Ok... I got some cloning tools... let's see what I can do with them (Day 4)

More and more this is where I actually found myself starting this journey at the start of this series: the doing OF the thing for the 1st time. Here I share in all its adventure as that is the natural state of me trying to do anything.

The motivation

I like to think that this was something I was meant to pursue. It just so happened that we had a 2007 Subaru Outback come into the shop with misfire codes that came and went. Diagnostically speaking it was an oddball and we investigated a fuel leak before eventually realizing you could tap on the engine control module and the thing would stop misfiring. You could tap on it and it would start misfiring and throwing all sorts of strange codes. Now I have worked in engineering fields before programming circuit boards and prototyping equipment but cars are usually much more straight forward...

The typical solution

Well you can only program a NEW module so it was time to grab the part numbers and start googling. Flagship One, something I had used off and on over the years, had nothing to offer. Some will see red flags when I post that and I have watched several videos since that have told of issues that came from buying one of their products but I digress... These modules are all over the You Pull It Yards and recyclers for pennies on the dollar but what good is that? It is not like you can program them to a different vehicle right?

Finally, I called the dealer. MSRP was like 1200 dollars ish and, I was in luck, there were 4 left in the world (I am being dramatic. 4 left that my dealer can even order. Dealers have to pay for access to specific supply systems so not all are created equal). I called a couple lock smiths and was told the modules on these vehicle's did not require any special access of PIN codes to program, or so I deducted since immobilizer systems are so different between manufacturers these days. After all it only makes sense that if you do not need dealer tools to program keys then you dont need dealer tools to program modules. Our Top Don gave us the option to change the VIN number on the new module so we should be good to go right? Wrong... "please input your 8 pin immobilizer code."

A quick call to the dealer revealed they could not give me the code but if I brought the car down they would program it for me. I buy a lot of parts from them I should have expected the full 300+ dollar programming bill. Now we are 1500 dollars in a PCM for a car that, in New York, does not have many years left before the roads will eat the vehicle (literally). My customer is a lifetime Subaru lover so I got the standard "Who needs a life savings. Fix it." I still hate giving big bills to customers after all these years especially for something as silly as a new engine control module. Knowing that I could not change the facts I had the car brought down there on the day I was scheduled to bring it there.

Two weeks later after dozens of unreturned phone calls from the service department I got some of the parts department people I order from on a daily basis to walk over to service and try to figure out what the hell is going on. Long story short... the car is done, my customer picks it up and we figure out how to deal with the fact that only one of the 3 keys they have for the vehicle works anymore. This whole situation has gone beyond acceptable and forced me to search for pursue alternatives.

The Fix

Fast forward a couple of weeks. I have learned enough to be dangerous and have bought a couple of tools/a laptop/random accessories: all of which I never even tried to hook up to a car to see if they even worked. They are new and I am smart: how hard could it be? Ford truck roles in that needs a new computer, new ones are a 1,000 dollars, shipping time is over a week, and mail in sketchy repair services are 600+ with round trip over night service. This is not a second vehicle that the customer can afford to have down for weeks on end. One of the tools I loaded up says this continental ECU is on its supported list for cloning. My careful self explains the situation to the customer and we decided to come his modules information into a new computer.

The first tool doesnt work. Why? Both modules were shipped to me with non functional micro SD cards installed on their board preventing the licenses from working. Zero sales support, couple of days of researching online, a multiple electronic store rampage just to actually be able to purchase new SD cards, disassembling both tools to install new formatted cards in, and then reinstalling to enable the functions again. But wait, there is more. Now that the buttons are not greyed out and you can actually use the software, along with days of more research, it is discovered that the tool I have does not have the newest firmware (and cannot be flashed) so it does not support functions in the newest software package the seller claimed worked with the tools. The version that was supported by the firmware did not include this module. WTH!

I split the case and hoping maybe one of my other tools would work via directly interfacing with the chip. Well look here there is an EEPROM chip - maybe we can do this another way after all. I am 5 days into a job I quoted 1 day to do. I shoot off an email to the manufacturer of the second tool with some pointed, intelligent questions. I do not make promises that I cannot keep, if there is anything I can do about it...

The second tool does not work. Why does it not work? Well it has a parallel port, has software written in 16-bits that doesn't work in compatibility mode on any of my 64-bit computers, and is notorious for not working easily with the parallel port adapters they sell today. That is not something I want to hear nor knew anything about until I tried to actually do a job. The manufacturer eventually responded that this computer was not possible to clone with its tools. Gee thanks... you don't have a supported applications list only a "you cannot do that" list.

Here's where backup tools, even cheap chinese tools, come in handy. I remember I have a CH341a tool I bought for 10 bucks somewhere at the start of this journey. I rummage around till I finally find it. I split both cases, i backed up both chips and I programmed the used module (150 from a recycler not 10 from a pull yard). I resealed the computer because there was literally nothing else I could do if this did not work. I fully intended to plug in a diagnostic computer and clear the codes, adaptive memory, and check the vin actually wrote before I started the car up but the anticipation was killing me. Started right up, problem solved, no issues with keys.

Time to sleep for a week...