Question about SCT Computer Programmer
 

I have been entertaining the idea of getting an xcalibrator 3 programmer. It says that it works for all 1996-2011 Mustangs. My question is could I use the programmer for multiple cars? I currently own a 1997 GT and a 2003 Cobra, my brother has a 2010 GT if I can use the programmer for all three cars and I split the purchase price with my brother it would not be too bad a hit for the $382 price tag.

Simple answer: negative

I understand that you can buy the programmer with a specific tune but can buy or download others. Is there a reason why the programmer would only be exclusive to one vehicle?

The computer code specific to the car for its computer.
That's the simple answer.
Or we could go back to: NO:jester:

You can download other tunes to a programmer, but only for your vehicle. Simply put, the handheld tuner manufacturers want to make money, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Thanks for the help guys, it sucks but it also makes sense.

You can use it for multiple cars, but only one at a time.

Once you put the stock tune back on the car, the tuner is unlocked and can be setup to work on another car but only one car at a time.

If you only tune one car with it, can you still use the tuner to read CEL Codes on other vehicles?
LJS

Yes, you can use it to check CEL on any 96 and newer Ford.

Ford only? or any vehicle with an OBD II

Any 96 or newer Ford.

Not really. American manufacturers always want a monopoly to milk every last penny. Then when they are undercut (often by foreign companies) they cry and run either to Court and/or Congress. And in the end lose market share.

Having one programmer for one VIN is as dumb as buying an iPhone and only having one Carrier. Oh, wait... :p

I mean how many times does the Sony BetaMax failure have to be played out?? (Although Sony has done it again with their HD HandyCam that needs a special player... :shame: )

They could make it so that one tuner would tune as many different car as you want, but then the tunes would cost mega $$$ to make up for it.

SCT is in business to make money just like any other business. If they made the tuners so they would work with unlimited numbers of cars and still sold the tuning software to the tuner shops as cheap as they do, then they would be out of business pretty soon because the demand would go to nothing because everyone would already have it.

If you really think about it, $380 per car for the tuner and tune shop supplied unlimited tune revisions, it's really not an expensive mod for what you get.

FYI
All Fords, meaning...
Lincoln and Mercury vehicles too.:nice:
(Some Lincolns have OBDII before '96, 1994 & 95 Town Car for instance.)

Yes, they've got to be able to make money or what's the point? A different business model could be that the tuner only costs $150 and the tunes -- not the tuner -- are VIN specific and cost $250. If the customer just has the one car, they pay the same. If they have a relative that has a similar car, that relative could borrow the tuner but would still need to buy their own software. The company that writes the tunes would still get paid for each car their tune is used on, but someone wouldn't necessarily have to pay for the tuner device that they would only use once.

This could also generate more sales of tunes, although fewer sales of tuners. For instance, say someone has Mustang and they don't care about retuning the engine. They just want to eliminate the skip-shift, or the top speed limiter. A tuner software company could write a cheapo tune that does only those most basic functions, and if someone has a tuner they could borrow, they could get it done for not too much money. As it is, few people are going to spend $400 just to eliminate one "feature" from the factory tune.

This x1000

Well, they could maybe have done it that way but they didn't and they aren't going to change what is working very well for them, so you either go with it or complain or try some other company. Of course, the other company, diablosport, works the same way.