Bluefin has left me stranded. Out of hours contact?

[Daveyonthemove]

Just got stage 2 loaded on the bluefin so went to install it.
Had to revert to original so I did that and went for a short drive.
Parked in a public car park in the shade and installed Stage 2. All went as expected but now the car won't start.
Cleared all fault codes and tried again but 4 codes returned and car won't start still.
Bluefin won't return car to stock gives an error.
Anybody know how to get hold of bluefin outside of hours?

 

[NHN]

Check for a US office & ring them given time of day.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Just tried messenger on FB as I'm unable to call US on my mobile.

Here is the data log from a fault scan immediately after the car failed to start:


Date: 2018-07-02 18:58

VIN: WAUZZZ8PX7A097986
Car: Audi S3
Year: 2007
Body type: Hatchback
Engine: BHZ 195 kW (265 HP) 2 l
Mileage: 172460 KM

---------------------------------------------------------------
00 Steering Angle Sender

---------------------------------------------------------------
01 Engine

System description: 00
Software number: 8P0907115H
Software version: 0040
Hardware number: 8P0907115B

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
03 Brakes

System description: ESP 4MOTION MK60
Software number: 1K0907379AB
Software version: 0102
Hardware number: 1K0907379AB
Coding: 0021128

Trouble codes:
01314 - Engine control module (ECM) No signal/communication
static


---------------------------------------------------------------
04 Steering Angle Sender

---------------------------------------------------------------
08 Air Conditioning

System description: KlimavollautomatH19
Software number: 8P0820043AD
Software version: 0360
Hardware number: 8P0820043AD
Hardware version: 000
Serial number: 8P0820043AD

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
09 Central Electrics

System description: Bordnetz-SG H43
Software number: 8P0907279F
Software version: 1201
Hardware number: 8P0907279F
Hardware version: 063
Serial number: 00000006287839
Long coding: F58E5F27A014100000000000000000000009EE175A0500

Subsystems:
System description: Wischer AU350 H01
Software number: 8P2955119E
Software version: 0130
Coding: 0064784

System description: REGENLICHTSENSORH13
Software number: 4E0910557A
Software version: 0090
Coding: 0150573

Trouble codes:
01314 - Engine control module (ECM) No signal/communication
static


---------------------------------------------------------------
15 Airbag

System description: Airbag 9.41 H12
Software number: 8P0959655H
Software version: 3720
Hardware number: 8P0959655H
Serial number: 0037W0G0GA64
Coding: 0071612

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
16 Steering Column Electronics

System description: J0527 H36
Software number: 8P0953549F
Software version: 0070
Hardware number: 8P0953549F
Coding: 0004042

Subsystems:
System description: E0221 H07
Software number: XXXXXXXXXXX
Software version: 0090

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
17 Dash Board

System description: KOMBIINSTR. VDO H20
Software number: 8P0920981J
Software version: 0570
Hardware number: 8P0920981J
Serial number: 2249F004000156
Coding: 0037418

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
19 Gateway

System description: J533__Gateway H12
Software number: 1K0907530J
Software version: 0160
Hardware number: 1K0907951
Serial number: 3200106A068321
Long coding: FD0F07C807000101

Trouble codes:
01314 - Engine control module (ECM) No signal/communication
static
01300 - Navigation System with CD Drive Control Module No signal/communication
static


---------------------------------------------------------------
22 All Wheel Control

System description: Haldex 4Motion
Software number: 1K0907554F
Software version: 0115
Coding: 0000001

Trouble codes:
01314 - Engine control module (ECM) No signal/communication
static


---------------------------------------------------------------
25 Immobilizer

System description: KOMBIINSTR. VDO H20
Software number: 8P0920981J
Software version: 0570
Hardware number: 8P0920981J
Serial number: AUX7Z0F9FNI0MR

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
37 Navigation

---------------------------------------------------------------
42 Door Electronics Driver Side

System description: Tuer-SG 020
Software number: 8P0959801G
Software version: 0110
Coding: 0000632

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
44 Steering Assistance

System description: EPS_ZFLS Kl. 69
Software number: 1K0909144H
Software version: 2901

