How many 458 Italias with original ecu and exhaust crackles?

FWIW, the OpenFlash Tablet is an "open source" tuning tool. It will allow users to not only view the tune files we provide, but it will also allow any user to edit the tunes as they see fit. Our tune files are unencrypted and can be viewed using our definition file and Tuner Pro map editing software. We are selling ECU flashing hardware, first and foremost. We consider our tune files (and our IP) to be free to the community. Most customers, in our experience, will just use our off-the-shelf tunes and be happy with the results. While others will take advantage of our custom tuning service which will allow us to customize the tune for their car, fuel and conditions. Customers can also opt to NOT use our tunes. Instead, they can use device and ECU mapping software to develop their own tunes with the help of a local trusted tuner. This business model has served us well since we operate under complete transparency. As a result, every market we have been active in has developed many third party developers/tuners all around the world.

 

Why don't you guys just try an exhaust controller first? I suspect the ECU settings which removed the crackles is due to programming of the flap to close sooner in later models. The crackles come back with exhaust fully open....

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Unfortunately, a exhaust controller itself won't restore the crackles that make panties drop. You need a software recalibration that increases the decel fuel cut delay from 0s to 1-2 seconds. That, in conjunction with a sw recalibration that keeps the exhaust bypass valve open during decel, will do the trick.

Attached below are some the tables that control the exhaust valve in various manettino settings. A value of 0 is with both valves closed (quiet mode). A value of 2 are both valves open (loud mode). Y axis is throttle, X axis is Engine Speed. The reason that exhaust burbles are loader at high RPM is because, as you can see, the exhaust valve is only open during decel above 5520RPM. This can all be remedied easily
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Sounds just like my Dimsport equipment. The "New Genius" device had hundreds of vehicle specific comm protocols and could read and write through the OBD2 port. IF Dimsport had the correct SW version "tune file" for the customers car, I could download it from their site and using their "RaceTune" software, manipulate any of the tables Dimsport provided (very limited but adequate). My modified file (tables) could be uploaded to the customer vehicle using the same New Genius. The price for this package was like $5k with all the various protocols. Sounds like your "open flash tablet" but I'm unsure how many vehicles yours supports out of the box or the cost.

Worked great until you encounter a high end car like Ferrari where there are dozens of SW versions and where even a large company like Dimsport database of tuning files is petty small. Dimsports answer to this situation is their "Transdata" device (another $5k). The Transdata is used to physically connect to a disassembled ECU and download the EPROM data. This data file must then be email to Italy where Dimsorts software engineers design a new tuning file for that particular SW version. In affect, Dimsport DEPENDS on its user base to provide them new data to expand its database. Once the new tuning file was created the New Genius could upload it via the OBD2 port. I thought this was quite antiquated and involved too much risk when I know there are hackers that can work around the SW version security issue, thus avoiding the whole back and forth thing.

The only answer Dimsport could tell me as to why they don't offer a SW version independent system is that with their existing (PITA) system when restored to original data the dealers diagnostic equipment could not tell that ANY re-flash has been done, either back to stock or modified. I'm told that the Ferrari ECU has a re-flash counter that can be checked and compared to official records. Even if the version matches the re-flash count can tell the dealer an unapproved mod was done at some point in time, potentially voiding any warranty.

Having said all this, I'm curious how your system differs from a tuner (not end user) perspective?

 

The list of vehicles that we can support by OFT is substantial. It is the same as the vehicle support list for the Alientech Powergate 3. But we limit support to vehicles that I, somewhat selfishly, own (or have owned). Our calibration process is weeks, if not months long. We don't develop a tune after just few hours on the dyno. I develop tunes on my daily drivers over a long period of time. On the dyno and on the street. For instance, I purchased the 458 10 months ago and have put 9k miles on it already. Most of them for tuning/testing purposes.

