ECU locked - can I just replace it?

[jtz54]

Picked up a 2015 FR-S and an OFT. The ECU seems to be locked from the previous owner and I can't flash. Was told by the dealer that once the ECU is flashed they can't do anything. Talked to Ecutek dealer (I think it's their flash) and they want $650 to unlock but they will also tune. Can't return the OFT so at this point I'm screwed out of $500. Can I replace the ECU with the same year/options and go from there or will I run into some VIN# check or other issue?

[churchx]

OFT does no locking of itself. Ecutek also, it just writes license too, which may get lost if you reflash using other means something else. Can you elaborate more, what you meant "i can't flash"? May it be due some unrelated issues, like bad cable connection and alike? That OFT came with this car and was used to tune it? Then there should be no locks on tune itself. For unmarrying it's just flashing back stock tune from first slot on OFT, which was read in during linking this OFT to this car.

[Tor]

OFT can't read the Ecutek tune and put it in slot 1. Hence, since the OFT can't read the "original" tune, you can't flash an OFT tune. The ECU is not locked as such.

The cheapest option for you, is to buy a Tactrix open port. It will cost you about 170$. With Tactrix, you can overwrite the Ecutek tune with a stock tune and afterward use the OFT.

If you don't need the live display you could sell the OFT and just use Tactrix to flash the OTS tune. Or you could sell the Tactrix, so in the end it won't cost you that much.


Btw. The tuner doesn't seem very knowledgeable, intelligent or a good saleman either. He could have presented you with this information and changed you 170$ for flashing back to stock (takes 5 min), and you would probably have accepted. It would have been the easiest 170$ he would have earned that day. Now he get's to earn nothing...
Or he could have offered you to help with the OFT tune and made a few bucks dialing it in. Or if he had been a good salesman and had compelling arguments for why you should let him tune it with Ecutek, you wouldn't have posted here in the first place.

Now that you already have an Ecutek license, I think even I would be able to sell you onto the idea of sticking with Ecutek, instead of throwing the license in the bin.

[steve99]

Originally Posted by jtz54

Picked up a 2015 FR-S and an OFT. The ECU seems to be locked from the previous owner and I can't flash. Was told by the dealer that once the ECU is flashed they can't do anything. Talked to Ecutek dealer (I think it's their flash) and they want $650 to unlock but they will also tune. Can't return the OFT so at this point I'm screwed out of $500. Can I replace the ECU with the same year/options and go from there or will I run into some VIN# check or other issue?

OK ill just clear up a couple of things


1. If you have an Ecutek tuned rom in ecu then only Ecutek can overwrite that back to stock. Once its been returned to stock with ecuteck then it can be overwritten by other systems like oft or tactrix.


2. The ecutek tuner is a rip off merchant. He could have spent like 10 minutes to flash to stock for you as if you have ecutek tune you also have ecutek licience in ECU.


3. you 100% wont be able to read/write to your current ecu if it has ecutek tune with TACTRIX or OFT, until its returned to stock with ecutek first.


4. You could replace your ecu they are about $100 usa on ebay but you may need a tool like tactrix to flash in the correct stock rom for your car. OFT wont let you change roms between different calid , well not without a bunch of stuffing around with hex editors anyway.




5. If its ecutek then you have a $350 ecutek licience in your ecu. you best option may be to Sell OFT or maybe return it if possible, you probably only loose $50 or so. then buy an Ecutek cable kit second hand maybe 250 (new they are 350). Hit me up and ill help you flash in a tune with ecutek for stuff all money.


more info on tune systems


http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106068




Info on replacing ecu


http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102810




If you lived near me id flash it to stock with ecutek for free

[steve99]

Originally Posted by Tor

OFT can't read the Ecutek tune and put it in slot 1. Hence, since the OFT can't read the "original" tune, you can't flash an OFT tune. The ECU is not locked as such.

The cheapest option for you, is to buy a Tactrix open port. It will cost you about 170$. With Tactrix, you can overwrite the Ecutek tune with a stock tune and afterward use the OFT.

If you don't need the live display you could sell the OFT and just use Tactrix to flash the OTS tune. Or you could sell the Tactrix, so in the end it won't cost you that much.


Btw. The tuner doesn't seem very knowledgeable, intelligent or a good saleman either. He could have presented you with this information and changed you 170$ for flashing back to stock (takes 5 min), and you would probably have accepted. It would have been the easiest 170$ he would have earned that day. Now he get's to earn nothing...
Or he could have offered you to help with the OFT tune and made a few bucks dialing it in. Or if he had been a good salesman and had compelling arguments for why you should let him tune it with Ecutek, you wouldn't have posted here in the first place.

