Anyone ever heard of this company, or been to this web site. http://www.speedtuningusa.com/
I am looking to get some performance out of my Xfire, and wanted to know about any DYNO PROVEN performance enhancements with any ECU chip flash performance upgrades. I am a motorcycle racer, so I am very familiar with dyno tuning and ECU upgrades. So all to often I know that the buttometer will often mislead a person into thinking they have gotten real power gains when in fact they lost. I am looking for hard evidence that this works. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I would recommend you ship your ecu to Speed innovations in Hermosa beach CA. Dyno proven for 20hp.
They sell the upgrade for the MBZ SLK320 and it is about $450. while they are Charging $550-$600 for this upgrade to the Crossfire crowd, because the car is still in production, but uses the same ECU go figure that one out?

 

I have been interested in using SI to custom program my ECU but after Emails to two different people and an IM and after over 1.5 weeks still no response. If they are not going to answer my questions now how are they going to respond if I have a problem?

I am starting to think that I may need to go a different route.

I have not written SI off yet but...

 

Send me a PM and I will fill you in...

 

fill him in on what?

 

I'd like to know also, please.

 

Had some contact with http://www.speedtuningusa.com/

They offer a "Flash Kit" which allows you to download the factory ECU settings through the OBD2 port. You then send that data to them and they send you a revised ECU program to re-flash the ECU via the OBD2 port.

They want a refundable $1,000 deposit to send the flash kit/device to ya. Hmmm...I'm not gonna be the first to bite at that one !

Slim

 

Not likely... Heck you can buy a full piggyback management unit for that price and adjust it to your little heart's content...

 

The deal with the "flash kit" deposit was a grand "up front" and then they refund the deposit minus the $ 249 for the tune. Now, I've never heard of these folks before so I'm sure not going to be the first one to send them a cool grand in hopes of ever seeing most of it back !

The good news is the ability to re-flash the ECU through the OBD2 port like all the Mustang/Ford people can. As opposed to sending your vehicle VIN specific ECU across the country for surgery. With non/SRT6 Crossfire sales way up due to the heavy discounts there is a new group of younger buyers out there who are going to be looking for performance upgrades for their new rides. I hope the aftermarket will step it up. The new Magnaflow cat-back is a nice indication that perhaps more parts will become available. Younger drivers are much more likely to seek out performance upgrades for their cars compared to the older generation who often bought their cars as stylish "cruisers" not real sports cars. Now technically, since I'm good and forty something I should be in the latter group but hey, I'm a gear-head and can't leave anything stock for long...

Slim

p.s. Thanks HDDP for the link to the www.tunertools.com
Crossfire forum, I'll be checking it frequently for info !

 

There's a full flash kit for the ECU as well for under 1k, but now where do you get the software ?... another bit of coin from other vendors... Let's keep an eye on what transpires over at TunerTools during the next few weeks, I'll bet a system miraculously appears with base maps and fully adjustable tuning parameters...

 

None has really answered my questions regarding this Powerchip ECU upgrade for SLK320's. It looks like an easy bolt - on to reprogram your ECU.

http://www.gmpperformance.com/index....ID=159419&VS=1

 

Do you have the flash kit Derek? I have tried may of the KWP2000 types which will flash our ECU (using the SLK algorithm) but you cannot read the code out in the first place. I had to desolder the flash memory (an AMD 29F400BB) and read it in with my Icetech programmer. I've not tried flashing it back in yet as I can't afford have the car out of use for any length of time and don't have a spare ECU - it was nerve racking enough just reading and replacing the chip. Luckily it all worked when I put it back. I'm still going through the code with EVC figuring out the maps. If I can get a spare ECU for sensible money i.e. <200GBP I will be soldering in a ZIF socket so I can swap out the flash more easily, then it will be full steam ahead! I don't mind sharing information on the forum but I'm afraid I an reluctant to disclose too much more as I don't fancy giving away over a year's worth of hard slog and investment in kit on the Internet for nothing, at least not yet. PM me if you want the details.

Cyril: What was your original question, I can't see it in this thread? The site you link to doesn't seem to work for me, also the pic you show doesn't look like an SLK ECU but perhaps that is just a generic pic.