Trouble codes:
01314 - Engine control module (ECM) No signal/communication
static


---------------------------------------------------------------
46 Central Module Comfort System

System description: KSG H04
Software number: 8P0959433C
Software version: 0050
Long coding: 189000186D28850D489AC63300

Subsystems:
System description: LIN BACKUP HORN H03
Software number: 1K0951605C
Software version: 1301

System description: Neigungssensor 005
Software number: 1K0907719C
Software version: 0003

System description: Innenraumueberw.H04
Software number: 8P0951177
Software version: 0020

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
52 Door Electronics Passenger Side

System description: Tuer-SG 020
Software number: 8P0959802H
Software version: 0090
Coding: 0000632

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
55 Headlight Regulation

System description: AFS 1 H01
Software number: 4F0910357F
Software version: 0020
Hardware number: 4F0907357F
Coding: 0000020

Subsystems:
System description: AFS-Modul links H03
Software number: 8E0941329A
Software version: 0020

System description: AFS-Modul rechtsH03
Software number: 8E0941329A
Software version: 0020

Trouble codes:
01314 - Engine control module (ECM) No signal/communication
static


---------------------------------------------------------------
56 Radio

---------------------------------------------------------------
76 Parking Assistance

System description: Parkhilfe 4-Kan H09
Software number: 8P0919283D
Software version: 0060
Hardware number: 8P0919283D
Serial number: 00067824830628
Coding: 0000113

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

---------------------------------------------------------------
77 Telephone

System description: FSE_255x BT H26
Software number: 8P0862335H
Software version: 0290
Hardware number: 8P0862335H
Serial number: 00000005036299
Coding: 0011422

Trouble codes:
No trouble codes found

 

[NHN]

Clearly lost comms over bus to 01, you need to ring them.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Trying to get hold of them now.
Was hoping someone else might have lived this problem and had a contact number for someone out of hours.
Will be discussing a refund tomorrow.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Was unable to find a number to call last night, but I did message them on FB in the hope that it gets monitored and I might get a response.
To my amazement, they read my message at 9.43 pm and ignored it. They were quite happy to leave me stranded overnight as they had no idea if I was able to get home or not.
This speaks volumes to me about their aftercare. If the message had NOT been read I would have understood due to business hours, but if people are reading them after hours then they should be responding to them, especially in this sort of scenario.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

As an update to this, I managed to reach Superchips this morning and they activated something at their end in order to wipe the Bluefin clear and revert the car to stock.
It flashed as it should do and then I called them back to let them know the car was now running and they re-activated my remap files for download.
They took longer to download and write to the Bluefin this time, backing up their thoughts that the original file had not fully installed despite notifications claiming that they had.
Car now has the Stage 2 map on it and is driving very well, so I'm happy although a bit frustrated at the lack of support out of hours.

My summary of the Bluefin experience:
By all means, buy one and install it. The remap will make a noticeable difference and the car will drive great.
My caveat to this is: Do NOT install it out of working hours (Mon-Fri, 8-5) as there is NO support outside of these hours. If there is a fault, you are stuck!
However, support when they are open is excellent and they will spend as long as is needed on the phone to sort you out and get the car running.

 

[downtothebone]

Personally - given what a map is doing to your car I don’t understand why someone would apply the map away from their home or similar and outside of U.K. office hours. I was a Bluefin customer and this was the first things I thought about after all I’m no mechanic and I would have a clue how to recover from an error. Having said that I would expect to see a huge disclaimer on the Superchips site.

Not a good experience to go through but sometimes a little common sense goes a long way ... glad it worked out in the end.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Personally - given what a map is doing to your car I don’t understand why someone would apply the map away from their home or similar and outside of U.K. office hours. I was a Bluefin customer and this was the first things I thought about after all I’m no mechanic and I would have a clue how to recover from an error. Having said that I would expect to see a huge disclaimer on the Superchips site.

Not a good experience to go through but sometimes a little common sense goes a long way ... glad it worked out in the end.

