1G TCU Programming

[turbotalon1g]

There is only 1 post on the yahoo groups that I can find, but I was wondering if anyone had any other information that could help.

I'm looking to reprogram power mode to be 100% pressure on shifts and maybe use it as a manual shifting mode to, to make life easier when tuning and dynoing, plus i'm sure it will help on the street.

I want econo mode to be what power mode is now.
I am currently talking with a tuner here in MN that will be helping me, but hasn't really gotten into the TCUs yet.

Thanks
Aaron

 

[blktalon3]

Foreign Muscle These guys can reprogram your tcu. They can change line pressure, shift points, and give two different maps via the power/econ button. They did mine and i love it. They're very helpful.

 

[floader]

+1 on foreign muscle. I have one of his chips in my car an it works good

 

[91stocker]

Hate to bring this thread back from the dead, but i recently had the same idea.

Does anyone have any info on the possibility of this working? How exactly does the switch work? Is it as simple as changing the resistance on the power side?

I was going to wire a 10ohm resistor in-line, but this switch could be a pretty slick set up. I've seen people flash the tcu for this very option. Any thoughts?

 

[Bud92gsx]

Just buy the damm chip, and install..Not that hard..You could always get the roadsurge auto shift box..And shift yourself..

I just checked out their site..You mise well just buy the roadsurge box for that price..

 

[91stocker]

I just checked out their site..You mise well just buy the roadsurge box for that price..

Haha now you see why im asking.

Nah if i wanted to go with the roadsurge id just make one for $20. If someone could give some info on what the switch is physically doing, that would be great. I found a few diagrams that may help.

The second pic is the "clutch-less manual mod".
The thrid pic is someones diagram of a dual stage boost controller using the power/eco button.
The fourth is the actual wiring diagram.

 

[Bud92gsx]

The shifter that cost 20 bux is nowhere near as advanced as the roadsurge box.. The shifter that's in the tech section/drivetrain correct..

What are these diagrams supposed to represent?

 

[91stocker]

What are these diagrams supposed to represent?

Just trying to spark some interest on the subject. The diagrams are just something that may be useful to someone working on the same thing or for someone who knows more about it.

Btw the way the third pic is obviously wrong, but someone could easily modify it to show the correct way to do this.

 

[Bud92gsx]

I never thought about wiring my shift box to the power/eco button to turn it on and off..

 

[91stocker]

I never thought about wiring my shift box to the power/eco button to turn it on and off..

and the wheels are in motion

 

[Bud92gsx]

It's possible..I have alot of things in mind so who knows..

 

[HighPSI TSi Guy]

There actually is a fully programmable, fully compatible, really awesome trans control system that works awesome with these cars. Powertrain Control Solutions. But I doubt anyone on here wants to pay the $750 price tag of perfection and elimination of all hassle.

.You mise well just buy the roadsurge box for that price..

The two products do completely different functions. I don't understand the point of this comment?

It's nice to know you guys don't appreciate or value the hard work of R&D.

 

[91stocker]

There actually is a fully programmable, fully compatible, really awesome trans control system that works awesome with these cars. Powertrain Control Solutions. But I doubt anyone on here wants to pay the $750 price tag of perfection and elimination of all hassle.



The two products do completely different functions. I don't understand the point of this comment?

It's nice to know you guys don't appreciate or value the hard work of R&D.

No i appreciate people like BoostedTalonTS for his incredibly helpful write up. He shared his knowledge with the community, he didnt hold on to it, try to make a buck off it, then push said product on everyone that asks how they can do it themselves. I cleaned my interior trim panels with a tooth brush today. I didn't pay the local detailer to do it, see what im getting at?

I'm not an electrical expert whatsoever or i would have done this already and posted a write up. I'm also not going to pay $150 for something i can make for $20.

Also not going to pay $150 for a $2 potentiometer in a fancy box. I don't need different levels of firmness, id like a cruise setting and a 100% line pressure thats it. I'm sure it can be pulled off with the power/eco button, since its an option on a tcu re-flash.

I guess since there's no info on this, i'll have to experiment myself. My thoughts so far are, switch it over to "power" setting, disconnect the plug(hopefully locking it in the power setting), run the "blue wire" through the switch with the "power" setting through the 10ohm 10 watt resistor in-line and back to the trans. With the eco setting having no resistance, maybe even using larger gauge wire to be sure of that.

Any thoughts on this? Be gentle haha

 

[Bud92gsx]

Powertrain Control Solutions. But I doubt anyone on here wants to pay the $750 price tag of perfection and elimination of all hassle.

QUOTE]
Yeah 750$ when the one I have cost almost nothing, and the roadsurge box that went thru R&D costs 150..Who would pay 750 for the same kind of product..I could buy link and a wideband for that price..

