Tip 2: Let upgrade your engines software

[hal9999]

I recently asked my official car dealer to upgrade my year 2002 cars software of the engine and automatic gearbox.

Since then my car consumes, more or less, 0.3-0.4 Lt. / 100 Km fewer. :-)

Of course it’s, as always, not free. :-(

[almightybmw]

interesting. I may have to ask about this, if it's possible.

[hal9999]

Considering your nickname, I suppose that you own a BMW.
My car too is a BMW. Therefore it’s possible.
FYI. It’s important to upgrade using the original Software (no tuning) and if you own an automatic car to upgrade the gearboxes electronics as well.

[Christ]

It's also only available (to my knowledge) the OBD-2 model cars as well.

Although, I believe GM does something similar.. and you might want to check it out soon, just in case.

[Tygen1]

New car dealers will often "Flash" your PCM with the latest updates. Usually it will workout the kinks that you never even knew were there. In some cases though, it can reduce mpg and peformance. I know a fellow ZX2 owner who had the best ZX2 pcm code for mpg's and he took in his car for brake service and Ford did him a favor and Flashed his PCM for free, with out asking. He lost nearly 4 mpg because of the ZX2 Flash is a lowest common denonminator thing, less timing and more fuel to make everyone safe from pinging. Make sure to read up before doing this, because they usually can not flash you back to your original tune....

[Christ]

I'd be pissed about that, and seriously consider raising a BBB complaint, as it's quite illegal for anyone to perform unauthorized service, regardless of price. Conversely, I would raise the same complaint if my MPG went up as a result, simply b/c the dealer couldn't possibly know that I wanted ANYTHING changed about it.

What if I had been developing something based on the code already present in the ECU? They might have just botched thousands of dollars worth of research work over a "friendly" service upgrade that they weren't given permission to do.

Obviously, that's a far-fetched example, but you get the point.

[jazzie604]

custom flashing has become a really popular and easy modification for anything you are looking to do. most vehicles made after 99 are capable of being reflashed if you have the right software. It's most common for high performance cars, but some makes are so generic with their software, that the same protocols are used for almost all models. I know people who are making lean burn setups, changing warm up characteristics, and have complete control over fuel tables and ignition tables. I think that the right person could really make some big steps in mpg if they tried. It would be no different than what GM did to make the XFE Cobalt, so why cant the intelligent and adventurous do the same?

[hal9999]

Originally Posted by ;

I think that the right person could really make some big steps in mpg if they tried. It would be no different than what GM did to make the XFE Cobalt, so why cant the intelligent and adventurous do the same?

I suppose that all those high performance chip-tuning guys will discover the potential of an ecological flashing when the gas prices will rise again.

Only concern: You loose your cars warranty if you modify original values.

[jazzie604]

true, you do loose your warranty, but a lot of things can affect that. And how many people on this site have new cars?
also, it is nearly impossible for the dealer to find out if you have done this unless you tel them. Being a lay-technician, the joes at the dealer are not going to be able to read your ecu definition and know that you have modified it in any way.

[taco]

i let the dealer reflash my car about 6 months after i bought new. i bought my 07 cam in jan of 08 (left over ftw got 5 k off the 29k sticker price)then a few months later they had a tsb about hesitaion in the transmission. so i took it in used the right words, they reflashed it, the gas pedal is now more touchy (YAY!, drive by wire) and takes less pedal to take off, i neted abut a 2 mpg improvement casue of this.