I don't disagree with you on this one.
When I got stage 1 I did it at home and reverted it back to stock at home too, I wanted to be 100% sure it would work fine and it did.
When I got stage 2 downloaded I didn't expect to have any issues going off experience of the same device on the same car. It never crossed my mind.

The only reason I did it where I did was because in the past I had an airbag light on (self inflicted while fitting a stereo) and the only method I had to clear it was to revert the car back to stock in order to clear everything down. When I then went to install the Stage 1 again immediately after, it refused.
I discovered later that day after a drive that it installed fine, so I concluded that the car needed to drive a short distance in order to allow me to switch maps. No idea if this is actually correct, but it worked for me.
Last night it wanted me to revert to stock again, which I did and then I did the short drive in order to install stage 2. On this occasion I looked for a safe place to park with lots of shade as I knew I would need to turn off the blowers and have the windows down due to the 30c heat. That car park was perfect, and that is why I stopped where I did.
Sadly the file only partially installed, and for that reason I was stuck. It was bad timing and in hindsight, bad planning on my part, which is why my last post above yours mentions doing it during work hours. I'd hate for others to be in a similar situation.

 

[paddy]

Glad you got it sorted Dave but next time do it in the drive mate

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Glad you got it sorted Dave but next time do it in the drive mate

Trust me, I learnt the hard way on this one!

 

[paddy]

What you need now is a few weeks to get out and enjoy it, you have had enough problems to last a lifetime but at least you are beating it in to submission now

 

[Justin Parry]

I've gotta put my 2 pence worth in....I had BF stage one all loaded great then want for a blast. Rev limiter seemed non existent in first and noticed the front left bouncing under power in the dry! Phoned them, they sent an updated map so 're installed that. Still bouncing and no limit. Took it to my friendly local and they said get rid of the map it the worst map they've seen! Upshot was haldex gearbox rebuild! You could say bad timing, I'd say too coincidental. £3k later for haldex rebuild at audi (warranty) (S3 2012 & 40k) & refund ive gone for revo st1 and no complaints. Just my 2p. Hope the BF works for you mate and you dont have to go through my PITA.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Wow, that's worrying.
I must admit, I don't take the car to the limit in any gear, and don't really push it that hard.
I've no idea if the rev limiter is in place or not, and I use first and second to get the car moving enough to change up. I'm a bit cautious about launching the car hard.
I'll keep an eye on things though, always good to hear of other peoples experiences.

 

[downtothebone]

I was on Stage 2 Bluefin - never had a problem. Even sold on my unit after the move to APR.

 

[paddy]

Audi dont rebuild things...lol they just fit an other, My haldex and dif went at 50k, its not unusual, cost was £3000 +vat + fitting for brand new.
agree with Justin though, i ran revo stg1 for 60k miles with an sps switch and no problems and a good generic map. (sps switch now spare )

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Obviously I will monitor my car, not just because of the map (which I'm confident is working fine) but because my car has been breaking around me lately, and I'd be an idiot if I didn't expect something else to go soon.
When things settle down and I can save a bit of cash up I will probably go down the Milltek route and then look at going to MRC for a full fat stage 2.
For now, I'm going to enjoy the car as it is and hopefully spend less time fixing it and more time driving it.

 

[IanP19]

I've also had haldex replaced (2012 -S3/40k) my cars stock as far as I know.

Sounds like a common theme.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

 

[ab1702]

My 2p’s worth is I still don’t see why anyone would persevere with these bluefin things. If you want a proper job then go to a custom remapper that has a good reputation or get a revo or apr remap.
You get what you pay for in this world. You have to pay for quality.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

My 2p’s worth is I still don’t see why anyone would persevere with these bluefin things. If you want a proper job then go to a custom remapper that has a good reputation or get a revo or apr remap.
You get what you pay for in this world. You have to pay for quality.

