This thread is for anyone who wants to begin using TuneECU and would like to avoid any potential confusion. It may come easy for some and work flawlessly the first time around, but for others, including myself, you may run into issues that can become major headaches.
So, if you want the idiots guide to using TuneECU, these are the steps you should follow:
1. Download The Software: You can download the newest version of TuneECU here:
TuneECU_Start
I recommend after you download and unzip the file, you save the application directly to the C drive. Also make sure there is a copy of the TuneLibrary.dll to the C drive as well. TuneECU needs this in order to operate and will be part of the download.
2. Download The Drivers: You will need a specific set of FTDI drivers for the cable you will buy, and you can download those here:
D2XX Drivers - FTDI
Make sure you download the correct drivers for whatever operating system you are running. If you are unsure whether you have a 32 or 64 bit OS, you can find this by right clicking on My Computer and viewing properties.
Although your cable may come with a driver installation disc, and although Windows can connect to the internet to find suitable drivers automatically, you NEED to use the drivers from the previous link. Download the drivers, create a folder in your C drive (I named mine "TuneECU Drivers") and save the driver files to that location.
3.Buying A Cable: I think most will agree with me that the biggest cause for problems with using TuneECU is getting hold of a non compatible cable. You may hear others talk about a cheap eBay or Amazon cable they used with success, but you don't necessarily know what you are getting when you buy from these vendors. The only cable I or anyone else will be able to 100% say will work with absolute certainty is this one:
Home - Lonelec
Regardless of what anyone tells you, I highly recommend you buy this cable and not have to worry about another one potentially not working. Trust me, its not worth it!
4. Installing Drivers: Once you get the cable, this is how you will install the drivers. First ensure you are not connected to the internet by disconnecting any hardlines you may have and disabling wireless. Then plug in the cable to your laptop. Windows will try to install drivers, but do not allow it to connect to the internet by saying no to that option and clicking "manually install" drivers. Then you will browse files on your computer and point Windows to the folder location where you saved the driver files.
On my computer, installation wizard never actually appeared, so I had to do it all manually. Simply go into devices and printers in the control panel, and you will see the USB device plugged in. Double click on it to open it. Go to the hardware tab, and then click on properties, and then change settings. Then go to the driver tab, and click update drivers. Again, tell windows you want to manually browse, and point windows to the file location where you saved the drivers.
Once you do this, you should get a message saying the drivers were updated correctly. You will then get another message saying that windows could not install the drivers. No need to worry, this is windows trying to install driver software for the serial port you are using with the cable. Again, go into devices and printers, click hardware, and now you will see two items, the USB converter which you just updated, and a serial port. Double click on the serial port, and follow the same instructions as above to update the port with the FTDI drivers.
While you are doing all this, I also recommend you turn off VCP for the driver as it is unnecessary and could potentially interfere with your ability to connect. With the cable plugged in, go to devices and printers, double click on the USB converter, click on the converter, click on properties, go to the advanced tab, and unclick VCP.
5. Finding A Tune: You can find a tune you want for your specific model number (based on vin number) from here:
http://www.tomhamburg.net/Tune_List.html
Create a folder in your C drive, I named mine "TuneECU maps" and save whatever tune you plan on using here. In addition to the tunes from the TuneECU page above, you can share others with friends and forum members. Save all to the same location for ease of use.
6. Connecting: To connect to the bike, do the following. First, make sure any antivirus programs on your laptop are disabled and that the lap top is connected to a power source. Also, turn off any screen savers or sleep mode settings, and go into power settings and ensure the screen never dims and the computer never enters sleep mode when its plugged in. Then open up the TuneECU program from where it is saved on the C drive. Turn off the autoconnect feature of TuneECU by clicking on the options download and unclicking autoconnect. Then plug in the cable to the same USB port where you had it when you installed the drivers. Pull off the seat on your bike. Plug your bike into the tender. Remove the headlight fuse only (# 8 for the speed triple) Then connect the other end of the cable to the OBDII connector. You will have to then have the key to turned to the on position, and the kill switch to the run position, and you should be all set. Do not start the bike.
In TuneECU click on the ECU dropdown, and then connect. You should see blinking red light in the lower right hand corner which means its initializing. If all is correct, it should then turn yellow and then green as it connects and authenticates. Once connected, your vin number will appear as well as a battery icon which shows voltage.
