Tools for ECU Memory Remapping

The operational modes of all critical systems of modern cars are in most cases governed by the embedded electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU collects readings from different sensors and responds by issuing orders according to the presets, stored in its memory.

Proven and reliable tools for ECU memory access are available at ECUTools online chip-tuning and diagnostics store – just visit https://ecutools.eu/chip-tuning/loaders/.

Why Flashers are Necessary

All popular ECU models have onboard EEPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) which is by design inaccessible by external tools without the usage of specific software and hardware. And even while special adapters are capable of performing necessary signal and data format conversion, this memory will remain read-only to the external PC. Flashers provide their users an ability to:

• Identify the model of installed ECU and the revision of its firmware.
• Read and display the contents of the ECU flash memory.
• Retrieve and decode files from the memory of the ECU.
• Encode alternated files, perform their checksum correction and write them back to the ECU.

Checksum correction is a crucial ability of the flasher, as if this correction is not performed, alternated files would not be accepted by ECU firmware, which could lead to the inoperability of the car (ECU bricking).

Advanced flashers could also be used for firmware updates and downgrades, and some models even support firmware recovery of bricked ECUs.

Using flasher allows tweaking critical engine performance options, including:

• Ignition sparks timing.
• Air intake and Air/Fuel Ratio.
• Exhaust.
• Direct boost control (on cars with a turbo).

For some car models, flashers can also be used to remove software blocks that limit the top speed (most sport cars, sold at general market) or disable some useful features like cruise control or travel computer on some Opel cars.

Popular Flashers for Chip Tuning

Flashers could be provided as a complex of software and hardware which could be used “out of the box” or as a software that should be used together with third-party adapters and editors. The following complex solutions are currently most popular:

• Autotuner Tool – universal boot-mode flasher, which is compatible with virtually every popular ECU model and is provided in two editions – Master (full) and Slave (reading the ECU and writing files, prepared in Master edition).
• Alientech Kess v2 – Master/Slave architecture OBD flasher.
• FLEX – another Master/Slave flasher, which can be used via OBD, BDM, Bootloader, JTAG and AUD interfaces.
• Toyota Lexus ECU Flasher – special integral solution for Lexus cars.

As for software-only solutions, most experts advise using one of the following tools:

• PCMflash.
• MMC Flasher.
• BitBox.
• Multiflasher.
• Chiploader 2.
• Openbox 3.