Xcal 2

Buckcreekbilly · 10-29-2009, 06:34 PM

Got my xcal today and am just wanting a bit of info from guys who have them. I hooked up to car and got my strategy code CCAQEAA. Couple things i need to know.
1. What cable to hook to computer (looks like a usb to printer cable judging from fitting on unit?)
2. Since mine is a 95, will any of the 96 and up "canned tunes" on there work on my bird? (Till i get my s/c on and do the Lonnie custom tune)
3. When i get a cable to hook up to computer, will the update detect what firmware i'm running and whether or not to update?
Thanks in advance guys. Don't wanna sound like a dummy but i don't want to screw up anything either. The disc that comes with it is pretty vague as far as instructions go.

guitar maestro · 10-29-2009, 09:45 PM

you cannot flash any 96+ tunes into your car....the strategy is different....yes its a basic usb cable......your best bet is to call sct to find out if your version is upgradeable...if it is, they will tell you what to upgrade it to

theterminator93 · 10-29-2009, 11:01 PM

When I bought mine I had to upgrade the firmware. And yes, all you need is a basic USB type a to USB type B cable. Although for some reason my unit doesn't power on if I just plug it into the USB port anymore - I have to have it hooked up to the car for it to come on. And yes, I've tried different cables and computers.

Buckcreekbilly · 10-30-2009, 12:00 AM

Well, did some reading at SCT. Mine is not labelled Xcalibrator, it's labelled Strategy Flash Device, model #9415. From what i see, it's definately upgradable but i'll call em just to be safe. Thanks guys.

XLRVIII · 10-30-2009, 11:57 AM

Dont update the firmware unless you have a problem with the device.

the 9415's are different from the Xcal 2's in the sense they contain canned tune files..
but good thing is, you can convert the 9415 SF into a 9400 Xcal 2 very easily.

the cable needed is simply an "A to B USB cable".. just like a printer cable.

If it's still in the 9415 state and hasn't been converted to a 9400 then you sould be able to tune your car with it via the "canned tunes" installed on the device.

XLRVIII · 10-30-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckcreekbilly

3. When i get a cable to hook up to computer, will the update detect what firmware i'm running and whether or not to update?
.

you will probably need the Xcal 2 drivers, they are available for download from a few different places.

http://www.sctflash.com/software/XCal2_Drivers.exe

Buckcreekbilly · 10-30-2009, 05:53 PM

Spoke with SCT today and they tell me there are no "canned" tunes for Tbirds till 2002 model year. I have to wait till i get my aed on and get Lonnie's tune, flash it to the Xcal 2 firmware and go from there.

XLRVIII · 10-31-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckcreekbilly

Spoke with SCT today and they tell me there are no "canned" tunes for Tbirds till 2002 model year. I have to wait till i get my aed on and get Lonnie's tune, flash it to the Xcal 2 firmware and go from there.

well i looked in my the value file folder and there is
4.6L 2V Non PI Heads Mustang-TBird 93 Octane

so i dont know what or why sct told you that

if you got the software, you could plainly see this...lol

XLRVIII · 10-31-2009, 10:45 AM

you could also down load "livelink3" than plug the xcal into the car, scroll down to "vehicle info" then scroll to "read strategy".

take the first 5 digits of the strategy into livelink, then select some paremters to datalog.

you can display a digital dashboard on a laptop..

its all very cool, and you can get familiar with it all, while your NA..which will go along way in helping you understand what is going on..once you supercharge it.

no need to "put off" educating yourself...
feel free to ask for help too... there are several folks here very familiar with sct tuning and datalogging.

datalogging is like CAR PORN!

Buckcreekbilly · 10-31-2009, 11:26 AM

Ok, you got my curiosity peaked now. I have downloaded livelink3, live update and liveload. Which one will show me what's on there for files(canned tunes)? I had it plugged into my computer and got the f/w rev but didn't see all the tunes that are on there?

