Spare ECU For EcuTek Tuning Only

[FR-S2GT86]

So I purchased a used ECU from a car of the same year (2015) and would like to save my original OEM ECU and store it in a safe place without flashing it. My original ECU has NEVER been flashed using EcuTek or any other system besides the OEM system.

The used ECU has a different CAL ID as well as a different VIN that obviously will not match my car.

I would like to make all of my flashes or calibrations only to the used ECU that I purchased.

I sent the ROM dump from my original OEM ECU to my tuner who wrote a new tune for this car and sent it to me based on my original CAL ID and VIN for when I install my Harrop supercharger. This is the Harrop base tune to get me going so that I can drive to the shop for the installation of the larger injectors and the flex fuel tune.

Q1) Can I now flash the supplied tune to the used ECU that I purchased without any ill effects?

Q2) The way I understand it, the Harrop base tune will be based on a different CAL ID than my original ECU's CAL ID, (the one being stored for safe keeping), but the VIN stays the same, is this correct?

I don't have Techstream on my PC so I can't program VINs, but I have read that you don't have to re-program a replacement ECU with your car's matching VIN if you don't want to, and the car will still run the same as long as you flash it with the same CAL ID ROM as the one from the original OEM ECU and follow the step-by-step procedure for replacing a bricked ECU as Steve99 wrote the procedure on, however.....

Q3) Will there be any problems with flashing the Harrop tune which was based on a ROM with one VIN to a different ECU with a ROM based on a different VIN?

Q4) Would there be any EcuTek licensing issues that may crop up?

Q5) Will I still be able to integrate the used ECU into the car and have my anti-theft/keyless entry system still operate without any problems?

Q6) Is there any particular order that I should follow when going about what I have described above?

The reason behind keeping my original ECU unmolested and intact is if I ever need to return my vehicle to stock, and for God-knows-whatever reason EcuTek goes out of business or stops supporting their product, or my hardware or software quit working, I can simply change out all the components including the ECU and not have to flash it back to stock.

Thanks in advance.

[steve99]

swapped lots of ECUs


wrote a how to here


if your going to change the vin do it BEFORE you flash or licience with ecutek



if the ecu has already been flashed with ecutek dont change the vin


you dont need to change vin to get car to run the car doesnt care about vin




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

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by steve99

swapped lots of ECUs


wrote a how to here


if your going to change the vin do it BEFORE you flash or licience with ecutek



if the ecu has already been flashed with ecutek dont change the vin


you dont need to change vin to get car to run the car doesnt care about vin




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

Hello steve99 and thanks for chiming in on this. Yes, I have read your write-up on this.

I won't be changing the VIN of this used ECU. It also (like my OEM original ECU) has never been flashed with EcuTek before, so I will be skipping the Techstream VIN programming procedure mentioned in steps 5,6 and 7.

But specifically, should I install this used ECU into my car using your how-to write-up AND complete the 30 minute wait with the pin shorting procedure, making sure my anti-theft system and door locks work AFTER? THEN.....

Option A) Flash the stock ROM to it that matches the CAL ID of the ROM from my original ECU, (so that I can verify this used ECU is okay and works properly), THEN flash the Harrop tune to it?

Or.....

Option B) Go ahead and flash the Harrop tune without flashing to a stock ROM first?

[Kodename47]

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

Q1) Can I now flash the supplied tune to the used ECU that I purchased without any ill effects?

Yes

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

Q2) The way I understand it, the Harrop base tune will be based on a different CAL ID than my original ECU's CAL ID, (the one being stored for safe keeping), but the VIN stays the same, is this correct?

The Harrop tune will be created (or should be) on a Cal ID that EcuTek think is compatible with your original ECU. If you've swapped in the same or similar MY ECU then this will remain the same. VIN is not part of the tune.

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

Q3) Will there be any problems with flashing the Harrop tune which was based on a ROM with one VIN to a different ECU with a ROM based on a different VIN?

See above - tune is not locked to VIN However...

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

Q4) Would there be any EcuTek licensing issues that may crop up?

If you've not flashed the original ECU then no issues, you need an EcuTek license for each ECU that has not been flashed by it.

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

Q5) Will I still be able to integrate the used ECU into the car and have my anti-theft/keyless entry system still operate without any problems?

Yes

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

Q6) Is there any particular order that I should follow when going about what I have described above?

Swap ECU > Marry ECU to the car > Flash ECU with tune. Make sure there is a battery charger on hand while doing so.

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

The reason behind keeping my original ECU unmolested and intact is if I ever need to return my vehicle to stock, and for God-knows-whatever reason EcuTek goes out of business or stops supporting their product, or my hardware or software quit working, I can simply change out all the components including the ECU and not have to flash it back to stock.

