Help with dead ecu’s after tune - issue located

Update: issue isolated, putting it all back together right now. I’ll provide more details when I’m in front of a keyboard



1gr-fe 4.0 2018 4runner w/ procharger hptuners rtd

My 4runner seems to be eating ecu's.

I installed a pc kit and was able to start it afterwards. It ran a few times then suddenly died and I could not pull any codes from the ecu..

Then last week I installed a replacement ecu and tech stream could see it. I coded the immobilizer with the 4/13 pin jump and set the vin on the ecu. It started up and ran a few times so I figured I was safe and applied the tune.

A couple starts after this tune, the replacement ecu was dead and no longer responding to tech stream or any of my code readers.

Is there some sort of security function that's killing my ecu's? I have a third ecu I'm going to install this weekend and will try to start it a few more times before attempting anything else...

 

Don’t tune the 3rd one lol….

 

I'm no programmer and know little to nothing about tunes but it sounds like your tune files are corrupted.

 

Is this a brand tune or a custom tune. If brand, which one?

 

@PapaRee
@TWTaco

 

He has a procharger and using HPtuners software.
Maybe @mZiggy can help? Or Someone who uses the HPtuner software.

 

I wonder if your tune has a table with a severely incorrect table axis values(s) that is bricking it whenever that scenario is encountered upon driving.

To me the order of events described, including the truck reportedly being fine pre-tune, points to the tune being the issue in some way

 

It does not seem to be an ECU issue at this point, but I can't seem to track it down. I've gone as far as probing and scoping the bus system and don't see anything out of line. I have no electrical modifications right now, everything has been completely disconnected.

I'm following the TIS step by step for U0100 and CAN issues and it keeps pointing me to replace the ECU, however I have 4 ecu's now. All of them can communicate with tech stream on a bench top setup. I see healthy CANh/l on the scope ( I think? ) and power at the ecu port.

Originally it was making an odd buzzing sound in the passenger engine bay, which stopped when I disconnected the power steering pump. Tech stream at the moment can communicate with the power steering though.

Is this something where a sensor might be shorting out something when the ECU is plugged in?

 

Do you have good internet service?

 

It’s not great in the garage but I can tether a laptop in there.

 

Are you using hacked techstream? Potential malware?

 

Cracked yes but I have 2 ecu’s untouched which do not work in the vehicle, all 4 ecu’s communicate on the bench. Techstream is installed in a vm.

TS didn't come into play until after the first failure

 

Use better internet service to avoid any other issues

 

Just found that if I leave B36 disconnected from the ECU that suddenly everything starts working.

Since I sorted out the ECU pins for the bench top it had me realize that the ECU only needs F51 (power) F50 (CAN) and B38 (ground) for it to start communicating, I only plugged those in and was able to see the ECU, then from there just started plugging in the rest one by one until it failed.

I traced and scoped every connection in the TIS guide for ECU communication issues and everything checked out. Everything in the guide just points an ECU replacement, but that doesn't seem to be the case for my problems.



Looks like B36 is

Camshaft timing oil control valve (for exhaust side of bank 2)
Heated oxygen sensor (4 pins)
Power source for VVT sensor (4 pins)
VVT sensor (Banks 1&2)
Crankshaft position sensor
Air switching valve for secondary air injection system
Power source for canister pressure sensor

 

Have you contacted HPTuners at all to see if they can give you any help? I think at this point, now that you kind of have the issue pinpointed to the B36 connector, you need to start talking to someone that knows the inner workings of the ECU a little better. B36 is kind of a big deal if it controls what you say it does, as those are all critical engine controls.

I was going to suggest verifying the wiring harness but since you are replicating the issue by bench testing the ECUs, that rules out the wiring being a problem. Neither of the ECUs pictured have tunes applied to them yet?

 

What?

 

Seems like something in B36 is shorting out the ecu when connected, I don't think it has anything to do with the tune.

It just hid its self as an ecu issue, and following the tis for ecu no start/no communication sent me down a different path.

I have the spec's for the pins there but will have to wait until tomorrow morning until I can really start sorting it out.

 

The 5v is messed up on this circuit

(4.5-5.5v spec)

B36-15 B38-12 VVT sensor 0v
B36-16 B38-12 VVT sensor 0.76v
B36-15 B37-8 Power source for cannister 0.13v

B36-26 B38-12 Air Switching Valve 12.6v (Bat)

B38-12 is ground

 

Not out of the woods yet, but I found that the intercooler plumbing was crushing the Bank 1 VVT sensor connector. I adjusted everything and now I can see the factory ECU. Putting it all back together now.

The fitment of this PC kit is very tight in the engine bay, my biggest concerns after installing the kit is how much I reduced the offroad reliability. Once I get this up and running I'm going to have to go back and check the fitment of the entire system.

It's a nice hot 107f day to put this all back together.