Can the ECU be re-porgrammed simialr to a chip?

[AndrewD]

Just wondering if it is possible to get the ECU re-programmed to improve fuel economy and power instead of putting a chip in and if its cost benefit is better than a chip?
If you know that the ECU can be re-programmed can you please tell me who would do it?

 

[KraftyPg]

I think you'll find that's why chip manufacturers exist. Those who can re-program an ECU either don't, charge too much, or are involved in chip making. If ECU re-programmers were dime a dozen like chip manufacturers their wouldn't be as many chip manufacturers, but then like everything I guess it's probably a case of who you know not what you know.

 

[Krankin]

as above,
and
It could be more to the fact that most ECU's are resin encased nowadays to help with vibration damage, and moisture damage to some components and to stop people modding them and or other manufactures spying,
though I've not seen a nav ecu to say that they are resin encased.
Maybe AndrewD can pull his apart and fill us all in.






.

 

[KraftyPg]

There was a wreckers in QLD that had a D40 ECU for $50, could always buy it and put it on a test bench, the average mug with a computer and a few electric leads probably wouldn't get much out of it but for $50 it might have been interesting too see what you could do with it.

 

[Krankin]

Most of the older 80's'90's yank cars and some of ours just needed a remapped Eprom fitted to the ecu to replace the stock eprom
(no soldering needed)...but then they weren't resin filled.

 

[tweak'e]

common rail can be reprogrammed. however you run the risk of nissan reprogramming it when it goes in for service.
the non-common rail is not easy to reprogram. i have not heard of anyone doing it, last i heard was someone was looking at doing it for the patrols.

 

[Aussie Frontier]

As above have said yes its possible. I used to work in a fuel injection shop and we used to reprogram the stock Holden ECU with custom software.It was just flash the stock eprom to our modded firmware and away you go.
That being said there were draw backs and one was you needed the have the vehicle with you and a dyno to get the program parameters correct.

 

[simonk8]

the following link is to a company that does subaru and mitsubishi, including the new diesel challenger, may be worth asking them?

Mitsubishi EVO upgrades - Performance parts - S&J Automotive Adelaide, South Australia

and

http://www.ecutek.com.au/ecu-products/reprogrammed-ecus

 

[tweak'e]

problem is the non-commonrail are not flashable (afaik).

 

[Krankin]

So then you just need someone with a suitable mod program to flash your ecm.
I dare say the perf chip kit makers out there could easily do it but i suppose they make more cash out of a chip kit than flashing the ecm,
but there could be more reason why they dont just flash the ecm as opposed to making a speciallized kit for the job.


.

 

[tweak'e]

how do you propose to flash a nonflashable chip ?

i will have to check but i think the crowd that was looking into it was going to change the chip to a flashable one.

 

[tweak'e]

i found one of the old threads. looks like the mapped the ecu etc and where ready for vehicle tests. that was over a year ago, no info since.

 

[Krankin]

how do you propose to flash a nonflashable chip ?

I didnt propose to..

You said the commonrails ecm's were flashable.
as for changing the chip to a flashable one...I take it then the ecm's are not resin filled.

 

[Old.Tony]

I've got my doubts it'll be too successful with the newer cars unless you can remove the subroutines that are called to store the ECU's own changes (or the subroutines that do the learning).

The new ECUs learn your habits and will fuel up more if you're a leadfoot. Reset the ECU and take it for a gentle drive and it learns a lighter fuel map (until you get heavy on the foot again).

Chipping it will change the output of the ECU, which would bypass the learning, so if you can't reprogram it, chipping it is the only alternative.

 

[tweak'e]

I didnt propose to..

You said the commonrails ecm's were flashable.
as for changing the chip to a flashable one...I take it then the ecm's are not resin filled.

thats kinda pointless as you can get commonrail ecu's remapped easy enough. plenty of places do them.
its the non-commonrail ecu;s thats the debateable bit.

no idea if the are resin filled or if they actually removed the chip or just added something on. a few have said its possible but seam to be short on details.

I've got my doubts it'll be too successful with the newer cars unless you can remove the subroutines that are called to store the ECU's own changes (or the subroutines that do the learning).

The new ECUs learn your habits and will fuel up more if you're a leadfoot. Reset the ECU and take it for a gentle drive and it learns a lighter fuel map (until you get heavy on the foot again).

Chipping it will change the output of the ECU, which would bypass the learning, so if you can't reprogram it, chipping it is the only alternative.

from what i understand that doesn't seam to be a problem.
what is a big problem is nissan reflashing them while in for service. when they flash them it re-encodes it so it has to be rehacked all over again. you just can't flash the old program back on again. just means more $$$$ or never take it to nissan.

 

[Krankin]

thats kinda pointless as you can get commonrail ecu's remapped easy enough. plenty of places do them.
its the non-commonrail ecu;s thats the debateable bit.

.

sorry, I should have separated those two lines as they were meant to be re the two different ecm's.


I would rather spend the extra in a "chip package" and hence not having to worry about nissan reflashing to oem my ecm "if" in for a service and giving me problems .


.

 

[tweak'e]

what little i have seen on pricing is chipping isn't much more expensive. most crowds seam to charge a lot for a simple software upgrade.
the downside of chipping, especially cheap ones, is the ecu adapts to them. remapping doesn't have that problem.
chipping as an advantage of most being adjustable. you can tune to suit yourself and mods done to engine. no having to go back to shop for another remap.

 

[DieselTuner2]

...

 

[APTUNING]

We can now reprogram nissan navara's ECU's. Not easy but great results

 

[gazza414]

All thru out the industry people reflash the stock ECU's on a variety of cars, trucks, motorbikes, snowmobiles....it is far more capable than piggy backs.
I have software for my Suzuki's, Triumph's and my late model XR8.

Until someone wants to interrogate the Nissan family of ECU's you are left with piggy backs.
Just a sample of gear based options which is already available in the stock ECU for a Suzuki

and a fuel map TPvs rpm for cylinders 1&4..or indivual or unison..stock ECU