Different ECU/ECU Programming in different Countries
 

OK Just been on the COBB Forums and seen that most people believe that the USDM RX-8's have different ECU's (or ECU Programming) than do say a JDM or in my case an AUDM one.

Firstly I want to know if anyone can categorically say one way or another if this is correct.

Secondly, if it is true why the heck would Mazda do that? In this day and age of production and cost efficiencies why would they have a different ecu on cars going to different countries. If its not true and the issue is ECU programming, surely the issue is only that base maps and a some parameters are different?

Cheers

Andrew

i wonder what base maps they are running in antarctica

the maps inside the ecu are different... i think the ecu part #s are the same..

beers :beer:

if that was the case then surely thats not a reason for people like RB and COBB not to be able to flash non-USDB ecu's?


feel free to find out and post somewhere.

cobb has not commited to flash anything yet...

rb has... i am sure rb would not flash a non usa ecu just out of common sense...

that has nothing to do with the if the ecu is the same...

btw, i have seen it done..


beers :beer:

Yep understood on the cobb front, but they have committed to producing a unit that will allow flashing and software for creating/modifying "flashes".

Have to agree to disagree on the RB issue. Common sense to me says if I am willing to pay to ship my ecu there and back and pay them the money to do it, and it will work, then they should do it. They should however include a proviso that its provided as is and any shipping is at my cost, as is the case if I am in Aus or US.

Back to what I am trying to understand, from this thread https://www.rx8club.com/far-east-asia-38/knight-sports-coming-town-112288/ they talk about non JDM spec cars having to have their ECU shipped to japan so they can reset (what I assume to be) the "base map". What is the "base map"? and how is it different from what is being "reflashed" if you already had the JDM ecu.

Cheers

Andrew

yeah, this is an interesting point.

I even heard somewhere that the ECU wiring may vary from EU to US? is that possible /probable? It seems a little pointless to me, but who knows...

I would venture to say that it has alot to do with EU, EPA, CARB emission standards. The Euro's, JMD, AUS, and USA calibrations are different, hence the need for various maps.
Oh and don't forget that California prolly has a different map than 48 state cars.

OK I understand that each place has different requirements for emmisions. What I dont get is why that entails a different ECU! Are there extra/different sensors that require a totally different ecu?

Or am I reading this the wrong way and its not a hardware difference but the base program for the ecu is different and as they are reverse engineering that the problem is differences in the program itself?

There is nothing mechanically or electrically different in the engine management between the different markets.
Its all in the software.

yeah thats what I would have assumed..but you know what they say about assuming. :spank:

I just wanted a definitive answer. Cheers!

the security key is very very tough to break.. it is not an internet crack..

beers :beer:

So....are you saying my last comment that people saying the "ECU's are different" is a management software issue? if so it all makes sense:banghead:

sure it is! I have it on my copy of the interweb on DVD ;) No Seriously did I make it sound like it was? What I was getting at was I assumed (Yeah Yeah) the engine management software was the same no matter what ECU and they were changing the hardware. stupidly didnt consider the hardware was the same but management software was different.

Having done diagnostic work on different market vehicles, i can tell you for a fact that pretty much almost all manufacturers do this, the software inside the ECU isnt compatible most of the time between different markets. Why they do it, who really knows, should ask a software engineer on both ends of the pond.

But as an example if you have a USDM Mazda 6, next to a South America DM, or European DM, the diagnostic equipment, unless factory provided, if its for USDM cars will not read the SADM or EDM or JDM cars. It detects the ECU, but cant establish the link due to differences in the protocols.

I would also think that the different Emissions standards, DOT approvals, fuel qualities, and ambient conditions would also play a part in ECU's having internal programming differences.

Yeah I understand now. When I first started this thread all people would tell me was that the "ECU's are different between models". To me the ECU on the RX-8 is a piece of hardware, the box sitting next to the battery.

It hadn't occured to me they were actually talking about the EMS. Thanks to evryone. Point made and I guess I will have to just sit back and wait:(

I still don't see a reason why Cobb could not develop the AccessPORT for working with the ECU in different countries. You are still using the AccessPORT to do the SAME functions. You are also able to sell to a world market, thus increasing profits.

well they are having enough problems "decoding" and getting a product ready for 1 new ECU, imagine if they had to do it for 3 others!