Hacking the VK56VD engine ROM.

[V8Y62]

Today I successfully read the ROM off Pearl's ECU. The file has been uploaded to github so people can assist with hacking it so we can tune our VK56VD engines to their full ability.

This is a dedicated thread for this so that anyone interested can assist. To start with I would apreciate anyone who is using a scan gauge or equivalent could post up the hexademical addresses for each of the items in your gauges.

All help is greatly appreciated and credit will be given in the hack or README.

[Plasnart]

Michael, this is wayyy over my head but am very interested in what you’re doing.

If you could manipulate the ECU so that the infotainment system restarts straight up on last setting rather than running through the startup warnings each and every time may very well save people’s sanity. 😃

[V8Y62]

Michael, this is wayyy over my head but am very interested in what you’re doing.

These things get hacked / cracked because people want to change things. It is a learning exercise.

If you could manipulate the ECU so that the infotainment system restarts straight up on last setting rather than running through the startup warnings each and every time may very well save people’s sanity. 😃

I'm pretty certain that is wayyy over my head.

[Brissieboy]

If you could manipulate the ECU so that the infotainment system restarts straight up on last setting rather than running through the startup warnings each and every time may very well save people’s sanity. 😃

Pretty sure that is all in the unit, not controlled by the ECU. I hate these 'smart' things that think they are smarter than me.

[Brissieboy]

Do you know what the processor is? The binary is not much use without some idea of what it runs on. Maybe you can find out the locations of key data that might be tweaked and not worry about the executable code. Can you just write new data? Is there protection against making unauthorised changes? Are things are checksummed? Encoded in some way? etc, etc. Can you re-load the original binary if you make an error?
You might just turn an expensive ECU into a paperweight.

[V8Y62]

Do you know what the processor is?

No and I don't need to. The only reason I would need to know what the processor is is if I was going to write new code. What I am wanting to do is modify output based on input not create a new OS or extend/add to/modify the native OS.

The binary is not much use without some idea of what it runs on.

I'll agree to disagree

Maybe you can find out the locations of key data that might be tweaked and not worry about the executable code.

Thus the reason I asked if anyone has a Scan Gauge or equivalent.

Can you just write new data?

Why?

Is there protection against making unauthorised changes?

Very little, HP Tuners already tune these things but not to a level I am happy with. So much of the code is not mapped in HP Tuners so I am doing this to get as much as I can.

Are things are checksummed?

Yes

Encoded in some way?

Yes

etc, etc.

?, ?.

Can you re-load the original binary if you make an error?

Define error? If you mean make a tuning change that doesn't work then you just revert back to what it was before without reloading the entire bin. Never, ever, EVER, E_V_E_R, make more than 1 change at a time when tuning it's a sure fire way to create a diagnostic nightmare. Always save each change as a new file so you can go back and see what change had what effect.

You might just turn an expensive ECU into a paperweight.

I am aware of that and that is why I'm the guinea pig and not asking anyone else to modify their tune.