This is a large amount of worry - you can always borrow someone else's kit and the OEM ROM files are on your hard drive to return to stock. So much easier than swapping the ECU around. EcuTek continue to support this as one of their many (and growing) platforms, plus they were bought out by another well know tuning company a few years back, so I wouldn't be concerned on that front.

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by Kodename47

Yes

The Harrop tune will be created (or should be) on a Cal ID that EcuTek think is compatible with your original ECU. If you've swapped in the same or similar MY ECU then this will remain the same. VIN is not part of the tune.

See above - tune is not locked to VIN However...

If you've not flashed the original ECU then no issues, you need an EcuTek license for each ECU that has not been flashed by it.

Yes

Swap ECU > Marry ECU to the car > Flash ECU with tune. Make sure there is a battery charger on hand while doing so.

This is a large amount of worry - you can always borrow someone else's kit and the OEM ROM files are on your hard drive to return to stock. So much easier than swapping the ECU around. EcuTek continue to support this as one of their many (and growing) platforms, plus they were bought out by another well know tuning company a few years back, so I wouldn't be concerned on that front.

Excellent! You've answered all my questions with the results I was hoping for. Then I'm ready to go.

I've been keeping my battery charger on my car continuously for the past three months while it's been in the garage being worked on. I also keep a spare battery on a charger just in case.

And as for worrying, I never jump into something without testing the waters first. It's gotten me this far in life, why change now? Thank you for your help and advice.

[gt7877]

But all of u Sir's missing onething



Ecutek key or license well Mary your immo ecu not your engain ecu
So u have to care about that one

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by gt7877

But all of u Sir's missing onething

Ecutek key or license well Mary your immo ecu not your engain ecu
So u have to care about that one

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't seem like it will be an issue in my particular case.

[gt7877]

Yes there is no issue
But if u need to return back

And sale your ecutek key u can use your immo ecu

For example make spare immo ecu for stock

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by gt7877

Yes there is no issue
But if u need to return back

And sale your ecutek key u can use your immo ecu

For example make spare immo ecu for stock

I haven't read any discussions on having to change out immobilizer modules when flashing back to stock. Can I ask you to elaborate on this a bit more or point me to a thread that goes into this in more detail, please?

[gt7877]

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

I haven't read any discussions on having to change out immobilizer modules when flashing back to stock. Can I ask you to elaborate on this a bit more or point me to a thread that goes into this in more detail, please?

Short answer : ecutek save license at immo ecu

So if u need to move your setup to newer car or for example from FRS 2 brz u have to move this immo ecu to other car or u going to lose your license.


Main ecu at engine side is contains tuning ROM without ecutek license

Just this explain to save cash for new license

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by gt7877

Short answer : ecutek save license at immo ecu

So if u need to move your setup to newer car or for example from FRS 2 brz u have to move this immo ecu to other car or u going to lose your license.


Main ecu at engine side is contains tuning ROM without ecutek license

Just this explain to save cash for new license

Thanks for the tip.

I don't plan on purchasing another car any time soon. Besides, I would think that having to replace the immobilizer module along with all of the other things that go with it just so save on purchasing another license would not be worth the hassle or money saved for that matter (if it even WOULD save any money).

[FR-S2GT86]

Okay, so after I married the used ECU from a USDM 2013 M/T car, (CAL ID ZA1JA00C) the ProECU software will not allow me to program a stock ROM with CAL ID ZA1JD00C (which is the correct matching CAL ID for my car) into this used ECU. ProECU tells me that the stock ROM I want to use is incompatible with the existing ROM already programmed with the used ECU and to choose another ROM.

I have plenty of flash points as seen below along with the messages I'm getting:

Does anyone know what the problem might be, or what I might be doing wrong?

Is there a workaround that I am unaware of?

Do I need to contact my tuner or EcuTek?



For what it's worth, I'm doing this to get the used ECU operational and to get my ProECU license into the vehicle, I am not making any other modifications that require tuning yet and I still want to be able to drive the car.

[FR-S2GT86]

So nobody else other than one person here (whose reply got deleted without explanation, by the way) wants to chime in on this? I have a car that I can't drive right now that I'd like to get up and running, but this little snag has kept that from happening. Anybody?

[Kodename47]

Have you added the RaceROM patch to the file before flashing it? I don't work in US ROMs that often but isn't D00C one of the 1st revisions for the MY15 which uses a slightly different logic so ProECU is correct in that they aren't directly compatible. You'll have to force flash it or use the most recent compatible version, which I assume to be B01C.