My First attempts at reading my ECU and maybe.. Remapping it myself

I have decided to try and remap my 1.8t and thought it would be a good idea to show my progress as i go along so i can record what i have done and also maybe help other understand what needs to be done

Yes i could pay a company to remap my car and even ask Toyotec to have a go... it may come to this who knows
If i don't try i will never know

Lets start with a quick rundown on myself and my car

I'm 43 and have been a mechanic since leaving school, i trained on points and condensors and have never really needed to know about computers on cars until the last few years
I am reasonably computer literate and have in the past flashed and modified the memory of xbox360's to Jtag them so i know enough to get by but i am by no means a computer wiz or a genius !

My Car is a Mk2 8v with an Audi TT Ary fitted and a few small mods, Forward mounted intercooler, and home brew Turbo inlet pipe
Also it should have a Ko3s Turbo but someone has fitted a K03 at some point so this will limit power

My ECU has had the IMMO off , this was kindly done by Toyotec
The ECU part number is as follows 8N0906018AQ its ME7.5, the Car runs a wideband Lambda and DBW

I started by googling for the info i needed on how to remap and eventually came upon http://nefariousmotorsports.com/forum/index.php
This website is a VERY indepth place for technical information when attempting to remap your car , beware though don't sign up and expect to be led into remapping by them, they really know their stuff and you need to prove you are understanding the process of what you are trying to do

So you need Software and Hardware to read your ECU
There are a few different programs around to let you read your ECU Flash, not to be confused with reading your Fault codes or DTC's (diagnostic trouble codes)
I settled with the software developed by Tony from Nefmoto as its free and there is lots of information on the site on using it

For the hardware i used a cheap ebay cable from this link http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230994275228?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
The driver for this can be found here http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm

For a great guide on the first steps of using the Nefmoto software read this guide http://nefariousmotorsports.com/forum/index.php?topic=6537.0title=
So i have the software and the cable drivers are installed , its time to go to the car and see what i can do

I fitted my car with an OBD port from a mk6 golf so i'm good to go
with the software loaded i plugged in and followed the Nefmoto guide , at this point i had to find what type of memory format my ECU is , from what i gather there are two main types of memory format one is 512kb and the other is 1024kb
I googled and found my ECU was the larger type so i used 29F800BB
Once i had a succesful Flash read i saved it to my desktop , it is saved as a .bin file and weighs in at 3.1 mb , i'm not sure how a 3.1mb read translates from a 1024kb ecu .. more info needed to clarify exactly what the ecu size means IE: 512 vs 1024kb
Now i have all the info from my ECU
I have read i need to check the file to make sure it is ok so i downloaded a program called ME7Check , this program can only be used in a CMD prompt
If you dont know how to use CMD there are plenty of guides on the internet

MEcheck looks at your flash for incorrect checksums
I ran it through this program and was expecting it to come back ok , but it found 1 error

At this stage i am not sure what this error is and how to fix it
It could be due to the IMMO off , i dont know
I will investigate further and post as the saga goes on

I have a lot to learn but i am willing enough and i hope i can share along the way
Slim

 

Going back to the size of the flash
I realised i was reading the properties of the folder the flash was in, this had 3 flashes on it
So the actual flash is 1mb or 1024kb , not as i thought 3mb

 

Awesome .....Watching this

 

A little digging finds a nice little GUI version of ME7 Check, GUI is Graphical user interface for those who did not know
It goes from looking like this



To Looking like this



Which is nice if you don't like CMD based stuff

 

I want to be 43

Still watching

 

Watching with interest too

 

Yep Winols demo is pretty mental .. i have downloaded this and tuner pro , i wont post anything about attempting to use them until i am at that stage, and you a certainly right about it being a mindfunk
I cant say i will do this for sure but i'm willing to have a go if nothing else
Thanks for the support all who have commented
Slim

 

Good on ya Steve for giving it a go.

 

ME7 E-Gas reading, writing and editing general overview

I would like to give more information on this but wish not to upset those who make a living from remapping vehicles. I can be general though regarding what is involved.

To read a Bosch ME7.X ECU.

And interface to access the K line
Software to read the 200-800BB flash chip.

The above will allow you to pull the bin file.

In ME7.1 ECUs without 5 wire lambda sensors the bin file is 512k
In ME 7.5, and ME 7.1.1 ECUs with the Bosch LSU4 lambda sensor the bin file is 1024k.

To edit a bin file.

You have the bin file saved and want to know what to do with it?
To understand the contents of the bin file you need to know at what address the calibrating functions are held.
You can use a normal HEX reader to look at the bin structure or use an editing suite like a demo or fully licensed EVC's WinOls to view, or even significantly more expensive INCA or Vision ATI. Even Tuner Pro can be used.

ECUs like the aforementioned, have address files that are provided to the manufacture thus overlaying the bin. In a GUI, this would give access to all parameters sans system fucntions and the calibrator can make changes to feature functions using editing suites as described. For CGTI enthusiasts and DIYers using say tuner pro, changes can be made/done after looking at slow data from a VDS, or if you are more fancy, via an emulator.

In the ME7 ECU there are as much as 6000+ adjustable parameters, that work with logic to create various torque requests, covering the air path, spark path, fuel control path, temperature models, after treatment, monitoring (OBD) and CAN messaging.
You will need an A2L, or damos file if using INCA, Vision or WinOls. These must match the ECU's firmware.
If you are using Turner Pro you need a XDF. This must match the ECUs firmware.

