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Once you click that button it will the then save the info that we need on your clipboard to be able to send you the correct files. It will have a dialogue that looks similar to this:
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Step 3. Flashing Your ECU and Auto-Licensing your M-Tuner Software
*During the flash process, the vehicle must be in the on position but the engine off and not running*
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A battery tender is highly recommended during flashing. Do not attempt to flash your vehicle if your battery life seem low or you battery power errors on the dash. An insufficient charge can lead to a failed flash! |
File Types in M-Tuner
M-Tuner(C) - These are calibration files and are the more common file type you will be encountering. When doing calibration revisions for remote tuning these will be the type of files you will be flashing.
M-Tuner(F) - These are full binary files that are used for large feature updates! M-Tuner(F) is what also will be needed to recovery an ECU in the unlikely event a flash fails for any unforeseen reason.
Initiating a flash and auto-licensing
Flashing is a straight forward process that can take between 90 seconds to 6 minutes depending on the file type. Simple on screen prompts guide you through the process.
Open M-Tuner and connect the OBD M-Engineering dongle to your PC via the included USB cable. The other end connects to your vehicle via the OBDII port. If you have a stable connection the “Flash ECU” button (1) will now be in bold and no longer grayed out.
Turn the vehicle to the on position but do not start the engine. A simple way to know you’re at the right point is if the tach is showing but the engine is not running. This state can be reached simply by pressing the start/stop button with your foot off of the brake pedal.
Click “Flash ECU.” (1) A directory will appear. Select the file you’d like to flash and open it.
A battery tender is highly recommend, particularly if flashing a M-Tuner(F) file.
If this is the first flash you are completing on M-Tuner, licensing of the software is needed. After you select your (F) file to flash on the car, you will be prompted to enter in your Customer Name for the license. You can simply put whatever you like in the box such as your full name and the year/make/model of the car. Once this step is complete this allows you to gain full control of reading and clearing faults as well as datalogging.
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A confirmation window with map notes will now appear. Click yes to proceed. No to abort.
Flashing Process
The console (2) will now display information as the flash process progresses.
As the vehicle enters the proper flash state all CAN BUS traffic will stop and modules will shut down.
You may see some communication errors regarding certain modules displayed while gaining security access, this is normal.
Once access is granted the flashing procedure will commence and a completion percentage will update in real time.
As the flash is wrapping up you may again see some communication issues with certain modules, again this is normal.
When the flash routine is finalizing modules will come back online and alarms may once again sound. This is normal.
When prompted cycle the key off and on and click ok.
The flash is now successful and you’re all set! See special precautions at the end of this section for other important data.
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FUEL GAUGE ERROR: It’s possible that the fuel gauge may display an error after flashing, particularly cars that are low on fuel. Normally, this will go away after a drive cycle. Some cars may require you to refill your fuel if the error doesn’t go away. Make sure to fill it up all the way and not partially! |
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It’s possible for the PAS, ACC, Drivelights, TPMS, steering wheel, or other systems to show errors after the flash process. There is nothing to be alarmed about. You can start by performing a “Clear Faults” action via M-Tuner. Driving around the car for a few miles and insuring full lock to lock with the steering wheel can help clear these faults as well. They just need some time to reset and relearn. |
ECU Recovery
In the very rare instance a flash were to fail due to low battery voltage, turning the car off during a flash, etc, we have built a recovery mode that can flash your ECU even if the flash was inhibited while in progress.
Now, if for any reason discussed above the flash fails you can now simply flash your M-Tuner(F) file to the vehicle and it will recover and you’ll be on your way.
If for any reason the recovery mode fails to recovery your ECU please send us an email at Info@m-engineering.us with the subject heading “M-Tuner Flash Failure” and we will assist you as soon as possible! We have yet to encounter an ECU that has not been recoverable in the field.
Precautions During and After Flashing
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After the first engine start following a flash the idle can be unstable and the lambda sensors will take 2-3 minutes to come back on line. During this time special care should be taken to not drive the car hard as closed loop fuel corrections will not take place. Simply idling it for 5 minutes after a flash is generally sufficient, however a good way to tell if the lambda sensors are active is to monitor short term fuel trims and lambda for each bank. If short term fuel trims are at 1.00 then your lambdas are not online yet. This is particularly good to know if you are tuning the car remotely on the dyno. |
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Datalogging
Open M-Tuner and connect the OBD dongle to your vehicle and PC via the supplied USB cable.
If you have a profile open and a good connection to the vehicle “Start Datalogging” and “Clear Faults” will be in bold and no longer grayed out.
“Start Datalogging” will now begin displaying live data in the monitor panel and your logging speed will be displayed near the bottom.
Whenever you start to monitor a datalog is created automatically. When you first datalog a folder called “Datalogs” will be created in the same folder as M-Tuner. This is where all datalogs are saved.
Datalogs are saved as both a .csv and a .ldat.
.csv files are files you are welcome (& encouraged) to review. Knowing what to look for in datalogs can be a great tool in early detection of an issue.
.ldat files are encrypted files that contain proprietary calibration data.
We are always available to review datalogs.
If you have a datalog you’d like us to review shoot us an email at Info@M-engineering.us with the subject header “Porsche Log Review” Please be sure to also include your VIN in the email.
Our Datalogging Parameters page can help you make sense of most vital monitors.
If we send you an LCFG2 file for logging please put it in the following folder:
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