Warning on ECM's previously flashed with Diablo

[GMPX]

Hi All,

We need to bring to your attention an issue that recently came about so you can avoid a disaster.
For some time we've had reflash failures on E38 ECM's that have previously been tuned with Diablo, it is not necessarily something they are doing wrong, in fact the cause of it is a trick they are using to make the CVN's appear stock. The problem is this is confusing our reflash bootloader when it validates the checksums at the end of the flash. It thinks something is wrong and won't allow the ECM flash to finalise, it is something we've been manually fixing for E38 users as it doesn't happen too often, however today we had the first E92 ECM file sent to us that had been previously flashed with Diablo. So I wanted to see if we were going to suffer the same problem, well unfortunately when the flash completed the ECM bricked itself, I have no idea why and we have no possible way to recover it (the E92 is welded closed!).
Rather than create a pile of E92 doorstops we are going to put a check in the V8 software that will display if the file should be flashed or not. EFILive will not cover any costs involved should an ECM be bricked when it is clear the ECM was previously tuned with Diablo.
Until this update is out with the file warning I would suggest being very wary of any previously tuned E92's, if in doubt have the ECM returned to stock with TIS2WEB.

We had E92 flashing done in May 2013, there has not been one report of a failed ECM in this time so our system is very robust, please don't panic, just be diligent if you think the ECM has been modified before.

Cheers,
Ross

[n8dogg]

Thanks for sharing. I just created a thread comparing a stock C7 Corvette tune and the tune provided by ProCharger (VIA Diablo Tuner!). Any way of knowing if the ECM will brick if I were to re-write it?

[GMPX]

Yeah, don't flash that Diablo tune in using EFILive.

[n8dogg]

So I would need to flash the stock tune back into the vehicle and then edit the stock tune and flash with the new file?

[GMPX]

Well I could probably fix the Diablo tune so it would work but I only have one E92 left and we need to do some testing on them, so like you I can't afford to brick one at the moment.
Given you have the stock tune and the Diablo tune you could certainly copy all the tables over in EFILive to the stock tune which would flash ok.

[n8dogg]

Question: I did not read the stock tune before loading the Diablo Tune. I was able to get a copy of the stock tune by reflashing the car with the original backup tune in the Diablo, and then reading it with my V2. Do you think I will still be OK by modifying the stock tune and flashing the ECU?

[cindy@efilive]

Is the diablo stock tune really the GM factory stock tune? History would tell us that many handhelds tell customers that they are returning to stock but it's really not stock when compared to a factory flash.

The answer is we don't know, how stock is their stock tune is a question for Diablo.

We could take a look at your tune, but cannot make changes as per Ross's info above.

Cheers
Cindy

[n8dogg]

Looks like I got lucky. I went ahead and modified the stock tune and flashed the car, worked fine. Maybe I was OK because the tune came from ProCharger and the Diablo tuner was just the means of flashing.

[ProChargerTECH]

If you are going to tune the ECU with EFIlive after the Diablo tune for the ProCharger has been loaded.
Please flash the car back to stock first to avoid the possibility of issues, this is always a good idea if possible.

We do not send handhelds out with tunes in them, the customer has to download HIS/HER original stock file.
Then they email them to us, we modify them, and email them back. So when they return to stock, it should be their stock file.

We did have that issue in house on one of the 7 BETA cars we had in here.
However that was only after that truck (2014 GM Truck actually) had been flashed with EFIlive, HPT, and Diablo.
GM as able to easily recover the ECU for us at a local dealership, and flash it back to stock.
Diablo is pretty sure that specific handheld had the issue, due to locking up during the flash, and never finishing correctly.
So what the real cause was is unknown at this point, though its never happened again.

With that being said, we only saw this one time, and know of multiple dealers that are flashing these C7's after the Diablo is installed, with both EFIlive, and HPT. (For headers, removal of cats, etc)
Lots and lots of these cars running around now with Diablos on them, and more and more shops starting to tune them, hopefully we will see this not be an issue going forward.

Just wanted to let everyone know our results.

Thanks!

[n8dogg]

If you are going to tune the ECU with EFIlive after the Diablo tune for the ProCharger has been loaded.
Please flash the car back to stock first to avoid the possibility of issues, this is always a good idea if possible.

We do not send handhelds out with tunes in them, the customer has to download HIS/HER original stock file.
Then they email them to us, we modify them, and email them back. So when they return to stock, it should be their stock file.

