vF Tuner for the 3.5L Tacoma

And on your comment, you say page 18, but your screenshot (and my copy printed yesterday) shows page 20.

 

Well that’s embarrassing

 

Was flashing my truck back to OV & it gave me an error 0.0.01 or something like that and then now I keep getting this? Everything is plugged in properly but it keeps saying it isn’t. Thoughts? Truck won’t turn over now.




@OVTune

 

Different tune I was flashing but the same experience, and some advice I got to try and get around it. Hope yours takes the recovery. https://forum.vftuner.com/forum/mai...to-abort-truck-won-t-start-and-can-t-read-vin

 

Close and re-open VF tuner. Open the flash tool. Do not click "prepare ECU". Select the stock file for your truck from the VF tuner installation directory. Turn on your truck but don't start (as usual). Click "Gen2 ECU recover". Let me/us knoow if it works. If it does not, you will have to remove your ECU for a bench flash. PM me if you get to that point, I can do it for you.

Edit* Also, what file were you trying to flash?

 

Thank you, this worked & I was able to recover the ECU. It still wouldn't turn over when I tried to start the truck though so I had to reflash the tune that had failed & it successfully started after that.

 

That's good news. Still wondering why the recovery option didn't work on mine. Makes me very leery of trying to flash another tune. Thankful I'm on a tune I really like. Lapoltba to the rescue again!

 

Sometimes a brick happens which is odd. Typically the recovery feature works, rarely has it not.

I’ve noticed on VFT files installed through the new version of the software tend to have the most brick events.

When people reach out to me and I help with recovery, I suggest that they open the vft files in VFTuner and export them. This makes it a VFC and has less issue.

Just another reason people should download the newer updates

 

Is it that the old file format is the issue or just statically more files where in the old format so the fault appears to be happening more for one the the other but it's really just say 1% of all flashes?

I mean do we really know?

 

I’m unsure. I know OV 2.0 is still a vft but 99% of people flash without issues.

My files have had 2 bricks out of 116 trucks. One was a loose OBD cable the other was unknown and needed the ECU removed to unbrick it. However I run through VFC files.

I personally have not been able to make any of my ECUs brick to the point of removal despite trying EVERY method to cause it. (I have 5 ECUs at the house).

I think it’s just a matter of the computer interfacing to the laptops. Sometimes a techstream TSB update fails and bricks, that’s a Toyota software too...

Unfortunately it happens sometimes, the good news is that we have the ability to fix it through the software. If not, I know myself, @lapoltba, @OVTune, and maybe a few others have the way to fix it directly attached to the computer.

 

When I tune a truck in person, I bring everything to remove the ECU and fix it. Just in case. It has happened to one customer. It’s slightly embarrassing but nonetheless we fix it and they are good to go.

 

My guess is if you’re using vF 1.2.9.9er.3.6 or whatever is the latest it strongly prefers .vfc.

if you open, modify, export, and save in an older version of vF to a .vft, I don’t see how the “tune” could could be causing a problem. Using the old flash utility has been super reliable. Almost idiot proof.

If you open a .vft in notepad++ or something and delete lines, I could see bad things happening. But if you are working within vF Tuner and exporting/saving within vF, then flashing a .vft file in the latest vF software it would be odd that the “tune” is the issue. My guess is the latest vF is expecting a .vfc and getting issues has to be a vF issue, not a “tune” issue.

My root cause analysis anyway...

The old 1.3.2 flash utility is super reliable. I’m bummed it’s gone in the new version and hope the update coming provides a flash utility that is equally robust.

 

Yea this is 100% what I believe.

I’ve experimented in tunes as far as changing maps that people claim causes a limp mode. Never experienced anything despite any aggressive edits.

Ive gone as far as adding extra values to tables that were not factory (upper model years have some simplified maps). No issue.

Most people flash without battery charging or anything too. If I ever flash without a battery tender, I idle it for a few seconds before. Bumps voltage up for the tune file.

it’s an anomaly it seems. Even techstream causes bricks sometimes.

Think about it, you have the potential of bricking an ECU through OBD. If you can’t remedy it through the port, you can fix it when directly interfaced with the ECU. There is something between the OBD2 port and the ECU that causes error I think.

Whether it’s the immobilizer or something else, idk. I have yet to take apart my dash and trace wires.

 

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! Used the old VFTuner with no issues... don’t have to worry about data lost in translation between VFTuner vft and vfc files...

 

Never had any issues with vft or vfc files personally. I flash my truck at least 10 times a week.

My testers also flash many times a week (I test things very frequently) and I have no brick reports.

I update my VFTuner with each version Mat produces

 

Never had issues with old VFTuner 1.2.7.X

I’m scared of new technology sometimes... to each their own

 

Personally have enjoyed using 1.2.9.6 and up. No issues

 

Hey guys I wrote a beginners guid to VF tuner. I noticed we had good walk throughs for installations and editing but nothing for really where to even start for those that don't even really know what a tune is or what it involves. please check it out and let me know what you think
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/vf-tuner-for-du-new-people-ov-tune.720553/

 

Orange Virus Tuning is the software developer for VFTuner... they also make “their own tune” called OVTune 2.0.

Does this clarify anything?