Changing Ecu In Ba2

[millers]

Hi,

I have recently tried to tune my car with VCM Suite and run into some issues. I have been in contact with VCM tech support and found that the ECU in my car contains no information about my VIN.

I have had the car back to the local dealer and they have plugged their computer in and told me it works fine (after I told them it would when I dropped the car off) and charged me a fortune for the privilege.

The workshop foreman has told me there is no VIN validation on the CAN Bus until the FG though, so I should be able to grab another ECU and plug it in and have it work fine. I always thought that would be a problem because the ECU, BEM and ICC all need to be programmed to work together?

Has anyone changed an ECU on a BA before? What else needed to be done?

[robbo k]

hey mate I was goin to change mine but never did..... but was told by my machanic n a ford machanic if u buy a second hand one it has to go back to ford melbourne to get the vin number put on otherwise it wont reconise the number and car etc....

I was quoted 900bucks for brand new one from ford

[badxr6]

yes you need to do a paramater rest if you change any of those things

[The_Bogan]

just get it flash tuned

[millers]

and what do I do with the flash tuner after I buy it and find that it wont work either because as far as I know it locks to the VIN too?

pretty sure there are no local tuners who have the xcal boxes in stock to test before I shell out the money to buy one

thanks for the info on the parameter reset. I was pretty sure the ford mechanic was a tool

Edited 16/05/09 11:59 AM by millers

[Dale@CHE]

All BA's will require you to enter your vin when you try and read the tune.. just put your vin number in when it prompts you and you will be fine

[millers]

Thanks Dale, I have put the VIN number in originally (have read on the HP Tuners forum this is a known issue) and I can read the stock tune off fine, just cant licence it (VCM Suite gives the Invalid VIN/OS Pair error).

I have sent the file I read to HP Tuners and have been told there is no VIN information in the tune file at all.

Using the same method of typing in the VIN I can do other BAs fine, so its something specific to my PCM

[Dale@CHE]

what version are you using?? 2.23.3411 is the latest.

are you using a BOG STOCK file or one that has been modded with SCT?

the non reporting VIN is not a issue with your car it is a issue with all BA's I would just say that the software on your PCM hasnt been added yet, I had one that was the same last week but 2.23.3411 fixed it

[millers]

PCM is bog stock. only changes I know of are the local Ford dealer flashing a Typhoon tune onto it for about a day then changing it back (I bought it off the service manager).

and yeah I have 2.23.3411.25951 Beta from last week. it fixed the invalid vin/os pair error for another PCM but according to HP Tuners the issue with mine is different. latest news is they think they have a fix but they are unsure on an ETA for it.

I have attached the file I read off my PCM if you want to take a look at it. will need to rename to .hpt as the forum wont let me upload the .hpt file.

EDIT: explanation from Bill of HP Tuners...

Looks like its just a problem with this particular vehicle, the problem is very rarely the binaries in ford aust. vehicles don't have the vin programmed into them(its rare) but the dealers cannot program it in either.

Since Fords have no vcm id number our software licenses the vin number, so without a valid vin we can't even license the pcm.

05_BA2_xr6t_manual.txt

Edited 17/05/09 12:32 PM by millers

[Dale@CHE]

I would get ford to flash the f6 tune back into it and then download again..

if you connect to the car with the scanner what model does it say the car is? the tune says it is a lincon LT not a Falcon...