The popular Superchips Microtuner for Powerstroke Diesels has been enhanced to include an OBD II Diagnostic Code Reader. It can read (and clear) codes in all Ford family vehicles with an OBD II connector. The price is unchanged!

http://motorhaven.autoanything.com/cgi-bin/Web_store/webshop.cgi?yearmodel=&product=superchips

And no, you cannot exchange an older 1700 for a newer 1705. Just as with computers, newer models get introduced at similar or lower prices and computer companies don't offer to exchange to newer models --- that's the nature of consumer electronics.

 

OK, so I can't exchange it. Is there a way to pay a reduced fee and have my current one upgraded? This also happens in consumer electronics all the time.

Robert

 

>OK, so I can't exchange it. Is there a way to pay a reduced
>fee and have my current one upgraded? This also happens in
>consumer electronics all the time.
>
>Robert

This isn't a software upgrade, its a different piece of hardware. I'm not sure I've seen trade-ins on electronics. What would we do with older models? What type of consumer electronics have you seen trade-ins on?

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 01-Oct-02 AT 03:43 PM (EST)]Not "trade-ins" but upgrades. The first and most obvious example that comes to mind is the hundreds of thousands of chips replaced in 33.6 modems to make them 56KFlex. I know, because I did a few thousand myself. I was charged $18.00 each by BocaResearch for each chip with the new code, I swapped the chip and returned the old one to them. It was a no material cost upgrade for them, almost everyone that owned one of their modems was almost guaranteed to give them $18.00 that had almost no overhead associated with it.

I also upgrade my computer all the time, so it started life as a P3 at 733MHZ or some weird thing... now it's a P4 1.3GHz... I had to buy a new mainboard for the inside for about 25% the cost of buying a new computer.

My multidisk Toshiba DVD player... they sold me a new chip for it at about $35.00 so it would have new software code and automatically play movies across multiple disks rather than having to change it manually.

My phone system at home, 2.4GHz Siemens, I swapped a firmware chip in it for $15.00 to the new code that knows what 10 digit dialing is all about...

Point being, the only real difference inside the new unit is going to be a different program on the chip, maybe a new chip or some kind of logic change or a whole new inner board... but the case, cable, LCD... much of the unit is probably the exact same thing... or even if the new unit has a different molded case, the innards might very well fit in the old unit... or still may only need a chip. My modems were every bit a 56K modem even though they did not look like the new 56K modems.

Believe me, Superchips is missing a huge market by not offering to upgrade existing units for say, $75.00 or something. Most of us who already own them might grumble a little... but I for one would do it and it IS a better option than buying a whole new unit.

As for outright exchanges, some consumer electronics companies DO exchange... sort of, check out
http://www.garmin.com/whatsNew/currentpromotions/
These "rebates" amount to anywhere from 10% to 25% of the cost of the new unit. Minotla gave me $150.00 for my old SLR when I bought a new $500.00 camera body, Panasonic offered $50.00 at one time for old DVD players when you bought a new one, unless they've changed, Nikon was a big stratagist at that kind of stuff. I think the most generous program I've seen is from Toshiba a year or so ago, if you bought a notebook from them, you could get 50% off or it's cost back something like that, toward a new unit if you bought in the last 90 days, 35% over 120 days and so on until it was 10. Not as rosey as the upgrade path... but an option none the less.

Then again, there's Furuno, they released a new DGPS chartplotter without warning, dropped the price on the old one by about $1000.00 overnight, left the dealers hanging and offered nothing to consumers that bought the day before. As a result, many dealers still don't stock the units and I know many people in the boating community that won't touch Furuno.

Not trying to beat anyone over the head... but marketing is marketing. If I could get another $100.00 from everyone that bought an older unit for me to swap a $25.00 part in it... I'd do it. Otherwise you've almost guaranteed yourself 2 things, 1. Few of the previous buyers are going to cough up and buy your new product 2. it'll leave a bad taste in the mouths of many of those previous buyers hurting future business.

Just some things to think about, like I said, me personally, I'd be trying to figure out how to get more money out of previous buyers.

Robert

 

Got this from the web site:
"
The 1700 Max Ford Truck Micro Tuner is now:

1705 Max Ford Truck Micro Tuner"

With over 20,000 units sold since January 2002, our Superchips hand held Max Ford Diesel Truck Micro Tuner is the hottest performance item to hit the market this year! While the part number has changed, the 1705 Micro Tuner is the same great Micro Tuner.
"

20,000 units... I seriously doubt they can expect all 20,000 folks to rebuy. But 20,000 x $75.00 = $1,500,00.00

Robert

 

Wrong in this case. The 1705 is a different case, different software, different internals... different unit.

If I sold the newer units for an upgrade price of $75, or even $100 I'd take a major loss trying to resell used units. The point is, Superchips doesn't offer me an upgrade, therefore I can't offer an upgrade to my customers.

My suggestion, if its that important, sell your 1700 on eBay and buy a 1705.