The D.I.Y. ZD30 remap thread.

Rumpig · Dec 23, 2014

I want to start this post by saying i'm not a mechanic, and I've never done any tuning before. I've been working on this on and off for 12 months and probably only know 10% of what there is to know about ECU's and tuning them. Everyone complains about the ZD30s doughy response and searching the net there's nearly zero info on remapping our engine so I figured "it may as well be me".

I'm hoping this thread doesn't take over my life, and figure the more people working on it the better the end result will be. This isn't something you can learn in a couple of weeks, or even months but i'm sure there will be enough people interested that we can get some good results on making the ZD30 more responsive.

ShortyNavros · Dec 23, 2014

Ill be watching keenly, Rumpig you are a champion.

wes570 · Dec 23, 2014

its sounds interesting.

charlie strayarc · Dec 23, 2014

Youve got my attention,,,, unless of course its part of your irishman signature

Rumpig · Dec 24, 2014

What you need Hardware wise.
An ecu with the chips removed and sockets installed. I wouldn't use your original ecu, i'd keep that for back up, as once you socket an ecu there's a greater chance of it failing leave you up **** creek till you get a replacement.

Navaras don't have immobilisers so you can get an ecu from any 2000-2006 zd30. I was getting them for as little as $55 plus postage but generally there about $150. Chips and sockets I've been getting from here http://www.chip-service.de/product_info.php?language=en&info=p87_AM29F010B-70JF.html
I have 30 chips and sockets if anyone wants a set.

Rumpig · Dec 24, 2014

To read and write chips you need a burner, the one i'm using is made by MCUMALL and is the GQ-4X http://www.mcumall.com/comersus/store/comersus_dynamicIndex.asp This will read the bin files off the original chips which are "One Time Write". The chips that replace the originals can be erased and written many times over, which means you only need one pair. There's two chips written in 8 bit, one odd the other even which are combined by the microprocessor in the ecu into a 16 bit file.

Rumpig · Dec 24, 2014

With regards to socketing the ecu I spent some time googling "soldering smd" and watching videos and thought "doesn't look to hard". I bought a soldering station with a hot air gun, some sockets and ecu's from ebay and had a crack and totally butchered the first two, thought right I've got it now, and tried a third which worked for the first 200 mtrs then died.
Believe me it isn't as easy as it looks, so some more googling and I found two companies that work on ecu's. I talked to a tech at a place in Melbourne and he said they don't do anything like socketing so I rang Kevin at Efi autoparts in Perth and he said he could do it. http://www.efiautoparts.com.au/page1.php He's done two Navara ones for me and a Patrol one which I haven't tried yet ( any Patrol owners wanna be a guinea pig?) He charges $176 to remove the chips and solder in sockets which is cheaper than doing what I did butchering 3 ecu's. This fella in Adelaide can socket ecu's as well for $100. http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/port...ing-nistune-board-install-services/1040186793

Rumpig · Dec 24, 2014

Software.
Winols is by far the best software for remapping. Unfortunately they only sell their software to Tuning companies and dealers, but you can download their free demo version which does everything but let you export the modified bin file back out. http://www.evc.de/en/product/ols/software/

Tunerpro is free software but to use it you need a definition file (xdf) that matches your bin file. I have all the info to make the xdf but don't know how, so if anyone does know how to write them i'd like to here from you. http://www.tunerpro.net/

These programs above are hex editors designed to show bin files in an easy to understand form and there are free hex editors as well. http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-hex-editor.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_editor

Rumpig · Dec 24, 2014

Guides.
Ecu Connections http://www.ecuconnections.com/forum/index.php is the most comprehensive source of info on DIY remapping with the Europeans doing lots of Audis, VW, BMW and Mercs themselves. It's not a forum where you can just jump on and ask "how's it done?" They expect you to read, read, read,work out what you can for yourself, and then when you get stuck ask questions.
There's pretty much no info on our car. Kiwibacon did a yd25 and Stanton did a yd22 but there's next to nothing written about either so I've basically started from zero, everything is covered at ecuconnections it's just scattered all over the place so it's just a matter of using the search function and reading everything till it starts to make sense. Out car has a vp44 so that's a good place to start the search from as early audis and bemmers use that pump so there are similar maps to the Nav.
Ecuedit is another forum. http://www.ecuedit.com/
There's a series of videos on youtube that are well done.https://sites.google.com/site/vagecumap/understanding-ecu-maps
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXpuH1y6t8Y6q9kP6ope8VA
And then these. http://m.audiklub.cz/post.php?sid=a...6453&type=html&topic_id=254035&topic_index=40
http://www.mcumall.com/forum/default.asp

Rumpig · Dec 24, 2014

And after all that typing I need a drink!

