unsoported vehicle / incompatable hardware

[ED]

U7194
Crom V-9r07
serial# 167601.

Purchased for 2006 Corvette auto trans. 7/2007
Crom V-9r07 worked fine on 06 vette.

Purchased 2010 vette GS manual trans, attached predator read DTCs. all clear.

Tried to tune, changed trans to manual. Received message, "Unsupported vehicle. This part number does not support your vehicle."

Attempted to update to newest crom V-9r17. received message on predator screen, "Incompatable hardware. (No serial flash found.) Contact tech support (561-908-0040 X 1)"

Updated predator to V-9r08 received message, "Unsuported vehicle. This part number does not support your vehicle."

1 hour waiting for customer support on phone. Lets try this route.

What is wrong?

Ed

[06MonteSS]

you have an older version 7194 that can not use the newer, bigger file sized crom revision update files... and the newer, bigger crom revision update file is what you need in order to have that 2010 GS vette supported...

and since your tool is out of warranty, please contact support at [email protected]

thanks!!

[ED]

This issue is being handled through email with Mike from Diablo at this time.

No favorable resolution has been offered by him so far.

I will post again after his next reponse, and I will include his reply to me at that time.

Ed

[CULATR]

Ed please when you get it solved post up what the fix was. I got a programmer of the same model and mine might do the same when i upgrade it to work with a 09 truck so i just wanted to know ahead of time thanks .....

[06MonteSS]

your 2009 truck should be fine... you can update that used 7194 predator you bought, to revision 9r08... 2009's were supported in that revision...

you'll be able to find revision 9r08 here: http://forum.dslogredux.com/index.php?topic=35.0

[CULATR]

Well, i thought that too but i got version v.9r03 and i know it needs to be upgraded, so what would you upgrade too? Heck im pretty new to this upgrading stuff all i need to do is dowload the program (if if can find it ) and hook the cable up to the controller.

[ED]

Here is the reply I received from Mike. My rebuttal follows.

"This email was going great until I got to the veiled threat at the end.

In this case, your Predator is simply an old unit, and due to changes in production, the latest updates will not load to that tool.

The Predator works perfectly fine, as you purchased it.

In fact, since you purchased it in 2007, it has been updated to add support for newer 2007 calibrations, 2008 models, and even many 2009 models, which were not even available at the time you purchased the tool, yet it can be updated to work with them in the 9r07 version.

At the time you purchased this tool, there was no promise or indication that it would ever be able to be used in a 2010 anything, and I do not see how it is fair to expect that it would.

In a day and age where laptops are out of date in a year, and cell phones are out of date in 6 months, the Predator holds a candle as a long running, and supported piece of hardware, but there will always be limitations to how long any piece of hardware may be supported.

Sorry you felt insulted by the offer, that was not my intent, that is simply the standard trade in we offer to any customer.


Mike Litsch

DiabloSport, Inc.

561.908.0040"

There is your support for a 3 year old Predator.

"This email was going great until I got to the veiled threat at the end."

Great for him maybe, a $55.00 trade in allowance. I don't want to trade. I want my unit to function as advertised.

The veiled threat Mike mentions is my intention to post his response to me. That's what this post is about. It is only a threat if he considers it to be to his detriment that the whole story be told. If Mike is not afraid of that, then it should be considered as a promise that I made to him.

"In this case, your Predator is simply an old unit, and due to changes in production, the latest updates will not load to that tool."

Three years old. The changes in production were to repair some of its original problems. Not all problems, just some of them.

"The Predator works perfectly fine, as you purchased it."

It never worked as advertised from day one. None of the, advertised performance gain, (in my experiance:) Logging time of 70 seconds, as opposed to several minutes on other models: None of the, (advertised at the time,) transmission tune ability. Which you promised to be working on for a year after my purchase.

Its only useful purpose for me was to adjust my cooling fans, and as a bottom line code reader. Now that the DTC have been changed it doesn't even serve that purpose anymore

"In fact, since you purchased it in 2007, it has been updated to add support for newer 2007 calibrations, 2008 models, and even many 2009 models, which were not even available at the time you purchased the tool, yet it can be updated to work with them in the 9r07 version."

What update, It still wont do anything more than it did for a 2006 model. No performance gain (in my case): No transmission adjustments: no usable logging time. What was the big change in 2010 corvettes to make that the cut off. They still have the same 5 year old powertrain. You made no distinction between the LS2 and LS3 engines

"At the time you purchased this tool, there was no promise or indication that it would ever be able to be used in a 2010 anything, and I do not see how it is fair to expect that it would."

No promise? Your advertising made sure everyone knew it was easily updatable on line. And that it could be transferred to another vehicle within that models coverage. I believe most people on here are of that impression.

"In a day and age where laptops are out of date in a year, and cell phones are out of date in 6 months, the Predator holds a candle as a long running, and supported piece of hardware, but there will always be limitations to how long any piece of hardware may be supported."

My 5 year old desk top and lap top are still capable of running the new programs that are available. They are as useful today as the day I bought them. They may not be as fast as the new models but they can match at least 75% of their performance. My point is they are not obsolete by virtue of the fact that they no longer work at all.

Same goes for my wife's cell phone. 6 years old but still places and receives phone calls and text messages, which is what it was bought for. It doesn't take pictures or perform internet connections. I do however still expect it to function as a phone for a few more years. That's what I expect from your product.

You mention limitations on support. Is three years beyond most people’s expectations? I don't think so.
It isn't as if you introduced a new model. It is still being sold as model U7194 having support for 2010 Corvettes. I expect my U7194 to support 2010 Corvettes because your literature and advertising says it will.

