jcsbanks

Cross posted to openecu.

Another user has his car immobilised because he gets "no response to any known code" following a flash that reported OK but the car won't start. There was a change to the ROM combined with an upgrade to 1.29 on an old 1.3M cable. The recovery vehicle managed to read an OBD code with an immobiliser fault, but the immobiliser codes were matched in the ROM image. They tried a reprogram with a battery booster on too - still the same. Another user is going to visit him with a different laptop and cable.

I wanted to investigate the change to the ROM on my car, but I find with an old 1.3M cable that I either get no response to any known code, or that it got so far just reading the ROM:

http://john824.fotopic.net/p38025725.html

It is quite cold, battery voltage is 11.5V but my car starts easily and I've successfully flashed before using my newer Universal cable. Unfortunately at present my Universal cable is lent out, and the 1.3M I have is from another user who was having problems with this cable. Initially it worked, now the problem is as above. I don't have a battery charger handy.

Could there be a temperature or voltage issue with the earlier cables?

When I get my Universal cable back I will try again, and make sure I can do 100% successful reads and compares before trying a write to be sure.

C6C6CH3vo

iTrader: (9)

Have you successfully communicated with the old cable on any car since the problem started? Maybe it's shorting to shield inside.

OT: What did you adjust the fuel map to in the "fueling 1" image, intake?

jcsbanks

They all seem to datalog OK.

The car that is immobilised - he opened the cable to check for shorts and it looked fine.

I wonder if this is a sensitivity that a combination of cold weather, IX, battery voltage and early buggy cables seem to have.

Will know more later to see if my new Universal cable fixes it.

jcsbanks

Fuelling 1 was my fuel map after working with the wideband. I've since richened up the spool area, but fuelling 1 ran well, with about 12:1 at spool, mid 11s after 4000, low 11s at the top.

MalibuJack

iTrader: (5)

I am thinking the cable itself may have a problem. If you can log without a problem, but trouble reflashing, then the secondary white connector is where your problem may be. Probably a bad or intermittant connection somewhere along that wire, or one of the pins.

If it works with one cable, and not another, the problem is likely the cable. There is very little difference between the 1.3 cables, the universal cable has a few additional pins wired to allow reflashing of subarus that have the pins in the OBD-II connector, but those pins are unused on the Evo anyway.

Its not always possible to see if the cable "looks" okay, sometimes its a break in a solder joint, bad crimp, corrosion, unseated pin, or a break in the wire somewhere. Its not always easy to see.

MalibuJack

iTrader: (5)

Oh and low voltage definitely does appear to play a role, first the trigger wants 12v, so anything lower may not be adequate to trigger the reflash INIT, anything else that is running could draw enough current to cause a problem. Don't forget that the heater for a wideband can draw enough current to cause a problem also..

Finally it could be a driver problem, but the 1.3m and 1.3u share the same driver files entirely, the only difference is the PID assigned to make it recognized as unique. It uses the same files as does the Subaru specific cable.

donour

iTrader: (6)

This is something I've seen with my cable as well. The little red coupling on the bootmode wire doesn't hold that well. I pulled it off, soldered the wires together and then shrinkwrapped the whole connection.

d

MalibuJack

iTrader: (5)

I actually did the same thing, but mine never had a problem, just didn't want the crimps.

jcsbanks

Both of mine had come apart as well and I soldered them.

Got my Universal cable back and that is the same.

I will try again after the car has had a run. The battery is almost new and starting is fine even after standing a while. Suspect it is the freezing temperatures dropping the battery voltage more than usual.

jcsbanks

It will read and compare a few times after a 5 mile run.

With a decent battery then, after 18 hours sitting outside at freezing the process is dodgy.

Even after my file mile run, after a few bits of read/compare of the ECU, on one occasion a read failed a checksum part way through. I found one more accessory to turn off (!) and that got me a bit more voltage then it was successful.

I won't dare reflash a IX on a cold day without giving it a really good run first or checking the voltage now.

jcsbanks

The immobilised car has also been fixed by charging it and flashing again.

MalibuJack

iTrader: (5)

it only goes to show you that a majority of the time its low battery voltage, and its good to keep a booster/charger around. Its unusual that the new ECU is way more sensitive than the earlier one, but everyone needs to keep this in mind from now on.

jcsbanks

It seems almost normal in our freezing weather since two cars (both IX JDM/UK with small standard batteries) that have programmed fine before have had problems at the same time from the same cause.

C6C6CH3vo

iTrader: (9)

For the # of times/day I plug the cable in I'm going to have to strengthen the thing. Not to mention apply dielectic rubber grease to the contacts.

OT:
Are all the wires in the shielded cable pure conductors, or do some have a resistance?

Alfred@TTech

iTrader: (3)

I was thinking about starting a thread on this error because I ran into it on Saturday.
I flashed one car without issue in the morning. About two hours later I attempt to use the cable on another EVO thats never been flashed and I get "no response to any known code". I know the voltage is up on the vehicle so no problem there.

Next, we go to a EVO I previously tuned, so that rules out a ECU issue for sure. Hook the cable up and try 2 different laptops, result, error message. Next I try to log with the cable and it works just fine, repeatedly. Visually checked all connections and were good to the eye and checked out with the voltmeter for continuity.

In the end, I simply used another cable and the problem was not present. This is my original flashing cable and has countless hours of use on it. Lasted a heck of a long time.

Alfred