Rumpig · Dec 24, 2014

The TLDR version,

Download the demo version of winols, drag the rar into winols and it will find about 12 maps automatiacally out of the 170 or so there is. Check the guides to find out how winols works. Our ecu is 16 bit, lo/hi, 255 in the winols settings.
I've added the bins for a Australian 2001 gu patrol if anyones interested. If they have an immobiliser you would have to socket your original ecu.

Rumpig · Dec 25, 2014

I plan on making a vid showing how to find all the maps and working out the axis, which is the hardest part. Might take a few days to get around to doing it thou.

scottm · Dec 25, 2014

Rumpig said:
And after all that typing I need a drink!

Hey mate,

Thanks so much for your effort writing this up! I can't wait to sink my teeth into this... I've got a few days before starting a new job on the 5th Jan so I plan to geek it up a bit...

Is there anything that you're having trouble with that you could use some fresh eyes on or you've got it all sorted?

I think I'll have a crack at soldering a board myself (even just to prove that it's beyond me and I'll know my limits for the future) but my old man is pretty handy with all manner of electronics so I might go and pay him a visit with a bunch of Ecus and see how we go...

Cheers,

-scott

coolbigrock · Dec 25, 2014

following

andrew0 · Dec 26, 2014

http://ioterminal.com/?page_id=577

I believe that this will do the yd25. But it's 800 bucks form the uk and I'll be spewing if it won't do anything.

camo.b · Dec 26, 2014

Not that i have a ZD30 but still very interesting...Following

Rumpig · Dec 26, 2014

scottm said:
Hey mate,

Thanks so much for your effort writing this up! I can't wait to sink my teeth into this... I've got a few days before starting a new job on the 5th Jan so I plan to geek it up a bit...

Is there anything that you're having trouble with that you could use some fresh eyes on or you've got it all sorted?

I think I'll have a crack at soldering a board myself (even just to prove that it's beyond me and I'll know my limits for the future) but my old man is pretty handy with all manner of electronics so I might go and pay him a visit with a bunch of Ecus and see how we go...

Cheers,

-scott

I've been driving around testing various things for 6 months at least so have a fairly good understanding. Current problems are blowing smoke when bogging it down, like when staying in second instead of going back to first and something cutting fueling once you go past 18 psi. I can fix the fuel cut by changing some fuel maps but want to find the boost map causing it.

Some tips for soldering, you'll probably want a hot air gun, don't lift the chips when desoldering or you'll pull the pads off the board, just heat up the solder then push the chip lightly until they move easily. And I think what I was doing wrong was when cleaning the old solder off I was drag braid across the board and it was pulling laquer across the pads. Find a busted old laptop or the like to have a practise on.

Rumpig · Dec 26, 2014

andrew0 said:
http://ioterminal.com/?page_id=577

I believe that this will do the yd25. But it's 800 bucks form the uk and I'll be spewing if it won't do anything.

Twice posted a yd25 bin file on ecuconnections and I had a bit of a look at it in winols, it's far harder to find maps in that file than it is in the ZD30. You might want to look at his bin before buying the tool!

Rumpig · Dec 26, 2014

I've made a short vid on how to find the maps using winols demo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frPKA7UOZ4g&feature=youtu.be

Rumpig · Dec 27, 2014

The most time consuming part when starting from scratch is identifying all the maps and then working out what all the axis data is. Once you have found some of the maps, and you know the axis descriptor, you can use the search function in winols to find other maps that have the same axis. With the hexdump open hit "CTRL F" and a search box comes up, type in the axis descriptor ( make sure your searching in decimal) and then use the two blue arrows to scroll thru the hexdump to find other instances of that descriptor. To help I've attached a list of all the axis descriptors and there factor, the ones I know that is.

The D.I.Y. ZD30 remap thread.

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