XLRVIII · 10-31-2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckcreekbilly

Ok, you got my curiosity peaked now. I have downloaded livelink3, live update and liveload. Which one will show me what's on there for files(canned tunes)? I had it plugged into my computer and got the f/w rev but didn't see all the tunes that are on there?

disregard live update and live load, install live link 3 or 4, but not livelink5.

live link wont show you the canned tunes, but it will datalog you pcm.
which helps track down problems and evaluate your cars performance

in order to see the canned sct tunes you would need the "sct advantage" software that runs about 300.00 from your favorite sct dealer, such as lonnie.

might as well "get the party started"

guitar maestro · 11-01-2009, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XLRVIII

well i looked in my the value file folder and there is
4.6L 2V Non PI Heads Mustang-TBird 93 Octane

so i dont know what or why sct told you that

if you got the software, you could plainly see this...lol

yea i think he was talking about canned tunes specifically on the SF Xcal2

Buckcreekbilly · 11-01-2009, 11:14 PM

Yes and i got the inpression when i was talking to him that he is just some young fella that is hired to answer the calls and read the answers verbatum from a book. He didn't sound too knowledgeable about the whole flashing thing. I have since talked to Tommy and understand the whole thing alot better. When i get some spare time and a bit more nerve, i will hook up to the car and enter the program mode, then i can scroll thru the tunes on there and see if there is a good one for the bird. This will only be a temp anyhow till i install all my goodies and get the custom tune from Lonnie. Again, i want to express my appreciation for all the help you guys are giving me here.

XLRVIII · 11-02-2009, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitar maestro

yea i think he was talking about canned tunes specifically on the SF Xcal2

I dug all over the internet looking for a list of supported vehicles..and struck out.

10-29-2009, 06:34 PM	#1
Buckcreekbilly 5th Gear Poster Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Car: 1995 Thunderbird LX Engine: 4.6 Posts: 445	Xcal 2 Got my xcal today and am just wanting a bit of info from guys who have them. I hooked up to car and got my strategy code CCAQEAA. Couple things i need to know. 1. What cable to hook to computer (looks like a usb to printer cable judging from fitting on unit?) 2. Since mine is a 95, will any of the 96 and up "canned tunes" on there work on my bird? (Till i get my s/c on and do the Lonnie custom tune) 3. When i get a cable to hook up to computer, will the update detect what firmware i'm running and whether or not to update? Thanks in advance guys. Don't wanna sound like a dummy but i don't want to screw up anything either. The disc that comes with it is pretty vague as far as instructions go. __________________ 95 Thunderbird LX 4.6 K&N Cold Air Intake True Dual Exhaust Jmod and Trans Cooler Xenon Side GFX

10-29-2009, 09:45 PM	#2
guitar maestro Moderator & Teksid Whore *Lifetime Member* Moderator Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Laredo, Texas Car: 1997 Cougar XR7 Sport Engine: SOHC 4.6L V8 Age: 30 Posts: 5,349	you cannot flash any 96+ tunes into your car....the strategy is different....yes its a basic usb cable......your best bet is to call sct to find out if your version is upgradeable...if it is, they will tell you what to upgrade it to __________________ 1997 Cougar XR-7 Sport 4.6L SOHC V8 Under Major Re-construction...stay tuned for details

10-29-2009, 11:01 PM	#3
theterminator93 PostWhore Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Avon Lake, Ohio Car: 1997 Thunderbird LX Engine: 4.6L SOHC V8 Age: 21 Posts: 1,467	When I bought mine I had to upgrade the firmware. And yes, all you need is a basic USB type a to USB type B cable. Although for some reason my unit doesn't power on if I just plug it into the USB port anymore - I have to have it hooked up to the car for it to come on. And yes, I've tried different cables and computers. __________________ -Brandon Interested in a reproduction of Ford's "Built in Lorain" window sticker? Click here! 97 Laser Red: daily driver, born 8-2-96, 113k on 8/13, 114k on 9/13 and 115k on 10/19 Exterior: 35W 6000K Bi-Xenon HID projector retrofit, Pilot 55W imitation HID fogs Interior: 150 MPH speedo and 8k tach with faces by Scott Powertrain: PI intake, PI cams, J-mod, 93 tune by Lonnie, 80mm 04 GT MAF, 180° thermostat, B&M aux. tranny cooler, K&N conical filter/CAI and still getting 20+ MPG city Soon: Fix P0135/0155, '93 Mark VIII drive shaft

