ECU flashing tools

muddyboots

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Oct 16, 2002
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Has anyone got any experience of using ECU flashing tools, such as this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KWP2000-ECU-F...049277636QQcategoryZ32094QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Looks intriguing. Is it quite straightforward to read & write maps to the ECU of a PD TDI ?

It's more for interest than doing my own remap, just be interesting to compare standard & remaps from different TDIs to see what kind of parameters actually get changed.

Any links to resources on mapping & map parameters would be interesting :)
 

m0rk

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May 19, 2001
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Now you can be a tuner too :)

It's amazing how many people buy these & proclaim to be 'tuners' that arrive on these forums... 'cheap' but not as cheap as the original investment in unknown code.
 

muddyboots

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LOL

No, don't want to be a tuner, just curious about what sort of maps are available in the ECU, and what changes the various remaps make to them.

So was looking for info on how easy these devices are to use, whether they contain everything I'd need to download & upload maps OK :)
 

m0rk

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quite possibley, the software is pretty easy to use.... connect to car, select approriate file, upload.

unlikely to be encrypted, but then it won't be supported either.
 

basstard

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muddyboots said:
No, don't want to be a tuner, just curious about what sort of maps are available in the ECU, and what changes the various remaps make to them.

for that I think you'd need some sort of remap software while that in the bid is just a reader/flasher if I got it right,,,
maybe you'd need stuff like alien or something similar,,,
 

muddyboots

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I think it gives some ability to view and edit the maps, but how user-friendly it is, I don't know...
 

m0rk

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But it says "BRAND NEW KWP 2000 ECU Flasher + complete Software package + 30.000 ECU Tunning Files"

So it comes with files

you presume that all these 'tuners' do anything other than buy predefined files... even the so called custom mappers just do this.

Only a few pieces of software allow for adjustments - and if you don't have hacked versions, they're dear.
 

muddyboots

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Do you reckon the "software" just allows you to upload & download files then, rather than tinkering with them ?
 

prc

Sooty Meister
I have one of those and it is usefull to flash cars, but I really don't know about the software...

really wouldn't want to mess around without knowing what to do with the maps. Most of the map editors I've seen for sale already know where the very basic maps are (most of the normal ones that get changed). It won't show know where any of the less used (but also important ones) are.
 

adaml

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Interesting this topic should come up now, I've been thinking about the same kind of questions. Just out of pure curiosity, I've no ambition whatsoever to write my own maps.

What exactly is a remap? People refer to getting a new "map", new "software" or "code".

Speaking from a background in software development these are different things. "Code" is a program or part of a program, i.e. an ordered sequence of commands which can include conditional branches and loops etc. A "map" is a table (or set of tables) of numerical values. Program vs Data.

If you take a program and you want to change its behaviour you can either hack into it and tweak variables or code conditions. Or you can totally rewrite it and add functionality.

So... at its simplest a "remap" could be adjusting the values in a few ecu tables, or at its most complex it could be a full rewrite of the entire engine controller code in the ecu. On that spectrum, where would most chip tuners fall I wonder.
 

muddyboots

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m0rk said:
Do you know what you'd want to do with tinkering?
No. Just have an enquiring mind and want to see what kind of maps remappers tinker with :)

PRC -> Any info on map editors - are these easy to get hold of, or do they cost lots ?
 

muddyboots

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adaml said:
So... at its simplest a "remap" could be adjusting the values in a few ecu tables, or at its most complex it could be a full rewrite of the entire engine controller code in the ecu. On that spectrum, where would most chip tuners fall I wonder.
Just adjusting values in tables, I doubt they rewrite any code.
 

m0rk

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Most will just adjust the torque/load request..... lets the ECU sort out the rest of what it needs.

EVC is pretty dear as editors go, but it's not 'obvious' how it works
 

prc

Sooty Meister
WINOLS from EVC I feel is best (or most powerful), but you'll need to know where the maps are. They won't sell the code to just anyone, and a cracked version will still cost over 1000 euros with only some of the checksums..

The easiest map read would probably be race2000 or whatever it's called now from Alientech. Still very expensive though.

A remap is usually just adhusting new values to what's already there. Usually fueling, boost, drivers wish (accelerator position) and the torque limiting tables are changed. About 8 total.
 

muddyboots

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Had a look at the EVC site, but not much info unless you're registered, and you have to provide evidence that you work for a tuning company to do so :(

Shame because it seems to have lots of useful stuff.
 
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