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Programming new ECM to ED with AlphaOBD

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354K views 829 replies 121 participants last post by  alcab729  
#1 ·
Hello all,

Some of you saw the conversation discussed in the GDE thread last week where we talked about using AlphaOBD to program injector codes and the Vin into another ECM. I have another ECM, and alphaOBD so I can give this a shot. The VIN is really straight forward and I'm ready to do this, however I wanted to reach out for some assistance on the injector codes. In AlphaOBD, it has the location to enter a 9-character injector value. Looking at the injector code on my engine, I'm not seeing 9 digits and am assuming its within the codes on the sticker. Does anyone know which 9 characters I should enter? I've attached screenshots

Thanks.

Screenshots below. No idea why the injector codes picture is upside down. Its not on my computer. Tried flipping it so it was upside down on my computer, and its upside down online still. flipped it back, still upside down haha.




 

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#6 ·
wondering if you should find the rear axle ratio info , if you have a 3.55 , but the used stock ECM
was used in a truck with 3.92 , it would probably change the feeding of the fuel ( I don't know how to say clearly what I am thinking in english) ..:(
also a used ECM coming from a Jeep Grand Cherokee that is lighter that a RAM ,would it be tuned
to lift that heavier RAM from a standstill / complete stop ?

hope something that simple does not explain why some have truck turn into a turd after AEM ,
let's say FCA was dumb enough to put 3.92 ratio in all the AEM tunes , wouldn't the 3.55 trucks
take off with less "pep".....?
 
#7 ·
I've located the settings for the vehicle year, vin, injector codes, rear diff. There aren't any settings that I have found that correlate to vehicle size/weight. I will make sure all of the settings I've found are in line with what my truck is. I am going to do a step by step video so others can see how to do this as well as a write up with screenshots.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Maritime cruise ships , emitting 3,500 times more sulphur than a land vehicule
ultra fine particules 1000 times smaller than a human hair .
Big container ships , 2 of those , and you have exeeded the total pollution of all the vehicules on the planet ,
so , make me feel guilty for the 5000 miles a year I use my vehicule , while big corporation emits
massive quantities of crap into the air ,,, I don't think so . ( 51,400 merchants ships over the oceans today , no win situation = doomed )
..
not trying to deflect accusations by pointing out other bad behaviors , I'm doing my best to minimise my footprint , and not destroy my investment
just to comply with rules that are made by agencies looking the other way when much worst criminals are doing something billions of times worst than
a million little guys.
..
again same videos previously posted .
..
 
#10 ·
I reached out to GDE, and they were very gracious to show me how to decipher the injector codes from the engine stickers. I've attached an image on how to do that. I've now ran into a new issue. AlphaOBD is wanting 9 digit codes and the Ecodiesel injectors use 7 digit codes. I've sent a message to AlphaOBD to see what their feedback is.


 
#787 ·
I reached out to GDE, and they were very gracious to show me how to decipher the injector codes from the engine stickers. I've attached an image on how to do that. I've now ran into a new issue. AlphaOBD is wanting 9 digit codes and the Ecodiesel injectors use 7 digit codes. I've sent a message to AlphaOBD to see what their feedback is.


View attachment 82956
So do you just add the two “zero’s” before the 7 digit code? Thanks
 
#14 ·
AlphaOBD replied to my email and said that this was a bug and should have been resolved in the latest version. They recommended I update my app. I checked and there are no updates for me for AlphaOBD. I'm going to uninstall and reinstall it just to make sure. I plan on testing this either way tonight when I get home and see if it will let me enter the 7 digit injector codes. Perhaps it's just a typo in the message and it will actually let me do it.

I'll post an update later this evening.
 
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#15 ·
AlphaOBD replied to my email and said that this was a bug and should have been resolved in the latest version. They recommended I update my app. I checked and there are no updates for me for AlphaOBD. I'm going to uninstall and reinstall it just to make sure. I plan on testing this either way tonight when I get home and see if it will let me enter the 7 digit injector codes. Perhaps it's just a typo in the message and it will actually let me do it. I'll post an update later this evening.
You probably already know, if not, AlfaOBD for android updates automatically. AlfaOBD for windows does not, you have to update it manually.
 
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#19 ·
I wasn't able to make it back to testing tonight, wife had other plans. :) I'll work on this again tomorrow afternoon and see if I can get this to work. I an positive it will, as long as AlphaOBD accepts the 7 digit codes. Everything else seems pretty straightforward.
 
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#22 ·
#29 ·
I was going to go elk hunting tomorrow for a short morning hunt, but I just finished a very long day so I'm going to go out Monday instead and spend a few hours on this. I'll see what I can figure out. Might need more info from AlphaOBD though but I'll keep you posted.
 
#31 ·
Well, good news and bad news. First, the bad news. AlphaOBD will not let us change the VIN number. It keeps saying that the value is out of range. We even tried taking the original VIN and tried changing the VIN by one number and it wouldn't work. Stumped on that one. The good news is that AlphaOBD seemed to take all 6 of the 7-digit injector codes. Just need to figure out how to get the software to allow us to change the VIN and we'll be there!
 
#32 ·
I found more than one spot to change the vin. I wonder if it will let you change it under the body computer and if that will change it in other locations as well. I'm at a soccer game right now but plan on trying this later this morning. Thanks for the info. Glad to see it's accepting the injector codes.
 
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#33 ·
Interested in this as well. I just opened up AlfaOBD on PC and it has an update to 2.1.3.0. One of the changes are the injector codes ask for 7 digits now. Doesn't look like android has been updated yet. I assume it takes a little longer to publish an update to the play store.

But the good news is the publisher is definitely listening to everyone's feedback.

If I can get this to work I will probably move my GDE ECM over to my wife's jeep ecodiesel (she just had the AEM update performed) and hit up one of the Canadian tuners for my Ram. I have a spare used ECM I picked up last week.
 
#34 ·
Doesn't look like android has been updated yet. I assume it takes a little longer to publish an update to the play store.
Unless they've changed, the android will not update automatically. You have to manually update it.
 
#41 ·
I haven't worried about injector codes yet. They are on the side the engine on a decal. AlfaOBD doesn't display the actual injector codes anywhere that I can find. However, the software was updated to request the correct number of digits (7).

Reason I am not worried about the injectors is because the engine will not start either way without the correct VIN. From what I understand it will probably run with incorrect injector codes, it just might not be optimal. The injector codes just makes the ECM aware of variations from the ideal specification for each injector. How large that variation might be... I do not know.
 
#45 ·
I would think the dealer would be able to put in the vin and injector codes for you. So you wouldn't need to worry about this unless you picked up a used ECM. The main benefit of doing this would be to pick up a used tuned ECM, and then change it for your truck. A dealer can of course change it, but will most likely overwrite the tune at the same time. So doing this yourself is important.

With family in town and some extra work added in, I wasn't able to mess with this much this weekend. Not like I wanted to anyway. My app updated this morning though, so I will be out trying this tomorrow afternoon.
 
#48 ·
how to you go to the dealer with a used ecm and ask them to programme it for you without raising eyebrows and them starting to ask a million questions as to why you need a 2nd ecm? I'd also like to get a backup ecm at some point, but I don't want to be red-flagged on their system. What do you tell them to avoid raising suspicion...