Sorry you felt insulted by the offer, that was not my intent, that is simply the standard trade in we offer to any customer.

That may not have been your intent, but when you offer a $99.00 hardware update for other models of the Predator, but it will cost $250.00 for owners of the U7194 to get hardware updates, what did you expect.

I did not come to you to trade in my U7194. I am asking for the same hardware update for my unit that was made to the owners of other predator models.

That’s what I asked for, and I don't think that is unreasonable.

Not the end.

Ed

I don't wish to debate the facts of my complaint with other forum members. This post is for your information only.

I think my position is just, and fair to both parties involved, and is not going to be changed by anyone disagreeing with, or insulting me or Mike.

[CULATR]

Sent you a pm Ed! thats dissapointing to hear and I might be in the same boat as you are I have a programmer thats same type and style as you.

[06MonteSS]

CULAIR, did you not read my reply to your post before???


your 2009 truck should be fine... you can update that used 7194 predator you bought, to revision 9r08... 2009's were supported in that revision...

you'll be able to find revision 9r08 here: http://forum.dslogredux.com/index.php?topic=35.0

[mikel]

Sent you a pm Ed! thats dissapointing to hear and I might be in the same boat as you are I have a programmer thats same type and style as you.

Yeah, this type of post is only serving to lead you to believe you may have a problem that you don't...

[mikel]

I don't wish to debate the facts of my complaint with other forum members. This post is for your information only.

....wow.

That pretty much sums it up, no, you're right, we're wrong, and I don't want to hear otherwise. (Where the 'covering my ears' smiley??)

[ED]

I don't wish to debate the facts of my complaint with other forum members. This post is for your information only.

....wow.

That pretty much sums it up, no, you're right, we're wrong, and I don't want to hear otherwise. (Where the 'covering my ears' smiley??)

That's absolutely correct Mike. My disagreement is with you and Diablo's update policies. No one else's opinion matters to me, but it will to you.

How can you justify only updating the hardware of certain units, but not others.

Were the units you offered to update low volume units? Is the U7194 more popular and therfore more time consuming?

Yet you put out notification of hardware updates for $99.00, available for certain units leading the rest of us to believe our units don't require it.

I, and I believe the rest of your customers would like some answers. They all know that today it's me, tomorrow it will be them.

Just a blanket answer of no doesn't cut it in this world of aware consumers. We want answers of substance, and then we will determine for ourselves If yours is a company we wish to continue doing business with.

If you were to give a resonable answer as to why this unit can not be updated, but others can, then I might change my opinion of your policy.

In the meantime my opinion stands as previously stated.

In summation, why can't this unit be given the $99.00 hardware update?

Seems simple enough to me. No more word games Mike, just the truth.

ED

[mikel]

There is no such hardware upgrade possible, the change in hardware would require a new board, not a single component, as the 'hardware upgradeable' tools require.
This would cost much more than $99, think along the lines of the cost of a Predator minus the plastic case and the cable.

You are not the first person to run into this, yet you are the only one that feels you were somehow wronged for buying a product that does everything it was advertised to do at the time of purchase.

[ED]

There is no such hardware upgrade possible, the change in hardware would require a new board, not a single component, as the 'hardware upgradeable' tools require.
This would cost much more than $99, think along the lines of the cost of a Predator minus the plastic case and the cable.

You are not the first person to run into this, yet you are the only one that feels you were somehow wronged for buying a product that does everything it was advertised to do at the time of purchase.

Now I have received a substantial answer!

But mike, doesn't such a complete board change indicate a flawed initial design since this appears to be the only model that required such a drastic modification. Wouldn't it be more honest to introduce this as a new model number rather than continue on making people believe that they have a u7194 as described in your current advertising. Which by the way, to any newcomers, is substantially different than it was in 2007.

It never did all that it was advertised to do and if you were around then you know it. If you weren't around at that time perhaps some one else should have been involved with my case.

At the time of my purchase it was advertised to have transmission adjustments included, but it never had that capability and still doesn't. It was advertised to have real usable logging capability, and it still doesn’t have more than 70 seconds.

Introducing a replacement model for the u7194 that was to cover the new model cars, say u8194, that would be required on 2010 models would have been the right thing to do.

You still show on your web site that U7194 covers all 2006-2010 Corvettes. That in itself is a lie, because there are now two, distinctly different models of the u7194 out in the field, and the consumer has no way of telling one from the other.

As far as your last paragraph is concerned, that just makes me a consumer who wants answers from the people he gives his money to. If more consumers held you business people to account for the decisions you make, that affects your customers, we would have a lot fewer problems.

Tell your boss that, thanks to the way you have conducted yourself throughout this problem, he couldn't give me another product from Diablo.

I have repeatedly stated that the U7194 you sold in 2007 did not do all that you said it would do in your advertising at that time. For years and years your spokesmen on this forum said all of those problems were being worked on. Now three years later, and an entirely new predator u7194 is introduced, and your present advertising shows that these shortcomings still exist.

I quote from your last post.

"you are the only one that feels you were somehow wronged for buying a product that does everything it was advertised to do at the time of purchase." italics added.

If you were there in 2007 you cannot truthfully say that, and you know what that would make you.

Say whatever you want from this point on Mike, because I will have nothing more to do with you, Diablo, or this forum.

My experience with you, and Diablo will linger.

Ed

[mikel]

TCM support was not advertised by us.
There were vendors selling it like that as they assumed it did the trans, as all tools we sold in the past had.