Flashing software without battery charge... will this work?

[TexasDfwS4]

I have the Unitronic software and I want to flash the newest version. I have the OEM battery and would like to run this up the flag poll. I have a real good set of jumper cables and my wife's Q5 is new could I or should I connect the two cars just for piece of mind?

Thanks as always for your comments.

[whiped]

For my first few times flashing my car I always used the battery charger... Now I never do.

Just turn off the headlights/radio/fans and you should be fine.

I've had it throw a low battery indicator once, and that was when we were messing with it for like an hour.

YMMV

[TexasDfwS4]

I've flashed it several time that way myself but the battery is over 5 years old. Just wondering id this method would hurt the flash process. and should I start wife car?

[Corradobrit]

Turn off all the ancillaries, run car for a few mins. Turn off, turn on ignition and quickly insert flash unit. If it works like the GIAC flashloader it only needs to see 12.55V upon initial connection.

[p3u]

Unless you have a bad battery you'll be fine. Just turn off all ancillary items as mentioned above.

[TexasDfwS4]

Ok thanks

[wangshuo1989]

Just want to add that my car's battery is also more than 5 years old, these OEM batteries' quality is certainly outstanding.

[TexasDfwS4]

I guess I was asking can I do this without blowing up the ecu.

[wangshuo1989]

I guess I was asking can I do this without blowing up the ecu.

If the battery dies in the middle of the flash, your ECU most likely will get screwed.

[fitzydude]

I would put it on the charger while flashing, it sucks a lot of juice

[Charles]

I guess I was asking can I do this without blowing up the ecu.

Why would hooking your wife's car up blow the ECU?? As long as you hook it up to the proper polarity, you'll be fine.

If the battery dies in the middle of the flash, your ECU most likely will get screwed.

This is not necessarily true. I was flashing my ECU and my router went down in the middle. Kept trying to get a good connection and after about 3 hours of messing around, my battery was too low. Hooked it up to a charger and reflashed. No issues.

[SteveYem]

Why would hooking your wife's car up blow the ECU?? As long as you hook it up to the proper polarity, you'll be fine.



This is not necessarily true. I was flashing my ECU and my router went down in the middle. Kept trying to get a good connection and after about 3 hours of messing around, my battery was too low. Hooked it up to a charger and reflashed. No issues.

I'm always worried about this. Yeah, the convenience of flashing at home is great, but my residential internet service and/or wireless router signal is not always great. Why don't the tuning companies configure their software to download the entire file to the user's computer, then flash from the computer as opposed to over the internet? Couldn't it be done in a way that it's "locked up" so prying eyes can't access and manipulate the file?

[14S4GWM]

There is a few cases where Tony has talked about EPL flashing and the voltage has to be above a certain voltage to let the flash begin, I believe it also monitors battery drainage during the flash.

For all of you worried about WiFi dropping out....you can run an Ethernet cable 300ft without any loss.

[whiped]

I've flashed via hotspot on my phone many many times.

Hell, I did it Sunday at a car meet on my buddies A7.

[Tony@EPL]

I'm always worried about this. Yeah, the convenience of flashing at home is great, but my residential internet service and/or wireless router signal is not always great. Why don't the tuning companies configure their software to download the entire file to the user's computer, then flash from the computer as opposed to over the internet? Couldn't it be done in a way that it's "locked up" so prying eyes can't access and manipulate the file?

The file is cached on the laptop prior to starting the flash... the worst that can happen internet related is that your flash logs wont be able to be uploaded. If the flash starts, have no need to worry about internet connection.

[SteveYem]

The file is cached on the laptop prior to starting the flash... the worst that can happen internet related is that your flash logs wont be able to be uploaded. If the flash starts, have no need to worry about internet connection.

That is great to know. Thank you for confirming!

[Charles]

That is great to know. Thank you for confirming!

I'll have to check with 034 to see if they changed to that method too. I flashed at home as a beta tester and it didn't seem like their file downloaded prior to the whole flash process. Ie, you needed to have an active connection through the whole flash.

[whiped]

I'll have to check with 034 to see if they changed to that method too. I flashed at home as a beta tester and it didn't seem like their file downloaded prior to the whole flash process. Ie, you needed to have an active connection through the whole flash.

Yeah.. IDK why flashing our cars is so slow.

I flashed a golf R and it took like 1/4 the time.

[14S4GWM]

Yeah.. IDK why flashing our cars is so slow.

I flashed a golf R and it took like 1/4 the time.

Ours are quick compared to some of the Audis over the last decade and some newer ones.

[Corradobrit]

Yeah.. IDK why flashing our cars is so slow.

I flashed a golf R and it took like 1/4 the time.

Not slow when I performed a GIAC flash at the weekend. Took all of 1 min.