The New Genius device you refer to is very different than the OFT. It is a Slave device. The OFT is a Master device. The difference between the two is that the Slave device is simply a file transport device. It is linked to a Master device that the tuner keeps in possession. The Slave device does not allow the user to upload unlocked tunes. It only allows the user to load locked tunes supplied by that one particular tuner. Whereas the Master device, like the OFT, allows the user to upload and download unlocked tune files as needed. No decoder/encoder device is needed anywhere in its tuning ecosystem. Unlike the New Genius, the OFT also offers enhanced data logging/data display/diagnostics functions. Which is necessary given that it is a stand alone Master level tuning tool.

Everything else you are describing with regards to the role of Dimsport is down in-house by us. We use Alientech KTAG to back up the ECU and read out the EPROM data. Then we supply that calibration info to Alientech (ECU tools company in Italy) to add that calibration to their database. We share that database with them DIMSPORT actually relies on Alientech for much of their protocols.

Pictured below is a picture of the New Genius next to the OpenFlash Tablet
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My New Genius was a master and my Transdata was as well. Here's a list of the vehicles supported by the New Genius and ECUs supported by the Transdata (PDF files). If you study them there's not many high end performance cars. In regards to the New Genius, even if they're listed you don't know if they're read, write or both until you spend the money and get more information. In Europe they love diesels, there's a bunch of them!

I like the data logging feature of your system, I used Auto Enginuity for this purpose.
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For those interested, here's what it looks like when a tuner is required to "do surgery" on an ECU to bypass OEM security or other comm issues allowing a data dump of the PROM.
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That definitely looks like surgery. The board game Operation comes to mind. Our method uses a proper positioning adapter which makes the process effortless (see attached pics)

PS. And I do apologies earlier when I was talking about the Dimsport New Genius. I was actually talking about their My Genius device (what I showed in my pic in my previous post). Sorry for the confusion!
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Yea, Dimsport makes the same tool. Problem is there's only so many interface boards and I never seemed to have the correct one, LOL. Typically, there's still several wires that need to be mated to the correct pins on the ECU so mistakes are still possible. I think all these guys buy their stuff from the same few vendors!
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2010-11 shift sw also different vs 12+ from what ferrari says.
Back to back driving you could tell the difference.
Have you seen this anywhere in the files?

Same for spiders, shift sw less immediate than coupes.

Personally I want a spider with 2010 pops and coupe shifting (or speciale shifting!)

 

I'll second that motion... That would be the best of both worlds!

 

Is this ECU - I mean the hardware- not also found in Volkswagen or Audi cars ? MED 9.6.1

Saab 9-3 - 2.8l V6 Turbo (184 kW) Bosch ME 9.6 Motorola MPC562 S29CD016G (Unbekannt)
Opel Vectra (C) - 2.8l V6 Turbo OPC (206 kW) Bosch ME 9.6 Motorola MPC562 S29CD016G (Unbekannt) according to https://www.obd-tuning.com/business/software_products/bdm

That would be fine because we can find those at any scrapyard here ?

You could buy a set and use it as your (extra) crackle and pop set ?

 

Even if you found an ECU in the junkyard that was physically identical to the ones in the 458, you would need to restore the entire code (not just the mapping data) for it to work in your car. This means things like the Immobilizer, VIN key, etc,. To get this info, you would need to remove your ECUs and do a full back up (KTAG bench read). But once you have a full back-up, its easy enough to makes changes (i.e., add crackle and pop) to your tune through the OBD port. The ECUs never have to come out again.

 

In the ECU's mapping data, there are dozens of transmission related tables that dictate how the amount and slew at which engine torque is reduced/increased pre and post shift. I'll have to work through them to see how they function. But there is certainly enough adjustability to tailer shifting response to one's liking. Personally I've never had a problem with our the transmission shifts in my 2010. But I drive predominantly in race cst off mode where shifts are pretty forceful.
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I don't think it would be very difficult to make a car with a new calibration drive subjectively the same as one with an old calibration. Or visa versa. It is just a matter of identifying the table value differences that actually translate to something you can feel. Or else you are just making changes for the sake of making changes. I can confidently say we know what we need to know with regards to finding the long lost exhaust burble/crackle. I did it on my car (still has original ECUs) and it was fairly straight forward. I have also looked at one of the newest calibrations (released circa 2015) and I was able to identify the same tables pretty easily. Transmission control related tables will be trickier to work out because that stuff is fairly subjective. What seems like a rough shift to one person may feel like a perfect shift to another. Plus, there are individual table values to different gears and then again for different driving modes. So it can get pretty intense trying to isolate which table control what condition.