At this point, you want to read the OEM map off the bike and save a copy. Click the ECU dropdown, and then read map. This will take some time. For me it took longer than 20 mins and I left my computer which is why you want all screen savers, sleep modes, or screen dimmers shut off. Once it reads successfully, the OEM map will populate the screen,. Save a copy of this map by clicking the file dropdown, and save map file. You will want to save a copy of this tune to the folder where you have others tunes stored.
Once you have saved the OEM map, you can download the new map of your choice. Open up the map you want by clicking the file dropdown, and then open file. Open the map you want from the folder you created. Once it is open, click on the ECU dropdown, and then download. This will begin the download process and if all the above steps were followed, you should be all set!
7. Troubleshooting: If you encounter a failed download, or timed out scenario, there is a good chance it is because you didn't listen to my cable recommendation above and went with something else. No worries, now you just need to order the correct Lonelec cable and wait for it to be delivered from England which can take up to 7 business days. In other words, get this one to begin things and avoid any trouble.
Just know that after a failed download scenario, you will NEED to have a map opened up in the TuneECU program when you go to reconnect to the bike or it will NOT initiate the recovery mode. With the map of your choice open, and the cable connected, try to connect, and then click OK when the recovery option is offered. This will recover the ECU, or in other words, download whatever map you have open in the TuneECU screen, onto the bike, and you will be all set!
8. After The Download: Once you download a new map onto the bike, you will have to reset adaptations to get the bike ready to run correctly with the new map. Do this by going into the test pane, and clicking reset adaptions, then ok when prompted. You will get a message on the bottom of the screen saying it was done successfully.
Once you do this, then start the bike, and with never applying any throttle, let it idle until the fan kicks on, and then let it go for another 12 mins to complete the 12 minute tune which is when the bike will re adapt to the new maps for idle settings. You should see the TPS indicator light turn green again (if you have a Kiehin ECU -ed) which means it has completed the idle adaptation process.
Then go out and ride! As you ride the bike through the rev ranges and such, it will continue to learn and adapt to the new map.
Hope I didn't forget anything, and I tried to keep this user guide as short and to the point as possible. If I can help anyone avoid the troubles that I ran into, it will all be worth it.
So, if you want the idiots guide to using TuneECU, these are the steps you should follow:
1. Download The Software: You can download the newest version of TuneECU here:
TuneECU_Start
I recommend after you download and unzip the file, you save the application directly to the C drive. Also make sure there is a copy of the TuneLibrary.dll to the C drive as well. TuneECU needs this in order to operate and will be part of the download.
2. Download The Drivers: You will need a specific set of FTDI drivers for the cable you will buy, and you can download those here:
D2XX Drivers - FTDI
Make sure you download the correct drivers for whatever operating system you are running. If you are unsure whether you have a 32 or 64 bit OS, you can find this by right clicking on My Computer and viewing properties.
Although your cable may come with a driver installation disc, and although Windows can connect to the internet to find suitable drivers automatically, you NEED to use the drivers from the previous link. Download the drivers, create a folder in your C drive (I named mine "TuneECU Drivers") and save the driver files to that location.
3.Buying A Cable: I think most will agree with me that the biggest cause for problems with using TuneECU is getting hold of a non compatible cable. You may hear others talk about a cheap eBay or Amazon cable they used with success, but you don't necessarily know what you are getting when you buy from these vendors. The only cable I or anyone else will be able to 100% say will work with absolute certainty is this one:
Home - Lonelec
Regardless of what anyone tells you, I highly recommend you buy this cable and not have to worry about another one potentially not working. Trust me, its not worth it!
4. Installing Drivers: Once you get the cable, this is how you will install the drivers. First ensure you are not connected to the internet by disconnecting any hardlines you may have and disabling wireless. Then plug in the cable to your laptop. Windows will try to install drivers, but do not allow it to connect to the internet by saying no to that option and clicking "manually install" drivers. Then you will browse files on your computer and point Windows to the folder location where you saved the driver files.
On my computer, installation wizard never actually appeared, so I had to do it all manually. Simply go into devices and printers in the control panel, and you will see the USB device plugged in. Double click on it to open it. Go to the hardware tab, and then click on properties, and then change settings. Then go to the driver tab, and click update drivers. Again, tell windows you want to manually browse, and point windows to the file location where you saved the drivers.
