Article Request: Factory ECU etc tuning software

This seems like a topic which could use a good summary and introduction. Glossary, concept survey... A couple of interviews with folks from places like HP Tuners and so forth seems like it could get a good baseline...

What can be done? What can't be done? What's the glossary of pertinent terms and ideas? What's the general status of basic compatibility type stuff like getting factory security stuff to calm down and run a swapped engine? (e.g. I'm surprised to find that at this point the factory ECU running a lowly SBF in an Explorer will probably complain if dropped in some more basic vehicle; what about telling it it doesn't need to worry about the now-gone auto trans?)

In short, a survey of the topic. Flash tunes and tweaks 101. How much room do we have to take advantage of the factory tunes and reliability before we have to give up and just run a Megasquirt (I love an MS, but for a daily driver, I'd just as soon have an OEM ECU if I don't need all the adjustability).

I've been asking around the forums a lot lately about really modern stuff and running direct injection and all; I was just surprised as I've poked around how much there is to know about pre-DI electronics of the last 20 years.

Side rant: Seems like a lot of attempts to lock things down (both in terms of tuning and anti-theft measures) cause a lot of problems for folks who aren't even trying to tune (anybody else live in terror of washing their car keys with their pants?), and only add the expense and trouble of modifying things, while not coming close to actually achieving that end, if that's the intent. Yet another arms race of security and cracking which seems to mostly serve to make things awkward and expensive. I understand some of the reasons for doing these things, but the reality seems to me to have more downside than up.

I'd also like to know which ones are more Grassrootable. Which ones have free software available like the Saabs?

Not knowing which electronics are readily hackable, and which aren't is what I struggle with in selecting a drive train candidate for my Challenge car. I think an article would be a great idea.

Sooo, what other than the Saab has freeware tuning?

Agreed that a good overview of this field would be worth reading, albeit a bit of work to pull together. I recently posted asking if Ford's PAT was bypassable in a V6 Mustang and have not found any clear answers.

The subject of additional body modules and do they need to come along or not is of interest to any swaper or race car that wants to lose weight. Also the aforementioned transmission divorce from factory auto to manual.

Then there are the expensive options like MOTEC that seem to handle anything, but I dont really know what makes them so unique?

We are working on some of this stuff. Thanks for the interest.

NOHOME wrote: Agreed that a good overview of this field would be worth reading, albeit a bit of work to pull together. I recently posted asking if Ford's PAT was bypassable in a V6 Mustang and have not found any clear answers. The subject of additional body modules and do they need to come along or not is of interest to any swaper or race car that wants to lose weight. Also the aforementioned transmission divorce from factory auto to manual. Then there are the expensive options like MOTEC that seem to handle anything, but I dont really know what makes them so unique?

The only thing that makes some of the very high-end models unique right now is support for DI. None of the reasonably affordable options have that right now, which is why many DI engines are considered "un-tunable" or if there's no crate version available, "un-swappable."

Gonna be honest here; one of the reasons I chose a Mustang was the ability to completely alter the stock ECU (called a PCM or "Powertrain Control Module" in Fordland).

The stock PCM is practically a standalone.