1. Does the ecuflash cable need to be plugged directly from car to PC (for some resistance reasons), or can i use a desktop in the garage and run a USB extention.

2. Is it neccessary to have a wideband 02 to use ecuflash (just to purchase tunes, not to adjust them).


thank you

 

1) dont know. Some one else please answer

2)You dont need a WB O2 to use ECUFlash, but I recommend it for checkin E-Flashes.

 

1. yes you can.

2. its a very good idea to have a wideband to check to make sure the AFR's are good. if its too lean then say bye bye motor. so i'd get one just incase. they are cheap (like 50). get the bmw WB. think you can find them on ebay or craigslist somwhere. good luck

- shane

 

50 bucks for a wideband?

I think you're confusing it with narrowband..either that of ive been out of the game for TOO long.

 

yea man my friend got his for 40 or 50 off ebay i believe. ill ask him and let ya know if you want .

- shane

 

I have been using a 20' ext USB with a desk computer and no problems so far. Make sure the connections are secure, have no noise, and power source is good. If you loose the signal in the middle of the flash - your ECU is toast (happened with a WRX allready).
If your tuning, esp without a wideband, as a beginner, I would highly suggest getting your car custom tuned first, that way you have a decent base specific to your car to work on

 

Desktop and an extension is fine.. No problem doing it with a typical extension cable.. Anything longer and there is some risk of loss due to the length of the cable (USB Does have a maximum length specification) but you can get an Active Extension cable and run distances as long as 100' or more..

 

Oh and a toasted ECU can be recovered if its just due to a bad flash.. If you can't get a ECU to work, either download or upload.. Use the ECU Unlocker tool and you should be able to recover it.

 

What do you mean by toast? Do you mean you will need a new ECU? Or you need to reflash the stock ROM back in the existing ECU? If it is the former, then that is a scary prospect.

 

I took about 6 Subaru ECUs to the trash the other day before my house move - they were ones I lost reprogramming the 99/00 Subaru JECS ECU with Ecutek. If the power supply fluctuated or sometimes apparently just randomly there was a problem, the ECU just died. These were the casualties from about 400 flashes. The newer ECUs have far more checks and don't rely on a one write do or die situation.

 

Most of the time a bad flash CAN be recovered.. Usually enough of the code is still functioning that it will init.. If it does not, then you try using the ECU Unlocker along with ECUFlash to give it another try.. FWIW I actually recovered "Dead" ECUs that were thought to be unfixable according to mitsubishi using my unlocker tool and a new (known good) rom file..

The great thing about ECUFlash is writing the rom is isolated only to areas modified.. Hence a bad flash may leave the car undrivable, but the ECU will still be reflashable...