Because the manufacturer regularly makes changes to a powertrain calibration, there is a minefield out there and sometimes A2L/mappacks/Damos files/XDFs supplied do not match the firmware/bin. In such a case you will be stuck and will have to ask very nicely on a forum/tuner for the right address to make a change. Be prepared to pay and possibly get told off as people do not like to give away such information. You are probably likely to be told to go and understand the FRM we will not spoon feed!
I have been in situations where I have had to build mappacks over night/weekend to match the ECU firmware I had to recalibrate. Not fun, so I can understand why there is reluctance to give out such information.
The logic ( strategy guide) is the key to understanding the ECU's control of the engine's normal 'suck, squeeze, bang, blow' cycles.
While these strategies remain proprietary to Bosch, over time, some of the logic has got out in the public domain and sites like Nefmotor, ECUConnections etc, have been promoting OE VW remapping and access and have been circulated information to help others in the VW/AUDI tuning world, just as you have in other makes, such as Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi and so on. As the ME7 cars are now older, free information is more available now than before. You just have to know what you are looking for.
Usually for basic tuning, i.e boost increase, addressing fuel and ignition settings, you only need to adjust 40 or so parameters. This requirement increases as the engine hardware and application of the powertrain changes ( like taking a BAM/APY motor, making it a 1.9 with a GTX30 turbo injectors etc and fitting in a MK2 Golf)

Getting the modified data back on the ECU.

You need a writer that can access the Kline. You need the ability to correct the checksum zones.
Attempting to flash the ECU without checksums corrected will lock up ( 'bricking') the module and it will have to be booted to recover.
Also attempting to flash an ECU without stabilised voltage will stop the download and brick the ECU.
A recommendation is to build yourself a bench flasher and have a stable voltage source. I have built one of these to cover M3.8.3, ME7 and EDC15/16 ECUs and is invaluable when flashing, reading, booting and unbricking ECUs.

Ebay leads and the writing software tend to be pants and you will have to go to a professional to get the ECU unbricked.
Expensive tools either flashing or editing, can provide this facility for free or for a fee to unlock the different cks types.

This is where it gets tricky and slightly embarrassing. If you lock your ECU and get stuck, you will then have to take the ECU to a professional, who has invested thousands of pounds in specialist equipment to unbrick your ECU. He may not take too kindly to your 30quid investment used to make a change lol
While I do have most of the tools above and can help members if I have the time, I cannot help everyone and you have been warned against the risks.

Once the ECU is flashed, you can fire up VDS and observe/log the measuring blocks or advanced settings before making the next change.
It is iterative but in the end, if you know what you are doing, it can be quite rewarding as the car will drive just as you want it.

I know am I being very general but that is my 2p

 

Wow ! Thanks Adlai

I know I have a lot to learn, yes I can read and write the flash, but as you say its understanding what parameters to adjust to get what effect that will be the biggest issue
I don't think any professional tuner will ever feel threatened or remotely put out after reading my rumblings
All the information is available freely on the internet and as you say, it's an older type management system, no way am interested in this on any other platform or newer vehicle

As I said earlier I'm willing to learn and willing to admit defeat if it all gets too much for me , I am looking at buying a second ECU to play with so as not to brick my own, my car is not a daily driver so I don't need to have it in tip top condition all the time

This will be an ongoing project and I thank anyone who wishes to chip in and add their 2p or more worth
Keep reading girls and boys :-)

 

Hey Steve,
I want to be very clear, while I am happy to help members in my spare time, I do not use ebay tools or demo suites to make changes to these types of ECU and have invested in the right tools for the job. The tools in hand does involve some expense and time to build up a database.
So for ECUs like these, while I can perform a full blown recalibration on most 2.0 16v TSFI, DSG, 20vT, VR5 or R32 etc, as I do not do remapping for a living, I would be happy to point individuals to people like Badger 5 who also has all the right equipment plus an emulator. Sometime it work out cheaper that way.

As you are willing, in the event you get stuck though and I happy to give some guidance.

 

Yes you can ECUs for as little as 50 quid.

Get one of those from a Golf w/AUM and so on and use it to practice reading and flashing successfully.
If you brick it, send it to me and I will unlock it for free and you can try again.

 

I'm watching a couple on eBay , I gathered you can cross flash some types of ecu's with those of a common nature and AUM AUQ will do the job for me as well as my ARY
I think a second ecu is the best way to go as I can just plug it in after flashing and see the results

 

Yes you can once the drivers and inputs are the same.

For example, I have flashed late BDE 24V ECUs with R32 calibrations and used on an R32 engine.
Bypassed the scene tax on a 022906032CP ECU in the process lol.
Bear in mind though, I can take those chances as I can unbrick the ECU if the flash goes all wrong.

 

If using a 2nd ecu I would be happy to try and not worry about the fallout too much, I should have kept that AGU ecu I sent you ! I could have sold that and bought the spare I needed :-)

 

That is the idea.

The second ECU could be your development unit and the current to be left alone until you gather more confidence.

 

I got a M3.8.3 06A906018R ECU you sent or was given to me, you can have that if you wish to raise some funds towards a replacement ME7.5.

I would suggest picking up a ME7.5 06A906032HN/HJ ECU as a spare.

 

Thanks for the tips , I'll pick up one of those mentioned, I sent that ecu as thanks for helping me out, I was only kidding about having it back, but thanks for the offer

 

Good man.

The HN and HJ have information out there and will be a good start to understanding the E Gas stuff.
As said if you get stuck I am happy to help with unbricking the development ECU.