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The COMPLETE beginner's guide to e-tuning (with a vendor and VAG-COM cable)


Adoniram

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This guide is to help anyone get their car e-tuned, even if you've never done it before. Specifically, this is for the layman who purchased tuning service from a vendor and just needs the basic information to do his/her part in order to get his/her car tuned.

IMPORTANT: Tune your car at your own risk!

 

http://www.scriptlogic.com/images/icons/windows-logo.pngWindows 7 Users CLICK HERE (including x64)

 

 

ALSO IMPORTANT: I have based this guide completely on my own experience. I purchased a Stage 2 tune from Infamous Performance, specifically through m sprank. They have been very helpful dealing with all my questions, and I highly recommend their products and services.

 

My setup:

(to help you determine how useful this info will be for you)

2005 Legacy GT Limited 5EAT

VAG-COM cable

GT Spec EL headers & uppipe, CNT catted downpipe, K&N air filter

Laptop with Windows XP SP3

***Windows 7 Users should click here for Win 7 instructions!

 

 

HOW-TO:

Preliminary Setup: Steps 1-20

1. Resist the urge to simply plug-and-play! When I bought the VAG-COM cable, I also received a CD that had everything I needed to get the tune complete. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that and ended up running into roadblocks right away. Slow down and follow these steps to avoid a major headache.

 

2. Using the CD provided, install EcuFlash 1.29 (the file was called ecuflash_setup129a.exe)

 

*You can also download EcuFlash 1.29 by clicking here

 

3. Open EcuFlash, plug the VAG-COM cable into the computer. (You may wish to have the other end plugged into the car to test for functionality)

 

4. The "Found Device Wizard" should show up (might also be a pop-up for "Found new hardware"). The first thing my computer wanted to install was the USB Bus.

 

5. Do not allow the computer to look for the driver automatically. Instead, choose to select your own driver (via "Have Disk..." etc), and navigate to the EcuFlash folder (on my computer, it was C:\Program Files\OpenECU\EcuFlash).

 

6. Here you should see a folder called "Drivers." In that folder, you want to select FTDIBUS.INF as the driver file. Using this file, you should be able to successfully install the hardware. My computer asked me to "Continue anyway" if I wanted to install unsigned drivers. Just go ahead and continue.

 

7. The wizard should say the hardware was installed successfully!

 

8. "The Found Device Wizard" should show up again, this time trying to install the USB Port.

 

9. Same as before, navigate to the drivers folder, and this time you want to use FTDIPORT.INF as the driver file.

 

10. Make sure to "Continue anyway" if asked.

 

11. The device should now be installed successfully!

 

12. If you installed everything correctly, you should be able to plug your VAG-COM cable into the car (if you haven't already), turn the key to the ON position, start EcuFlash and see "FT232R USB UART A400fMIA" in the bottom right-hand corner. If something is wrong, you'll see "No Vehicle Interface."

 

NOTE: I jumped the gun with my tune and had downloaded the latest version of EcuFlash. THAT WILL NOT WORK WITH THE VAG-COM CABLE. Use the version provided with the CD, or use the version I mentioned above.

 

13. Download (or use from the CD) the ECU definitions file (in my case, filename: "ECUFLASH STANDARD units SUBARU ECU definitions 0.8.3.1b 10-07-09.zip"). Extract the folder "Subaru" into the metadata folder of EcuFlash (in my case, C:/Program Files/OpenECU/EcuFlash/rommetadata). If you already have a folder called "Subaru" in the metadata directory, just rename it something else like "Subaru-old" or whatever you like.

 

NOTE: If you do not know or are unsure of your EcuFlash directory, just open EcuFlash, click Options, and click "Metadata Directory." Your directory will be displayed on the right.

 

14. Now you need to install Learning View. With the CD provided, I installed Learning View 0.6a (via the filename "Learning View 0.6a.zip"). All you need to do is extract "Learning View.exe" to your desktop, or wherever you feel is most handy. Learning View installation done.

 

15. Next, you need RomRaider. The CD provided should contain a file (mine had filename "RomRaider0.5.2Beta-setup.exe"). Install the program.

 

Alternatively, you can download the latest RomRaider version here.

 

16. Now you need to extract the ECU definitions. My CD had filename "ROMRAIDER STANDARD units LOGGER definitions 0.3.5b 10-02-09.zip" but just use whatever is provided. You need to extract "logger.xml" to the RomRaider folder, or somewhere you'll remember.

You can also download the definitions from the bottom of the first post here.

 

17. Open "RomRaider Logger" (should have an icon on your desktop). Click Settings > Logger Definition Location. Navigate to wherever you extracted the "logger.xml" file.

