ECU/PCM clone process & pricing

[BlueScapegoat]

EOC fixed the red light issue. The only benefit to cloning yourself is cost and less downtime. When you send your ECM to them you have 3 options.

- Overwrite your stock unit
- You clone your stock unit and provide clone to EOC
- Send your stock unit to EOC, they clone it the same way we are and they send both units back.

Correct me if I'm wrong but none of those are what he's talking about.

You can order a tuned ECM from EOC/MRTuning without sending them anything but your vin number. They don't do any cloning, they'll just send you a tuned ECM that will work in your truck with the exception of the red security light.

It's a fourth option after what you've listed.

I would probably just put a piece of black tape over the little red light and I don't use any of those features. The main reason why I'm on the fence about it is because you have to put your faith in a sketchy Chinese clone and it'll cost about the same to buy the ECU cloner, and mail it off to EOC. As it would to just buy the ECU from EOC and have them ship it with your VIN on it

I'm willing to give it a shot though.

Hell of a compromise on an expensive truck when you're already spending that much more on tuning, but let your heart and duct tape guide you.

I'd either send them the ECM to have them clone it or, like I did, clone it myself and send it off.

I didn't like the down time or risk of it getting hung up in customs or lost in international shipping. If your only stock ECM gets lost then you'll have no option but to live with a red light forever. I took that risk shipping my ECM to GDE a couple states away with their same day turn around, but not across borders.

::edited to add::
The biggest risk with the chinese cloner, imo, is it bricking your new ECM when you're writing. Unless the device physically shorts out the ECM it feels fairly low risk to me to read from a factory ECM. There is some level of risk involved. Tuning as whole is assuming some amount of risk. I tune other vehicles regularly with an HPTuner and there's a level of risk there too. Like updating a motherboard bios.

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[Gladiator_92]

Correct me if I'm wrong but none of those are what he's talking about.

You can order a tuned ECM from EOC/MRTuning without sending them anything but your vin number. They don't do any cloning, they'll just send you a tuned ECM that will work in your truck with the exception of the red security light.

It's a fourth option after what you've listed.

You're correct - I must have mixed up the option to have them do the clone vs the pre-tuned ECM.

 

[Cascade253]

Is there anything preventing an EOC ECU from being read and saving the file for a backup?

 

[Gregj]

Is there anything preventing an EOC ECU from being read and saving the file for a backup?

Yes, they are locked.
Gregj

 

[BlueScapegoat]

Is there anything preventing an EOC ECU from being read and saving the file for a backup?

Yes, they are locked.
Gregj

::edit:: my message here is incorrect. Read on! ::edit::

Have you tested this? Because I don't see why not.

I have a "locked" GDE bench-tuned ECM and I was able to pull a copy just fine. Now if I were to try to use the same tuning software they use to get into it I don't know if I could, but if you're just pulling the entirety of the BIN files I don't see why you couldn't make a backup the same as with any other ECM.

I've received tunes from other tuners for use in the HPTuner ecosystem that are "locked" as well but once you write it you can rip it again and voila no longer locked.

A backup isn't a bad idea though so this is something I might try this weekend.

 

[Gregj]

Have you tested this? Because I don't see why not.

I have a "locked" GDE bench-tuned ECM and I was able to pull a copy just fine. Now if I were to try to use the same tuning software they use to get into it I don't know if I could, but if you're just pulling the entirety of the BIN files I don't see why you couldn't make a backup the same as with any other ECM.

I've received tunes from other tuners for use in the HPTuner ecosystem that are "locked" as well but once you write it you can rip it again and voila no longer locked.

A backup isn't a bad idea though so this is something I might try this weekend.

Trying to read it with the knock off clone device you get a “completed unsuccessfully” message. Device works fine on the factory ECU.

Gregj

 

[rharr]

Trying to read it with the knock off clone device you get a “completed unsuccessfully” message. Device works fine on the factory ECU.

Have you tested this? Because I don't see why not.

I have a "locked" GDE bench-tuned ECM and I was able to pull a copy just fine. Now if I were to try to use the same tuning software they use to get into it I don't know if I could, but if you're just pulling the entirety of the BIN files I don't see why you couldn't make a backup the same as with any other ECM.

I've received tunes from other tuners for use in the HPTuner ecosystem that are "locked" as well but once you write it you can rip it again and voila no longer locked.

A backup isn't a bad idea though so this is something I might try this weekend.

Just throwing this out there, it maybe that one tuner is changing the handshake password if you will, from the default oem password to a custom password that then prevent eeprom access.

When you use the tuners custom tunning hardware to push updates and what not that hardware is programed with the revised password allowing access to the EEPRROM.

If you reset the ECu back to stock using the tunners equipment it will reset the password back to default.

I use the term password loosely but there is something like that in place to prevent the ECU from being completely open. The bigger tuners like HPtuners charge big money cause they cracked the oem access controls so you don't have to.

 

[rharr]

If you wanted to get silly you could open up the ECU, locate the EEPROM chip, de-solder it, put it in the rom reader and pull the bin, monkey with the bin and then reflash and resolder.....

 

[WifesJTMechanic]

I bought an already stock cloned ECU from someone online. But, when trying to write my stock files onto it, it keeps erroring. Is there a way, or do I even need, to wipe it first? Or did I get a bum PCM?

 

[Gregj]

I bought a used one off eBay and was able to just over write the existing files. The ECU worked just like the stock one.
Gregj

 

[Mr. Glass]

I've spent most of the weekend trying to get this to work, but despited my best efforts I keep getting unsuccessful error messages. Something I didn't see mentioned anywhere is should the jumper interface be set to on or auto? Also when it prompts you if you want to use the automatic power control (L-Line), should you choose yes or no? I wonder if I just have a bad interface box. The light on it is lit up green. Getting close to just throwing in the towel.

 

[rharr]

I've spent most of the weekend trying to get this to work, but despited my best efforts I keep getting unsuccessful error messages. Something I didn't see mentioned anywhere is should the jumper interface be set to on or auto? Also when it prompts you if you want to use the automatic power control (L-Line), should you choose yes or no? I wonder if I just have a bad interface box. The light on it is lit up green. Getting close to just throwing in the towel.

The edited instructions I post said to switch to auto, and to let the software control the power.

Also double check your pin out and re- review the edited instructions and verify you followed the steps.

 

[Mr. Glass]

The edited instructions I post said to switch to auto, and to let the software control the power.

Thank you! I tried that, but I still can't get it to read anything. I wonder if I got one with a bad harness. On mine GPT1 is a gray wire and the brown wire is marked L-Line.

 

[Gregj]

Here is a pic of my working set up, I think you can see the wire labels.

Gregj

 

[rharr]

@Mr. Glass
did you try switching them?

grey L-line should pin out on the top row 7th pin counting from left to right.
Brown GPT1 pins out bottom row 3rd pin counting from left to right.

those are my continuity results.

bust out a multi meter and do a continuity test to verify pin out, i bet the labels are wrong

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