V&H FP3 review
#61
I'm on my second FP3, and they want to send me a third!
Works OK with a canned map, but now BOTH times -- with TWO DIFFERENT FuelPaks! --- I've gone to auto tune, the thing fails to reconnect via bluetooth, so I can't apply or flash the learned values. My iPhone says "Pairing Unseccessful" and Device Not Supported. So I'm screwed again. Now I have to get with a friend (again!) who happens to have an Android device and borrow it to flash my bike back to stock.
The kid at V&H even said that he'd just give up and switch to a different tuner. I opined that I can't be the only person having this issue, and he said there have been a "few." A few?!? Really? I'm two-for-two on these things failing. He agreed with me that I'd probably have the same issue with the THIRD unit they send. I figure I better just get my money back and be done with this $hit.
SO, MY ADVICE IS THAT IF YOU USE AN APPLE DEVICE -- iPhone -- THAT YOU THINK TWICE ABOUT WHETHER THIS THING IS WORTH THE TROUBLE.
Works OK with a canned map, but now BOTH times -- with TWO DIFFERENT FuelPaks! --- I've gone to auto tune, the thing fails to reconnect via bluetooth, so I can't apply or flash the learned values. My iPhone says "Pairing Unseccessful" and Device Not Supported. So I'm screwed again. Now I have to get with a friend (again!) who happens to have an Android device and borrow it to flash my bike back to stock.
The kid at V&H even said that he'd just give up and switch to a different tuner. I opined that I can't be the only person having this issue, and he said there have been a "few." A few?!? Really? I'm two-for-two on these things failing. He agreed with me that I'd probably have the same issue with the THIRD unit they send. I figure I better just get my money back and be done with this $hit.
SO, MY ADVICE IS THAT IF YOU USE AN APPLE DEVICE -- iPhone -- THAT YOU THINK TWICE ABOUT WHETHER THIS THING IS WORTH THE TROUBLE.
#62
Not trying to be a smart *** or anything like that but. I know there was an update for I phone users. Or I would use my friends phone to check the cells and when they all go green then flash it . If that's not to much trouble..
My wife's I phone 5 always loose sync with the blue tooth in our car ,But my android phone does not. My wife get pissed that her phone wont work with the car and we tried everything. I say the problem is with I phone and not my car.
My wife's I phone 5 always loose sync with the blue tooth in our car ,But my android phone does not. My wife get pissed that her phone wont work with the car and we tried everything. I say the problem is with I phone and not my car.
Hey swifty,
No, thanks for the info, but this is a problem with the FP3. My iPhone pairs up with other Bluetooth stuff no problem, and this isn't a case where the Bluetooth connection just drops or something; it works fine until I start auto tuning, then the FP3 becomes a device that is "not supported" by the phone's Bluetooth. According to the V&H boys, once that message comes up, you're toast. You need a new FP3. In my case, they gave me a new one and, again, it worked fine until I tried to use the auto tune feature. Then, it becomes an "unsupported device" as far as Bluetooth goes.
Now for the rest of the story: I'm sending the unit back to them today. Rather than getting a new one (and going through the whole "borrow someone's Andriod to save your stock tuning map" thing), I'm sending them mine so they can diagnose it and move the chip into another unit and send it back to me. If it doesn't work this next time, then I'll get a refund and move on.
Overall, the V&H people have been helpful, and I feel for them because this thing was sent to market without much information for the consumer. They are getting bombarded with calls, from what I understand.
One area of concern, though, is that they changed their story on what sort of tune my bike has in it right now, with the unit removed during an auto tune. At the beginning of April when my first FP3 went **** up during auto tuning, they told me that until I received the new FP3 the bike would be operating with the last map I installed, which was one of their canned maps. Yesterday they told me something completely different, which was that supposedly when I disconnect the FP3 to send it back to them, my bike will be operating in an intermediate auto tune mode, and that I could expect popping and that I shouldn't run the bike hard. I've disconnected the unit and ridden the bike, and I think they are full of crap. There is no discernible difference in the way the bike runs; no popping, and great power, so I'm not concerned that it's in some state of limbo while I await a unit that operates as advertised.
I'm really disappointed that they changed their story in this regard. If they are telling me the truth now, today, then I went on a 1600 mile road trip with a tune that they say is no good for flogging....and we rode hard! Conversely, if they told me the truth in April, then they are lying to me now...and that's just $hitty no two ways about it. It's either lying or incompetence, but either way I'm just hoping to get one freekin' unit from them that does the job they say it will do; I will then ride happily into the sunset. They can work on their moral compasses and business practices on their own dime.
Last edited by DarkStar07; 05-14-2014 at 08:50 AM.
#63
It depends if the autotune "took" or not.
They are just using a built-in function of the ECU to do the autotuning and this sets the whole map at 14.6:1. Which isn't the end of the world and won't do any harm. It's just far from a good tune.
In your case I'm guessing you don't really know at what stage of setting up autotune it failed. It might have not got as far as actually putting the bike into autotune mode - or it might have. Don't think anyone can know.
If I was you I'd really not get another FP3 - or at least not for about a year or so. Its a version 1.0 device and I'd let them work out all the many bugs it has been reported as having before trying it again.
They are just using a built-in function of the ECU to do the autotuning and this sets the whole map at 14.6:1. Which isn't the end of the world and won't do any harm. It's just far from a good tune.
In your case I'm guessing you don't really know at what stage of setting up autotune it failed. It might have not got as far as actually putting the bike into autotune mode - or it might have. Don't think anyone can know.
If I was you I'd really not get another FP3 - or at least not for about a year or so. Its a version 1.0 device and I'd let them work out all the many bugs it has been reported as having before trying it again.
