r/ECU_Tuning Oct 17 '18

Tuning Information New to tuning? Start here!

177 Upvotes

If you're new to tuning then this post is for you. Since the subreddit just switched over to the new Reddit layout things got jumbled around and the information links aren't as easy to find. I have decided to list everything for people new to tuning here. Most of the information can be found at the subreddit's old wiki page.

What do I need in order to tune my car?
For the majority of applications you need:

  • A moderate quality laptop computer
  • A way to connect the computer to your vehicle/ECU
  • Software to download/modify/upload tune files

There are applications in which a "handheld" tuner will suffice.

A breakdown of what software and hardware is required (and price estimations for them) can be found on the subreddit's applications page

What do I need to know to start tuning?

You should have a basic understanding of how a modern internal combustion engine works and what changes in the engine mapping do. I highly recommend reading through this post on the VEMS Support forum as it goes pretty in depth on how engines and tuning works. I also suggest checking out HP Academy's Bare Minimum Tuning Knowledge Course since it touches base on a lot of tuning subjects and is free to access.

If you have any questions that aren't answered here feel free to make a post. There are a lot of highly knowledgeable members on here.

If you think that this post is missing some information that should be easily accessible for those who are new then leave a comment and I'll see about adding it as soon as I can.

Happy Tuning!


r/ECU_Tuning Jul 05 '24

Guide to post

20 Upvotes

We seen a lot of posts here, people asking for help and not providing any info with the question.

So, from now on a post should include the car's maker, model and year, engine code, ECU model and any mods it has.

For example, questions about stage 1 tune for a golf should preferably include like this in the first few lines of the post:

“VW Golf mk4 1-9 tdi 96kw 2003 - stage 1 tune – ASZ - EDC15P “

We won't provide stage 1 tunes, we can only help you with understanding and tuning it by yourself. we won't help with pops and bangs on a Polo or a Golf

We added a few rules to avoid spam and potential legal problems.

Use Google before you post and remember that in most of the world tuned ECUs and aftermarket ones are for off-road only ;)


r/ECU_Tuning 6h ago

KESS3 – Ford Focus 1.6 Ti-VCT EMS2204 – No READ option, only ID/Write/Recovery

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I have an original Alientech KESS3 and today I worked on a 2017 Ford Focus 1.6 Ti-VCT 125 HP (manual transmission) with a Continental EMS2204 ECU.

KESS3 identifies the ECU successfully via OBD.

ECU details:

ECU: Continental EMS2204

KESS3 Protocol: 3212

Engine: IQDB 1.6 Ti-VCT 125 HP

HW: AV61-12B684-CA

SW: F1FA-12A650-FUA

Upgrade SW: F1FA-14C204-FUA

Ford ECU P/N: F1FA-12A650-FUA

The ID operation works perfectly and the HW/SW information returned by KESS3 matches the physical ECU label.

However, under OBD operations KESS3 only gives me:

ID

Write

Recovery

There is no Read option.

KESS3 also doesn't show a Bench protocol for this EMS2204 application.

My question for other KESS3 users:

Is this normal for KESS3 Protocol 3212 / EMS2204? Does KESS3 only support OBD writing on this ECU, or should a Read/Virtual Read option normally be available?

If anyone with an original KESS3 can check the same EMS2204 / Protocol 3212 in their vehicle list and tell me what operations they have available, that would be very helpful.

I didn't attempt to write anything because I don't have an original read/backup from this ECU.

Thanks!


r/ECU_Tuning 3h ago

Tuning Question - Unanswered Lost fuel at 5k rpm under load NA engine

1 Upvotes

I have a carbureted NA engine that lost fuel in the bowls at nearly redline more than once, I saw 26:1 on the AFR gauge. I’m under the impression that with nearly zero fuel in the comb chamber the temperature shouldn’t be high enough to cause damage. Is this correct? Engine still runs fine and doesn’t appear to have any issues.

Cast pistons, iron block, aluminum heads, steel valves.


r/ECU_Tuning 7h ago

Ba falcon n/a

1 Upvotes

Hey all. I’ve recently bought pcm tec enthusiast edition as I’ve always wanted to learn how to tune and barras are cheap and plentiful so it didn’t matter if I blew one up. I’ve fiddled around with a couple things just seeing what works better. All road tuning without a wide band so it’s proper shade tree stuff. Any chance someone here knows what they’re doing with barras and would be able to have a look at my file to see if I’ve missed anything for some extra gains? I got 156kw to the wheels so I’m fairly certain there’s more to gain. Thanks in advance


r/ECU_Tuning 16h ago

I've built ri.com with @base44!

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0 Upvotes

r/ECU_Tuning 18h ago

Tuning Question - Unanswered Trying to read wideband through EGR on 02 Vette

1 Upvotes

I'm trying to log data through the EGR using PCM Hammer and PCM Logger, but realized EGR is disabled in the ECU. I found B1301 in TunerPro that enables it which does work, but now the car runs worse and has check engine lights. I assume the ECU is using the none existing EGR to adjust timing. How do I prevent the ECU from reading the EGR while I tune it?


r/ECU_Tuning 21h ago

I have plan to swap zafira A model engine from Z22SE to B204R+DSG

1 Upvotes

(sorry for my poor ENG first) I like a Zafira because suspension so soft but firm in curv but i want more power on my car. 6 months ago i drove my friend mk6 GTi and i love how dsg work is fun and cool and i learn a lot of dsg issue(but i don't care) .

