chip or flash.....you gotta be kidding me!!

[soccerplayer01]

so to make a long story short, i bought my car w/ a chip and had no idea until i installed a boost gauge about a year after owning the car. So yest i finally decided to open up my whole ecu and didnt find anything. not even a sticker to figure out which company i have in my car. Does anyone have any idea on how to figure it out? any help would be great!! This has been one thing i've been wanting to get off my chest to figure out what i have.

[Don Supreme]

00 is going to be flashed.

[lil' is 300]

00 is going to be flashed.

what?

[GVR4-201]

I think Don meant that he has GIAC programming which is flashed, and not a chip replacement.

[twinsnailsS4]

No idea on how to tell, except maybe the manner the chip makes the power may give an indication of what programming you had. I think the bigger concern should be the fact you almost have no choice now except to go Stage 3 (i.e., wallet rape), especially if you have been thinking for a while now that your "stock" S4 seemed sluggish and you were planning on going stage 1 or 2

[VonPooper]

milo the moderator!

[FrimmelNoJerz]

where am i?

[twinsnailsS4]

milo the moderator!

Yup, I think they were really desperate for people The_Jerbel is the other, newest moderator. Now follow the forums rules or else we will be forced to...

[soccerplayer01]

No idea on how to tell, except maybe the manner the chip makes the power may give an indication of what programming you had. I think the bigger concern should be the fact you almost have no choice now except to go Stage 3 (i.e., wallet rape), especially if you have been thinking for a while now that your "stock" S4 seemed sluggish and you were planning on going stage 1 or 2

before my race n75 valve i was spiking at 17 and holding 15

[hodan]

If it's GIAC, find a local GIAC tuner and they can plug in and see what version.

It it's APR, check the APR website, you can use the cruise control button to change programs.

"Chips" are rare. Mostly you'll find ECUs that have been flashed. If you want a stock box, ask around, you can find someone that'll trade you a stock ECU for your flashed one. You don't HAVE to go Stage III. Also, once you find out what program you've got, you can add a stock setting to it, so no big deal.

[twinsnailsS4]

before my race n75 valve i was spiking at 17 and holding 15

Well, that's consistent with GIAC's programming, although I used to see higher spiking in one of the older versions and that's not to say that it can't be anything else. Try the cruise control and see if that does anything. Another suggestion is search for vendors in the area where you bought your car. If you're lucky enough, the prior owner went to an official vendor in the area and had the programming loaded there...the shop may have records based on the VIN or license plate for warranty purposes.

[soccerplayer01]

Well, that's consistent with GIAC's programming, although I used to see higher spiking in one of the older versions and that's not to say that it can't be anything else. Try the cruise control and see if that does anything. Another suggestion is search for vendors in the area where you bought your car. If you're lucky enough, the prior owner went to an official vendor in the area and had the programming loaded there...the shop may have records based on the VIN or license plate for warranty purposes.

ok, i'll try that tomorrow. weird thing is my cruise control used to work as of last year going down to waterfest. then on the way down this year my cruise control didnt work. but i'll try it out anyways. about the luck, dont have any. lol. i bought my car from a dealership and they bought it from an auction. The car was originally from vermont.

[soccerplayer01]

If it's GIAC, find a local GIAC tuner and they can plug in and see what version.

It it's APR, check the APR website, you can use the cruise control button to change programs.

"Chips" are rare. Mostly you'll find ECUs that have been flashed. If you want a stock box, ask around, you can find someone that'll trade you a stock ECU for your flashed one. You don't HAVE to go Stage III. Also, once you find out what program you've got, you can add a stock setting to it, so no big deal.

i'll also try this out. i wont go stg3 in this car. i'm going to buy a different car to go faster. i'll keep this as a DD, but we'll see what happens. I'm not tryin to go back to stock, just tryin to figure it out.

[S4 John]

do you have a vag-com? download giac the flashloader and see if it works.

[soccerplayer01]

so my ecu went anyways today and i found out i had an apr chip. when i checked my cruise control fuse also, there was no fuse, lol. But now i have a giac flashed ecu w/ race/pump/stock and vag com was also included so all in all the day worked out better than it started. lol

[1997gtx]

So, you had an APR chip and paid to have it swapped to GIAC?
--Adam

[soccerplayer01]

no. my car wouldnt start and my ecu shat the bed so i just said f it and had marc bring an ecu that was flashed w/ the giac. oh yea he also pointed out that i had an apr bi-pipe. lol

[Ianxcom]

Sorry for the noob question but what is meant by the word "Flashed"? Like when people say they have a flashed ecu or something. IS that different than a chip? reprogrammed chip? Im totally lost.

[S4_NE]

it is a new program installe don your existing ECU chip, Chipping is removing the existing one and installing a new one

[Rated S]

Sorry for the noob question but what is meant by the word "Flashed"? Like when people say they have a flashed ecu or something. IS that different than a chip? reprogrammed chip? Im totally lost.

Flashing and Chipping serve basically the same purpose, they remap your ECU.

With a flash it's all "software" like installing a new program on your already running computer. Back in the day, you couldn't "flash" cars as that technology wasn't around, so you had to actually solder a "chip" onto the ECU board. Like changing the Ram/HardDrive/Processor (whatever) on your computer.


Make sense?

[BITRBO]

If it's GIAC, find a local GIAC tuner and they can plug in and see what version.

It it's APR, check the APR website, you can use the cruise control button to change programs.

"Chips" are rare. Mostly you'll find ECUs that have been flashed. If you want a stock box, ask around, you can find someone that'll trade you a stock ECU for your flashed one. You don't HAVE to go Stage III. Also, once you find out what program you've got, you can add a stock setting to it, so no big deal.

it seems like a moot point right now, but it would've been quickest/easiest to push forward & hold the cruise set button for like 10 sec while the ignition was on... If nothing happened, he prolly had GIAC or REVO.

[jayski006]

hmm seems like I am in the same predicament.. I have an APR bipipe and Exhaust and am not sure if I have a chip or not.. my cruise control doesn't work so does that mean that I won't know if I have an APR chip?

[soccerplayer01]

check if ur cruise control fuse is in cuz mine wasnt so it wouldnt change the settings. also boost guage...

[AMC]

hmm seems like I am in the same predicament.. I have an APR bipipe and Exhaust and am not sure if I have a chip or not.. my cruise control doesn't work so does that mean that I won't know if I have an APR chip?

do u have a boost gauge? or vag com? if u have a boost gauge and your boosting more than stock (8-10psi) your most likely chipped. if u don't have a boost gauge and have vag com it would tell you who its chipped under when u scan for codes. or just open it up and see if there's a sticker there

[jayski006]

I don't have a boost gauge so I guess i'll open it up and check for a sticker.. when I got the car there was a little chip in the glove compartment.. I have no idea what it is.. i'll post pics of it soon. maybe someone could help me out

[2k1.5blacks4]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=149364 This is what I did.