Thread: VIN on motronic V8 D2 using nanocom

It looks like the nanocom cannot change the VIN on a motronic ECM in a V8 D2. Is the correct or am I just over looking it? It seems to be able to set it on the transmission computer, and some others, but not the ECM.

I wonder if this is because maybe the factory land rover system uses the VIN to determine the correct fuel map to load? And the nanocom cannot change mapping on motronic anyway. Can you guys with TD5 change the VIN if needed, since you can reflash the ECM?

Thanks!

It's a bit complex, but for the benefit of anyone interested i will share what i know on this.

The VIN number that is electronically reported by both the Motronic and TD5 ECU's is internally obtained from the last programming record stored in the ECU's.

The ECU's themselves do not allow the programming records it has stored to be erased or edited and at best you can only write a new one with a new VIN in it.

The factory Land Rover system automatically also writes a new programming record every time it reprograms the ECU, re writing the Vin number from the last one and really only updating the Assembly number to that of the contents it has just written into the ECU.
The Assembly number details the hardware and software version elements.

It picks what it writes based on the assembly number contained in the last programming record.

Technically the actual flash contents can be re written thousands of times, and may be programmed with software contents that are different from those the last Programming records assembly number indicates is what the flash memory should have in it, however for whatever reason you might imagine, the Motronic ECU is limited to just 14 programming records and although the TD5 lists no limit, the memory space for records would only accommodate about 30.

I am sure that this will help explain why dealer equipment cannot detect that an ECU has been remapped, as it goes entirely off the last programming Record rather than the flash contents. It also explains why the dealer equipment can only update an ECU to later contents for only the same vehicle type, market and configuration.

Note what fitting a new ECU, the dealer system tries to get the data it needs from the old one, if it cannot do this, then it asks a series of questions instead and takes the Vin as that the system has had manually entered.

I hope this helps