What happenes to stock ECU when you chip your car?
09-12-2000, 06:50 PM
#1
New Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What happenes to stock ECU when you chip your car?
Okay I'm confused as to what happens when you chip your car. I have a 99 so I hear its just a slot (pull in and out)
Does...
1. Send chip to company and they just FLASH it? (Neuspeed, APR, Garret, etc...)
2. Order chip and you just replace?
3. The phyicaly modify the chip via sodering or whatnot to add stuff or change
Which of these take place when people "chip" their car? As I understand Neuspeed is #3, they sodder on the P-chip
all the other companies are #2?
Does...
1. Send chip to company and they just FLASH it? (Neuspeed, APR, Garret, etc...)
2. Order chip and you just replace?
3. The phyicaly modify the chip via sodering or whatnot to add stuff or change
Which of these take place when people "chip" their car? As I understand Neuspeed is #3, they sodder on the P-chip
all the other companies are #2?
09-12-2000, 06:58 PM
#2
AudiWorld Expert
It disintegrates into nothing....
Seriously though...everyone does #3. I watched when they did my Garrett chip<p><img src="http://www.seansa4page.com/images/miscpics/steveshsig1.gif" border="0">
09-12-2000, 07:31 PM
#3
New Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I use my old stock ECU as a coaster for my coffee table.
Seriously, I sent my ECU to APR and they replaced a chip on the board inside the ECU. It's done by hand and you can definitely tell that it's there if you disassemble the ECU (I only looked because I was curious).
I think what you're imagining is physically removing a computer chip from your car. In reality the chip that gets 'chipped' is part of a board that is encased in a little aluminum box (a.k.a. the ECU but i'm no mechanic). There are two sockets at the rear of the box (or ECU) to which computer cables attach. All this stuff is contained in a black 'tupperware' box (again I'm no mechanic) inside your engine compartment.
My stock chip is probably sitting in a landfill somewhere in Alabama now.
Hopefully all this gibberish answers your question.
- Matty
Y2K 1.8TQMC APR Stage 1 Chipped
I think what you're imagining is physically removing a computer chip from your car. In reality the chip that gets 'chipped' is part of a board that is encased in a little aluminum box (a.k.a. the ECU but i'm no mechanic). There are two sockets at the rear of the box (or ECU) to which computer cables attach. All this stuff is contained in a black 'tupperware' box (again I'm no mechanic) inside your engine compartment.
My stock chip is probably sitting in a landfill somewhere in Alabama now.
Hopefully all this gibberish answers your question.
- Matty
Y2K 1.8TQMC APR Stage 1 Chipped
09-12-2000, 07:52 PM
#4
New Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
so...
is it like pulling out a PCI card from your computer? Or they have to replace circuts on the acutal chip....
so people take out their ECU which is a aluminum BOX. Ship the BOX to whatever company.... they open the box replace some wires or whatever in the box and ship it back to you?
but someone said that pre 00's had slots ot take in and out... kinda like memory cards for video games or whatever... can't I just buy a Neuspeed slip that in and go..then slip my stock back in and Audi would never know I had it chipped
so people take out their ECU which is a aluminum BOX. Ship the BOX to whatever company.... they open the box replace some wires or whatever in the box and ship it back to you?
but someone said that pre 00's had slots ot take in and out... kinda like memory cards for video games or whatever... can't I just buy a Neuspeed slip that in and go..then slip my stock back in and Audi would never know I had it chipped
09-12-2000, 08:17 PM
#6
New Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Okay i'm hella confused now....
this is more confusing that calculus...
so the "ECU" is the BOX
chipping is replacing circuts within hte BOX
all chips except Neuspeed do this, Neuspeed reprograms it
pre 00's are EZ to take the box out...
when why do I hear people saying they take thei car to a shop 30 min later they got chip in and are rolling... and then other people are putting more miles on the ECU box then they will ever drive in their car... whats up with this?
so the "ECU" is the BOX
chipping is replacing circuts within hte BOX
all chips except Neuspeed do this, Neuspeed reprograms it
pre 00's are EZ to take the box out...
when why do I hear people saying they take thei car to a shop 30 min later they got chip in and are rolling... and then other people are putting more miles on the ECU box then they will ever drive in their car... whats up with this?
Trending Topics
09-12-2000, 08:57 PM
#8
New Member
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Go to the FAQ section of Audiworld and read up on replacing the ECU...that may help
I have to admit I plan to chip but I haven't even taken a close look at my ECU yet!
(only have about 800 mi on it).
The key part is the ECU circuit card. On the card is a pre-programmed memory
chip (PROM I guess). These things require special electronics (called PROM burner)
to program. There seem to be 2 approaches:
desolder the stock PROM and solder in a new one with the 1.0 bar program on it.
desolder the stock PROM and solder in a socket, then insert the new PROM. This is
advertised as allowing subsequent upgrades (or downgrades for that matter) to be
done with ECU in car by merely popping up the chip and pushing down the new one.
APR has recently introduced a wrinkle. Apparently they are installing an EEPROM
instead of a simple PROM. The difference is that it will be possible to reprogram the
chip with it still in the car. They have also installed some software that communicates
via the cruise control, such that more than one program is resident on the same
chip and you pick the one you want.
Desolder / resolder and test is fairly straight forward operation. Of course, if you
buy a second ECU you can have that one chipped while the other one is in the car,
and you are only down for the time to pull one and install the new one. The whole
ECU runs about $1000 though.
scott s.
.
(only have about 800 mi on it).
The key part is the ECU circuit card. On the card is a pre-programmed memory
chip (PROM I guess). These things require special electronics (called PROM burner)
to program. There seem to be 2 approaches:
desolder the stock PROM and solder in a new one with the 1.0 bar program on it.
desolder the stock PROM and solder in a socket, then insert the new PROM. This is
advertised as allowing subsequent upgrades (or downgrades for that matter) to be
done with ECU in car by merely popping up the chip and pushing down the new one.
APR has recently introduced a wrinkle. Apparently they are installing an EEPROM
instead of a simple PROM. The difference is that it will be possible to reprogram the
chip with it still in the car. They have also installed some software that communicates
via the cruise control, such that more than one program is resident on the same
chip and you pick the one you want.
Desolder / resolder and test is fairly straight forward operation. Of course, if you
buy a second ECU you can have that one chipped while the other one is in the car,
and you are only down for the time to pull one and install the new one. The whole
ECU runs about $1000 though.
scott s.
.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
BlackS4tt (Josh)
Florida Discussion
9
05-01-2005 05:27 AM
BiturboBoy_V2.0_S3--
S4 / RS4 (B5 Platform) Discussion
11
12-10-2003 06:10 PM