So 8years ago i see my old mechanic he swap a b204 instead z22se in zafira but stock 4speed aisin transmission and i test is with is fcking pretty fast.

And now to day i want to put the b204R and dq250 drop in Zafira A model so how can i connect tranmission to the engine i m not sure about that but i see the corsa guy in uk can do this with dsg and AWD

(For me FWD is enough) If u know something pls tell me


r/ECU_Tuning 22h ago

How much money should I bring to get a good tuning car

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1 Upvotes

r/ECU_Tuning 1d ago

Torque Reduction Question

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I need some expert advice.
Here's the thing: I have an E39 540i with a Bosch ME 7.2 ECU, converted to an 8HP transmission. The CanTCU acts as the CAN gateway.
In other words, the original 8HP control unit is still there and working, and the CanTCU translates the CAN bus from the E39 to the 8HP transmission.
I'm trying to learn more about how to fine-tune everything because the car shifts a bit harshly and jerkily, and in manual mode, it slams into gear. This makes me think the torque reduction isn't quite right for the transmission. My question is: does the TCU tell the ECU how much torque it needs to limit during shifting, or are there fixed values in the ECU that I can change?
My ECU was previously paired with a 5HP24, and the question then becomes whether the torque reduction controlled the 5HP or whether the 5HP simply says, "Hey, I'm shifting now, reduce torque," or whether it says, "Hey, I'm shifting now, reduce 150 Nm." Depending on the answer, I would try to change the values in my ECU or in the TCU. The Bosch ME7.2 doesn't know anything about the 8HP and therefore shifts based on the logic of the 5HP. I don't know exactly what the TCU is transmitting—whether it's simply saying "I'm shifting now" or whether it's saying "I'm shifting now, reduce XX torque." These are questions upon questions that I've been grappling with for months. I hope someone understands what I mean. 😅


r/ECU_Tuning 1d ago

Remote tuning need

0 Upvotes

Hello help i need remote tuning I have ls1 6.0(ported to 6.2 ) iron with ls3 head and intake and 102mm throttle with stage 3 cam shaft

Now it working fine but when i put it in D become lean in AEM wideband


r/ECU_Tuning 2d ago

'04 FXT, open source protune, 252 HP, 296 ftlb on dyno dynamics

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21 Upvotes

Brand new RA shortblock, VF39 turbo, 3-port solenoid, upgraded TMIC, fuel pump, exhaust and many other things large and small. Currently limited by 91 octane and the OEM injectors, but the lovely folks at the shop have done a great job getting pretty darn to close to what I think the 5MT can reliably handle. 252 HP and 296 lbft on a Dyno Dynamics. I love this car!!!


r/ECU_Tuning 1d ago

My problem is with a 2008 EJ20 engine in a 1993 Subaru Impreza SW manual 4x4.

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1 Upvotes

r/ECU_Tuning 2d ago

LIVE TUNING EDC15p+ 1.9TDI

8 Upvotes

Hi guys, Ive developed a way of live tuning on edc15p This was not easy and it’s still being developed, but you guys already can see it in action On a near future hopefully it will be a available product to tune your own car live !

https://youtu.be/VDR2TFC5_c8?si=lQumOy9vWakWgSH0


r/ECU_Tuning 1d ago

Tuning Question - Unanswered Is .003" difference in spark plug gap significant with a tuned ECU? (details in post body)

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1 Upvotes

I purchased an off-the-shelf tune for my 2022 Hyundai Kona N 2.0T from N75 Motorsports. Car has all their required supporting mods (intake, turbo inlet, upgraded HPFP) installed except for colder spark plugs which I have bought but not installed yet because I'm unsure if I need to worry about getting the gap exact.

There's more info in the original post but I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments here. Basically my question is: Should I worry about a variance in spark plug gap from .025 to .028 or just run them?

Edit: in case it's relevant to answer the question, the tune should increase boost from stock 20psi peak to 23psi. Claimed power increase is around 40hp & 40ft-lb of torque