 

18. RomRaider setup should be complete!

 

19. The last thing you'll need to know is which COM port the VAG-COM cable is using. To do this, right-click on My Computer (or just "Computer") and choose Manage. Click on "Device Manager" and on the right side, you should see a section called "Ports (COM & LPT)." Look for the FT232R cable (might have different names on different computers, but it should be obvious). Take note of which COM port it's using (ex: COM14). You might need to set this in RomRaider and LearningView.

 

20. Preliminary setup complete! That wasn't so bad, was it?

 

 

Learning View: Steps 21-22

21. You may need to send your vendor a "LearningView snapshot" of your system before you get your first ROM. To do this, plug in your cable to the car and computer, turn the key to the ON position (car doesn't need to be running), and start the Learning View program.

 

22. Make sure you have the correct COM port selected (see step 19), and hit "Connect." Click "Save" to save a CSV file, or take a screenshot, whatever your vendor prefers. Done.

 

 

Flashing your ECU: Steps 23-28

23. Got your new ROM and ready to flash?? Your ROM should have come in a .hex file. Save this file to your hard drive.

 

24. Behind the top of the carpet in the passenger footwell, there are 2 green connectors. Find them and connect them. (They were closer to the left side, and I didn't need to pull the carpet back very far.) Your car is now in "Test Mode."

 

NOTE: If you turned your car to the ON position now, the dash would light up and the fan should cycle on and off continuously.

 

26. Plug your cable into the car and the computer, and turn the car to the ON position. Open EcuFlash. (The fan might not cycle anymore. Don't panic.)

 

27. Click "Open ROM." Navigate to the .hex file you were given. When it loads, click "Write to ECU." You should see "Operation Completed Successfully" when it's done.

 

28. Your ECU has now been flashed! Turn off car, unplug cable, and DISCONNECT THE GREEN CONNECTORS!

 

 

Logging a 3rd Gear Pull: Steps 29-32

**UPDATE** - 3/26/12

RomRaider now has a "fast polling" ability which might make a 2nd gear pull much more useful. I suggest you read more about it and decide for yourself which method is more suitable.

 

29. I STRONGLY suggest you find a dragstrip, runway, or piece of private land to do this on. Most vendors (and tuners in general) prefer a 3rd gear pull from 2000rpm to redline (approx 6500rpm in my case). If you live in the USA, you WILL be breaking the law if you do this on a public road as you'll be traveling in excess of 95mph. Most drag strips have "test and tune" nights where you can race all day/night for $20-ish bucks. Do it.

 

30. Don't try 2nd gear. Your ECU transfers data at the not-so-break-neck speed of 4800bps. If you need to log 10 or so items, you'll be lucky if RomRaider pulls data every 200 milliseconds (0.200 seconds). The more points of data you have in your log, the better. Therefore, if you take LONGER to get to redline, you'll have more points of data along the way.

(a 5 second pull in 2nd gear yields 25 points of data @ 0.2 sec/read, and a 10 second pull in 3rd gear yields 50 points of data @ 0.2 sec/read) Make sense? (those are completely theoretical numbers)

 

31. Open "RomRaider Logger" and select the items you wish to log by checking the appropriate box on the left-hand side of the window. Make sure to use any appropriate units your vendor might request!

 

32. To log a pull, get in 3rd gear and stay below 2000rpm. In RomRaider, hit F1 to begin logging. Drive with WOT to redline. Slow down, and hit F1 again to end the log session. That's it! You should now have a CSV file with the information.

 

 

Final Procedures: Steps 33-34

33. In my experience, my vendor also requested a Learning View snapshot with the RomRaider log. Right after you complete your pull, you may as well pull over and create a Learning View snapshot! (you'll need to close RomRaider first)

 

34. E-mail this snapshot and your pull to the vendor. You should receive another tune (.hex file) and the process repeats itself.

 

35. Congratulations! You are now an expert at the bare-minimum-necessary-information for tuning :)

 

 

**VENDORS**: You are, of course, welcome to refer all your customers/clients to this page, but please do not copy or reproduce these instructions. My intention is to benefit the LegacyGT community and its members. Hopefully this benefits you too.

Edited by Adoniram
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Awesome write up my man! Any tips on how to read my rom id from ecuflash? My ecu is not supported by learning view. Good catch on step 2, I downloaded ecuflash 5 times and 3 different versions before I found that out. I'm finally able to log but can't find my rom id. A screenshot may help if you're able.
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^its more complicated to get it to work on win7. There are several "guides" that are to get vag-com to work but so far the best way to work on win7 is with a Tactrix.

 

I have gotten much of RR to work on win7 but several things still dont so I am probably going to have to make an XP shell specifically for tuning. I will still keep LV installed on the win7 side.

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Great write up. i have the vag-com cable and provided disk. I opened the disk on one of my laptops and it was blank, i thought maybe it was just for datalogging or something. So I downloaded ECUflash online and was salty when it didn't work. I sulked back inside, read this, tried a different computer and voila! Success!