Last edited by Foxster; 05-14-2014 at 11:08 AM.
#64
#65
probably not going, should be an activity of data flow in/out you can see on the phone. not a user, just basic understanding of data transfer.
#66
Yeah, I just killed the app and tried to fire the bike and it cranked and died, put it on a charger for 5 minutes and the bike fired and idled just fine. I'm leaning towards the battery wasn't giving the ECM enough juice. I'm going to let it sit on the charger for an hour and then leaving it maintenance trickle charge while I push the tune. Thanks for the reply.
#67
#68
I was finally able to test the FP3 on my 2014 CVO Road King
I had my dealer order V&H power duals and monster rounds over a month ago for my ride and bought the FP3 online (not supported by Harley dealers), only to find out after the fact that there were no downloads available for CVOs.
Those downloads did become available last week and I had the dealer install the headers and slipons right away.
It only took me 10 mns to download the map with my iPhone and flash it to the bike. I went for a 100 mile test ride mixed city and highway and the result is amazing!
Pick up from idle to full throttle is really strong with no empty spots at any RPM. Very little pop up deceleration at times but rarely - and actually pleasant to the ear. I might do the autotune later but probably not even necessary.
Incredible seat of the pants torque and hp! Even in 6 gear, torque was amazing at highway speeds.
I am not even sure I will do the auto tune (especially after reading some of the posts on this forum). May be with warmer temps. Bike stayed very cool during the test. Definitely much cooler than stock (much of it is due to getting rid of the cat, I am sure). It was only 50 degrees yesterday so time will tell...
Very happy with set up.
I had my dealer order V&H power duals and monster rounds over a month ago for my ride and bought the FP3 online (not supported by Harley dealers), only to find out after the fact that there were no downloads available for CVOs.
Those downloads did become available last week and I had the dealer install the headers and slipons right away.
It only took me 10 mns to download the map with my iPhone and flash it to the bike. I went for a 100 mile test ride mixed city and highway and the result is amazing!
Pick up from idle to full throttle is really strong with no empty spots at any RPM. Very little pop up deceleration at times but rarely - and actually pleasant to the ear. I might do the autotune later but probably not even necessary.
Incredible seat of the pants torque and hp! Even in 6 gear, torque was amazing at highway speeds.
I am not even sure I will do the auto tune (especially after reading some of the posts on this forum). May be with warmer temps. Bike stayed very cool during the test. Definitely much cooler than stock (much of it is due to getting rid of the cat, I am sure). It was only 50 degrees yesterday so time will tell...
Very happy with set up.
#69
Well I finally gave up on the FP3. I worked with V&H for quite awhile trying to get it sorted out and after the last attempt, I told them I was done. I loved the canned map and it made a definite improvement over the Harley stage one download. After I modded my baffles the canned map wasn't quite right and one of the main features I bought this for was the Bluetooth auto tune feature to fix small issues like I had after the baffle mod.
They were OK with refunding my money, although they are going to refund the dealer and then I have to get my money from the dealer. They really wanted me to continue to try and work it out, but I just told them I was done and he said he understood. They emailed me a UPS label while we were on the phone. Hopefully they get the bugs sorted out, the product really does sound good, just isn't fully functional yet.
They were OK with refunding my money, although they are going to refund the dealer and then I have to get my money from the dealer. They really wanted me to continue to try and work it out, but I just told them I was done and he said he understood. They emailed me a UPS label while we were on the phone. Hopefully they get the bugs sorted out, the product really does sound good, just isn't fully functional yet.
#70
I was finally able to test the FP3 on my 2014 CVO Road King
I had my dealer order V&H power duals and monster rounds over a month ago for my ride and bought the FP3 online (not supported by Harley dealers), only to find out after the fact that there were no downloads available for CVOs.
Those downloads did become available last week and I had the dealer install the headers and slipons right away.
It only took me 10 mns to download the map with my iPhone and flash it to the bike. I went for a 100 mile test ride mixed city and highway and the result is amazing!
Pick up from idle to full throttle is really strong with no empty spots at any RPM. Very little pop up deceleration at times but rarely - and actually pleasant to the ear. I might do the autotune later but probably not even necessary.
Incredible seat of the pants torque and hp! Even in 6 gear, torque was amazing at highway speeds.
I am not even sure I will do the auto tune (especially after reading some of the posts on this forum). May be with warmer temps. Bike stayed very cool during the test. Definitely much cooler than stock (much of it is due to getting rid of the cat, I am sure). It was only 50 degrees yesterday so time will tell...
Very happy with set up.
I had my dealer order V&H power duals and monster rounds over a month ago for my ride and bought the FP3 online (not supported by Harley dealers), only to find out after the fact that there were no downloads available for CVOs.
Those downloads did become available last week and I had the dealer install the headers and slipons right away.
It only took me 10 mns to download the map with my iPhone and flash it to the bike. I went for a 100 mile test ride mixed city and highway and the result is amazing!
Pick up from idle to full throttle is really strong with no empty spots at any RPM. Very little pop up deceleration at times but rarely - and actually pleasant to the ear. I might do the autotune later but probably not even necessary.
Incredible seat of the pants torque and hp! Even in 6 gear, torque was amazing at highway speeds.
I am not even sure I will do the auto tune (especially after reading some of the posts on this forum). May be with warmer temps. Bike stayed very cool during the test. Definitely much cooler than stock (much of it is due to getting rid of the cat, I am sure). It was only 50 degrees yesterday so time will tell...
Very happy with set up.
V&H told me they FP3 wasn't going to support cam upgrades for a while. I'd be curious to know more about the option to use it with my stage 2 motor.