 

[HighPSI TSi Guy]

No i appreciate people like BoostedTalonTS for his incredibly helpful write up. He shared his knowledge with the community, he didnt hold on to it, try to make a buck off it, then push said product on everyone that asks how they can do it themselves. I cleaned my interior trim panels with a tooth brush today. I didn't pay the local detailer to do it, see what im getting at?

I'm not an electrical expert whatsoever or i would have done this already and posted a write up. I'm also not going to pay $150 for something i can make for $20.

Also not going to pay $150 for a $2 potentiometer in a fancy box. I don't need different levels of firmness, id like a cruise setting and a 100% line pressure thats it. I'm sure it can be pulled off with the power/eco button, since its an option on a tcu re-flash.

I guess since there's no info on this, i'll have to experiment myself. My thoughts so far are, switch it over to "power" setting, disconnect the plug(hopefully locking it in the power setting), run the "blue wire" through the switch with the "power" setting through the 10ohm 10 watt resistor in-line and back to the trans. With the eco setting having no resistance, maybe even using larger gauge wire to be sure of that.

Any thoughts on this? Be gentle haha

There is no radio shack trickery in the TCU chips. It is software. The TCU code had to be disassembled, reverse engineered, and thoroughly tested. I guess not valuing other people's labor is the American way these days. People will pay $400 for stuff that foxcon pumps out for pennies off slave labor and won't complain, but someone trying to make an honest dollar off hard work is ripping everyone off.

Every product listed does something different, I don't see why you can't understand this? The hack job radio shack stuff is just that - resisters are the incorrect way of altering a pulsewidth modulated signal and is not a good way to do anything solenoid related.

The blue wire mod works - if I'm understanding correctly, what you're trying to do is activate the blue wire mod simultaneously with the power mode activation. Good idea, and it'll work, and it's easily doable with a relay and a resistor, don't need anything else. Personally I'd never run less than full line pressure in any mode at WOT though.

You keep trying to lump all these things together as if they all do the same thing - they do not, and are all 100% DIFFERENT functioning products, with different features and different functions, and cannot be compared as if they are the same thing. Too many people these days try to build a car as a list of parts and picking each item by choosing whatever fills the category that's the best bargain at the time. This method can, does, and will always end in complete inarguable failure. Usually followed by an angry partout when they get mad they couldn't run 8s on junk parts.

You need to consider your needs, and what you are looking for, and purchase a control system based on your needs and wants. Working in the performance industry for 10 years I can tell anyone the #1 mistake people make when building a car is choosing a good deal over a part that fits their needs better, and people never believe it. But it's true. If you want a car that truly achieves your goals you need to ignore all pricing when choosing parts, and choose what fits needs within reason, and not worrying about price. Also while you're complaining about the price of a chip, note that $50 is paying labor for the socket job. That is the going rate for a professional socket job, that is done correctly without burning the board up like most hack job radio shack DIY socket jobs do. Do you feel the road surge box is less of a ripoff because there are a higher number of components involved, thus it must be of higher value? A chip + socket probably costs more than the per unit bulk cost to manufacture those boxes. And, might I point out, (and don't take this as me bashing the roadsurge box - it does what it's designed to do, no problems with it - I'm just making a point here) that the road surge box is simply a manual mode, with pushbuttons. There is no computer involved, there is no auto mode, it has to be wired in, it has only a single line pressure setting - The TCU is plug and play, features custom line pressure mapping, custom shift mapping, and auto mode, and in some cases, a manual mode as well. So you believe a box that is more work to install, and performs less function, is a higher value?

Powertrain Control Solutions. But I doubt anyone on here wants to pay the $750 price tag of perfection and elimination of all hassle.

QUOTE]
Yeah 750$ when the one I have cost almost nothing, and the roadsurge box that went thru R&D costs 150..Who would pay 750 for the same kind of product..I could buy link and a wideband for that price..

If you had half a clue what the Powertrain Control Solutions units are and can do, you'd understand (I hope) why they are worth every penny. Comparing your radio shack shifter to a PCS-2000 is like comparing an AEM EMS to a carburetor.

ECMlink and a wideband won't control your transmission - this is irrelevant.

You all can buy what you want though - nobody is getting rich off DSM shift solutions, the market is so small it really is irrelevant, and the profit margin is hardly worth the hassle half the time. I'm not pushing any product over another - IMO if you choose the solution that doesn't match what you need, it's your fault not mine.

 

[91stocker]

Every product listed does something different, I don't see why you can't understand this? The hack job radio shack stuff is just that - resisters are the incorrect way of altering a pulsewidth modulated signal and is not a good way to do anything solenoid related.

