HELP! I think I bricked/stuffed my FlashECU :(

**Jimvr4** · 09-01-2013, 12:54 AM

Never flash without a charger hooked up. Measure the voltage while charging and try to keep it to around 13V. The Tactrix voltage booster is probably dropping out of regulation when battery voltage gets much below 12V. That's what causes bricking - instability of the Tactrix programming voltage

**TUFFTR** · 09-01-2013, 02:44 AM

Tried it again with a charger hooked up and it was about 13v at the battery. Still failing. I think ill just send it back

not having much luck today.

**TUFFTR** · 09-02-2013, 02:55 AM

Well, it's on it's way back to the good ol' US of A now. I'm still a bit worried though, there's no way to 100% tell if it was my fault due to apparent low voltage when flashing, or if *something* might be amiss with the adapter harness?
A trouble I really didn't need right now but I do appreciate the quick responses and feedback.

**llabmik2** · 09-02-2013, 03:35 PM

Recovery mode only works if you bench the ECU.

Have you tried building a bench harness and benching the ECU? You have to flash it while its benched, then put it back in the car and flash it again using the OBD2 port.

I know you can do this on Evo ecu's as I have done it before not sure about the 3KGT ecu.

**TUFFTR** · 09-02-2013, 08:16 PM

Unfortunately mate I'm just in a dilly of a pickle with this situation I got myself in. Car was booked in 3 months ago for TIG welded custom made exhaust front to back so the car NEEDS to be working in 2 weeks. Plus I'm going interstate this week so I just have no time to fix this stuff up of mine. I could get the car trailered to the joint but after almost 12 months off the road after what was supposed to be a simple loom swap I'm bloody over it!

**smartaxel** · 09-02-2013, 09:53 PM

My suggestion. Get a cheap meter or continuity tester and makes sure the adapter harness you are using is pinned out correctly. This way, you know nothing is going to be broken on the replacement ECU. I believe they had pinouts on one of the flash ecu sites. If not, send me a PM or email and I can send you a copy of the one I have.

**TUFFTR** · 09-02-2013, 10:16 PM

No problems. I certainly want to double check the Flashing pinouts are correct. I have high faith in this Adaptor harness, and the person who made it, but alas, can't hurt to double check.

As long as when this gets professionally tuned I have no issues that's all i'm worried about. I really don't want to touch the ECU again!

**n2nsanity** · 09-04-2013, 11:51 PM

This sucks man. I need to turn off a bunch of the peripheries on mine too. I'm even more scared to now

Also, I've yet to find how to use that power booster cable. At least I think that's what it's supposed to be. Looks like a 3.5mm audio cable to me, lol.