General Supercharger Thread

Good news is I got more detailed pictures to update the how to unbrick procedure. I’m glad I wrote it down last time, as I would not have remembered lol.

Now the question is do I try and tune it again right away or just be happy it turns on haha.

 

Replace your USB cable first...

No, seriously, replace it. I was setting up to run a datalog one day and nudged the laptop while it was sitting on the center console; the computer chimed 'Bee-doo' as if I'd disconnected the device. I nudged it back and 'Doo-beep!' - device reconnected. I did it several more times jus to verify and watched the usb cable move a teeny tiny amount, but it disconnected every time.

 

that is more likely the usb port, not the cable

 

So in my write up on unbricking I say wait 30 mins while you short the ecu with techstream and it’s definitely 30 mins haha. I tried at 10 mins and no go. 30 minutes round 2, success! Here’s the actual Toyota documentation on what’s going on:



Then I decided to take a gamble and write a tune…..



And success again! Time to go have a drink and think about my life choices.

 

It's a great feeling, unbricking an ecu.

 

@TurboKits and I were literally just taking about how we wonder if there is an HPT hiccup occuring since he was dealing with another customer who also had a bricked ECU. Interesting that these issues tend to pop up, in mass, periodically. Maybe just a coincidence?

 

For 2020 and 2021 from my research if you brick the ecu you have to either replace with a different ecu or take the ecu apart and short it physically (which I think takes some other equipment to mimic some of the tundra systems). I bought two backup ecus hoping I wouldn’t need them haha. I think I may grab another now! Then follow the unbrick process after that to put in the right vin + reset the immobilization handshakes.

 

I can sometimes recover the 2018+ Tundra ECUs if a brick occurred during flashing. However, the ECU does need to be on my bench for the procedure, so it would need to be sent to me. That said, if you've already replaced it, I can attempt to recover it, and you can have your original back as a spare with no down-time.

It's a $75 service (only charged if successful). ECU will be returned to you for the cost of return shipping if it cannot be recovered.

 

Damn. I have been playing around with PE in my tune and have done 4/5 rewrites. Did one today actually. My steps are.
Disconnect negative. Go get my charger ready. Disconnect my WP from the fuse and reinstall the fuse. Reconnect battery and attach battery charger. Get in truck and close door. Hook up to the OBD and the laptop. I makes sure the cable is not tangled anywhere. Run the HPT program and let it do its thing. I sit as still as possible and don't touch anything till it over. I am on like 13 rewrites since I started the whole SC journey.

 

Close all programs besides the editor. Good internet. Plug into truck. Flash. Don't move. I'll flash a half dozen times in 30 minutes on the side of the road in nowhere trying stuff back to back. The other day I accidentally clicked okay after it said to turn the ignition off and didn't do that and it was fine.

2008s are built different

 

@Ponderosa_Pine so you unbricked it with tech stream I take it. I have a rigged version of TS. I have the orange VF dongle and cable that came with my SC kit. I have used TS do small changes to the truck, like how many times the blinker blinks on the short press, etc. Can the rigged version do it all? I ask because I have played around with it some and it looks limited.

 

(Can’t unbrick an ecu for 2020/2021 using techstream, but can swap in a different ecu then use techstream to setup that ecu)

For 2020 the full functionality comes in around version 17.x while lower versions can do some things too. You want to make sure techstream automatically finds your specs like this:


It does appear limited but there are a bunch of semi hidden things. Like you can change each computers stored vin number within a sub systems utilities (like the ECU vin), which can be used to program new keys for example:


And you can manually cause trips/faults/etc within active tests, like using this option to reset the ecu:

 

I guess I have to see the version I have and go from there. Thanks.

 

I remember seeing a post about an easy way to see the ECM part number without having to remove it apparently. Can't remember now how to go about this and want to get the PN and look for a ECM just in case.

 

I think it was from under the dash, or in the kick panel, or in the air filter slot. Can't remember if it was here or in the ECU recovery thread.

Link: https://www.tundras.com/threads/general-supercharger-thread.85513/page-697#post-3809203

 

Credit where credit is due, I picked it up from one of @ViktorG's videos.

I don't think I've disconnected the battery since the new transmission was installed, I've flashed a lot since then.

I've done it this way most times. I'll even leave the stereo on, but I don't touch the laptop/cables/open or close doors. The waiting 10 second before and after I've accidentally clicked too. One other thing, I don't flash a "cold" truck, I've always driven the truck until it's up to operating temperature and the alternator has spent some time charging the battery. I didn't brick my ECU either of the two times with HPT, it was with VFT but I doubt that it was relevant, I've sure it was user error.

 

I did have a hpt support person tell me to ditch the supplied USB cable and buy a quality cable...

 

I bricked my ECU last year on my 2020, and because I have D3Performance tuning software I was able to bench recover it using their method. HPTuners should be able to make the same way of recovery like D3 but we’d need some man power behind it.

 

There was talks about this. Talking to HPT and asking them to make it possible to recover a ECM.

 

I have used quite a few battery chargers over the years for reflashes at the dealership. I have found this one to be great for maintaining proper voltage. It helps that it is so compact as well vs some of the old school units.

$100 NOCO GENIUS10, 10A Smart Car Battery Charger, 6V and 12V Automotive Charger, Battery Maintainer, Trickle Charger, Float Charger and Desulfator for Motorcycle, ATV, Lithium and Deep Cycle Batteries

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W3QT226

 

My 2008 didn't get the memo when mine bricked apparently

 

Can confirm this is a great little charger and works brilliantly on the X2 and Duracell AGMs. I've taken other chargers that are showing the X2 as being "good" and upon connecting the NOCO, it's barely registering the first bar. Simple but really good at whatever it is doing inside that wrapper.

 

Agreed. I use their little 2 amp maintainer on my Camaro while it sits in the garage all winter and it works great and is so compact. Love it.

 

Ha ha ha, I was also just saying that to Bflooks. I have been on the side of the road, late at night, way up in the sticks where there is no traffic, 1 bar of service, freezing cold, heat on during the flash, etc, more times than I'd like to admit. Of course his truck bricks, in the shop, wifi, battery charger, every process followed to the T! Both his and another customer's truck, both 2019, both MPVI3 (different laptop, different MPVI dongle, different person, his installer) bricked in about a week span over the holidays. I have my suspicions about some sort of server issue over at HP since everyone was off... But I doubt we'll get any real answers. When I say I have flashed 100s of times during the development. That is no joke, this is one folder (about 70 files), for one revision of the kit during development on the 2014!

 

New Denso radiator arriving today finally. Ordered a Mishimoto but ended up cancelling that and just going for the Denso for now.

 

I have a charger collection...

The 3500 lives in the trunk right now since there's no motor.


I also have a 90s Schumacher manual 2/15/110 buried somewhere for sub 12v batteries these newfangled computerized bastardas don't see.

 

I bought the monster rolling one from Harbor Freight after I bricked my PC in an attempt to never have to deal with that again. Now it sits around collecting dust. I really should retune the truck at some point with ProSpeed. Would love to have Sniv take a look but then I gotta buy an HP Tuners device.

 

I’ve got a charger/power supply. I can select the voltage from 13.4 to 14.5vdc up to 100amps. I use it to flash ECU’s to keep a constant 13.5vdc. You can see it top right.

 

Nice collection you got there!!!

 

Not mine, no affiliation...

AB60E 8870 Not fits for #89010. Sequoia 2007-2016 6 SP R/4WD 5.7L. Tundra 2007-2021

No idea if this is good or bad but 65 dollars seems cheap.

https://offerup.com/item/detail/9ab287b6-1c0d-334b-953a-93294aed292f