Upsolute Today: Part 2

I got the Upsolute chip tuning mod done today.

I didn't have my camera and I really wish that I did.

What: Upsolute Chip tuning mod - http://www.upsolute.com
Where: Bahn Brenner Motorsport in Auburn near Seattle, WA - http://www.bahnbrenner.com
When: Wednesday, 6/23/2004, 2:45pm (45 minutes)
Cost: $400 + $79 labor

I call Bahn Brenner Motorsports and talked with Mark Butcher asked a few questions and exchanged some email.

I arranged to have the Upsolute mod done on Wednesday afternoon.

ECU Removal:

I showed up at the shop and Mark made room for the car. He had the ECU out of the car and on the work desk in less than two minutes. The ECU was then opened exposing the circuit board.

Mark offered a chair right next to his work desk which I immediately accepted. His Upsolute work desk was right beside my car so I got to watch him and look at the Crossfire at the same time 8) . He got some info from me and the from ECU to enter into his records.

At this point I really didn't want to distract him so I stayed quiet and watched. This is what happened:

Chip Desolder and Removal:

The chip is a 28 pin dual inline surface mount device. Mark used a special tool which blows two wide but very thin films of very hot air. These are directed all along both rows of pins and covers all of the pins at the same time. While doing this he gently lifts the chip up from underneath with a small tool that looks a bit like a tiny bent screwdriver. When all the pins reach the right temperature the solder melts and the chip comes loose. The original chip is place in an anti-static bag which I get to keep in case I should ever decide to re-install it.

Clean and Prep:

Next Mark used a different device which looked like a soldering iron but actually has a small vacumm line running throught the center of the tip to melt and remove all of the existing excess solder from the circuit board contact points.

Chip installation:

A new chip of the correct type is selected and programmed with the new Upsolute file. (Actually the new chip is being programmed while the desoldering on the original chip is being done.) The new chip is positioned in place and four or five pins are carefully hand soldered using a small tip solder gun and a set of magnifying lenses which are attached to a headband Mark wears. Next the rest of the contacts are soldered one after the other going down the line on both sides of the chip.

After a close inspection with the lenses the ECU is ready to be reassembled. The ECU has a back plate and a cover which are held together with 6 screws. There is a plastic bracket which covers about half the ECU, it slides over the unit and clicks into place.


Finishing Up:

The ECU is snapped back into place in the car and all the cables are reconnected. Mark then slips into the drivers seat and switched the key on. He say the real test is whether the "Engine" annunciator light comes on during the self test period just as you switch the car on. If it comes on then all the self tests and connection tests have passed. Just to be safe he starts the car and it fires up immediately.

So we talk briefly shake hands and I pay the bill. I left 45 minutes after I arrived.

Simply amazing. :P

Part 3 will have some Mr Dyno g-meter data. I need a bit more time to analyze what I have.