Migrating a G DE-tuned ECM to another Gladiator

[Benharris]

Has anyone done this successfully? I can buy a G DE tuned ECM from a Willys Gladiator along with trans tuner, at a minimum I would imagine that I'd need to change the VIN on the ECM. Has anyone done this, and if so what tools did you need and how complicated was it?

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[KrashEd]

I can tell you this did not work for a gas JT. Jeep has quite a few different OS's and they may not match vehicle to vehicle. If they don't, things will not work well module-to-module. Did you ask the tuner by chance?

 

[22EcoDs]

Ask gde?

 

[rharr]

NO, the ecu's and tunes are locked to vin numbers and other variables. Unless you are deep into tuning and can pull rom images and then editing those images and reflash those changes there is little you can do.

I am sure there is stuff out there in alibaba land that may let you do what you want but it comes with no support and high risk.

There are easy use tuning tools out there but they are all now tied to management systems through the use of encryption and credits to lock users into a pay for use model. This model prevents sharing of tunning to others with out paying for it. Basically it's a model that let's the hard work of the tuners get paid for their efforts. Long gone are the days of copying your friends tune for free.

If I was to guess GDE would make you pay for a full tune, as any other way is a business loss to them.

But as said, call them and see what they say.

 

[ParatusExpeditions]

This model prevents sharing of tunning to others with out paying for it. Basically it's a model that let's the hard work of the tuners get paid for their efforts. Long gone are the days of copying your friends tune for free.

That’s what the company making those devices are selling to the tuners. Tuners don’t know how ECU work specifically they know the engine and what they want to do with it. So they will also repeat that to their clients and the cycle is complete everyone believes it. In practice there is nothing preventing someone that knows what they’re doing as you mentioned to pull the tune. Granted one has to open the ECU and get some probes out.

Tuners only modify part of the software FCA has put in those ECUs. They can add whatever protections and gimmick on top of how the file is shared, but once it sits in the ECU, it can be dumped like they did dump the first Flash content of the OEM software to tune it in the first place.

It’s far from trivial and nobody not trying to start a business would try this, unless such individual is already extremely familiar with the necessary competencies to do it. The bar is almost too high to be worth it, that’s the actual “protection”.

Since I don’t want to start an illegal business, I stopped my research here. It wouldn’t be worth it to sink an additional 200-500h understanding the full software on the ECU just for my own sake. In that light, it can be done. Is it worth it? I don’t think so for 1 vehicle. Hypothetically speaking if I would be in your shoes OP, I would be ok buying the tune again if it was good, legal etc.

 

[rharr]

The bar is almost too high to be worth it, that’s the actual “protection”.

and the curtain has been pulled back.

anything can be done with time and money. The biggest challenge in this situation is the people in the know are intentionally holding back the info to educate others so they can promote job security. They jumped through the hoops so they earned it. And if you want to learn with out pulling your hair out you need to pony up the cash to take tuning seminars that are not easy to find or schedule while also paying a good chunk of cash for trusted reading/writing hardware.

Might be a good retirement hobby.

Or you can buy clone reader/writers on ali baba and buy a crap car that has known ecu support and try to figure it out yourself. There nothing illegal there, just time and money.

I suspect in 15 years when EPA pushes people to far with all this new tech or you can't get replacements any more, a DYI market will appear. Over sea after market will sell open source ecu's out of china that can be built by dyi's ordering individual parts that don't need to comply with epa rules (not much different then how the gun folks circumvent gun rules by doing piece meal guns). Then it won't be so bad and knowledge/tools will be easier to find. For now it's a cottage industry best of luck.

I have taken a similar trejectory as you, now i just poke around looking for the silver bullet that doesn't cost a fortune.

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