Originally Posted by
chevota
It's fun trying to get answers outta this place huh? While I can't give you a 100% sure answer, I'll give you what I can:
HP claims it'll read data via the Scanner without the patch, which I believe I read on the main website when I bought it. It's just reading the same crap any other device is reading so I don't see why not.
The Patch is to allow HP to read/write the tune. Why it needs that I don't know, but it does.
I'm somewhat certain I've used the Scanner without the patch for two reasons: One is I've loaded the oem file (patch free version) back on a few times to see how it runs, and I use HP Scanner every time I drive it. So while I don't have a specific memory of not re-appying the patch, I'm pretty certain I didn't just to use the Scanner. I do recall trying to load a tune and getting blocked because there wasn't a patch, which caught me off guard for a moment. That tells me I drove it using the Scanner, and later, forgetting out the patch, tried to load a tune.
I'm also somewhat certain I used the scanner before I applied the patch the very first time. I don't specifically recall that either, but that's how I normally do things because I'm too curious not to.
So while I'm not 100% certain, I'm pretty certain, based on the above, the Scanner works without the patch.
As for OEM vs a MyGenius tune; I've applied the HP patch to both, read both, modified both and wrote them back.
So oem, patch, read/mod/write.
Or with MyGenius tune on it, patch, read/mod/write.
It had two tunes on it so again with the other one. Each time I used MyGenius again I had to wipe the patch by writing the clone copy back on. The MyGenius exists to prevent pirating, and it seems the HP patch triggers that.
Per outlaw, all the stuff my tuner (OE) did is visible in HP. So after I'm done modding either version, the original OE stuff is gone. I don't notice any difference either so I assume outlaw is correct. He would know because he can see all the crap we can't by using WinOLS. One day I'll try that program too, maybe, but WinOLS appears to be substantially more complicated. Like waaaay more stuff and nothing is labeled. I can feel a headache coming on just thinking about it. Now if I had a couple high end tunes to compare to stock, that would basically be like a Rosetta Stone.
Another clue that may or may not help: BenzNinja loaded a newer oem copy of the oem tune to my ecu. The HP patch was still there! In my limited understanding, there are two sections of data on the ECU. The tune itself, and the part that makes it work on your exact car. The security section I guess. I assume the HP patch is on the security side? Or maybe there's more to it, I dunno... I spoze I could try writing just the security part, if I can, and see what happens.