ECU purchase....FYI...
10-28-2004, 05:32 PM
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ECU purchase....FYI...
Now my ride is still at the dealer and I wait for a new ECU, it is going to take another 2 weeks, maybe (Paul, I feel the pain already).
Here is the deal, so get prepared if you ever have to exchange the ECU: Copy of Driver lic, Insurance and registration must be submitted in order to request a new ECU. From what I've seen that's the only way to get a new ECU.
The reason being is because the ECU is a security feature, coding will be done based on VIN and other identifiers on the car.
I went so far and called Ingolstadt, Germany, the heart place of Audi. And I got the same kind of answer. It seems there is no way to order an ECU from there (VIN design is entirely different and so on). Over here ECU's are on back-order...great, that's exactly what I needed.
Another little concern; how does a tuner or any third party working on ar electronics handle these things?
They have access to the ECU Core when they chip it, and they actually write Software to match it. Is there a registration law that would caution fraud possibilities?
Does it make sense to ask what would happen if I buy someone elses ECU? Car wouldn't work at all because all the (security) mappings don't match?
I'm just confused about the fact of all the efforts put in place to get a new ECU......in my humble opinion - way too much noise to get there...in the end it is just some Software..hmmm.
But we are lucky..we don't have CTRL+ALT+DEL Buttons...;-)
Here is the deal, so get prepared if you ever have to exchange the ECU: Copy of Driver lic, Insurance and registration must be submitted in order to request a new ECU. From what I've seen that's the only way to get a new ECU.
The reason being is because the ECU is a security feature, coding will be done based on VIN and other identifiers on the car.
I went so far and called Ingolstadt, Germany, the heart place of Audi. And I got the same kind of answer. It seems there is no way to order an ECU from there (VIN design is entirely different and so on). Over here ECU's are on back-order...great, that's exactly what I needed.
Another little concern; how does a tuner or any third party working on ar electronics handle these things?
They have access to the ECU Core when they chip it, and they actually write Software to match it. Is there a registration law that would caution fraud possibilities?
Does it make sense to ask what would happen if I buy someone elses ECU? Car wouldn't work at all because all the (security) mappings don't match?
I'm just confused about the fact of all the efforts put in place to get a new ECU......in my humble opinion - way too much noise to get there...in the end it is just some Software..hmmm.
But we are lucky..we don't have CTRL+ALT+DEL Buttons...;-)
10-28-2004, 06:09 PM
#3
Yeah but how many times have we seen an owner report his dash lighting up like a Christmas tree...
and to have it all go away on a hard restart? Sound familiar? The car just needed to be rebooted!!<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/allroad/msgs/41137.phtml">example</a></li></ul>
10-28-2004, 06:13 PM
#4
info on ECU. swapping..
The ECU is only coded to your instrument cluster. This coding on all <2005 is able to be rewritten if you change ECU's >2005 has more security features. The A8L even require a new $6000.00 VAG Device for the dealer.
The reason for the personal ID.. it to simply track who is buying the ECU. Its their rules. You can buy used, salvage, etc. and the dealer can code it to your car for a $.. they will ask for ID because it is now coded LIVE via the net directly to Germany. The system doesn't release the security codes with out ID. It does not look to match VIN with owner. It only databases it and then releases the info.
When we DiPP or Chip..we are not overwritting the ECU.. we are only overwritting/exchanging the EPROM that controls the Fuel/Boost/Timing etc. this is a single EPROM chip... not the entire ERC, which has MANY Eproms for different functions.
No one is violation any trademark or proprietary information. It's your car.. you can erase anything you want... you just can't copy it and sell it.
In Three months of Pain..you can learn alot
The reason for the personal ID.. it to simply track who is buying the ECU. Its their rules. You can buy used, salvage, etc. and the dealer can code it to your car for a $.. they will ask for ID because it is now coded LIVE via the net directly to Germany. The system doesn't release the security codes with out ID. It does not look to match VIN with owner. It only databases it and then releases the info.
When we DiPP or Chip..we are not overwritting the ECU.. we are only overwritting/exchanging the EPROM that controls the Fuel/Boost/Timing etc. this is a single EPROM chip... not the entire ERC, which has MANY Eproms for different functions.
No one is violation any trademark or proprietary information. It's your car.. you can erase anything you want... you just can't copy it and sell it.
In Three months of Pain..you can learn alot
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10-28-2004, 06:52 PM
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Paul, Thanks for the Info, very helpful as always...
It's just weird that Audi started to increase all these security measures, but that's fine.
If they really do it life over the net then let's hope they don't use dial-up...;-)
Audi updated last year the majority of their Mainframes and Workstations to a UNIX/LINUX environment. Would be fun to watch how this works.
But besides all this ECU trouble; your position is still much worse and I really hope you get to play with LULU again in snow....soonest!
If they really do it life over the net then let's hope they don't use dial-up...;-)
Audi updated last year the majority of their Mainframes and Workstations to a UNIX/LINUX environment. Would be fun to watch how this works.
But besides all this ECU trouble; your position is still much worse and I really hope you get to play with LULU again in snow....soonest!
10-28-2004, 07:01 PM
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Yes, and a bit more costly...add $350 for an altered ECU...
..that means it can not be returned because of soldering alterations. Other then that I'll have to contact AWE to put in a new socket for the Chip.
I still don't like the chip to be soldered into the board. This still gives me a chance to eliminate at least an error coming from the IC just by swapping to the OEM IC. Good thing we'll get some (work) Bonus this year....
I still don't like the chip to be soldered into the board. This still gives me a chance to eliminate at least an error coming from the IC just by swapping to the OEM IC. Good thing we'll get some (work) Bonus this year....
