Process
How a file is built.
A recalibration is not one file. It is a base file, then revisions made from logs of your car.
The loop
Once
Order
The order form asks for your fuel, VIN and modifications. If you know them, it also asks for the strategy code, which device you have, and the serial number if it is an SCT X4. Placing the order opens your ticket.
Base file
Your first file arrives with any notes for the first drive.
Each round
Load and reset
Load the file with your OBDX Pro FT or SCT X4 and do a KAM reset.
Drive and log
Log a full throttle pull from about 60 to 100 mph, plus anything else you want looked at.
Send the log
Send the log with a few simple notes on how the car drives.
Revised file
We send back a revised file, with any notes for the next drive.
Rounds repeat until we think the car is right.
Step 03
Load and reset
Load the file with your OBDX Pro FT or SCT X4 and do a KAM reset, which clears the keep alive memory the PCM stores. Do one with every file and revision, then again whenever a problem with the car has been fixed or a related part has been changed.
OBDX Pro FT
Check the Reset Adaptives box in PCMTec’s Read/Write Vehicle Flash Toolbox when you load the file.SCT X4
Go to Special Functions, then KAM Reset, then follow the steps on the X4.After each KAM reset
- Let the car idle for a few minutes.
- Then, if you can, go for an easy drive.
Sport mode and AC
After a KAM reset, do each of these for the first time while stopped, cruising at a steady speed, or slowing down.
- Turn on sport mode, if your car has it.
- Turn on the AC.
- Turn off the AC.
Keep your foot steady, or off the accelerator, for about 10 seconds before and after each one.
Relearning
The car does most of its relearning over the first 3-5 drives, but it should mostly drive right within the first 15-20 minutes or miles depending on modifications.
On Flex Fuel cars, always idle for at least 5 minutes, and drive lightly for the first few miles after filling up or changing ethanol percentage.
Step 04
Drive and log
The main log each round is one full throttle pull, from about 60 to 100 mph.
The pull
- Turn off traction control and the AC. Keep them off for all logging.
- Start the log in PCMTec if you use an OBDX Pro FT, or on your SCT X4.
- Cruise below 60 mph in a gear that has the engine at about 3,000-4,000 rpm. If your car has paddle shifters, use paddle mode to pick that gear.
- Push the accelerator to the floor and hold it there until about 100 mph. Let an automatic shift on its own.
- Let off the accelerator, then stop the log.
Every time
Do the pull the same way every time, on the same road, in the same gear, from the same speed. Doing it the same way matters more than hitting the exact numbers.Anything else
If the car does anything else you want looked at, like a stumble or a rough shift, log that too. Make sure the log has a few seconds before and after it, then tell us about it in your notes.It is your responsibility to log in a safe manner and in a safe, legal place. If the road, weather or traffic is not right for a pull, wait for another time.
Step 05
Send the log
Each car has its own ticket, with every file, log and message for it.
Save it first
Save the log before you load another file, so it does not get lost.How to send
Reply to any email about your ticket and attach the log, or upload it on your ticket page. Videos and large files need to go through the ticket page.Notes
With each log, add a few simple notes on how the car drives. If you run ethanol, include the percentage.Naming
Naming your logs is optional. If you name them, use the same style every time, for example “Rev 3 pull” for the pull on revision 3.Finding files
Sign in under Your tickets using the email you ordered with.Development
Our process carries across all modern Fords, so multiple models are always in development. Each platform is also developed on more than one car, for the most performance and longevity.
Changing hardware
New hardware means the recalibration has to be reworked, which is billed as new work. Revisions for parts bought from Unleashed Tuning are free.