I'll explain my reasoning for buying Bluefin.
I bought a used car with a reasonable service history, but 100+k miles on the clock. I wanted a bit more power (not maximum power) and suspected that my clutch may need changing at some point. I was right to assume this, and soon after installing the Stage 1 my clutch started to slip. As I planned, I was able to revert to stock to prevent it going early and put some money aside for a new upgraded clutch.
The clutch has now been changed and the BF has been put back on. I went stage 2 as I have just been paid and felt £50 was a small amount to spend on a power hike I could apply myself. I'm not sure how much other companies charge for this incremental update? I also don't like booking weeks in advance and waiting. I was able to buy the map on the day I wanted it, and install it the same day. It doesn't get any more convenient.

My plans are to get a MRC stage 2 in the future, but for now the BF is perfect as I can dial it back to standard when my GF drives it.
It's cheap enough when you consider the hardware and maps, the support is good (during working hours, just like every other tuner) and it's flexible enough to be adapted if needed. Throw in the warranty and it's very good value.

Yes, there are stronger maps out there and arguably better tuning companies, but that doesn't mean Superchips are bad! Many customers are very happy with the product and many more will be in the future.

 

[prt57]

I'll explain my reasoning for buying Bluefin.
I bought a used car with a reasonable service history, but 100+k miles on the clock. I wanted a bit more power (not maximum power) and suspected that my clutch may need changing at some point. I was right to assume this, and soon after installing the Stage 1 my clutch started to slip. As I planned, I was able to revert to stock to prevent it going early and put some money aside for a new upgraded clutch.
The clutch has now been changed and the BF has been put back on. I went stage 2 as I have just been paid and felt £50 was a small amount to spend on a power hike I could apply myself. I'm not sure how much other companies charge for this incremental update? I also don't like booking weeks in advance and waiting. I was able to buy the map on the day I wanted it, and install it the same day. It doesn't get any more convenient.

My plans are to get a MRC stage 2 in the future, but for now the BF is perfect as I can dial it back to standard when my GF drives it.
It's cheap enough when you consider the hardware and maps, the support is good (during working hours, just like every other tuner) and it's flexible enough to be adapted if needed. Throw in the warranty and it's very good value.

Yes, there are stronger maps out there and arguably better tuning companies, but that doesn't mean Superchips are bad! Many customers are very happy with the product and many more will be in the future.

When you go to MRC you will get the best by having a 2+ map although you will need an uprated fuel pump.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

I'm not getting an uprated HPFP and don't want 2+.
I'm not looking to own the fastest car on the forum, I just want more grunt when it's needed. Stage 2 from MRC will be more than enough. Any more than that and i'm spending money I don't want to spend and would be better off swapping for a S3 8V instead.

 

[ab1702]

I'll explain my reasoning for buying Bluefin.
I bought a used car with a reasonable service history, but 100+k miles on the clock. I wanted a bit more power (not maximum power) and suspected that my clutch may need changing at some point. I was right to assume this, and soon after installing the Stage 1 my clutch started to slip. As I planned, I was able to revert to stock to prevent it going early and put some money aside for a new upgraded clutch.
The clutch has now been changed and the BF has been put back on. I went stage 2 as I have just been paid and felt £50 was a small amount to spend on a power hike I could apply myself. I'm not sure how much other companies charge for this incremental update? I also don't like booking weeks in advance and waiting. I was able to buy the map on the day I wanted it, and install it the same day. It doesn't get any more convenient.

My plans are to get a MRC stage 2 in the future, but for now the BF is perfect as I can dial it back to standard when my GF drives it.
It's cheap enough when you consider the hardware and maps, the support is good (during working hours, just like every other tuner) and it's flexible enough to be adapted if needed. Throw in the warranty and it's very good value.

Yes, there are stronger maps out there and arguably better tuning companies, but that doesn't mean Superchips are bad! Many customers are very happy with the product and many more will be in the future.

You’ve just said yourself that there are better maps out there and also that the one you have got is cheap. Like I said before you get what you pay for.
You havent got a cheap and nasty car so I don’t understand why you’d risk putting a cheap map on the car.
I think I’ve said this to you before but that map could have been what caused the clutch to go. A stage one map is designed to work with a standard clutch so when you installed that bluefin it shouldn’t have tipped it over the edge but it did. Fair enough it’s got 100k miles + on the car but so have plenty of others which have been remapped including mine and are still running the original clutch. A poor map will mess your clutch up and that is a fact.
All I’m trying to say is get it done right and properly in the first place and it will definately save you time and money in the long run and I’m pretty sure you’ll not be left stranded.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Yes, it was cheap (as in I know a distributor who provided a healthy discount). Price wise it's competitive and a trusted brand.
The map isn't cheap and nasty. You may not like them, and that is your prerogative.