We did have that issue in house on one of the 7 BETA cars we had in here.
However that was only after that truck (2014 GM Truck actually) had been flashed with EFIlive, HPT, and Diablo.
GM as able to easily recover the ECU for us at a local dealership, and flash it back to stock.
Diablo is pretty sure that specific handheld had the issue, due to locking up during the flash, and never finishing correctly.
So what the real cause was is unknown at this point, though its never happened again.

With that being said, we only saw this one time, and know of multiple dealers that are flashing these C7's after the Diablo is installed, with both EFIlive, and HPT. (For headers, removal of cats, etc)
Lots and lots of these cars running around now with Diablos on them, and more and more shops starting to tune them, hopefully we will see this not be an issue going forward.

Just wanted to let everyone know our results.

Thanks!

Thanks for sharing! The ProCharger kit I installed recently on a C7 was an easy install and I was impressed with the quality of the kit. My only complaint is with the silicone hoses; because of the EBCM, radiator hose, and cooler line, it was a chore to get the silicone hoses and adapters in a good position. I think I saw a mention of when a one piece hose is available ProCharger will update the kits. Other than that the install was a breeze and the car is a monster!

Thanks!

[GMPX]

ProChargerTECH, thanks for your input. As I said in my initial post regarding Diablo "it is not necessarily something they are doing wrong", but what they are doing is causing problems with our reflash routines.
When EFILive reflashes a controller that uses our own bootloader we do a flash validation check right at the end. So just before the flash is finalised our bootloader goes and validates the data that was written by comparing to the checksums in the tune, if everything is good then the flash is finalised and the ECM is allowed to reboot in to a 100% functional state, this is a safety net to ensure a half flashed ECM can never reboot and attempt to run an engine.
If Diablo didn't put in the extra data at the end of the segments to correct the CVN back to stock then there would be no issues for us, however they do and people are going to keep running in to this issue. At this point what we may do is add the ability to detect and remove the CVN correction bytes on their tunes.

Also, the tune we were sent in, I am making the assumption that vehicle was only tuned with a Diablo, this may in fact be another tuner doing this.

[quik95lt1]

wow im assuming I got very very lucky....I had a customer come in with a brand new C7 two weeks ago saying that he felt like his diablo tune didn't do anything, long story short we put it back to stock with the diablo tuner and then I proceeded to tune the car with EFI Live, made 440 stock with it and never had an issue with flashing. Thanks for this info though this is VERY important to know!!!

Mike

[ProChargerTECH]

Thanks for sharing! The ProCharger kit I installed recently on a C7 was an easy install and I was impressed with the quality of the kit. My only complaint is with the silicone hoses; because of the EBCM, radiator hose, and cooler line, it was a chore to get the silicone hoses and adapters in a good position. I think I saw a mention of when a one piece hose is available ProCharger will update the kits. Other than that the install was a breeze and the car is a monster!

Thanks!

We just got the tracking number on the batch of those hoses we were waiting on. Sadly its one of the few items we can't make here in house, so we end up waiting for venders.
Obviously there is no reason to change once the system is installed, however if the customer wants, he can always call in and we can supply them with that hose at no charge.

[ProChargerTECH]

ProChargerTECH, thanks for your input. As I said in my initial post regarding Diablo "it is not necessarily something they are doing wrong", but what they are doing is causing problems with our reflash routines.
When EFILive reflashes a controller that uses our own bootloader we do a flash validation check right at the end. So just before the flash is finalised our bootloader goes and validates the data that was written by comparing to the checksums in the tune, if everything is good then the flash is finalised and the ECM is allowed to reboot in to a 100% functional state, this is a safety net to ensure a half flashed ECM can never reboot and attempt to run an engine.
If Diablo didn't put in the extra data at the end of the segments to correct the CVN back to stock then there would be no issues for us, however they do and people are going to keep running in to this issue. At this point what we may do is add the ability to detect and remove the CVN correction bytes on their tunes.

Also, the tune we were sent in, I am making the assumption that vehicle was only tuned with a Diablo, this may in fact be another tuner doing this.

Only the first few beta cars we had in here were tuned with all three softwares (Diablo, EFILive, HPT) and literally back and forth countless times. As stated, none of the first (5) C7's ever had an issue, it wasn't until that one 2014 Truck did the issue occur. Currently they are all don't touch anything other then diablo, unless we do some testing with EFIlive handhelds as an option in the future.

Thanks as always!
ATI