I understand that the resistor method eventually can cause damage to the tcu, but the "trans boost controller" uses this method right? I used to have a break down of the box somewhere but ive seemed to have lost it.

The blue wire mod works - if I'm understanding correctly, what you're trying to do is activate the blue wire mod simultaneously with the power mode activation. Good idea, and it'll work, and it's easily doable with a relay and a resistor, don't need anything else. Personally I'd never run less than full line pressure in any mode at WOT though.

Yes exactly. Ive got the wiring diagram for the switch so i should be able to pull it off. It just seemed like a slick way to do basically what the boost controller does with out having to mount the box anywhere visible.

note that $50 is paying labor for the socket job.

That i did not know. The more i think about the better the reflash looks honestly. I want to keep factory shift points but gain the ability to adjust line pressure on the fly.

I may go this method just to avoid hacking up plugs and tcu harness.

You need to consider your needs, and what you are looking for, and purchase a control system based on your needs and wants. Working in the performance industry for 10 years I can tell anyone the #1 mistake people make when building a car is choosing a good deal over a part that fits their needs better, and people never believe it. But it's true. If you want a car that truly achieves your goals you need to ignore all pricing when choosing parts, and choose what fits needs within reason, and not worrying about price. Also while you're complaining about the price of a chip, note that $50 is paying labor for the socket job. That is the going rate for a professional socket job, that is done correctly without burning the board up like most hack job radio shack DIY socket jobs do. Do you feel the road surge box is less of a ripoff because there are a higher number of components involved, thus it must be of higher value? A chip + socket probably costs more than the per unit bulk cost to manufacture those boxes. And, might I point out, (and don't take this as me bashing the roadsurge box - it does what it's designed to do, no problems with it - I'm just making a point here) that the road surge box is simply a manual mode, with pushbuttons. There is no computer involved, there is no auto mode, it has to be wired in, it has only a single line pressure setting - The TCU is plug and play, features custom line pressure mapping, custom shift mapping, and auto mode, and in some cases, a manual mode as well. So you believe a box that is more work to install, and performs less function, is a higher value?

I think you misunderstood my point. Its not necessarily the price. This is a hobby for me. When changing out my fuel pump i ran all ss hardware on the fuel sending unit and tank, bought all new hoses and clamps, bought a restore kit for the tank, sanded it down, prepped and painted it. Ran a 90 bulk head in the sending unit and braided line to the rail. So in the end i spent a couple hundred not including the fuel pump just to reinstall my gas tank. I take pride in the details and that fact that i did it myself.

If there is a yahoo group or something for guys flashing their tcu's id love a link. Having my own chip burner could be a fun project, also more convenient then sending out for a reflash.

Btw, rep for you. Thanks for the info.

 

[turbotalon1g]

I have a socketed TCU and programmed chip and so far I love it. Is it tuned by a friend of mine so it is taylored to my setup.

A friend with the exact same setup did the kiggly mod, once my car is back on the road i will get some back to back comparisons to see if one is better than the other.

 

[the_mork]

Let me just run this down for you so that I can simplify a few things in terms of your options.

Switchable blue wire mod:
The first is a switchable blue wire mod which is what you described before but is much more simple than you are making it out to be. You don't need a wiring diagram for this and you can run your car either as stock, or as stock shifting points and 100% line pressure. Simply find the wire for the pressure control solenoid which is blue at the solenoid harness and cut it. You may choose to do this at the solenoid harness so that if you return the car to stock the wiring is easily replaced, or at the tcu where the wire lengths will be short and no one will ever see your wiring. Attach a wire from each side to a three pole switch. Have the ecu side of the wire go into the feed or positive side of the switch, and then have the solenoid side go to one of the switched outputs. The second output gets grounded with a resistor (hint search blue wire mod to determine what type of resistor you need).

The roadsurge box/kiggly mod:
Search for the kiggly mod if you don't know what it is but it does almost the same thing as the roadsurge box but without a box, and without buttons instead you use your stock shifter. 100% line pressure 100% of the time and manual shifting 100% of the time.

Programmed tcu:
Adjusts the programming of your tcu eprom image to match your specifications and power level with variable levels of user determined line pressure depending on tps/RPM/probably some other stuff. Can change shift points and raise shifting rev limit. Generally available with dual maps for different driving preferences. You will not be able to adjust line pressure on the fly but if your image is set up right then you wont want/need to. You can either purchase this from a vendor or you can browse the yahoo ecu group for days/weeks and start attempting these modifications yourself after investing in an ostrich or chip burner. This is really the best option for a car that still spends time on the road and is equal to the other options for track time generally.

 

[turbotalon1g]

^Best post ever. You mods should lock this thread up here before it gets wasted.