Our primary goal will be to optimize power and to restore the exhaust crackle that has been missing for a few years. Doing so made such a nice subjective improvement to how the car drives. In race mode, I get nice double pops during downshifts and 1-2 seconds of burbles during high rpm deceleration. But in rain and sport mode, I programed the exhaust control to keep things very quiet and civil.

Our customers can try different configurations as desired. If they want something more raucous, in any particular driving mode, I can email them an update file to load to their OFT and flash to their ECUs. If they don't love it, they can try another. Rinse and repeat until they get exactly what they want.

We have been doing just this for the past 20 years with others vehicles (WRX, EVO, MX5, Porsche, Fiat, Ducati, BZMW, KTM, etc.) So conceptually it's nothing new to us. But doing the same for what is perhaps the greatest daily drivable supercar of all time is just plain cool

 

Shiv, why not invest in 2 Bosch ECU's from a scrapyard. Can not be that expensive imo. (let us know WHICH Ecu type)

Remap to the 2012 (or ...) sw from Ferrari 458 and add the crackle/pop.

Then you have your optimal test an you can either sell that set or exchange it.

Idea ? Plenty of "customers" imo if the price is right.

 

Each ECU is specifically coded to a particular car (Immobilizer, Vin lock, etc,.) So the only ECUs that will work in your car are the ECUs that are in your car right now. I could dump the data of your ECUs and load it into another set of scrapyard ECUs and possible get it to work on your car.. But I would need your ECUs out of the car in order to read/back-up the EPROM data. It's easy to forget that the mapping/tuning data is only a small portion of the data on your ECU. It's the rest of the code that is vehicle specific. When we do flashing through the diagnostic port (with OpenFlash Tablet), we are only writing to the small (~2mb) portion of the EPROM that contains the rather generic mapping/tuning data. The rest of the data on the EPROM is not touched.

 

Epic thread this is revealing itself to be. More than enough already to be added to the 458's workshop manual imho!

The 458's original, stock sound is indeed legendary, especially pre-software update. A lot of interest on owners' behalf has been generated after reading the contents of this thread, on how to prevent updates, how it all works (software and hardware) and how to get burbles and crackles back if 458 updated.

Don't let this die down. Great "customer service".

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

Shiv, if you can prove that you're capable of creating the desired exhaust note to a 2012, 2013, 2014, or 2015, I will literally go buy a car and send it to you. I've been looking (unsuccessfully) for a ca 2010 or 2011 car with the spec I like, with original ECU, for three years. I am aware of a couple 2013 and 2014 cars that meet my desired spec, but I haven't bought them because it is absolutely imperative to me that my car have the exhausts cackles - and have them in EXACTLY the same manner as the 2010/2011 Italias --- no more, no less --- EXACTLY the same.

If you can prove through a posted video that you can pull this off with a 2012 or newer Italia, I will buy a car right now and send it to you.

I will wait for your updates on this topic, as obviously I'm very interested and have a future purchase decision pending the outcome of your results....

Thank you.

 

In.

 

Hi Shiv

Great to hear about your electronic wizardry, I was always surprised that nobody could flash an ECU to the old spec and now you have enlightened us all.

I'm sure there will be a lot of smiling faces out there now (and maybe a few sad ones!)

Thank you so much for sharing

Regards

Michael

 

I'll be happy to offer a free ECU tune (to restore burbles) to any 2012 and up car for free . Just to provide proof for guy The car must be local though. Our office is right in Blackhawk, 2 min from the Blackhawk museum (Danville, CA)