Refer back to this post also:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/showthread.php't=33713
ECU flashing Horror story: useful lessons to be learnt
Several members we met recently pointed out that our ECU upgrade horror story should be made useful to others.
Interestingly, did they during the story proceed to let those people know the financial strain placed upon me due to their vehicles fault?
Did they let everyone know that they were accomodated at our house, given our maximum hospitality? Or that I was awake till 5am trying to resolve the issue for them? Or that the lengths I went to were phone calls to the UK, countless quantities of them?
Or that this occurred during the holiday season when post/freight and services were ALL closed for the end of year?
We have been keeping it to ourselves for nearly 2 months now, waiting for our problem to be solved and our ECU returned by our "ECU flasher"
That would be me - Tombraider.... (I'll own up, I'm not ashamed)
. Why? Because this wonderful forum should not be the place to advertise or trash anybody.
Except now obviously.
Yet, because we decently cannot let other innocent people get into similar problems without weighing what they could get themselves into, here are a few lessons we learnt the hard way:
Fair enough. Feedback that can improve customer service is ALWAYS a welcome thing.
Lesson 1
When getting your ECU flashed, there are no small glitches. Should a problem occur, it WILL be a BIG one. ie, your ECU might work really well, but it could also NOT WORK AT ALL ANYMORE.
Yes, especially when the 'flashee's" vehicle is faulty and has poor earth connections within the vehicle, that are known to the owner and were not passed on to the "flasher"
However, this IS a 1 in 100 occurance.
Lesson 2
If you and your "ECU flasher" get together to attempt an upgrade of your ECU, DO NOT let the reprogramming process start before having checked that your "ECU flasher" has fully charged batteries on his laptop. If his laptop batteries are low, it could corrupt data transmission. This is apparently what happened in our case, as we had not been warned of the risk.
What a load of BS..... Yes, the repeated attempts dropped the laptops power levels to where I wanted power applied to the laptop itself, however, should the laptop sleep during the process a simple restart once powered is all that is required.
I also had the inverter in my vehicle - We only proceeded to use yours as it was conveniently located INSIDE YOUR VEHICLE
And this is NOT what happened to your ECU...
I have ALL the emails here and the explanation - given to you after my communication to the UK THAT NIGHT - was that poor earths in the vehicle can corrupt the firmware in the ECU - even during diagnostic (remember when I couldnt even read your vehicles codes?)
Lesson 3
Incidently, have your "ECU flasher" check that your car battery terminals are not loose. In case of reprogramming failure, it will clear all suspiscion that any "earthing" or power problem on your side was at fault.
Nice try here - I know for a FACT that Landrover in Adelaide rectified an earthing fault in your vehicle - The same one that could shut down your motor if you bumped the steering column.
You stated to me that the fault was behind the dash on an Earth point.
There are many other lessons but sorry, they will come later, as we have to let this internet connexion go fort now...[/quote]
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