Buying / Selling an aftermarket ECU
09-01-2009, 02:21 PM
#1
Buying / Selling an aftermarket ECU
Just a quick post really with a bit of advice that I myself of course made the mistake of not following even though its something I always say to others 
If you are buying or selling an ECU, then make sure that the ECU is not password protected.
Ive just made up a loom for my nova to install RapidCossie's SM4 on it that I bought from him, only to find that AVA have password protected the map, which means I cant even upload my own basemap that I have written, effectively rendering the ECU potentially useless.
Now in this case, thankfully there are a couple of options.
Ive contacted RapidCossie and he is going to ask AVA for the password, which hopefully they will give me so I can wipe the map (ive no interest in using it as it would be completely useless for my nova engine and Ive already written a good basemap for it based on my experience of mapping similar engines to my nova one anyway)
If RapidCossie wasnt so approachable, or was some random off ebay or whatever, I wouldnt have this avenue open to me, so that might be a situation you end up in if you buy from someone less helpful.
Ive contacted Mark Shead, and if AVA are unprepared to release the password on their map, then he can access the ECU for me to install a blank map, although this means a 300mile+ round trip for me tomorrow morning for him to do so.
If Mark didnt know I had bought the ecu legally secondhand etc though, potentially this wouldnt be an option either as many manufacturers and distributors will only unlock an ECU if presented with the original receipt.
So just posting this as a quick word of warning, as obviously if people are spending a grand or so on an ECU, its useful if they can use it for something other than a paperweight and that is a situation that many people have ended up in with similar stories.
If you are buying or selling an ECU, then make sure that the ECU is not password protected.
Ive just made up a loom for my nova to install RapidCossie's SM4 on it that I bought from him, only to find that AVA have password protected the map, which means I cant even upload my own basemap that I have written, effectively rendering the ECU potentially useless.
Now in this case, thankfully there are a couple of options.
Ive contacted RapidCossie and he is going to ask AVA for the password, which hopefully they will give me so I can wipe the map (ive no interest in using it as it would be completely useless for my nova engine and Ive already written a good basemap for it based on my experience of mapping similar engines to my nova one anyway)
If RapidCossie wasnt so approachable, or was some random off ebay or whatever, I wouldnt have this avenue open to me, so that might be a situation you end up in if you buy from someone less helpful.
Ive contacted Mark Shead, and if AVA are unprepared to release the password on their map, then he can access the ECU for me to install a blank map, although this means a 300mile+ round trip for me tomorrow morning for him to do so.
If Mark didnt know I had bought the ecu legally secondhand etc though, potentially this wouldnt be an option either as many manufacturers and distributors will only unlock an ECU if presented with the original receipt.
So just posting this as a quick word of warning, as obviously if people are spending a grand or so on an ECU, its useful if they can use it for something other than a paperweight and that is a situation that many people have ended up in with similar stories.
09-01-2009, 02:32 PM
#3
) that I wont get it and will have to drive 300+ miles round trip to mark tomorrow to have it removed instead. 
Im not blaming Euan, I didnt check it was wiped when I bought it so Im partially to blame as I just assumed that as it was a professional company he was dealing with for it, that they would have made him well aware that it needed wiping first, and apparently he was unaware it had been left with a password on too anyway as Ive spoken to him since, he was under the impression they left it unlocked for me.
09-01-2009, 02:32 PM
#4
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Good advice chip 
The 3 ecu's I designed had password protection against reading maps but anyone could overwrite them which to me is the sensible thing to do.
Everyone is worried about security these days..LOL
The 3 ecu's I designed had password protection against reading maps but anyone could overwrite them which to me is the sensible thing to do.
Everyone is worried about security these days..LOL
09-01-2009, 02:35 PM
#5
Agreed, I totally understand why ecu's need a password, if only so that a customer bringing a car back under warranty can be proven to have not messed with the map themselves if it melts due to a mapping issue etc, but I dont see why all manufacturers dont follow your lead and allow you to start from scratch without the password.
Some say its an antitheft feature, but if that is the case, why not have two passwords, one for locking the code and one for preventing new code from being written, as then at least tuners would have a choice of doing the responsible thing and give the user the password so that although he cant access their code, he can at least use the ECU that he has paid in full for!
09-01-2009, 02:39 PM
#7
Im expecting to have to drive to Mark's tomorrow, not the end of the world, but certainly an inconvenience, but who knows maybe AVA will come up trumps for me, I know I certainly would if it was the other way around as its only fair given that they KNOW that I havent stolen the ecu etc as Euan can prove that.
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09-01-2009, 03:01 PM
#11
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Im expecting to have to drive to Mark's tomorrow, not the end of the world, but certainly an inconvenience, but who knows maybe AVA will come up trumps for me, I know I certainly would if it was the other way around as its only fair given that they KNOW that I havent stolen the ecu etc as Euan can prove that.
.Mark
09-01-2009, 03:44 PM
#12
PassionFord Post Whore!!
09-01-2009, 04:29 PM
#20
it's to stop it from falling into terrorists hands, don't you keep up to date with the news you guys
but getting back to the subject at hand, if you buy an ecu, shoudl you have it set up for your car in any case?
i'm sure that, even if you buy an engine with the ecu, something will have changed on removal/refitting to warrant some sort of map fiddling so who does the onus lie with to get the ecu unlocked?
the seller before selling it i would assume, otherwise you are at the mercy of the password writer who may want more money for the priveliege of removing it
but getting back to the subject at hand, if you buy an ecu, shoudl you have it set up for your car in any case?
i'm sure that, even if you buy an engine with the ecu, something will have changed on removal/refitting to warrant some sort of map fiddling so who does the onus lie with to get the ecu unlocked?
the seller before selling it i would assume, otherwise you are at the mercy of the password writer who may want more money for the priveliege of removing it
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