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APR Ultralink - At Home Flash Tuning is Here!

Arin@APR

Arin@APR

GOLFMK7 Official Sponsor
Location
Auburn, Al
Car(s)
B8 S4, MK7 GSW TDI
I'm really not understanding the whole 'lying' thing or what the benefit would be if I were. Flash counter reset is something we've done for decades in different ways across a wide range of ECU types and ECU manufacturer brands. I believe I had it in the notes on our old website at some point, and I have it on the features list of our new website. Across the various ECUs we work with we reset the counter, copied the old value, or prevent it from increasing depending on the platform. The reason for this is simple: We have hit ECU flashing limits in the past which brick the ECU.

FWIW the flash counter is currently holding up about 30 releases for Ultralink covering platforms that use the Bosch MG1 PPC and Tricore ECUs.
 
PerceivedShift

PerceivedShift

Autocross Champion
Location
Virginia
Arin@APR said:
I'm really not understanding the whole 'lying' thing or what the benefit would be if I were. Flash counter reset is something we've done for decades in different ways across a wide range of ECU types and ECU manufacturer brands. I believe I had it in the notes on our old website at some point, and I have it on the features list of our new website. Across the various ECUs we work with we reset the counter, copied the old value, or prevent it from increasing depending on the platform. The reason for this is simple: We have hit ECU flashing limits in the past which brick the ECU.

FWIW the flash counter is currently holding up about 30 releases for Ultralink covering platforms that use the Bosch MG1 PPC and Tricore ECUs.
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The benefit of misleading customers is them buying more of your product. I don't know why this is so hard to understand. If what you said is true even I would consider buying it just to reset the flash counter back to zero, for that reason alone.

You specifically said Simos 18.x has a limit of 100. This is undoubtedly false:
Arin@APR said:
I read that as all he cares is it resets the counter so it doesn't brick. That's why I said correct (Agreed).

On Simos 18.x it should be 100.
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Perhaps other platforms have flash limits, honestly I don't know, clearly whatever info you are going off is inaccurate regarding Simos 18.x ecus so we can only assume at this point you have other inaccuracies regarding other ECUs.

PS: Please note I never accused you of lying Arin.
 
E

Exley

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
PA
Arin@APR said:
I read that as all he cares is it resets the counter so it doesn't brick. That's why I said correct (Agreed).

On Simos 18.x it should be 100.
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What? Friend DIY tuning and his Simos 18.x ECU is working fine at 286 cal flashes
 

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Cuzoe

Autocross Champion
Location
Los Angeles
I like this thread and I'm playing devil's advocate here... Let's assume that APR has seen even one ECU bricked for exceeding some number of flashes, whatever number that may be. They are now selling a product that allows their customers to flash at home, and with that their customers could flash an "infinite" number of times potentially hitting that limit (I'm not suggesting either thing is likely). The tool resets the flash counter (or prevents it from increasing, same thing effectively).

Why would they not advertise that? That someone flashing via other means (Simos Tools, other tuners, whomever) may buy this tool to reset the counter is not why that bullet point is on the product page. The bullet point is there for the odd APR customer that flashes every day before work and then again at lunch. If no one's ECU ever bricks (APR customer or not) from flashing great. If that one odd APR customer's ECU bricks (while APR knew it was a possibility, even a remote one) then APR has a problem. Quick google search with APR and Flash Counter shows several product pages that mention not incrementing the counter... should they explain and/or remove that line from all those pages?

Based on the posts referencing Simos Tools user experience it seems to safe say that number is not 100. So Arin was wrong there... okay.
 
Z

ZuMBLe

Autocross Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
Alltrack 6MT
Cuzoe said:
I like this thread and I'm playing devil's advocate here... Let's assume that APR has seen even one ECU bricked for exceeding some number of flashes, whatever number that may be. They are now selling a product that allows their customers to flash at home, and with that their customers could flash an "infinite" number of times potentially hitting that limit (I'm not suggesting either thing is likely). The tool resets the flash counter (or prevents it from increasing, same thing effectively).

Why would they not advertise that? That someone flashing via other means (Simos Tools, other tuners, whomever) may buy this tool to reset the counter is not why that bullet point is on the product page. The bullet point is there for the odd APR customer that flashes every day before work and then again at lunch. If no one's ECU ever bricks (APR customer or not) from flashing great. If that one odd APR customer's ECU bricks (while APR knew it was a possibility, even a remote one) then APR has a problem. Quick google search with APR and Flash Counter shows several product pages that mention not incrementing the counter... should they explain and/or remove that line from all those pages?

Based on the posts referencing Simos Tools user experience it seems to safe say that number is not 100. So Arin was wrong there... okay.
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IE once advertised that their tunes worked at all altitudes as a feature. APR should have probably left it at:

Hey guys, we are really late to the game, but we are here now. Thanks! <end of message>
 
E

Exley

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
PA
Cuzoe said:
I like this thread and I'm playing devil's advocate here... Let's assume that APR has seen even one ECU bricked for exceeding some number of flashes, whatever number that may be. They are now selling a product that allows their customers to flash at home, and with that their customers could flash an "infinite" number of times potentially hitting that limit (I'm not suggesting either thing is likely). The tool resets the flash counter (or prevents it from increasing, same thing effectively).

Why would they not advertise that? That someone flashing via other means (Simos Tools, other tuners, whomever) may buy this tool to reset the counter is not why that bullet point is on the product page. The bullet point is there for the odd APR customer that flashes every day before work and then again at lunch. If no one's ECU ever bricks (APR customer or not) from flashing great. If that one odd APR customer's ECU bricks (while APR knew it was a possibility, even a remote one) then APR has a problem. Quick google search with APR and Flash Counter shows several product pages that mention not incrementing the counter... should they explain and/or remove that line from all those pages?

Based on the posts referencing Simos Tools user experience it seems to safe say that number is not 100. So Arin was wrong there... okay.
Click to expand...
Yes I believe they are likely taking something was an issue on other ECUs and just standardizing it across all ECUs they support. Nothing wrong with that. I've read about this issue on some Bosch ECUs. I'm simply pointing out that Simos18 does not have a hard limit of 100, and I've yet to hear of anyone hitting any flash limit. Another friend I talk to regularly was pushing 1000 calibration block writes.
 
cb1111

cb1111

Newbie
Location
Virginia, USA
I agree with Arin that this has gone off the rails, but it is also true that they've been dancing around questions - making them look a bit shady.

Perhaps Arin would like to get this back on track by talking about the benefits and the downsides of the new product - and. perhaps, like I've asked before - discuss the TD-1 and impacts of tuning (your product and tuning in general) on warranty, reliability and drivability - including what happens if you're at a place where the only gas is watered down 85 octane and you're on the 93 tune.
 
scrllock

scrllock

Autocross Champion
Location
MI
lol, i dunno why they even post here. they never follow up with product feedback, so many shitty launches in the past few years.

dropping the ball on mk7 tuning (no flex fuel, no downpipes unless you buy a $6k turbo kit with an EWG that no one wants to tune, at-home flashing 6 years late). reselling the awful DSC controller and refusing to fix or even acknowledge any of the bugs. the springs that don't fit cars with camber plates (because APR doesn't sell camber plates?). selling BBKs that are then discontinued without rebuild components. the DTR6054 that should have been a killer product but does 450whp with 600whp turbo response.

after they cashed out to private equity they're just another 034/cts shucking half-effort resold stuff without the engineering that made them such a recognizable brand.
 
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