Now that you already have an Ecutek license, I think even I would be able to sell you onto the idea of sticking with Ecutek, instead of throwing the license in the bin.

The cheapest option for you, is to buy a Tactrix open port. It will cost you about 170$. With Tactrix, you can overwrite the Ecutek tune with a stock tune and afterward use the OFT.


Unfortunatly wont work unless he gets his ecu flashed to stock with ecutek first. to return the seed key access sequence to standard else only ecutek can read/write


same deal with brzedit


also he will waste a $350 ecutek licience as you pointed out . I think he should sell oft and buy ecutek


unfortunately this happens quite a lot as cars change owners second hand with tunes from oft/tactrix/ecutek/brzedit.


whish their was a universal unlock tool but unfortunately not

[steve99]

Originally Posted by churchx

OFT does no locking of itself. Ecutek also, it just writes license too, which may get lost if you reflash using other means something else. Can you elaborate more, what you meant "i can't flash"? May it be due some unrelated issues, like bad cable connection and alike? That OFT came with this car and was used to tune it? Then there should be no locks on tune itself. For unmarrying it's just flashing back stock tune from first slot on OFT, which was read in during linking this OFT to this car.

Ecutek and BRZEDIT both lock ecu by changing the seed/key access sequence.


they both change it differently no only the original system can unlock by flashing stock rom back to ecu. ECU with ecutek or brzedit tune cannot be accessed by oft or tactrix ecuflash or dealers


tactrix ecuflash/OFT don't change these seed key sequences from stock so with those systems any system even dealer can overwrite

[steve99]

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128897


bargin $220 for ecutek kit

[Tor]

Originally Posted by steve99

The cheapest option for you, is to buy a Tactrix open port. It will cost you about 170$. With Tactrix, you can overwrite the Ecutek tune with a stock tune and afterward use the OFT.


Unfortunatly wont work unless he gets his ecu flashed to stock with ecutek first. to return the seed key access sequence to standard else only ecutek can read/write


same deal with brzedit


also he will waste a $350 ecutek licience as you pointed out . I think he should sell oft and buy ecutek


unfortunately this happens quite a lot as cars change owners second hand with tunes from oft/tactrix/ecutek/brzedit.


whish their was a universal unlock tool but unfortunately not

I stand corrected. I remember reading my Ecutek tune with Tactrix, however that was before applying RaceRom.

I would assume that it’s RaceRom that would prevent Tactrix from overwriting it?

If so, in the off chance that his tune doesn’t have RaceRom features he could still overwrite it with Tactrix?

[steve99]

Yes addition of racrom patch instigates the seed/key changes to lock ecu access. Its now more locked down in later versions as it wont let you flash any modified rom now without adding racerom patch first. The only rom you can flash without RR patch is 100% stock rom

[Tor]

Originally Posted by steve99

Yes addition of racrom patch instigates the seed/key changes to lock ecu access. Its now more locked down in later versions as it wont let you flash any modified rom now without adding racerom patch first. The only rom you can flash without RR patch is 100% stock rom

Good to know. Thanks.

[jtz54]

Went by an Ecutek dealer in Tucson. He was actually pretty helpful. He said my VIN was not locked and there might be a communication problem. Unfortunately I didn't bring the OFT with me. The pics attached are what I got when I hooked up the OFT to my car. Thanks guys for all the helpful inputs-much appreciated!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[jtz54]

If I was sure that my ECU was flashed with Ecutek then I'd snap up that cable in the classifieds but I'm not sure and have no way of finding out. Maybe I should just buy an eBay ECU and take my chances that it isn't flashed either?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[steve99]

Originally Posted by jtz54

If I was sure that my ECU was flashed with Ecutek then I'd snap up that cable in the classifieds but I'm not sure and have no way of finding out. Maybe I should just buy an eBay ECU and take my chances that it isn't flashed either?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Try hard resetting ecu by removing battery termial for a few minutes then try again.


see if oft will read basic ecu info under ecu info screen or of realtime logging works. If these work then comms to ecu is ok.


Then try read.


It does look like comms problem if ecutek guy could access it.


some oft had broken obd cables

[jtz54]

I verified the comms is working. Was able to read realtime info using an ODBII reader and also with the OFT. Trying to read ECU using OFT still does not work.


I ordered an ECU off eBay that matches my car. I hope it isn't flashed. When I swap in the ECU do I have to change VIN# or mess with immobilizer system or is that info in a different place?