It’s finally here! Nearly every dark secrete locked away in that metal box behind your radio now exposed! This is the next best thing to stand alone engine management. Only this is the code the team of engineers designed for this car. In this thread I’m going to go over the details about what each table in the ROM does.

Warning! Improper use of the modifications in this ROM can and will damage your engine. It is up to YOU the user to read & understand how the features work!

WARNING!
Use this software with EXTREME caution! This software allows for total flexibility in engine tuning, however, misuse of this software can lead to major engine/vehicle damage. If you are not well versed in engine dynamics and the tuning of management systems or are not PC literate, please do not attempt installation/tuning with this software.

NOTE: We hold no responsibility for any engine damage that results from the misuse of this software!

This software is not for the tuning novice nor the PC illiterate! Misuse of this software WILL destroy your engine!

Disclaimer

While I’ve provided a dis-assembly for you to flash tune your ECU with, I can not accept responsibility for any damage caused to your motor or ECU from improper use. It is up to YOU the user to spend the time reading and researching how to handle this software.

If this all seems a bit much to take in, I’m offering my flash tuning services. I can tune your car via email or I can come to your door. Just eMail me to setup a date & time. Most of my past customers have just made the trek out here but I’m more than willing to fly to you if you can put me up for the night and pay for my travel costs.

I also offer base tunes where you just mail me your ECU, tell me your mods and what features you’d like to run, I flash and return the ECU to you. To save time/money I can also send the base tune to your clone ECU builder and have them flash it before they mail out your ECU.

Tuning

Disclaimer: I have used the method outlined below successfully to tune my car. I am an amateur and not a professional. If you use this method then you accept full responsibility for whatever damage you do to your car. If you are concerned about damage to your car, you are better off leaving your car without any modifications to the ECU.

I am writing this essay because I often see a lot of request from 3/S owners on how to begin flash tuning, what equipment is needed for accurate tuning, what approach should I take to tuning, etc….

All the info in this particular thread only pertains to Chrome V2. As I release future chrome versions, I’ll be frequently come back to this thread and updating it.

NJ1266 from EVOm posted a thread like this over there and did an excellent job. Much of what you’re reading here will derive from his thread and is adapted to Chrome. Full credit for this essay is given to him!

Aside from the equipment and approach, the two most important elements to have are PASSION and TIME. If you want to learn how to flash tune your car simply to make money out of tuning, then IMO you will suck at it. Passion should come first and making money out of tuning is a distant second. If you do not enjoy tuning, then do not do it. You will end up very frustrated and maybe mess up your motor.

The second important element to learning how to tune is TIME. You must read a lot and test a lot. The best place to visit and read is the Ecuflash forum on Evom. This is the hub for Ecuflash tuning. I spend hours reading threads over there…. Some of the stuff that I read is highly technical to me. I get confused, so I read and re-read and read again. Sometimes I read threads three to four times before the concepts sink in. I get very frustrated at times since it’s such a different concept than what most are used to. Don’t be afraid to ask questions but please don’t PM me. Start your own thread or post in the linked threads from the Tech Manual! If you are polite and have done your reading prior to asking your question, then I will be a lot more inclined to help you.

When you first start reading you will be confused. The learning curve is steep and the task seems daunting. There is simply too much to read. Some of the posts are top notch and some are pure crap. You will have to figure out which posts to believe in. But do NOT give up, persevere. You CAN do it. It is NOT hard to flash tune your own car. It is not black magic or rocket science.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are people who have this strange delusion that the Chromed Clone ECU is some simple plug and play affair which doesn’t require any tuning at all. Nothing could be further from the truth! Chrome comes with all 100% stock tables for an American spec 99 VR4. If you car isn’t a 100% stock 98/99 with 3 cats, stock MAF, stock exhaust and all emission equipment, then some changes need to be done. While the closed loop feature of the ECU is very good at compensating for many of these changes, it’ll really only get your motor to start, run and cruise. That’s about it. Don’t believe anyone who tells you anything different!

If you have PASSION and TIME, then the next step is to get the best possible equipment that you can afford. So what will you need?

1. ECU
   You WILL NEED a True OEM VR4 or a Clone² ECU to utilize all the features of my patched ROM. If you’re using another ECU other than the OEM VR4 ECU or a Clone² ECU (Montero, Diamonte, SL, Base…) some features will not be available.
2. Laptop
   You must have a laptop. Modern tuning is all about computers. W/O a laptop, it is very hard to tune accurately with consistent repetitive results. There are many cheap used laptops on ebay. Make sure that you get one that is powerful enough for your tuning needs. I also recommend that you get a small laptop with a small screen. Mine is bulky and has a 17 inch screen. I am now in the market for a very small 7 inch mobile computer.
3. Logging hardware aka Tactrix 2.0 cable
   You will need a logging/flashing hardware cable. The one that all of us currently use is the Tactrix Cable. DO NOT BUY THE 1.3 CABLE!! We need the power booster from the 2.0 cable for flashing.
4. Wideband O₂ meter (WBO₂)
   Do not attempt to tune your car if you do not have a WBO₂ meter. Do not use the narrowband O₂ sensors to tune the car. The NBO₂ was not intended for tuning purposes. It is used for emissions and it is only accurate under stoichometeric conditions and even then it is barely accurate. Logging them only tells you if the ECU is in closed loop or not.Tuning with a NBO₂ was used back in the DSM days when WBO₂ were very expensive and no one could afford them. Today, you can get a WBO₂ meter for as little as $180. I use Innovate products. I have an LC-1 wired directly into pin 93 of the ECU. More details into setting this up later.
5. Logging Software
   The most widely used logging software is Evoscan (http://www.limitless.co.nz/EvoScan). It uses the tactrix cable to log data from your ECU port. It also allows you to integrate data from your WBO₂ with the data from your ECU port. It costs $25. It is a one time fee that entitles you to later updates of the software. It is very user friendly and easy to set-up. After you purchase, download and install EVOScan, you’ll need to add my custom 3000GT log file. NO other logging program available will support my patched ROM.
6. Tuning Software
   The tuning software is known as ECUFlash. It is for free and you can download it from http://www.openecu.org.
7. Chrome V2
   Unlike V1, I won’t be releasing different patches for different setups. There is 1 universal ROM now which can be tailored to your needs.

Background

This ROM is a patched version of the last known VR4 ROM released from Mitsu. It’s been tested to work on ALL 98 & 99 Mitsubishi ECUs. You WILL NEED a True OEM VR4 or a Clone² ECU to utilize all the features of my patched ROM. If you’re using another ECU other than the OEM VR4 ECU or a Clone² ECU (Montero, Diamonte, SL, Base…) some features will not be available.