Superchips announces Jeep FlashPaq
JK Junkie
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,017
Likes: 0
From: Lakewood, OH
That's pretty true of all the programmers early on. My understanding is they have what they estimate to be about 80% of the hundreds or even thousands of vehicle calibrations handled, which is a ton since they cover 10 years of assorted vehicles and a half dozen engines with this programmer. So those waiting have an altruistic purpose to having to hold off a few days as the next guy with a similar calibration won't need to.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 165
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From: SAN JUAN P.R
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,004
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From: LSU-Death Valley, Louisiana
Hey Scott,
Welcome to the forum! You'll do a lot of good on here and it's good to have ya!
I talked ot Courtney this morning and a new program is in the works for me. Thanks for signing on!
JK Junkie
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,017
Likes: 0
From: Lakewood, OH
Welcome!
A couple of questions,
What announced features of the JK Wrangler portion of the Flashpaq are we still awaiting?
Can you explain to this forum as you have elsewhere why customers occasionally need to wait for their vehicle calibrations?
Thanks!
Sponsoring Manufacturer
Superchips Representative
Superchips Representative
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
From: Florida
The only other option we have in the works that was not released with the product initially is called Throttlebody learn.
TB Learn: Throttle Blade position learning procedure. Allows the end user to recalibrate the electronic throttle blade position.
Possible usage: Throttle body replacement/modification, ECU replacement, Throttle position sensor replacement, Throttle body cleaning.
We are currently still testing this option to make sure that it is 100% safe before distributing it to the consumers.
TB Learn: Throttle Blade position learning procedure. Allows the end user to recalibrate the electronic throttle blade position.
Possible usage: Throttle body replacement/modification, ECU replacement, Throttle position sensor replacement, Throttle body cleaning.
We are currently still testing this option to make sure that it is 100% safe before distributing it to the consumers.
Sponsoring Manufacturer
Superchips Representative
Superchips Representative
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
From: Florida
Over the course of a vehicle’s production lifetime, the vehicle manufacturer (Jeep in this case) will release hundreds, if not thousands, of unique powertrain software revisions or ‘calibrations’ depending on model year, engine, transmission, driveline configuration, installed options, accessories, emissions equipment, destination, etc. They don’t disclose the number of calibrations or the reasons for these iterations – they just do for their internal reasons.
Let’s say for this discussion the Jeep Wrangler TJ had 250 calibrations over its lifetime and that each of those exist for a legitimate reason. Superchips makes every effort to intercept and develop proprietary Superchips calibrations for all 250 files during our development phase. That’s right – we create a unique Superchips calibration for EVERY stock calibration. Superchips produces all these unique tunes to ensure optimal, tuned performance for your unique vehicle while still maintaining certain factory parameters for the specific non-performance features like installed options. (You wouldn’t want a non-air conditioning, Federal emissions, manual transmission calibration loaded in your climate-controlled, CA-emissions, automatic transmission Jeep - the A/C won't work and the vehicle won't pass emissions.)
In the case of TJ Wrangler, let’s say we discover 200 of the 250 prior to Jeep Flashpaq launch. We preload the available 200 Superchips tunes into the Flashpaq device so these tunes are 100% ready to install when a comparable file in a ‘matched’ vehicle is plugged in. If we have the Superchips-designed file that superimposes (like puzzle pieces) over the stock settings, we load the Superchips tune. If we don’t have the 'matched' file preloaded in the device (one of those 50 we haven’t profiled yet), the Flashpaq device is designed to extract the stock/factory file and send it to our headquarters for a quick-turned Superchips ‘tuning’ file returned to the end user and moved into our production system for distribution. That's the 'needs update' or ‘vehicle calibration not on file, update programmer online' message.
From that point forward our production devices have 201 calibrations (200 + 1) and any customer with a ‘200-built programmer’ can download that ‘fresh’ file without the added upload step. An internet update prior to an installation refreshes the device from 200 to 201 (or more if available) improving the odds of success at first installation.
If we didn’t go through this effort and just erased the factory settings and installed the Superchips settings, we couldn’t ensure your other non-performance engine settings would work properly (remember the TJ A/C example above). It’s important that you get the superior vehicle performance tuning of the Superchips files yet not have other electrical or emissions gremlins due to incorrect or 'unmatched' tunes. Our method ensures performance by Superchips with the reliability you'd expect from the OEM.
