I have a TCU pn 185301 on a MY2000 360 Modena. After looking through several TCU threads, I'm a bit confused: 1. Voicey's post states that any TCU pre-189542 doesn't have the ability to set PIS manually and therefore maps from later TCU's cannot be flashed to them. Is this true? 2. Some members have gotten TCU's flashed by Eric355. Has anyone successfully gotten their 185301 TCU flashed to either a later TCU or the CS one? 3. Voicey's post mentions "Sadly, the CS TCU maps cannot be flashed onto any of the other 360 TCU microprocessors." This seems to contradict with what others have mentioned here so which is true?
Voicey's posts and writings are a bit old now and not up to date. Since that, I have reflashed several 360 TCU with CS software. It works, provided that the TCU is a CFC201F.05 (cf bottom left corner of the sticker). Though, your TCU is most probably a CFC201F.03 for which I have no definitive answer as I never had the opportunity to open one.
Eric355: you're right, mine is CFC201F.03. What do you suggest I do to find out whether mine can be flashed?
Sure, I can try getting those pictures. What is the PCB and how do I get to it? I've attached a picture of my TCU. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The PCB is the internal board with the electronic components and the conductive tracks. You will have to open the TCU.
I just got mine in today. It makes an incredible difference. Eric thanks. I am shocked how much better the car performs.
I don't think the ability to be flashed is important here. If in the end there is no PIS adjustability it is a waste of money.
I fully agree, but the PIS adjustability being embeded in the software, the question here is the compatibility of this particular hardware (CFC201F.03) with the latest softwares.
Eric, I take it that to get the CS software to run on the earlier hardware versions you have had to adapt the code? Eg I thought one on the differences between the later hardware was a larger memory...
Mike, it's not the case: - all the 360 TCUs, from the very first 176552 to the very last 211023, use different CFC201F.0x hardwares but with the same memory size (256 kbytes). - early CS use also a TCU with this same memory size. - last CS, F430, 612, ... have started to use the CFC231F.xx hardware with a doubled memory size (512 kbytes).
Well this has starting going over my head. I just know my car shifts like a beast now and is a hell of a lot more fun to drive.
I think what is the case here is that the earlier -- 1999 - 2001 (?) have a chipset that cannot be flashed with the later CS firmware which is why I had to get one from Eric. It's out of a later Maserati. I guess if you have a later TCU you could send it to him and have it flashed with the CS firmware. Alan
So this is for Eric initially but if it works out it will benefit everyone. I have MY 2001 F1 Spider with revision 5 of the TCU CFC201F.05. The F1 works but it's never been super impressive. I added Formula Dynamics Shift enhancement which definitely helps but I'm always striving to be as close to perfection as possible. I have been keeping my eye's out for a used TCU that I can send to Eric to flash vs send mine over and back. I always felt it would be better to drive my car to the dealer for programing after installing Eric's flashed TCU and have my OEM TCU to fall back on in case things didn't work. To that I end I bought a used TCU (Caveat Emptor) that was supposedly from a 2002 Modena, but when it arrived I noticed the PN 185301 and Rev CFC201F.03 show it's from a 2000 or early 2001 car. I stumbled across this thread where Eric is unsure and needs close up pictures of the PCB to determine if it's possible/probable to upgrade this version. Some people gamble in casino's I gamble in my garage so I opened up my new purchase for the pictures below. So Eric given the pictures below (I can send higher resolution photo's if that would help) what do you think do we have a chance flashing this TCU? All the TCU searches I find say it's only the first generation TCU's 99/00 that start with 172 that are read only non-programmable so I'm hopeful we can do this one.... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Not good! Old processor, old PCB ... from what I can see on the pictures it looks very similar to a 175552 (CFC201F.01) for which I have had no luck so far.
Hello Eric355, Any luck with flashing TCU 176552 with CFC201F.01? What's the oldest TCU that can be flashed? Thanks!
So any luck with the CFC201F.03. Can the PIS be adjustable? If so please send me a PM with costs and shipping address Thanks
@ Eric, if you want me to take a look at this, i.e. ability to target ecu's for which there is no equivalent CS firmware available let me know. I have had pretty good success reversing the firmware back to source-code (and these old Motorola Toucan System on a chips are an old friend based on 680x0 series instruction set for which I wrote assembly in for a decade in a former life writing games in the 90's !). i'm pretty confident with some effort I could graft new features into an older dump and still have it work on older hardware.... The fact we have 2 different compatible CS versions fills me with confidence its indeed possible with a bit of effort. That way evey TCU would become compatible with upgrading...
