how to tell if flashed or not

^tyrant^

Member
ok i while back i remember reading on a method to tell if your ecu is the new flash or not, and ive searched for various things trying to find that post but no with luck.

From what i can remember from the post you hold the rpm at 2k for a little bit and if the rpms start to jump with our you pushing the throttle that means ???? and this is the part that i cant remember, if someone could enlighten me
 
Look in the engine bay for a sticker that says authorized modification, and a #. Some people say that they didn't get a sticker though so I'm not sure other than that. I never heard about that method you mentioned.
 
if that sticker was located on the passenger side upper part of the firewall it is the port information, not flash info.
 
Nope, not on mine, I watched them put it on and its on the hood. It says authorized modification and below that it says mazda PCM flash and a #.
 
Thats what the sticker would suggest.
That mazda wants it documented.
 
i don't have a sticker, but since i have the sheet that says it was done. i would think mazda would track all warranty work that has been done on the car, and any dealer would have access to this information.
 
Yeah..the stealership..should have all modifications on file..including oil changes..and replacement of anything!

Chas
 
Dealer placed the sticker on the drivers front door sill on my car. Just south of the gross vehicle weight sticker. Odd place, I thought, but somewhere else to look...
 
TooleBox said:
which makes me wonder why I do not have the sticker but it was flashed

Mine has no sticker but it was DEFINTLEY flashed. I watched the guy drive it two times previous to being flased and two times afterwards. He connected to the port under the dash and it took about an hour and change. He also seemed to adjust my MBC down some. All in all a good non-reactionary tech who knew his stuff and did his job very well.
He was under the hood both before the flash and after. I was simultaneously shocked and impressed :p
I knew it was flashed becuse it was WAY WAY WAY WAY more docile a kind of visceral let down for me. Infact I went on a wee bit of a tyrate afterwards here http://www.mazdamp3.com/vbb230/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31004&highlight=sucks+balls
but now I see it has been a good thing and I have been back at 12 PSI for many thousands of miles since. I reconciled my differences with the flash later on but I can't find the thread.
Anywho it was very apparent something happened to my car drive wise after the flash...
 
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Yeah I didn't get any sticker but my was definately flashed too. I felt the hesitation before and since the day I've gotten it done haven't had one complaint of hesitation yet. If your not sure if you feel a difference maybe you never had hesitation to begin with, cause you should just be able to feel a difference and know that they did it not just "think" they did.
 
when i bought my MSP I asked the sales guy about the ECU Flash and he didn't know what I was talking about. The dealer Owner said that all there cars were flashed, but at first when I asked him I had to explain more than just saying ECU flash. Makes me think that my MSP might not be flashed. I am going to look tonight for the sticker.
 
The original thread you were referring to said that if you held the throttle at 2k rpm for a sec or two and then the needle steadily rose (can't remember how much, but it was significant) then you have been flashed. After my ecu was exchanged for a flashed one, I tested it out and that's exactly what happened.
 
Based on all this, is it common for a dealership to tell you that your car has been flashed but there isn't any sticker regarding it? Do they really take the time to flash a car that's still on the dealership lot?

I bought my Speed a month ago at Wooster Mazda, and they told me it's been flashed...I feel a slight hesitation sometimes, how can I make sure it's been done for real?

Thanks guys
 
I bought mine in Bedford, OH and they told me it was flashed. I tried holding it at 2000rpm in first gear and there was no jump. I called the dealership and asked them to send me the documentation for all the work done on the car before i bought it. It only had 150 miles when i purchased it.
 

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