Second Ecu For Edit Only

[loaded]

I was thinking about this new edit tool and the lack of solid answers as to whether or not Ford can detect it.My solution would be to purchase another computer and use it primarily for edit custom tuning etc and when time comes for servicing by Ford I could slot the original one back for updates etc, and would not be affected by warranty.Before someone has a go at me for being dishonest to my loyal dealer(sarcastic) I could take up 4 pages of negative comments about the way Ford has treated me so far.

All I am after is a car that runs the way it should in the first place and it seems that the edit is my only hope.

Could someone please advise if using another ecu is possible?Something is telling me that this angle has been covered by Ford.

Peter

[BlueXR6Turbo]

The security design of the radio means that it would only work with one ECU. It checks some unique code on the ECU and if it doesn't match with what it should, the radio won't work. You could make it so that the standard ECU you've got in when taking it to Ford is the one that the radio won't work with, then just hope like hell that they never turn the radio on.

Could be other problems too, I don't know.

[JB]

I was thinking about this new edit tool and the lack of solid answers as to whether or not Ford can detect it.My solution would be to purchase another computer and use it primarily for edit custom tuning etc and when time comes for servicing by Ford I could slot the original one back for updates etc, and would not be affected by warranty.Before someone has a go at me for being dishonest to my loyal dealer(sarcastic) I could take up 4 pages of negative comments about the way Ford has treated me so far.

All I am after is a car that runs the way it should in the first place and it seems that the edit is my only hope.

Could someone please advise if using another ecu is possible?Something is telling me that this angle has been covered by Ford.

Peter

Change PCM's

Um that would be a load of work would'nt it? How many days would that take?

[macka'sxr6t]

Change PCM's 

Um that would be a load of work would'nt it? How many days would that  take?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

JB,

I don't think it would take that long. Cut or brake the shear bolts that hold the PCM to the engine bay. Unplug the three plugs in the loom. Plug the new one in rebolt it and its done.

My only concern would be whether the 2nd PCM would comunicate with the body module. It also runs many functions of the car.

macka

[XtRmn8]

I was thinking about this new edit tool and the lack of solid answers as to whether or not Ford can detect it.My solution would be to purchase another computer and use it primarily for edit custom tuning etc and when time comes for servicing by Ford I could slot the original one back for updates etc, and would not be affected by warranty.Before someone has a go at me for being dishonest to my loyal dealer(sarcastic) I could take up 4 pages of negative comments about the way Ford has treated me so far.

All I am after is a car that runs the way it should in the first place and it seems that the edit is my only hope.

Could someone please advise if using another ecu is possible?Something is telling me that this angle has been covered by Ford.

Peter

From my understanding, after rading it about 1000 times in other threads, is that before you do anything with the flasher unit you have to upload the factory map into the flasher.

It would be a lot cheaper, easier and more logical to plug the flasher in and download the factory map back into the ECU rather then changing ECUs!!

[macka'sxr6t]

I was thinking about this new edit tool and the lack of solid answers as to whether or not Ford can detect it.My solution would be to purchase another computer and use it primarily for edit custom tuning etc and when time comes for servicing by Ford I could slot the original one back for updates etc, and would not be affected by warranty.Before someone has a go at me for being dishonest to my loyal dealer(sarcastic) I could take up 4 pages of negative comments about the way Ford has treated me so far.

All I am after is a car that runs the way it should in the first place and it seems that the edit is my only hope.

Could someone please advise if using another ecu is possible?Something is telling me that this angle has been covered by Ford.

Peter

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Peter,

At present the Edit is virtualy completely undectable. I have this info from a vey reliable source from within Ford. So there is no need to change PCM's. I think they would know something is wrong when they see that you have different bolts holding the 2nd PCM in place.

The other concern that I would have is whether the BCM would comunicate with the other PCM with out a full reflash anyway.

Many people have said that the edit fixes many issues that Ford have been anable to do, if this is the case go for it.

