Gryphon acting weird....
 

I've started having booting problems with my Gryphon and unfortunately I can't seem to pinpoint a cause. Sometimes it tries to boot and stays at the startup screen, sometimes it gets past the starup screen but the screen is blank and sometimes it doesn't appear to do anything at all. Now for the bad part, this can happen when I don't use the vehicle for a few days....when the vehicle is very cold...and even more so recently when the vehicle is hot (outside temp). Most of the time it can be cured by turning the vehicle off, unplugging, turning key to on, and replugging, in which case it always shows the hex code screen. But sometimes it takes more than one try in order to get it working again. Battery, charging system, and OBDII cable appear to be OK. Is the thing just getting old (4 yrs) or is there something that is in need of fixing? (Oh yeah, 08 Ford F-150)

Mike,

Not sure what the story is there. Often times we'll see erratic behavior from the device when battery voltage is dropping below the brown-out points of the processor and voltage regulator circuits. This is usually caused by a battery concern. I had similar issues with my Expedition and shortly after the programmer issues arose (a few weeks I think) I ended up with a dead battery. This has happened twice since we owned the Expedition and both times it was a precursor to a battery concern.

Now I am not saying that you definitely have a bad battery, but historically it's shown that it may be something you want to investigate. If all that checks out, we can RMA the device and see about getting it repaired. I know our Gryphon still works like a champ and it's almost 5 years old, but we don't have the heat that you do either.

Please be aware that it's long since out of warranty, but if there is a problem with the circuit board, it can be replaced for about $200, which is still far less than purchasing a new programmer.

Anyway, let me know what you find and we'll help however we can.

Take care.

I'll add to this. It sounds like a weak battery to me too. Try to have your battery load tested - it can be done free at most automotive stores. I think the Gryphon is very sensitive to low battery voltage at power-on. In many ways, I see this as a good thing, an early indication of impending battery failure.

One other thing you can do is check the no-load resting voltage on the battery after any "surface charge" has worn off and the vehicle's electronics have all gone to sleep. After driving the truck, open the hood and then wait about three hours. Without opening any doors, check the voltage at the battery terminals with a multimeter. Anything less than 12.6V is an indication of a weak battery.

- Jack

Thanks Bill and Jack for your quick response.....I'll keep an eye on the battery and see if that proves to be the problem. Checked it this morning after sitting all nite and it read 13 volts on the nose. I know that's getting close so maybe the battery is the villain. Everything is working fine so far today and had it out the heat for a while....

Mike

P.S. By the way Bill, I misspoke....I have an EVO that has been upgraded to a Gryphon....should it come to that does it still qualify for an RMA# ?

We can still RMA it, it's just not under warranty. If something need to be replaced there would just be parts costs.

I'm getting confused now. 13V is high for a "resting" battery. Can you confirm this was a voltage meter reading (not one from the Gryphon) that was taken across the battery terminals with the engine off? Normally, a fully charged new battery will read 12.7V in this state.

- Jack

same problem
 

I am having the same problem as mentioned above. My gryphon is approaching two years old and it is a 05 SuperCab. But it has started intermittently with a blank screen, I thought it was the Texas heat because it did it a few times last summer, and now it has started it again. I am going to have the battery checked as recommended and see if that fixes it.:shrug:

Bill, my Gryphon has stopped working. The only thing that happens now is the backlight comes on and will not go off when I turn off the key. I tried Pegasus but after by-passing the error screen and trying to reload my custom tunes I get a message something like "cannot determine what state (level)the programmer is in". Please advise where I should go from here. Thanks in advance.

P.S. I sent you an email basically stating the same thing but I know how busy you are and figured I'd try this also.

Sorry, forgot to say that I replaced my battery so I don't believe that's part of the problem.

This (what I've bolded) is a "classic" symptom of a failing battery. If your battery is new, it could be that one or more of the connections to it are poor. One place specifically to check is the connection by the ground cable to the vehicle. This connection point is down under the vehicle and is very subject to corrosion and other problems that create a poor electrical contact.

If that 13 Volt reading you had in a previous post was with the engine running, your alternator is not charging properly. A normal value is 13.8-14.2 Volts.

Also, make sure the ignition is ON (engine off) when you plug the Gryphon into the OBDII port. The Gryphon needs this to boot properly when first plugged in.

The blank screen could also be the result of an incomplete download that corrupted one or more of the files when you tried updating it with Pegasus. If that is the case, Bill will have to set up a "special" download for you.

- Jack

Jack, the 13 volt reading I was referring to was resting voltage and that was done with a non digital voltmeter. A little past history...I recently went thru the electrical cabling on my truck (mostly because of my intermittent Gryphon problems) and upgraded what is commonly know as the "big three" cables. This included the main ground cable. A check of the resting voltage of my new battery (as done at Auto Zone) showed 12.71 volts. The gryphon quit responding one day after the truck had been outside in 103 degree heat for most of the day producing the symptoms I described (back light only, no response when truck turned off). I attempted the reload of the tune only after 2 days (3 separate times each day) of trying to get the gryphon to respond the way I normally would. That's where I stand.....any thoughts? I'm at a loss but, with all due respect, I don't think the problem is my electrical system although everything would seem to point to that.

I agree, with new cabling and a 12.71V resting voltage, I don't think the problem is your electrical system. Heat will cause the screen to go "black" though, but that's not what you describe and it normally corrects itself when things cool down.

You ARE plugging the Gryphon into the OBDII port with the ignition ON, right?

If so, I think I'm out of ideas and Bill will have to come to your rescue. :sigh:

- Jack

To answer your question Jack, yes I am plugging in with the key on. By the way when the problem began and the truck was started after sitting in the heat the Gryphon screen did have some unusual black smears on it which have since dissipated. I wonder if it's possible to "burn" the LCD?? Thanks for your patience with me. I'll hang loose for Bill....

Mike

I don't think the LCD will be "burned". My understanding of things is that the unit stops activating the screen (causing it to be black) if things are too hot to protect it.

I've always used a sunshade in my truck to help reduce the heat load on the programmer. The hot sun (in Tucson) beating on the unit heats it much hotter than the air temperature in the truck cabin. I've never had the hot black screen problem.

If the backlight comes on, it doesn't sound like a hardware problem. It sounds to me like a corrupted file.

And, don't worry about trying our patience, we're happy to help when you have problems. Just wish we could have fixed this quickly.

- Jack

This is mainly an FYI for Jack. Got my Gryphon back from Edge today and it turns out the problem was my module harness. Working fine now except as you would expect I now have an EVO instead of a Gryphon. I went to Pegasus and attempted to download my custom tunes but I keep getting an error message that basically ends with "contact PHP". Yeah, I know everyone's gone for a week for a family reunion.....:sigh: maybe someday!

Mike

Sorry, Mike. Your replacement will look "different" to Pegasus I think. So, Bill will have to be involved. Still, you can use the canned tunes on the Evo until you get things straightened out, and they aren't all that bad.

But, I'm glad the original problem is fixed!

Edit: I had a thought: Is the Gryphon Update Manager option available to you? If so, it may restore your device to a state that Pegasus will recognize and find tunes for.

- Jack

Bill is going to half to get involved.....the units serial numbers will be mismatched...

That looks to be the problem 88Racing.....next question...what would be the best way to contact Bill with this type problem? Through the forum or phone?