Remapping Services

Here at FlashRemapping we can cater for all different types of remaps

When I say all different types what I mean is the different methods that may be required to alter the data within your cars ecu. For those of you wishing to learn a little more about ECU Remapping methods I have compiled a small list of these methods

CHIP TUNING ( CHIPPING )

The first cars that were commonly tuned were Ford Cosworths – the ECU contained a chip that is commonly known as a dip chip with 28 pins

To tune these vehicles the ecu has to be removed and the chip gently prized off the board and placed in a chip code reader where the details can be read, altered and the remaps rewritten back to the chip

This process of car chipping was the most popular way of tuning cars with ECUs right up to the late 1990s (hense the sayings – I’ve had my car chipped ) – we still use this method for certain vehicles now (albeit that the chips have more pins and are soldered to the board) – VW group cars with EDC15/ME7 ECUS where the car has a throttle cable ( generally up to 2000/2001) this method has to be used on the psop 29f400 chip – but once the cars went to “drive by wire” the wiring loom changed and we could install the remaps to the ECU via the diagnostic port.

OBD REMAPPING (OBD REMAPS)

Cars by law in 2000 onwards have to have an OBD2 port ( 2006 for commercial vehicles) for diagnostics. Using this 16pin plug in most cases we can access the data held withis the car’s ECU – alter it and then write the modified file back to the car – This is by far the simplest way of communication to the car’s ECU and if possible the default method we will use to program your car with its modified data – it is quick, reliable ( if using quality tools ) and straightforward. Many tuners or so-called-tuners will only be able to perform remaps using this method as all that is required is a laptop and the communication device – I would not recommend using a tuner who can only install remaps via OBD as in very rare occasions there may be a problem that requires an alternative method to recover an ECU

BDM (Background Bebug Module)

Most ECUs from 2001 to 2009 with dual core processors such as the Bosch EDC16 can have remaps installed in the OBD method described above but there are a few exceptions, generally when there is not the full compliment of Power, Earth, K-Line or Can-Line to the OBD plug. On these ECUS we need to remove the ECU from the vehicle and open it on the bench – On the side of the ECU is a pad of 14 pins ( 2 lines of 7 generally) – A probe can be dropped onto these pads using a positioning frame and then the ECU can be read and programmed with the correct interface in a similar way to OBD remapping – Obviously when opening and dealing with the open ECU extreme caution must be taken

BOOT MODE (Boot ST)

This method is rarer to use – It is only possible when the ECU has the correct connections via the pins from the ECU plug but these are not relayed through to the OBD2 port- removal of the ECU is still necessary but by connecting to the pins on the side of the ecu reading and programming is possible without opening the ECU – Mitsubishi ECUs are one of the most common for Boot Mode remapping

 

 

TRI-CORE

As the name suggests this is where the processor in the ECU is TRI-CORE – these ECUs first came out in 2008 and for the first year were remappable via the OBD port as described earlier, however in March 2009 for diesels and March 2010 for petrols an encription within the ECU data known as Anti-Tune was included in the software – this meant if programming a tuning protected ECU via the OBD port the car would not start – Only programming the origional file back into the ECU would allow the car to restart. To overcome this we need to program the modified data more directly into the eeprom chip by the TRI-CORE method – this involves connacting live, earth Can high and Can low wires to the ecu plug and then to pads on the ECUs PCB board a number of connections have to be soldered, they would be Boot pin or CNF – and the number of connections here will vary from ECU to ECU – Please note while the first examples of Anti-Tune protection were seen March 09 diesel and March 10 petrols we have also seen earlier vehicles with the same ECUs that have had the Anti-Tune software included in software updates retrospectively

I hope you enjoyed our brief description of the methods of installing remaps – if you did and maybe learnt a little click the google +1 button underneath the Audi R8 at the top of the page