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Chipped Ecu Reset... Do I Or Don't I?

dbo

By dbo,
in Engines & Forced Induction

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dbo Enthusiast

dbo

Posted
Posted

I have an RB20 with some basic mods...

FMIC, GT25R BOV etc...

I have been told my ECU has been chipped by chiptorque on the gold coast.

I have also heard that many people have had good results after resetting their ECU's.

Now my questions is... Is it safe to Reset my ECU even though it has been chipped? I'm pretty sure the car hasn't been dyno tuned but not 100%.. so there is a chance I could lose my tune :dry:

I have added a few parts since the ECU so im hopng with a reset it may make things run abit better..

Also I receieved a error code 34 (knock sensor) on my diagnoses.. I've been told this could be due to timing or the change in fuel octane?

Some fairly easy questions I know, but i'm fairly new at this stuff.

Cheers!

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rob82 Mentor

rob82

Posted
Posted
I have an RB20 with some basic mods...

FMIC, GT25R BOV etc...

I have been told my ECU has been chipped by chiptorque on the gold coast.

I have also heard that many people have had good results after resetting their ECU's.

Now my questions is... Is it safe to Reset my ECU even though it has been chipped? I'm pretty sure the car hasn't been dyno tuned but not 100%.. so there is a chance I could lose my tune :(

I have added a few parts since the ECU so im hopng with a reset it may make things run abit better..

Also I receieved a error code 34 (knock sensor) on my diagnoses.. I've been told this could be due to timing or the change in fuel octane?

Some fairly easy questions I know, but i'm fairly new at this stuff.

Cheers!

Reseting you ECU will clear any learned values as in long term fuel trims, idle valve duty cycle values and possibly octane rating of the fuel you have been using. The chip itself is within the non - volatile address range within the ECU so it cannot be cleared with a reset. As for the code 34 it is quite common to see. If it continues to be set you will have no ignition timing what so ever.

blind_elk Grand Master

blind_elk

Posted
Posted
...As for the code 34 it is quite common to see. If it continues to be set you will have no ignition timing what so ever.
WTF?????

The code does not - repeat NOT - indicate that there has been knock happening. It is an error code, so it is alerting you to the fact that there is an error in the knock sensor circuitry somewhere.

rob82 Mentor

rob82

Posted
Posted (edited)
WTF?????

The code does not - repeat NOT - indicate that there has been knock happening. It is an error code, so it is alerting you to the fact that there is an error in the knock sensor circuitry somewhere.

Thats right it is an error code and if set the ECU will use limp home timing numbers which is a heavily retarded map from either of the two ignition maps. As I said if a reset does not clear the code 34 then you probably either have a wiring problem of a sensor fault.

As for learning the octane rating the ECU will advance timing until it see a certain level of knock from which it will determine wheter to use high or low octane timing and fuel maps.

Edited by rob82
MerlinTheHapyPig Mentor

MerlinTheHapyPig

Posted
Posted

the low octane maps are only used when there is a sensor fault, or it's detecting excessive detonation, it wouldn't be used at all under normal circumstances.

It's considered a "safe" map and is only used if there is a problem.

dbo Enthusiast

dbo

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Ok I got some other questions i'm hoping you can answer...

If my ECU is re-chipped, do you think the Excess airflow protection has been removed? Or will this depend on the type of "re-chip" that has been performed...

Also, whats the max flow on standard RB20DET injectors (i've been told about 270cc/min)

I ask this because once I hit about 1 bar of boost it feels like i've got no more power left... it starts to plateu and i'm thinking this is because either my fuel pump isn't flowing enough, or it's my injectors, or the ECU just doesn't want that much airflow to happen.

I have both stock injectors/Fuel pump (I know not cool) but should be getting a bosch 040 soonish.

MerlinTheHapyPig Mentor

MerlinTheHapyPig

Posted
Posted

excess airflow protection?

you're probably talking about the TP limit (fuel cut table) basically max amount of TP allowed based on engine rpm. Under mildly modded cars it's pretty hard to hit the stock values, but alot of tuners will set this to the max value, effectively eliminating fuel cut, no way to tell what yours are set at without downloading a rom file of your tune.

anyway.... read the next bit carefully!!

my guess is you're ecu is using the "safe" fuel and timing maps due to your sensor fault, and that you should look at this before you go any further... Reset your ECU by leaving negative battery terminal disconnected overnight, then check for error codes, it should report 55 if all good. If not, check or replace whatever sensor is stuffed.