 

Thanks man!

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Very nice write up. I've been looking for some step by step instructions, being a rookie at tuning I need something like this, & unfortunately when I received the software there weren't any instructions included.

 

I've had the RomRaider, ECUFlash, & Learning View installed on the computer. But haven't had any luck trying to figure out what need to run on my own. I've been in the ECUFlash, & always have received the message: "No Vehicel Interface". But I've had the RomRaider program open & it was able to connect to the vehicle also I had pages of optoins to select.

 

I thought that since I fumbled through the installioin of the software I messed something up, so I unstalled everything & tried to reinstall it following the instructoins listed above. My problem now as I'm trying to follow your instructions is at step #5. After installing ECUFlash my computer automatically installs the drivers, I've tried clicking on things to stop the installation so that I could choose where to look but with no luck, it just goes on it's merry way with the installation. And when I've looked at the lower RH corner of the ECUFlash screen I keep seeing the same message "No Vehicel Interface".

 

Am I missing a step here that will allow me to select FTDIBUS.INF as the driver file?:confused:

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I suppose that it could be a difference in operating systems or just system settings. Either way, you should be able to manually select the driver by doing the following:

 

1. Disconnect all USB devices OTHER than the VAG-COM cable (keep that plugged in)

2. Right-click on My Computer (XP), or Computer (Vista, Win7)

3. Click "Manage"

4. On the left, click "Device Manager"

5. On the right, expand "Ports (COM & LPT)"

6. You should see COM2 or something, and that's your VAG-COM cable

7. Right-click on that, choose "Properties"

8. Click on the "Driver" tab

9. Click "Update driver..."

10. Now, depending on your OS, you should be able to choose something like "Browse computer," "let me choose device," or "have disk" etc. Here's where you navigate to the EcuFlash folder and change the driver.

 

Let me know how that works for you.

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^its more complicated to get it to work on win7. There are several "guides" that are to get vag-com to work but so far the best way to work on win7 is with a Tactrix.

 

I have gotten much of RR to work on win7 but several things still dont so I am probably going to have to make an XP shell specifically for tuning. I will still keep LV installed on the win7 side.

 

Well I'll give it a shot... if it doesn't work I'll try the Virtual PC mode, and if that doesn't work, I'll have to use my netbook which runs Vista :spin:

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I think the issues with win7 were all with the 64bit. I have it working flawlessly on win7 32bit. It didn't give me a single problem. You just have to make sure the drivers are the newest version.

 

Also remember to make sure you do a fresh reboot before you mess with the ecu. If you're like me, you just close the laptop and let it hybernate instead of shutting down windows. I have had the computer freeze once while doing a test write to the ecu when I didn't reboot for like a month. It made my heart stop!

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Uninstalled the software, then tried to reinstall the software following your instructions. Unfortuntely have the same results, RomRaider, & Learning View will recognise the ECU but ECUFlash still gives me the "No Vehicle Interface" message. I did make a couple of runs this weekend & was able to record the data using RomRaider Logger.

 

I know ECUFlash isn't necessary right now, it's probally necessary only when I get the new base map program.:confused:

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I've first installed the drivers that came on the disc that I received in Jan this year. And I've also gone on line to download the drivers I've found listed on the RomRaider site. But still with the same results each time that I've tried to open the ECUFlash.
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Any version of ECU Flash or ECU Flash drivers after 1.29 will not work. Software is written by Tactrix. They made sure it no longer worked with VAG-COM. Discs we supply have the last known versions of software and drivers that work.

 

Not every cable we sell is tested. But they are batch tested.

 

VAG-COM is not perfect. Never was, never will be. It is a low cost alternative that is available if you are willing to put in the work. Results will vary.

 

Tactrix openport 2.0 is sold by Tactrix only. $169 is current price.

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Any version of ECU Flash or ECU Flash drivers after 1.29 will not work. Software is written by Tactrix. They made sure it no longer worked with VAG-COM. Discs we supply have the last known versions of software and drivers that work.

 

Not every cable we sell is tested. But they are batch tested.

 

VAG-COM is not perfect. Never was, never will be. It is a low cost alternative that is available if you are willing to put in the work. Results will vary.

 

Tactrix openport 2.0 is sold by Tactrix only. $169 is current price.

 

Subject car is 08 LGT with 5EAT currently 100% stock (no nav). I am pretty sure the Tactrix 2.0 cable is the one I need for my year (CAN BUS car, right?). I am above average mechanically and computer savy. I can load whatever OS I need for programming and may even have a old P3 733mhz I can dedicate to this process.

My questions is. Am I better off with a Cobb AP, Tactric cable and ECUflash, or another brand programmer? The ideal of e-tuning is appealing due to no relatively closer tuner's or 4 wheel dyno's.

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