Eventually in a few weeks [maybe months] we have all 250 TJ files available and future Jeep Flashpaq owners will have every file pre-loaded from the factory. And if the vehicle manufacturer keeps making calibration changes to older vehicles (which they often do), the Flashpaq is designed to grow and keep pace with the vehicle. A new factory calibration gets a new Superchips calibration with the click of a button on the update application.
Again… without this sophisticated process, we wouldn’t know which files to install when tuning because we wouldn't use for a match. We could overwrite the existing files with one of the 200 we had available, but that would bypass all the efforts of the vehicle manufacturer and Superchips. I assure you that your vehicle will run more reliably with that file #201 specifically 'matched' to your unique vehicle than if we had reverted your unique vehicle to one of the 200 we created earlier in our development cycle. Our experience suggests this matching, while often deferring your joy of installation, is essential to optimal vehicle operation and performance.
The bottom line is the Jeep Flashpaq is pre-loaded with hundreds of performance calibrations for TJ, JK, WK, XK, XJ, WJ, and ZJ. It’s not empty and it has capacity to fill further as more unique calibrations come to light.
I hope this explanation helps you understand our efforts.
Scott
Let’s say for this discussion the Jeep Wrangler TJ had 250 calibrations over its lifetime and that each of those exist for a legitimate reason. Superchips makes every effort to intercept and develop proprietary Superchips calibrations for all 250 files during our development phase. That’s right – we create a unique Superchips calibration for EVERY stock calibration. Superchips produces all these unique tunes to ensure optimal, tuned performance for your unique vehicle while still maintaining certain factory parameters for the specific non-performance features like installed options. (You wouldn’t want a non-air conditioning, Federal emissions, manual transmission calibration loaded in your climate-controlled, CA-emissions, automatic transmission Jeep - the A/C won't work and the vehicle won't pass emissions.)
In the case of TJ Wrangler, let’s say we discover 200 of the 250 prior to Jeep Flashpaq launch. We preload the available 200 Superchips tunes into the Flashpaq device so these tunes are 100% ready to install when a comparable file in a ‘matched’ vehicle is plugged in. If we have the Superchips-designed file that superimposes (like puzzle pieces) over the stock settings, we load the Superchips tune. If we don’t have the 'matched' file preloaded in the device (one of those 50 we haven’t profiled yet), the Flashpaq device is designed to extract the stock/factory file and send it to our headquarters for a quick-turned Superchips ‘tuning’ file returned to the end user and moved into our production system for distribution. That's the 'needs update' or ‘vehicle calibration not on file, update programmer online' message.
From that point forward our production devices have 201 calibrations (200 + 1) and any customer with a ‘200-built programmer’ can download that ‘fresh’ file without the added upload step. An internet update prior to an installation refreshes the device from 200 to 201 (or more if available) improving the odds of success at first installation.
If we didn’t go through this effort and just erased the factory settings and installed the Superchips settings, we couldn’t ensure your other non-performance engine settings would work properly (remember the TJ A/C example above). It’s important that you get the superior vehicle performance tuning of the Superchips files yet not have other electrical or emissions gremlins due to incorrect or 'unmatched' tunes. Our method ensures performance by Superchips with the reliability you'd expect from the OEM.
Eventually in a few weeks [maybe months] we have all 250 TJ files available and future Jeep Flashpaq owners will have every file pre-loaded from the factory. And if the vehicle manufacturer keeps making calibration changes to older vehicles (which they often do), the Flashpaq is designed to grow and keep pace with the vehicle. A new factory calibration gets a new Superchips calibration with the click of a button on the update application.
Again… without this sophisticated process, we wouldn’t know which files to install when tuning because we wouldn't use for a match. We could overwrite the existing files with one of the 200 we had available, but that would bypass all the efforts of the vehicle manufacturer and Superchips. I assure you that your vehicle will run more reliably with that file #201 specifically 'matched' to your unique vehicle than if we had reverted your unique vehicle to one of the 200 we created earlier in our development cycle. Our experience suggests this matching, while often deferring your joy of installation, is essential to optimal vehicle operation and performance.
The bottom line is the Jeep Flashpaq is pre-loaded with hundreds of performance calibrations for TJ, JK, WK, XK, XJ, WJ, and ZJ. It’s not empty and it has capacity to fill further as more unique calibrations come to light.
I hope this explanation helps you understand our efforts.
Scott