Once you do this, you should get a message saying the drivers were updated correctly. You will then get another message saying that windows could not install the drivers. No need to worry, this is windows trying to install driver software for the serial port you are using with the cable. Again, go into devices and printers, click hardware, and now you will see two items, the USB converter which you just updated, and a serial port. Double click on the serial port, and follow the same instructions as above to update the port with the FTDI drivers.
While you are doing all this, I also recommend you turn off VCP for the driver as it is unnecessary and could potentially interfere with your ability to connect. With the cable plugged in, go to devices and printers, double click on the USB converter, click on the converter, click on properties, go to the advanced tab, and unclick VCP.
5. Finding A Tune: You can find a tune you want for your specific model number (based on vin number) from here:
http://www.tomhamburg.net/Tune_List.html
Create a folder in your C drive, I named mine "TuneECU maps" and save whatever tune you plan on using here. In addition to the tunes from the TuneECU page above, you can share others with friends and forum members. Save all to the same location for ease of use.
6. Connecting: To connect to the bike, do the following. First, make sure any antivirus programs on your laptop are disabled and that the lap top is connected to a power source. Also, turn off any screen savers or sleep mode settings, and go into power settings and ensure the screen never dims and the computer never enters sleep mode when its plugged in. Then open up the TuneECU program from where it is saved on the C drive. Turn off the autoconnect feature of TuneECU by clicking on the options download and unclicking autoconnect. Then plug in the cable to the same USB port where you had it when you installed the drivers. Pull off the seat on your bike. Plug your bike into the tender. Remove the headlight fuse only (# 8 for the speed triple) Then connect the other end of the cable to the OBDII connector. You will have to then have the key to turned to the on position, and the kill switch to the run position, and you should be all set. Do not start the bike.
In TuneECU click on the ECU dropdown, and then connect. You should see blinking red light in the lower right hand corner which means its initializing. If all is correct, it should then turn yellow and then green as it connects and authenticates. Once connected, your vin number will appear as well as a battery icon which shows voltage.
At this point, you want to read the OEM map off the bike and save a copy. Click the ECU dropdown, and then read map. This will take some time. For me it took longer than 20 mins and I left my computer which is why you want all screen savers, sleep modes, or screen dimmers shut off. Once it reads successfully, the OEM map will populate the screen,. Save a copy of this map by clicking the file dropdown, and save map file. You will want to save a copy of this tune to the folder where you have others tunes stored.
Once you have saved the OEM map, you can download the new map of your choice. Open up the map you want by clicking the file dropdown, and then open file. Open the map you want from the folder you created. Once it is open, click on the ECU dropdown, and then download. This will begin the download process and if all the above steps were followed, you should be all set!
7. Troubleshooting: If you encounter a failed download, or timed out scenario, there is a good chance it is because you didn't listen to my cable recommendation above and went with something else. No worries, now you just need to order the correct Lonelec cable and wait for it to be delivered from England which can take up to 7 business days. In other words, get this one to begin things and avoid any trouble.
Just know that after a failed download scenario, you will NEED to have a map opened up in the TuneECU program when you go to reconnect to the bike or it will NOT initiate the recovery mode. With the map of your choice open, and the cable connected, try to connect, and then click OK when the recovery option is offered. This will recover the ECU, or in other words, download whatever map you have open in the TuneECU screen, onto the bike, and you will be all set!
8. After The Download: Once you download a new map onto the bike, you will have to reset adaptations to get the bike ready to run correctly with the new map. Do this by going into the test pane, and clicking reset adaptions, then ok when prompted. You will get a message on the bottom of the screen saying it was done successfully.
Once you do this, then start the bike, and with never applying any throttle, let it idle until the fan kicks on, and then let it go for another 12 mins to complete the 12 minute tune which is when the bike will re adapt to the new maps for idle settings. You should see the TPS indicator light turn green again (if you have a Kiehin ECU -ed) which means it has completed the idle adaptation process.
Then go out and ride! As you ride the bike through the rev ranges and such, it will continue to learn and adapt to the new map.
Hope I didn't forget anything, and I tried to keep this user guide as short and to the point as possible. If I can help anyone avoid the troubles that I ran into, it will all be worth it.