The clutch problem is impossible to nail down, but I think it's due to a couple of reasons:
1) High mileage. I have no idea how the previous owners drove the car and how many traffic light races they took part in. Nobody knows. But 100k is fair mileage for most clutches.
2) When i got the Bluefin I was called by Superchips and advised the car was already mapped and offered me a refund. It didn't feel like it was mapped so I asked for their map instead. It transpired a few days later that I had a split DV, so the car was down on power (I logged a max of 225bhp) regardless of what was on the car. The previous owner may have had a stage 2 on the standard clutch? No remap was declared.
3) Putting a new DV on the car then brought the power back, and the clutch then slipped. For all I know the clutch may have been slipping before I got the car on the previous map, but the split DV reduced the power so it wasn't happening at the time I bought the car. At that point I reverted to stock to prolong the clutch for a month.

I know many people (yourself included) don't rate SC's and that is fine, I do know stronger maps exist. My brother used to be manager at a very reputable modifying company that distributed SC remaps and BF devices and we have spoken many times about how the SC remaps are conservative.
This is because they offer the warranty and support and play it slightly safer in order to keep their warranty and reputation intact. I don't have a problem with that, I knew when I bought it that stronger maps exist from the likes of APR/Revo/Custom Code/Unicorn/MRC/etc etc.

Whilst it was a massive inconvenience that my laptop didn't download the entire file and as a result my car wouldn't start, I was able to sort it over the phone with a laptop and a hotspot so it could have been far worse.
Ultimately, I paid the money I was happy with for a product I am happy with, and as it's my car I don't really know why I'm having to justify it to anyone else?
When the time comes (end of summer) I will look into the MRC option as they are regarded as one of the best and local. For now, I'm enjoying the car.

/end of rant.

 

[downtothebone]

I'm not getting an uprated HPFP and don't want 2+.
I'm not looking to own the fastest car on the forum, I just want more grunt when it's needed. Stage 2 from MRC will be more than enough. Any more than that and i'm spending money I don't want to spend and would be better off swapping for a S3 8V instead.

Completely agree with this - I too bought Bluefin as I wanted an introduction to remappping. Never done it before and BF gave me everything i wanted. Only went to APR because i wanted to try something else to see the difference. I’m also not looking to get the last ounce of performance out of my car - I’d rather just get a better car.

 

[paddy]

Dave
I can see exactly where you are coming from and its why i spent the last 6 years on Revo stg1. The revo SPS switch allows you switch between three custom maps ( that you can set on your PC) and std, unmapped, it also allows you to disable the car as well. The switch is a packet of 10 fags size and plugs in your obv port beeps for 5 seconds and thats it, stg 1 revo will give you 300 bhp with a completely stock set up which 8v performance....job done.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Exactly. I'm sure you are happy with that system, Paddy?
That's what it all boils down to at the end of the day. The person who owns the car being happy with the results.

I've had a long list of car's remapped over the years. I've used companies that everyone has heard of, and a few that nobody has heard of.
None of them have ever been bad or given me problems. No matter which company I have declared to be remapped by, there has always been at least one person telling me I should have used a different company instead, for reasons exclusive to THEM.
I don't want the aggressive delivery of Revo (been there and done it), I want nice smooth delivery across the range.
It doesn't have to have the most Torque or highest BHP, it has to be usable and suit MY driving needs.

So far, Bluefin has achieved that and you only have to read the thread 'Unhappy Bluefin owners' to see how Superchips were willing to go the extra mile to rectify any issues people had.
My car drives well, and I'm satisfied with what i paid for. End of discussion as far as i'm concerned.

 

[S.]

If you're happy with it keep it. Simple as that. Enjoy the car mate.