Then once your car is running with code 55 (no errors) see if you have the same problems!!!!!!

dbo Enthusiast

dbo

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Ok thanks alot for the help.. i've actually dissconnected my battery tonight and pressed the brake pedal a few times to drain the power.

I was reading on here before about boost cut/excess airflow protection as it is also known, so I thought it was worth mentioning in relation to my problem.

I'm hoping my ECU reset will sort alot of my problems out... I'll return tommorow with my results... fingers crossed for a "55" on my ECU diagnostic..

MerlinTheHapyPig Mentor

MerlinTheHapyPig

Posted
Posted

easy tiger! first things first... do not put your car on a dyno if you're showing error codes!

actually another suggestion i was going to make after you've done that, is buy a consult interface from nukleer on the forum (just search for consult and you should find his thread), and you can download the car's rom onto a computer, then you can look at the tune (email the rom file to me and i'll be able to tell you what the tuner has done to it...)

You'll also be able to find out if your injector duty cycle is maxing out...

dbo Enthusiast

dbo

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks alot for the help Merlin.. Your right I wasn't going to put the car on the dyno while the ECU is giving error codes, as that could end up costing me alot of $$$ if something goes wrong.

And you're right FATGTS-R, I don't know anything about the ECU... if I did would I be posting questions about it on a skyline forum? As i've said, I would go on the dyno but there is no point when there is something possibly wrong with the car, so really dissconnecting the battery has to be done...

paulr33 Grand Master

paulr33

Posted
Posted

if its been remapped the remapper would be a complete utter goonbag if he/she didnt remove the excess airflow protection. as far as i know they simply set the value very high instead of actually removing the code behind it. similar too with the speed cut, they just set it at like 300km/h i think anyway

dbo Enthusiast

dbo

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Haha well there are some goonbag's around..

Good news.. got an all clear "55" on my ECU after the reset.. The car seems to come on power abit nicer, but still is laggy...

Still seems to plateu up in the high end, above 6000rpm is where it starts to begin.. i'm thinking I need a fuel pump a-stat, and some injectors wouldn't go astray..

rob82 Mentor

rob82

Posted
Posted (edited)
Haha well there are some goonbag's around..

Good news.. got an all clear "55" on my ECU after the reset.. The car seems to come on power abit nicer, but still is laggy...

Still seems to plateu up in the high end, above 6000rpm is where it starts to begin.. i'm thinking I need a fuel pump a-stat, and some injectors wouldn't go astray..

I work for ChipTorque if you open the ECU case there should be a sticker on the Chip just PM the serial number and I will check if the speed limiters and airflow limiters are removed, chances are they would have been set to maximum values. Sometimes we set the TP to just above the desired boost so if a hose falls off it will still cut just for protection. However the problems your describing dont sound like a programming issue.

Edited by rob82
dbo Enthusiast

dbo

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I work for ChipTorque if you open the ECU case there should be a sticker on the Chip just PM the serial number and I will check if the speed limiters and airflow limiters are removed, chances are they would have been set to maximum values. Sometimes we set the TP to just above the desired boost so if a hose falls off it will still cut just for protection. However the problems your describing dont sound like a programming issue.

That would be a great help thanks rob82.. sorry to sound newish but which one would be the chip that has been re-placed?

I work on computers for a living so i'm used to seeing PCB's and the like... but i'm not sure exactly which chip is the one that gets installed/replaced...

rob82 Mentor

rob82

Posted
Posted
That would be a great help thanks rob82.. sorry to sound newish but which one would be the chip that has been re-placed?

I work on computers for a living so i'm used to seeing PCB's and the like... but i'm not sure exactly which chip is the one that gets installed/replaced...

It will be the one with a big obvoius sticker on it. If you've opend the ECU and there is no sticker it may not have our chip in it as every chip is serialised.

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