ok i have a friend who can chip and reburn stock ecu's... i have heard and i told him that i didn't think the stock S ecu can be burned or chipped... he says that its non sence and can be done. but his question was why are people saying it can't be done?? is it because of the imobilizer system? some safe guard in the ecu?? what.. thanks for the help

 

The stock ecu is a rom (read only memory). By nature, it cannot be burned or chipped. Most every other ecu is ram based.

 

well it obviously can, since the spoon unit is a stock ecu retuned. however, it is a ROM, so you need to go in to the ecu and desolder and resolder whatever you need to i believe.

 

I haven't ever heard of a RAM based ECU. They are all ROMs. However, some are flashable. The big problem with the S2000 ECU is that the maps are encrypted.

 

FYI,

RAM - Read Access Memory - data goes away with loss of power.
ROM - Read Only Memory - data is permanent on the chip.
Flash Memory - write once and read many (usually but some can be deleted with command or electrical current)

ROM or Flash Memory contains the program and RAM contains the data such as environment or error code which decides behavior of the program.

 

All 95 and earlier Honda ECUs used an EPROM of one type or another that can be erased and re-programmed, or at least socketed and easily replaced (frequently called "chipping").

96-00 Hondas all have ROM that is built into the ECU and is masked at the factory. All JDM builds were produced by OKI AFAIK, some US-built ones were made by Motorola but I think are still all not flashable (Accord, maybe Civic). Yes, the processor can be removed, if you have a desoldering station that can handle 100+ pin QFP's and you happen to have a OKI flash-based processor around and a programming station for it (i.e. you will NOT be able to swap this chip).

FYI, Hondata has looked into this solution and they could not make it economically feasible.

The 01 Prelude was the same as the 00's (not programmable). The S2000 from 00+ all remain not programmable.

From 01 and up on all other models Honda has moved to a flashable ECU. Hondata can flash these. The only hope the S2000 has is through a swap to a flashable K-series ECU which I don't believe they have done yet. UL or someone else can correct me on that if I'm wrong.

Anyone who says they can "chip" and S2000 ECU is full of shit, plain and simple. The Mugen offering is a Honda ECUs that have been build with their own proprietary code. The Spoon one (note they require a core swap) is a modified unit where they replace the processor and thus the ROM.

 

well this person does have all the eqiupment needed to do all the work... but you are saying it is not possible at all correct...

 

http://www.hmcelectronics.com/cgi-bin/scri...oduct/0460-0083

Rework stations that allow for QFP part removal usually start at around $1500 and go up from there. Parts for them are exhorbitantly expensive, I just spent $280 on a tip to do a small PLCC device.

OKI does not manufacture the flash version of the chip anymore. I am not sure what they are using in the '04+ ECU but if Hondata can't get the damn parts... chances are no other tuner can. OKI keeps tight control over those parts which means if you contact them looking for them- they notify Honda. The processor used in the ECU was made specifically by OKI for Honda, there was no other customer for it.

I'll say it again- anyone who says they can "chip" an S2000 ECU (or any 96-00 Honda ECU for that matter) either doesn't understand the differences in the ECUs or is simply lying. Ask for pictures of what they do... it quite simply is not economically possible for anyone but a Mugen or Spoon to do it. It's NOT as simple as changing out or flashing an EPROM.

 

ok well in that case you are wrong... i have personaly seen him chip two 98 gsr ecus..... and let me tell you. they word damn good.

 

That had to have been done via an OBD1 conversion. In that case you are chipping an older OBD1 ECU which IS possible.

If he is capable of actually chipping a 96-00 Honda ECU then he can have all the business he wants if he just advertises. Hondata hasn't figured out how to do it yet.