FAQs

Here you will find lists of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about our products and their use. Feel free to ask us anything not answered here by mailing us on , but please read the FAQ first !

The FAQ is split into several sections:

• General
• System Requirements
• DeltaDash
• DeltaECU

Would EcuTek custom map my car ?

EcuTek provide the technology to remap ECUs. They do not do the mapping themselves, except for the standard ECU versions such as the drivability and performance remaps. There are several tuners around the world who utilise EcuTek's software. They can all custom map your car. See the ordering section for a list of distributors.

I am transferring my EcuTek software (DeltaDash, Flash99 or Flash2002) to a new PC. I have copied all the files across but am getting an error message saying something like 'the license key cannot be found'. What's wrong ?

To install the software on a new machine, you should install the software from the install CD, just like you did when you installed the software the first time round. Whilst you may have downloaded a software update from the web site, this is not a complete installation - install the software from the CD, then install the update afterwards. If you still have trouble, check your new PC meets the system requirements. If it does, please contact us specifying your operating system and the exact error message that you encountered.

System Requirements

What kind of PC do I need to run DeltaDash and Delta ECU programming software ?

First of all, see the system requirements.

You can use virtually any PC capable of running Windows. The software has been tested with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, using both Intel and AMD processors. In comparison to most applications that you would run on a Windows PC, these products consume far less memory and processing power - they have been designed to run as efficiently as possible, so that you can log information as fast as possible.

The faster your PC, the quicker you can log and graph data. The more memory and disk space you have, the more data you can log, and for a longer period.

Will DeltaDash work on a laptop ?

Of course. In fact, it has primarily been designed to work with restricted screen space. DeltaDash requires a minimum screen resolution of 800x600, which excludes only extremely old hardware. DeltaDash is also designed to run with Windows 'Small Fonts', so make sure your PC is configured this way for the best results.

Will DeltaDash work on a palm top ?

No. Windows CE and Psion devices are not supported.

How many machines can I install the software on ?

You can install the software on as many machines as you like, though you'll only be able to log data from your car with one PC - the one you have the hardware plugged into ! So you can install one copy on your laptop (for logging), and have another copy on your desktop PC for later analysis. You can even give your friends a copy to view your logs on.

DeltaDash

But I can buy OBD II reader software from a number of sources why is DeltaDash unique?

Although we (and others ) can communicate with the ECU using the ODB-II protocol, this is far too slow and cumbersome for what we needed to develop. Before you buy OBD-II software, check whether it's going to work with your car.

Can I use DeltaDash on a car with a UniChip or other 'piggy back' style ECUs ?

Yes you can. However, you must bear in mind what a 'piggy back' module does. A 'piggy back' ECU works by altering the signals that go in and out of the ECU - it may change sensor voltages, such as lambda, or boost sensors, in order to get the standard ECU to behave differently. The module may also Alter outputs from the ECU, such as adding or removing ignition timing advance or fuel. Because of this, some of the values read from DeltaDash may not represent the current state of your engine - they are the values that the ECU is using, but may not all apply 'as-is' to the real world.

I want to leave DeltaDash plugged into my car most of the time. Is there any way I can move the diagnostic cable, since it plugs in near my knee ?

The diagnostic socket on many car models can be unclipped and placed behind the dash. You can cable-tie the interface onto the socket behind the dash. It is then invisible, and does not protrude from the foot well at all. Make sure you get your passenger to use the laptop if you are driving !

I have the New Age 2002 WRX model, do I have to buy the whole program ?

No you don't. Only buy support for the car you need. Alternatively, if you are a dealer, or working with several car types, get the 'all car' version at a substantial discount.

Does DeltaDash work with all Subaru vehicles ?

DeltaDash supports Subaru vehicles from Model Year 1999 onwards. The range of cars tested with DeltaDash is constantly growing.

Do you intended to support pre 1999 Model Year Subaru vehicles ?

