Checking for ECU flashes and any cleared mechanical over-rev.

   #1  

Boss-Tech

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
USA
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=238037
Hi,

I'm in the market for a used Gti for my son that'll still have some powertrain warranty left. So want to make sure i can use the warranty if anything catastrophic happens. Being I'm going to be buying privately, i'm going to bring my vagcom along and hopefully the user has never cleared anything down.. Is there a way to check how many times the ECU has been flashed? I believe some flashes allow you to flash back to stock and apparently reset the flash counter. There's a few contradicting stories out there. Some say that this still creates a TD1 flag. Some say they flashed back to stock and still got a new engine. So I guess there's a lot of mis-information out there. I just want to know what to be looking for while running a scan or other areas i'm not aware of. Also being that he wants a manual. I'd like to know if there's been a previous over rev condition ? I know you can clear that DTC, but I've also read that a flag is also permanently written to the ECU for this. Again, could just be mis-information out there. If the permanent flag is true then is there a way to check for it - DTC reads something along the lines of......Maximum Engine Speed Exceeded (Engine Warranty VOID)

Thanks in advance.
 
   #2  

Uwe

Benevolent Dictator
Administrator
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
48,902
Reaction score
33,621
Location
USA
VCDS Serial number
HC100001
There is no definitive way to know if an ECU has had an aftermarket flash at some point.

You can examine the flash counters under Advanced ID, but some chip-tuners do know how to turn back this counters.

You could also check the Calibration Verification Number (which is basically a checksum for the ECU software) using Generic OBD-II, Mode 9, Type 06 and see if it matches a known stock one for the particular ECU in the car:

obd2mode9.png


FWIW, the TD1 flag isn't something that's set in the car itself. That's a flag that a dealer puts into the car's computerized service records with VW. If you have a good relationship with a dealer service department, they could probably check a VIN for you to make sure the warranty is intact.

-Uwe-
 
   #3  

Boss-Tech

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
USA
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=238037
There is no definitive way to know if an ECU has had an aftermarket flash at some point.

You can examine the flash counters under Advanced ID, but some chip-tuners do know how to turn back this counters.

You could also check the Calibration Verification Number (which is basically a checksum for the ECU software) using Generic OBD-II, Mode 9, Type 06 and see if it matches a known stock one for the particular ECU in the car:

FWIW, the TD1 flag isn't something that's set in the car itself. That's a flag that a dealer puts into the car's computerized service records with VW. If you have a good relationship with a dealer service department, they could probably check a VIN for you to make sure the warranty is intact.

-Uwe-

Great thanks UWE for your very informative reply. So if there's been an overrev, and the code has been cleared, there's no way to check for a permanent record either. As long as the car is running, i'm good with it.. I just don't want the code cleared and then on VW's end they say, sorry but warranty void.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top