pfc (well i wouldn't think so). When ruf did the tune did they tell you they had locked it?

[ECR033]

They tuned it early this year.

He definately had a laptop plugged into the PFC and I'm 99% sure he told me that he was using the Apexi software to tune it.

I know it was locked as I when I accessed the settings via the HC, all I could see were 0's and I couldn't make any changes.

I asked him about why he locked the PFC when I went there later for something else and he told me it was done to prevent anyone from making changes to the tune (basically to protect himself if something went wrong on the car and I blamed the tune). It didn't worry too much as I wouldn't have touched the tune anyway and I was always under the impression that no password was used anyway (as per Sydneykid's example above) and that by using the software you could access it if need be.

Obviously, not the case...

[paulr33]

the workshop the car is at now should be able to factory reset it if they dont have the software and that should clear the protect function ?

if your having such major mods done it may work out quicker to reset the tune to factory anyway and start from a base map. i had mine retunred and it was quicker to reset than to fix what the pervious tuner had done

[ECR033]

You're right Paul, they'll definately be tuning the car from scratch because of all the new mods.

I just wanted to make sure that they'll be able to get access to the base maps by resetting the PFC and am slightly worried that resetting the PFC might not overide the password protection and give me access to the HC and maps again.

My tuner is fairly confident that reinitialising the PFC should basically return it to stock and return access to HC. I just hope he's right...

I should find out before the end of the week...but I'm going to try and contact the original tuner again tomorrow in any case.

[Emre]

You can re-initialize the PowerFC with the hand controller and it will return to your default settings. All the locks that were on it will be gone. Turn the ignition off and on for it to take effect.

If you know someone with the Datalogit software, he can remove the locks for you by un-ticking the protected areas as SydneyKid mentioned and your old tune won't be effected.

Datalogit also has a 'tuner string box' which i believe is a feature of the original Apexi Software, but it's highlighted and can't be accessed.

[MattSR]

If the Datalogit Unprotect doesnt work, then you can always try:-

Contact for Adrian Norton (now the proprietor of TODA Racing workshop)

Toda Racing Australia,

(02) 9605 3477

14/79 Williamsom Road

Ingleburn, NSW