I don't know how long this un-detectablity will last. I believe that Ford have come up with a way of knowing if the PCM has been altered and this will be built into future PCM's and they may even be changing to a completely different PCM and programming.

So the guy's that have piggybacks and plan to purchase Ford vehicles on an ongoing basis don't through them away for a while.

macka

[ZAP]

I think the cost of a second ECU may be a shock.

We have also had a firm answer from Tuna that if Ford flash your ECU, the updated software will NOT be uploaded into your Rdit box, unless you have the F slot cleared by your dealer.

I would not buy the edit for its stealth ability, as I am sure Ford WILL find a way to detect edited cars.

A hell of a lot of warranty $$$'s will depend on them finding a way to detect the Edit.

[Guest Rota_Motor]

I had a good read through the CAPA website, about the flasher units, and the earlier reply is correct, when they say the first thing the flash unit does, is download the standard map from the car, and stores it in memory, then flashes in the new map to the computer, and sounds extremely easy to swap between maps at will.

which means reflashing the stock tune back into the car whenever you send it back for service, which will take all of about 5 minutes, the reflash may be stored in the ECU's memory, so the dealer could possibly tell how many times it has been reflashed, but IMO there is no way they could recover what the reflash was, so you just say you had it reflashed by another dealer, or act stupid about it.

about the only course of action they could take would be to reflash their latest update of the standard programme back into the car, which is still not an issue.

I can also not see them changing the software they usem, just because someone cracked the code, when I worked at a ford dealer a few years ago (when AUII was first released) the reflashable ECU's (ECM, whatever) were just being introduced, and I believe it is a standard software used throughout the world, and also on various mazdas, so if they changed the software, it would either mean changing the worldwide ECM's, or having a seperate flasher/diagnostic tool for just a single australian model.

oh, was also talking to one of my nerdy friends about the reflash.. and he said if I could get the raw data out of the EPROM he could probably decompile it he said this when I mentioned how the flasher units can only be used for one vehicle at a time.

[loaded]

I was thinking about this new edit tool and the lack of solid answers as to whether or not Ford can detect it.My solution would be to purchase another computer and use it primarily for edit custom tuning etc and when time comes for servicing by Ford I could slot the original one back for updates etc, and would not be affected by warranty.Before someone has a go at me for being dishonest to my loyal dealer(sarcastic) I could take up 4 pages of negative comments about the way Ford has treated me so far.

All I am after is a car that runs the way it should in the first place and it seems that the edit is my only hope.

Could someone please advise if using another ecu is possible?Something is telling me that this angle has been covered by Ford.

Peter

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From my understanding, after rading it about 1000 times in other threads, is that before you do anything with the flasher unit you have to upload the factory map into the flasher.

It would be a lot cheaper, easier and more logical to plug the flasher in and download the factory map back into the ECU rather then changing ECUs!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I understand all that process about flashing the factory map back etc,however my objective is to maintain warranty cause I have no intention to mod my car.The problem is that once the factory program gets downloaded the first time apparently it cannot be updated by Ford to a later version from what I read in the capa threads.This will tell the tech that the car has been edited as soon as they attempt to flash an update it will not register on the ecu.I may have misunderstood what was stated.

"quote" My understanding is different. As far as I'm aware, the flashbox will only upload what's in the car when the "F" slot is empty. Therefore, it does not look for updates.

I think the only way around this is to have the F slot cleared (by CAPA??) and you can only do this 5 times before the flashbox takes a trip overseas.

CAPA, Martin, please correct me if I have misunderstood.

This fact that the original version of the factory tune will remain in the flasher will be a giveaway is the reason for my question about the second ecu.I hope this makes sense.

Peter

[XR6_ED]

the reflash may be stored in the ECU's memory, so the dealer could possibly tell how many times it has been reflashed,

When ford flashed my ecu , it listed on the screen the updates that already had been flashed into it.From memory there were 4 updates already done

Can't recall if it had dates and times were recorded though..