10-30-2009, 12:00 AM	#4
Buckcreekbilly 5th Gear Poster Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Car: 1995 Thunderbird LX Engine: 4.6 Posts: 445	Well, did some reading at SCT. Mine is not labelled Xcalibrator, it's labelled Strategy Flash Device, model #9415. From what i see, it's definately upgradable but i'll call em just to be safe. Thanks guys. __________________ 95 Thunderbird LX 4.6 K&N Cold Air Intake True Dual Exhaust Jmod and Trans Cooler Xenon Side GFX

10-30-2009, 11:57 AM	#5
XLRVIII 6th Gear Poster Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Houston Clear Lake Car: 1995 Mark VIII Engine: 4.6 DOHC Age: 44 Posts: 505	Dont update the firmware unless you have a problem with the device. the 9415's are different from the Xcal 2's in the sense they contain canned tune files.. but good thing is, you can convert the 9415 SF into a 9400 Xcal 2 very easily. the cable needed is simply an "A to B USB cable".. just like a printer cable. If it's still in the 9415 state and hasn't been converted to a 9400 then you sould be able to tune your car with it via the "canned tunes" installed on the device. __________________ 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII "Grandmas Car" 400,480 miles STOLEN 04-13-08 98 Mark VIII LSC STONE STOCK SLOW NO MODS HERE

10-30-2009, 05:53 PM	#7
Buckcreekbilly 5th Gear Poster Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Car: 1995 Thunderbird LX Engine: 4.6 Posts: 445	Spoke with SCT today and they tell me there are no "canned" tunes for Tbirds till 2002 model year. I have to wait till i get my aed on and get Lonnie's tune, flash it to the Xcal 2 firmware and go from there. __________________ 95 Thunderbird LX 4.6 K&N Cold Air Intake True Dual Exhaust Jmod and Trans Cooler Xenon Side GFX

10-31-2009, 10:45 AM	#9
XLRVIII 6th Gear Poster Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Houston Clear Lake Car: 1995 Mark VIII Engine: 4.6 DOHC Age: 44 Posts: 505	you could also down load "livelink3" than plug the xcal into the car, scroll down to "vehicle info" then scroll to "read strategy". take the first 5 digits of the strategy into livelink, then select some paremters to datalog. you can display a digital dashboard on a laptop.. its all very cool, and you can get familiar with it all, while your NA..which will go along way in helping you understand what is going on..once you supercharge it. no need to "put off" educating yourself... feel free to ask for help too... there are several folks here very familiar with sct tuning and datalogging. datalogging is like CAR PORN! __________________ 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII "Grandmas Car" 400,480 miles STOLEN 04-13-08 98 Mark VIII LSC STONE STOCK SLOW NO MODS HERE

10-31-2009, 11:26 AM	#10
Buckcreekbilly 5th Gear Poster Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Car: 1995 Thunderbird LX Engine: 4.6 Posts: 445	Ok, you got my curiosity peaked now. I have downloaded livelink3, live update and liveload. Which one will show me what's on there for files(canned tunes)? I had it plugged into my computer and got the f/w rev but didn't see all the tunes that are on there? __________________ 95 Thunderbird LX 4.6 K&N Cold Air Intake True Dual Exhaust Jmod and Trans Cooler Xenon Side GFX

11-01-2009, 11:14 PM	#13
Buckcreekbilly 5th Gear Poster Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Car: 1995 Thunderbird LX Engine: 4.6 Posts: 445	Yes and i got the inpression when i was talking to him that he is just some young fella that is hired to answer the calls and read the answers verbatum from a book. He didn't sound too knowledgeable about the whole flashing thing. I have since talked to Tommy and understand the whole thing alot better. When i get some spare time and a bit more nerve, i will hook up to the car and enter the program mode, then i can scroll thru the tunes on there and see if there is a good one for the bird. This will only be a temp anyhow till i install all my goodies and get the custom tune from Lonnie. Again, i want to express my appreciation for all the help you guys are giving me here. __________________ 95 Thunderbird LX 4.6 K&N Cold Air Intake True Dual Exhaust Jmod and Trans Cooler Xenon Side GFX

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