---> *EVERYTHING* ECU fix/comments/thoughts

[CarlM2]

what do u mean it handles better.. did they do something to the suspension also?

Yes, they replaced the sway bar and endlinks to cure the clunk I was having in the rear. The rear gives a bit more predictably now and I can swing the tail out a little more than I could before. Sorry I didn't mention that I took the car in for 2 things.
-C

 

[BremertonMSP]

I get flashed tomorrow morning, 8am sharp at University Mazda in Seattle!! My car has been hesitating real bad for the past month, so I'm curious to find out if it's really going to help long term.

 

[mSHOCKERp]

Just to let everyone know, please disconnect and reconnect your negative battery terminal if you don't seem to be feeling anything positive post-flash. I was pretty pissed off and in another post LinuxRacr suggested that I do the battery trick to reset the ecu, and it drives like a charm now. Buttery smooth. Good luck!

 

[blkmazspeed03]

the flash

Brown's Mazda in Virginia doesn't know about the flash. I had to give them the scoop today. So I just took it to Rosenthal Mazda. They were super polite and got it done quickly.

If it weren't for the leaky cooland hose they have to replace I would have the MSP in my driveway

hey i have no idea what everyone is talking about the flash could you please let me what it is/does thanks

 

[CarlM2]

Re: the flash

hey i have no idea what everyone is talking about the flash could you please let me what it is/does thanks

Wow. Have you not read the thread you are currently posting to? I know it's long but, give it a shot.

Also, if you click 'search' and type 'ecu flash' you will return 146 posts you can read through to figure it out. If you see posts from a guy called '1st MP3 in NH' he has a signature that scrolls a summary of the issue.

 

[blkmazspeed03]

thanks dude i'm new to this but i've found it

 

[girth]

Just to let everyone know, please disconnect and reconnect your negative battery terminal if you don't seem to be feeling anything positive post-flash. I was pretty pissed off and in another post LinuxRacr suggested that I do the battery trick to reset the ecu, and it drives like a charm now. Buttery smooth. Good luck!

That's only a temporary fix. That's how everyone "fixed" the hesitation before the flash ever came out and it inevitably came back after a few hundred miles. I seriously hope you're the first case where it DOESN'T come back though! If so, let us all know

 

[doggman]

i got flashed today!!! i was happy with the results. it seemed to smooth out the spooling time greatly. car reaches max psi vary smoothly now. i dont seem to notice a power gain but im happy with the results. about the hesitation, i dont really kno exactly what the "hesitation" everybody is talkin about but wht i do kno is that accelerrating is much more smooth.if the hesitation is what im thinking it is then it is better(is hesitation when you are crzin in like 4th gear and then you go w.o.t then you get that little pause(i.e hesatation?). if that is what it is then the flash deff. helped.
all in all im glad i did it!
-dave

 

[nomahh]

I finally got mine done yesterday and noticed the same thing. Not more power, but MUCH smoother delivery across the rev range.

 

[4001]

I can not find the sticker that says the car has been flashed. Where has everyone found theirs?

 

[doggman]

well the ovious answer that that you can tell the difference in the performance of the car and how the turbo kicks in a lot smoother. otherwise i dont kno. i cant find mine either. i dont kno what i am even looking for.

 

[Fakhelek]

I can not find the sticker that says the car has been flashed. Where has everyone found theirs?

There is a post out there somewhere with a pic of the sticker inside the engine compartment on the strut tower. Mine is on the underside of the hood to the left of the emissions sticker. Some people say they don't have a sticker at all.

 

[Newf]

mine is going in tomorrow morning.

Now, is there any way the dealer can screw this up? Flash it with the wrong file or something?

Where do they connect the computer too? Just wondering what their going to damage this time

 

[carbonkid]

good luck newf, mine is going in tomorrow too!

I am sure they will be fine!

 

[Newf]

trust me, if there is a way that my dealer can beat something up, scratch or break something....they will. So i want to know ahead of time what's involved.

do they connect directly to the ECU or is there a diagnostic port under the hood somewhere?

 

[girth]

Newf, there's a little data port inside the car near your "pop-the-hood" handle. That is what they will hook up to. So as far as physical damage, this should be about the easiest "fix" that a dealer can do (but considering how incredibly stupid they all are, Lord only knows what will happen). I do not know if it is possible for them to flash with the incorrect file or anything like that......but I often wonder the same thing since my flash doesn't seem to work nearly as good as everyone else on here claims it does. Chances are good that if there's ANYTHING they can screw up, they will....there's nothing you can do about it though, so I wouldn't worry about it much.

 

[Newf]

mine is done. definite difference. not sure I would say a big power difference but smoother for sure. It was cold here anyways. we actually got our first snow fall today

 

[carbonkid]

Had mine done today:
John @ Polar Mazda, White Bear Lake, MN.

VERY HAPPY with the new feel! Like has been said before, NIGHT and DAY!

 

[vodapas77]

Oahu, Hawaii residents: I took the liberty of getting Cutter Mazda of Waipahu up to speed on the flash deal. Ended up taking me 4 hours+ but they finally believed me and called tech support to get the download. She runs sweet now though. So, I guess the four hours was worth it.

 

[carbonkid]

Oahu, Hawaii residents: I took the liberty of getting Cutter Mazda of Waipahu up to speed on the flash deal. Ended up taking me 4 hours+ but they finally believed me and called tech support to get the download. She runs sweet now though. So, I guess the four hours was worth it.

I know, Polar Mazda had no idea what I was talking about, so they had to download it and run it, it took about 3 hours total.

VERY worth the wait...