Anyone had the Simtek upgrade yet?
 

Hi all , new on here.

I've been eagerly awaiting the Simtek - Alcatek upgrade,
not removed my ecu yet but has anyone actually had theirs done yet?

are they even doing them yet?

would like to know too,,

Martyn is working his way through the various types. I'd say he knows as much about it as anyone else, having tested the functions and helped to get them all working!
He's on holiday (tut) but back on the 3rd if anybody wants any help/advice.
01752 345880 office hours.

So how do we upgrade then?do we need to send it back to the supplier ??

You need to do it through the dealer that supplied and mapped (or the dealer that last mapped) the ecu for you. There is a degree of process attached to doing this that also involves mapping time. the dealer should have a process defined and agreed with Alcatek to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Don't forget there is a cost and a lead time to doing it so planning is needed.

I will say its well worth the wait all the recent ecu's I have supplied and mapped have had iterations of the latest firmware and so far all is looking very good.

cheers

bob

Ok,brought mine secondhand so what's the best option here then,surely a firmware update is a plug in and upload new software??

Thanks for the info, I am quite happy to wait till they're properly ready.
Just didn't want to get left behind if other people were getting their upgrades done already...

Was just thinking of putting off a trackday till after the upgrade but looks like I might as well do the trackday first, then sort the ECU out in a month or so...?

I have mine in for upgrade, last news a week of so ago was that all the testing was complete and the new R.W, was ready. My ECU will be wiped and then F.W , as i am starting from new. I think that a new map will be required, so its good news if you have an ECU but havent fitted it yet , but the down side is you may need an existing map tweaked.

Lots of closed loop improvements made, worth it in my opinion.

When the upgrade is completed, is the current map left on the ECU or is another full remap required? Keen on the upgrade but not wanting to pay for a full map unless there were other mods done to the car (which I'm not planning at this time), or is it just tweeks and mappers have a reduced rate to accomodate this?

Also does the toucan have to be installed and set up by the mapper at that time or can it be retro-fitted at any time after upgrade?

I get the impression that if the old map were to be saved, then reloaded, due to the big change in the F.W. there could be issues, remember each mapper do things differently to get different results. Not sure about toucan, I gather is a straight add on as the coms is in the F.W.

I can say they are taking time and have completed alot of testing, good upgrade in my opinion.

I believe the ecu will be returned with the previous map left in a working state, and the new stuff, such as closed loop idle control, disabled. This means it will work, but you will need map tweaks to get the best out of the upgrade. As Bob said earlier, you need to plan the upgrade with your mapper so it all goes smoothly.

Toucan can be added at any time after the upgrade - it plugs in to the data port on the ECU and then just needs power; job done :)

Go through the dealer you intend having it mapped with if you dont know who mapped it last etc.

Also agree the new ecus I have supplied with the upgrades already on have been excellent addition to an already well specced ecu.

So worth the wait.

Simon

So send the ecu to you then Simon for the upgrade before you come and map it for me??

Does the upgrade come with flat foot shifting ?

I have a MY99 simtec fitted and mapped by a forrest couple of years ago, just wondering what benefits to me to get it upgraded

There's now a "motorsport" package that includes ALS, LC and full throttle gear change (FFS) all in one bundle. If you have ALS or LC at the moment, then you will automatically get the motorsport package included when you buy the firmware update.

I'm pretty sure Andy Leech said it was the bargain price of £100 for the package but hopefully Simon, Bob, Martyn, Alan or another mapper/dealer can 100% confirm :)

Great i have AL & LC already, hence FFS :)

Sweet !

drop me a message and we can sort from there :)

Pm sent

yep ive had mine upgraded,wide band lambda too for fully closed loop,works a treat, also had toucan fitted to,a great bit of kit :)

http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/y...0/IMG_0116.jpg

Toucan looks ace...but then I'm *VERY* biased :lol1:

TimH.

:lol1:

I will get a toucan, I am after fuel pressure to boost error and oil temp !

Relative fuel pressure is what you need to monitor...if all is well, this will remain pretty much constant whatever boost you're running and you can set an alarm if it drops below a pressure of your choosing :thumb:

My own Toucan is set to monitor relative fuel pressure and it set off an alarm a few weeks ago - backed off and then found my fuel pressure regulator had failed (meth had eaten the diaphragm!). Toucan saved my engine.

That's what I'm going for too,just looking on there website

As above Toucan is awesome kit,we are running Toucan and we are very happy with this and we can only recommend


Jura

If you combile with a wide band, then the overall cost is not too much , when you see all the benifits !!, I think I will have to sell my white Defi guage set LOL !!

FYI the AlcaTek can't take a lambda sensor connected directly for the moment - it needs an external amplifier such as an Innovate, or an AEM. Likewise for EGT - you need an external amplifier.

But connecting sensors such as oil and fuel pressure to the ecu is definitely a good move as you can then configure engine trips and limp modes, as well as being able to monitor things via Toucan :thumb:

Martyn has set one up and yes, it works!