Prior to 99 model years of car, Subaru used a different, slower diagnostic protocol. Whilst it would be possible to support these cars, it would require a different diagnostic interface and this would of course raise the price of the package. We intend to support other, newer vehicles first, such as future Subaru vehicles and the Mitsubishi performance car range, before working on these older cars.

Is it complicated to install or wire up in the car ?

Just connect the cable between the diagnostic port under the dash and your laptop. Install the software. No external power, no batteries, no other wires. Unless you want to power your laptop from the lighter socket of course.

In what format are the log files saved ? Can I load them into other programs ?

Each time you save a log from a car, it is saved as two files. One file (the .txt) has any comments in it that you entered while logging. The other file (the .csv file) contains all the data. The data is in comma separated variable format (hence the name csv) and can be imported into many other programs such as Microsoft Excel and Access for further analysis.

I have received my installation CD and have installed DeltaDash on my PC. However, the program will not run when I click on the icon.

You must reboot after installing DeltaDash. The install program gives you this option, but you can of course cancel the reboot and do it later. If you do cancel, forget to reboot, and then try to run DeltaDash, this is the result. Just reboot now and it should then run fine.

I have my interface plugged in, but the software does not see the car.

• Check you are not running in demo mode.
• Check the ignition switch of the car is turned on fully.
• Check that the car is one of the vehicles supported by DeltaDash.
• Check that the interface is plugged into the serial port named 'COM1' - your first serial port.

I have DeltaDash installed because I downloaded the demo version. I have ordered the full version and plugged in all the cables, but I can't get out of demo mode. Why ?

To use DeltaDash for real, you must install the software from the CD. This installs additional files that are only supplied with the retail version. Without these files, your PC will not be able to communicate with your license key.

Occasionally whilst logging data, the graphs pause, leaving gaps in the retrieved data. Why is this ?

There are two reasons this can happen:

• At high RPMs, the ECU may be too busy to return all the data you have requested whilst running the engine at the same time. Try reducing the number of parameters that are being logged, also try increasing the data capture interval.
• Interference from the vehicle's electrical systems, such as the ignition system, may interfere with communication. Try using a shorter cable between the laptop and interface.

Question: Why should the standard ECU be reprogrammed rather than buying a new aftermarket unit ?

There are many reasons to stay with the standard ECU:

• Specification The ECU is extremely fast and has a very powerful processor.
• Development Subaru spend several million pounds in software calibration and we can benefit from this. We only need to work on approximately 3% of the data contained in the ECU. This way we retain all of the difficult and time consuming mapping such as transients, warm up, cold start, overrun. We can then concentrate on mapping outside the parameters set at the conservative setting issued at the factory. Aftermarket replacement ECU's cannot ever hope to compete with the speed, power and complexity of the standard unit, this is why the ability to re-map in the way we can renders these units and add-on signal modifiers obsolete.
• Functionality All functions of the standard ECU remain. Features such as diagnostic trouble codes, ECU control of the climate system, vehicle immobiliser and fault code memory. None of these functions are available with replacement programmable ECU's and with the add-on signal modifiers which cut into the vehicle wiring, they can actually add a fault due to the ECU seeing the wrong signals.
• Security Programming is performed via the diagnostic socket of the car. No hardware or wires are added or removed from the ECU. The standard factory diagnostic unit will report the ECU as being normal and unaltered.

See the aftermarket ECU comparison for more information.

Question: Where did this software come from ?

All software has been written from the ground up by EcuTek.

Question: Why is EcuTek not willing to sell reprogramming software to enthusiasts ?

EcuTek programming software makes tuning of the standard ECU possible. Successful, safe results still require the input of an experienced tuner, to know what should be changed, and where the limits are. The price of EcuTek programming software is spread across the multiple cars that are tuned by each of our trade customers and the pricing structure is not suitable for purchasing for tuning a single car. EcuTek are always busy researching and developing new features and products - supplying this complex software to the enthusiast would involve devoting a significantly larger amount of time to email and telephone support, which would limit the time we can spend on R&D. Our stance on this will not change, no matter how persuasive you think your email skills are !