09/26 Mod #20
XHP Transmission Tune
I reached out to XHP asking if they are looking for vendors, but they said no. I still wanted to try their product, so I paid the full retail price for it. It's a shame they refuse to work with vendors as the XHP transmission can be frustrating, not much info is available online, and they are not located in the US to answer customers' questions.
I went to their website; they offer the flash license and the map package. It's $192.99 each.
Upon reading it, I got the impression that the flash license allows customization, and the map pack enables you to use the off-the-shelf maps.
I got the map pack because I wanted to try their tested maps.
I got the activation code right away and entered it in the app. I tried flashing the car, but it told me I needed the license to use the map pack.
I found that odd since most customers want to use off-the-shelf maps and not mess with the transmission themselves. This should be the starter option, and the customization should be optional, not the other way around.
Anyways, since I had no choice, I placed the order for the license and went back to flash the car. The flash failed as I had gotten the 8 Speed license; I should have selected the 8 Speed G series (somehow, I missed it
)
I emailed them asking to cancel the license; the good news is that they responded fast, but the bad news is that they are not in the US; due to the time difference, it's going to take at least a day to get a response.
They canceled my license and purchased a new one. I tried flashing the car, and it failed again. The Kies adapter I'm using is incompatible with flashing the vehicle. It took me 30-45 minutes to figure that out.
I purchased the XHP adapter from Burger Tuning and tried to flash the car again. I was too lazy to put the vehicle in airplane mode as recommended, and I got a call during the flash, which caused the flash to fail. All I had to do was start a new flash; no harm was done.
The process took 1-2 weeks, between my first purchase and when the flash was complete.
Now the results (stage 3 map)
From all the Youtube reviews I saw, they were saying what a huge difference it makes. I was excited, but since Im not a big fan of DCT, I was worried it would be too aggressive and jerky.
I did not feel a huge difference; it's a bit better but nowhere near what I expected from Youtube reactions. The good news is that even on stage 3, it's still a smooth drive.
Whether it's worth it or not is a personal preference depending on budget and expectations. I am happy with it, but I wish the customization license were not mandatory. That would have saved me $200