I am told the new PIWIS scanner can detect aftermarket chips pretty easily, including GIAC, REVO, etc... Seems PCA is going to start scanning as part of tech inspection at club racing events (starting at Daytona next week). I'm all for stopping cheating but I really can't swallow that the system can actually detect the program without running a check sum or doing a raw data dump to compare against all known possible OE files. Very time consuming...And with the encryption used, it isn't even reliable....

Can some of you more experienced with the PIWIS comment on this possibility.....

thanks
dave w

 

I cannot comment on other tuners but I have done many cars for the dealership and they cannot detect it with the PIWIS.I had a cayment with a 3.8 and they did'nt even know the engine had been changed.

Neil

 

The DME also records whether and how often programs are loaded onto the ECU. So the whole flashloader thing becomes irrelevant.

The ONLY way around this is to reprogram the ECU and keep a "Zero" count on all "unathorized" ECU transfer.

The 997TT is far from unmoddable - it just helps a bunch when you have access to the security code! and dont have to "hack " things. Porsche has many layers of security. the common failing in the obd programs is that they often change part of the program, but leave the main program there.

This is why an OBD-flashed program is never really "on your ECU". When you lose power or even when a dealer snoops around, its possible to "erase" the program. The ONLY way to ensure you have a permanent program is to erase the ROM and replace the data with a new program. This "firmware update" requires compliance with Porsche security routines and codes. It also means that you cant use a single program for all cars - as they all have subtle differences.

For example, the engine code and VIN# are interspersed throught the whole encrypted ECU. Pretty sneaky eh?

 

Hey guys, what if I buy another ecu... tune it and swap back to the original when going in for service?

 

So neil says no, but kevin says yes... ???

what I;m really looking for is tech info on exactly what the PIWIS can see and not see in this regard. Those of you that say it see the tuner code, I'd like to know what screen and what data. I mean its just a scan tool that reads data, so it displays whatever the program in the ecu tells it to display. Certainly the tuners know this and tell it to display factory info. SO short of reading the file off the ecu and comparing it to all OE files, what else can be read. I also do not believe it counts ROM flashes...can you point me to the screen in the PIWIS that does this??

dw

 

Dave, as I read/understand it, Kevin is suggesting that his programming (actual Bosch code) is undetectable compared to GIAC, Upsolute...because it is actual Bosch and is stored on the programmer. When you flash back to stock it is written over with stock code. Most of the other programs are multiplier programs that take stock code and modify it with additional code to get the performance (i.e., it is not re-wrotten Bosch code). I have no idea about being able to read number of times the ECU is flashed (first I've heard of this, heck dealers re-flash the ECU also).

 

I didn't realize that GIAC was "multiplier" code as you call it. This would suggest that it retains the OE maps but then tells the ecu to edit its output based upon some algorthim and values stored in a seperate table. I thought it used OE code, that was modified with tuned values but stored in empty space on the ROM and the ECU was redirected to read these values instead of the OE maps.

Either way I am still not comfortable with comments that PIWIS can easily detect the program. Not if its written well...and to display stock data when accessed by a scanner.

dw

 

here is a screen shot I was given of a 04 GT3 w/ Revo chip hooked up to a PIWIS which seems to have detected it.

 

I thought the stephan phd claimed that the GIAC switcher was not detectable? That was one of their main selling points, what's up with that? Calling the doc please clariify.

 

Kevin,

What program do you have now? Can I do the reprogram myself or do I need to send the ECU back to you?

How much if I want to be able to do my own loading of maps?

 

who or what company is doing the programs?

 

do you actually write the programs?

 

that's not what I'm asking. sure, anyone can send it out to a programmer and have anything done. my question is, do YOU, YOURSELF write and modify the actual programs?

 

And having purchased Kevin's program/adjustment/tune/upgrade last week let me tell you it's FANTASTIC!!
I now have a programmer that allows me to reload the stock program, put a valet program in or a big hp/torque increase program.

Cheers,

Mark

 

I guess who cares who writes it...if it gets you want you want? Anyway, I have it also and Kevin is absolutely great at supporting his product. I'm about to upgrade my wastegates/DVs and intake and of course Kevin will modify the programmer to suit. You won't be disappointed.