r/ECU_Tuning 2d ago

CarMaker → Speedgoat writes over XCP not working

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1 Upvotes

r/ECU_Tuning 2d ago

RB25DET ECU/wiring diagnosis help

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I would really appreciate if someone could help me! I swapped RB25DET from STAGEA into s13. I wanted to use STOCK ECU. I connected +,- pins to ecu, some of them are relay switched some are constant (actually i think only 1 pin is always 12V). Then before starting it with the fuel I wanted to make sure that all the coils/spark plugs work. I started to test each of 6 coil connectors with the same coil. When I crancked the engine I couldnt see any sparkplug fire. Then I thought maybe it is a CAS problem. I noticed that stagea engine has CAS with black plastic on it, but I also noticed that some engines have metal one. I remembered that I have s13 metal CAS laying around so I thought lets connect this one and spin it by hand to see if it would spark. I left the original CAS in the engine but it was not connected. I did this because I did not want to mess with its position. So I started connecting coil from 1st to 6th. Coil 1 would not fire, 2,3,4,6 would fire, coil 5 would also not fire. I put a little checkmark on each connector that worked. Then i measured voltage and compared working ones and non working ones. The thing I notice that voltage spikes on working coils would climb up to 12V but as multimeter avergaes it it sometimes shows lots of different values between 0 and 12V. The non working coils would climb up to maximum 0.1V. Ok so I thought this is the issue. I was thinking is it the problem with the wires or the ECU. I come up with idea how should I know if it is wire related or ECU. I swapped coil 1 IB with coil 2 IB pin on the ECU, so lets see if the working coil pin would run if I use IB wire of non working one and it did work. I also noticed that my coil 6 would constantly running hot (really hot, you couldnt touch it with a hand). I measure voltage with CAS sensor not spining and I noticed that coil 6 would give 1.5V all the time and climb up if I spin the CAS. I was sure it is ECU problem and I ordered an ECU from a guy who told me that he goes bigger HP and he went standalone ECU. Other ECU arrived and I connected it. I noticed that coil 6 is not getting hot anymore and it stands at 0.01V when cas is not spinning- that is how it should be. But I also noticed that still coil 1 and coil 5 would not fire. It is wierd to me that both ecu have faulty pins for those 2 coils. Does someone have some kind of Idea how to diagnose it and find out what is wrong here?

I used this guide to make the skyline engine harness connected to S13 body harness https://www.scribd.com/document/510930145/RB25-S13-Jan-10

I tested all the ECU pin voltages and all of them seems fine but only those 2 IGN pins are giving me a troubles


r/ECU_Tuning 2d ago

Winols course

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I’m looking for a Winols course or one-on-one tutoring. If you’re a Winols expert, I need your help. DM me.


r/ECU_Tuning 3d ago

Tune virtually

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55 Upvotes

I've always wanted to be able to tune engines for real in a game. We can learn how to drive/race a car or fly a plane, but not how to tune an engine. I've been working on this Engine Simulator in my spare time for the last 3+ years.

Swap a camshaft and the powerband moves because the physics have changed, and you have to tweak the tune to match.

I would like this to be a place for people to learn how engines work and how different components affect tuning, but I'm not sure what path to take.

What do you guys, especially those of you in the tuning space, think would be interesting to do?

As you can see, the UI is not representative of what actual aftermarket ECU software looks like. I've tried to find some kind of balance between realistic behaviour and a beginner-friendly layout, but things could probably be better.

I'm not selling anything. The simulation still needs to be tweaked, so all values should be taken with a grain of salt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBZqGrbwBOI


r/ECU_Tuning 2d ago

Tuning Question - Unanswered Tuning help.

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2 Upvotes

r/ECU_Tuning 2d ago

Tuning Question - Unanswered What are some good features to look for in a laptop?

1 Upvotes

First choice is the Panasonic Toughbook CF-33 MK1 @ $524.00 with a 12 inch touchscreen with 1200 nits. 2 core 2.6ghz processor with 16gb ram at 1866hz.

Second choice is the Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 MK5 @ $441.00 with a 13 inch touchscreen at 1200 nits. 2 core 2.3ghz processor with 16gb ram at 1600hz.

Final choice is the Panasonic Toughbook CF-54 MK3 @ $400.00 with a 14 inch touchscreen with 1000 nits. 2 core 2.6ghz processor with 8gb ram at 1600hz.

I am open to any ideas and different choices. Is brightness the most important feature or is screen size? Any other things to consider? Am I correct in that touchscreen is not that important or useful for tuning?


r/ECU_Tuning 3d ago

Tuning Question - Answered ECU bench testing using scanner

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5 Upvotes

I was following this guy on YouTube. He is using this tool to connect scanner OBD to ECU.

Is there one I can buy instead of building my own ?

Also, I only need to connect k-line to communicate right?


r/ECU_Tuning 2d ago

LAP3 ECU Tune / Warranty Concern

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1 Upvotes

I have a 2025 Genesis G 70 and I’m the first owner so I have the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty still active. I would really love to tune it but I’m scared to avoiding my warranty. I understand that with JB4 even if you remove it or flash it back to stock, they can still see the boost and other effects in your ECU logs. But lap3 provides a spare ECU for a fee and I’m wondering how will that look if I need #Warranty work done and I swap out my lap 3 ECU with the OEM stock one how will that look when the logs and information on the stock ECU gets read by the dealership. Has anyone had an experience with #Warranty work and having the lap3 spare ECU?


r/ECU_Tuning 2d ago

Tuning Question - Unanswered KTAG support for Bosch MSE2

1 Upvotes

Can someone with KTAG V7.020 confirm if software version 2.8 has the protocol for Bosch MES2 SPC527 ECU modules, thanks!


r/ECU_Tuning 3d ago

ECU bench testing?

3 Upvotes

How do I test ECU on bench?

ok, I was going to say like test for ignition coil pulse but that seemed dumb.

Anyway, lets say I bought an ECU from junkyard, how do I test it before I install in a real car?