slowguy

BTW I would not assume that the code wasn't there just because the car ran. I have no way of knowing now, but that code can be there even if the car runs for a few start cycles... and it mostl likely was there, I just had no reason (or the means at that point) to see if the code was there.

From my reading at nefmoto, it is not uncommon for "self-tuners" to run the car and become stranded because of this and one other code. That is why it is a community-wide knowledge to carry a known good ecu with you in the car in case of just a situation. It has something to do with the car running through all the code on subsequent start-ups of seeing an error in checksum values. The ecu assumes the code is corrupt and prevents operation to avoid damage to the engine and/or the passengers.

2.7Lturbo

what year is the A8, you MIGHT be able to get around the security but you are going to have to dive into german hexadecimal coding.... NOT fun. all the subsystems names are in german and the manuals are german so the learning curve is STEEP. have not had enough time over at nefmoto yet as i left programming in college and am dusting off the old books

the newer cars i am seeing more need to hookup to the german mothership, immobilizer was one of those things that we did, but im not sure its ABSOLUTELY required if you can go deep enough into the programming and have access to the codes via some online pirating site or another working ecu with correct immobilizer

2.7Lturbo

im concerned that you cant get the ECU booted up. again it points to the chip not being installed properly and unless you crack her open and bust out the irons you may never get it to work...

if you want your more then welcome to send it out to me and i can have it taken apart in a lab and inspected. hell i might even be able to throw it in our x-ray inspection unit we use to inspect multi-layered electrical traces in out PCBs

slowguy

Ok, so I've got one ecu far far away being worked on by a nefmoto expert. That's the original. I have one working ecu with immo active and not programmed. The final ecu I have apart in front of me and going to do a lower level boot mode flash. Hopefully I will work that out in a week or so.

Called a local audi dealer (about 35 miles from me) and asked how much to program immo only (explained the situation). He said if it's in the car and all we have to do is program it and it's only immo, then $138. Towing in another 240. Might be able to convince my brother to haul me up there. Hopefully i'll be running in less than a week now!!

slowguy

Update: The ecu I sent to the nefmoto member said he had no problem flashing with an R file (that's an allroad 2.7t tip) and modified it slightly to get it closer to the 265hp of the sline. He was also able to defeat immo.

All I can think is (this is assuming the ecu works fine on receipt); if I can send this thing to a random person and he can make this thing work within a couple of hours, what does this say about the abilities of APR?

I will report for sure what the results are when I get it back this week, but if APR is this unskilled....wow. I sure wouldn't want them tuning a new r8 or a new porsche.

slowguy

To add to this statement, I have learned that you must cycle the ecu and car starting at least 4 times to verify that there are no checksum errors. This is one common reason "home tuners" get stranded and must carry a known working ecu just in case. I know for a fact that I did not start and shutoff the car 4 times after the APR tune.

2.7Lturbo

the problem is the chip needs to be soldered on, they have good programmers, but bad technicians. WE call them solder monkeys for a reason....

slowguy

I DROVE TONIGHT!!! It's been four months and I finally got my car on the road tonight. Didn't go too far...was scared to get far from home. Purchased AAA, however, so that should help alleviate some worry about getting stranded again.

I got the first ecu back from a U.S. nefmoto member. He had it flashed with a 551R file in about an hour and removed immo. I got it back, scanned for codes, deleted any codes, coded for my transmission, and gave it a go. I noticed that it does have much less power than when it had the 30 minute APR tune....but at least it runs. I cycled it and started it at least five times and no P0601.

The only thing that bothered me is when I started it to warm up for the first time, I could hear quite an audible ticking coming from below the valve covers on both sides. I assume this is from it sitting and probably very little oil on the cams? Anyways, it seems less noisy after I ran it pretty good around the block a few times. SOOOOO EXCITED.... thank you nefmoto...and better yet..the few nefmoto members who have helped me!!

2.7Lturbo

ticking is from sitting, it will go away congrats man!!