Here is my Crossfire ECU before I took the chip out.

 

The Powerchip ECU above is surfaced mount, is it a direct replacement of our ECU and there's no need to send them ours for reflashing?

http://www.gmpperformance.com/

 

I second what Woody said Cyril... The link doesn't work, so I really can't give you an educated answer...

 

No need to divulge the secrets to the world yet... We'll chat via e-mail...

In answer to your question, yes we have accessed the ECU via the OBD port and "observed" the data. A fellow racer invited me over to his shop a few weeks ago and I used his http://www.drewtech.com/products/cardaq2534.html This system is compliant with the Daimler Chrysler Pass Thru and allows reflash via the KWP2000 (ISO9141/14230) protocol. It supports both onboard and offboard reprogramming... The only drawback is that you have to subscribe to the DC StarTech system and access the OEM software via their online system which, since we didn't have the OEM programs backed-up anywhere, we were reluctant to start changing values... Once I have a full version of the OEM, I'll start fudging with the code... To be honest, after looking into the architecture of the program and my lack of experience with this type of programming, I have decided to achieve my performance tuning via piggyback systems for fuelling and timing and dual wideband 02 sensors for constant AFR's. This can be achieved at a cost of about $1,200 and will give me better and fully adjustable maps that I can load onto compact flash cards...

Not to knock the PowerChip and Upsolute one-size-fits-all reflashes, but I like the flexibility and adjustability of a piggyback system and the price is not much more than a one-time reflash from RennTech...

I'm close (fingers crossed) to getting a full copy of the MB SLK320 software from Bosch, I'll keep you posted...

 

Hmmm...looks like great project to keep watch with!

 

OK, I think I have found what you are talking about by going back to the main site. They list a Powerchip and describe it as the original being 'surface mount', which it and nearly all the other components on the ECU are; it merely refers to the component mounting technology - mounted on the surface rather than having leads soldered through holes in the PCB. The chip is the 29F400 (just a generic flash memory chip) indicated in my picture - this is the flash memory chip where the ECU code resides. To modify the code some tuners access the contents of this chip via the 'pass thru' algorithm built into the ECU code itself; there is a protected boot loader area of the memory that holds the reflashing code that uploads/downloads the main ECU code in the main area of memory; this is the smart way of doing it since it is non-invasive. However other tuners, presumably including Powerchip, do not have access to this method for some applications and will just programme up a blank 29F400 with their code then swap out it out for the chip on the ECU. This is potentially more problematic since you need unsolder the existing chip and resolder in the replacement, or solder in a socket for it. Pretty fiddly with .5mm pitch lead components. I managed it on mine but I have access to a rework station. So to answer your question they may be able to send you a chip but you will need to open up the ECU and fit it. Actually reading the Powerchip entry for the SLK 320 I think they may just be stating the format of the chip in the ECU:
So you may not have to send in your ECU but it won't just be a simple 'plug and play' exercise either unless you are handy with a soldering iron.

Hope this helps.

 

Great stuff Derek, as I mentioned I already have a hex file from my ECU that I read out directly from the chip. I guess it would be interesting to see if you can flash that into yours via the OBD and see if it runs. Not sure about the VIN coding though at the end of the code - you would probably have to change it to match yours and alter checksums etc - I don't know how touchy the code is. I just did a full memory dump (including the boot pages (I think) so I don't know how much of this is actually up loaded back to the ECU when you flash it. I really need to get a spare ECU so I can play around without screwing up my daily driver. I will be off to the airport tomorrow straight after watching the GP so will have to get back up to speed with it all when I get back.

 

Thanks Woody!
Link fixed above just look for the SLK32 or SLK320!

 

Woody,

Have you considered http://www.enginuity.org? Totally open source software that was originally developed for the Subaru WRXs and Mitsubishi EVOs and such. Here's the thing, if you can get the '.hex' file and put it back, you can probably create a good map with this software, it has quite a bit of flexibility in that you can build a profile for your particular ECU.

I'd be happy to help you tear mapping the image. I just had no clue as to how to extract it.

If I can learn how to extract it without having to desolder the chip (as you had to) then I'd be happy to help map the SRT6 image too.

Let me know if I can be of any help...