This article provides a full overview of options and procedures for Ford-based tuning solutions. Everything is discussed, including year/model coverage, hardware compatibility, software licensing, cost breakdown, and tuning strategies. Read through this evolving article if you’re interested in Ford EEC tuning.

Requirements There are two products that we sell that can read the program in a factory ECM: BURN1/BURN2 with a F2A and F2E – This setup can be used to read ECMs on the bench.  ECM does not need to be powered. QuarterHorse – This setup requires the ECM to be powered either by a [...]

Introduction / Prerequisites Before you read this, make sure you have read Theory: Alpha-N, Theory: Mass Air Flow and the FordOverview.  Although not essential, it wouldn’t hurt to have at least read about Speed-Density operation as well.  This page will assume you have read and understood these pages.  This is a somewhat complicated topic and [...]

Introduction As stated in our overview of MAF systems, one of their main weaknesses are air leaks.  Whenever air can enter the engine without going through the MAF, weird things happen. There are two principal kinds of leaks that wreak havoc on MAF systems – constant leaks (like a unplugged vacuum port) and mechanically induced [...]

Introduction Although you can use our Ford hardware ( F3 Jaybird QuarterHorse ) on just about any 86-2004 Ford, software is much more lacking.  Currently (Feb 15 2011) there are three software packages that support our Ford hardware – Binary Editor, EEC Editor, TunerPro RT.  Each software package has a different set of computers that [...]

This page is intended to help people who have looked here to figure out if there is support for their vehicle. Each ECM has a 3 or 4 digit processor code that uniquely identifies it.  You can tell what strategy a ECM uses from its box code or from looking at a dump of a [...]

This page is being created so we have a place to keep track of all the people who are using our gear for various applications.  If you would like to be added or removed from here, please email support@moates.net or leave a comment.  Hit control-F to find keywords on this page as eventually we hope [...]

Introduction Ever wish your favorite Moates emulator would work with your favorite ROM editor software that doesn’t have native support for our products?  EmUtility (from the author of TunerPro) allows you to use Moates emulators with any software that can spit out a binary (bin) or hexadecimal (hex) format file.  It supports the Ostrich1, Ostrich2, [...]

Introduction The Demon is the newest in our line of Honda/Acura-friendly P28/P30/P72-compatible technology. Flawless realtime emulation, embedded datalogging, auxiliary ports, 16x calibration storage and encryption.   The Demon is designed to fit inside both USDM and JDM ECUs including those with knock boards.   The Demon combines the features of the Ostrich, Hulog, RTP, and adds its [...]

Ostrich Here’s how you install the Ostrich:  (Much of this will apply to the Ostrich 2 as well but pictures will be different.) 1) Get on the website here in the ‘software and drivers’ section and download and unzip the ‘USB Drivers’ file. Remember where you put it. 2) Plug the Ostrich into the USB [...]

This is Keebler65′s old guide. Some of the chipset and software info is a bit dated, but the techniques are good. ECU Chipping You need to add a few additional components to the original Honda ECU. It requires some soldering skills and should not be attempted unless you have soldered before. (Chances are you know [...]

Bluetooth For the Ostrich2, the following will show you how to install the Bluetooth into the unit: 1) Open the Ostrich (two screws), keep track of the two nylon spacers. 2) Gather up the Bluetooth kit parts as shown in the pictures below. 3) Place the pin headers on the Bluetooth module and snap them [...]

Hulog/Hondalog Installation of Honda-Based USB Datalogging Tools There are two tools available for datalogging on Honda ECUs from www.moates.net and they include the HULOG and the HondaLog. HULOG: The HULOG comes in a plastic enclosure and ONLY requires a pin swap if it is an older unit. All the new units come with 1:1 connector [...]

Honda Tuning with Crome This is a very nice PDF tutorial written up by Darren Kattan. Check it out by clicking HERE.

G3/GP3 The ‘G3′ Switching Adapter (also: Using the ‘EX’ with the G3) For placing several different binaries on a single chip for GM applications, the G3 adapter is the hot ticket. By ‘stacking’ the binaries on a large-sized memory, and using the included switching ability, you can swap between different programs on-the-fly while the car [...]

HDR1 Instructions for using the ‘HDR1′ Memory Header The HDR1 memory adapter is primarily designed to download the existing code from a stock Memcal. It can be used for other things as well. For instance, if you want to use a UV eraser on your stock Memcal and then reprogram it without tearing stuff up, [...]

G2 G2 TBI-Style 2732-to-29C256 Adapter Installation Instructions: Here is a pictorial depiction of a G2 installation in a TBI-style ECM. It shows the following: 1) Disassembly and removal of stock socket body. – Take note of the ‘stock’ 2732A chip orientation. Your 2732A chip will probably be in a little plastic holder. – Try and [...]

File Uploads and Downloads Files Available for upload or download including stock binaries, custom bins, datastream definitions, source code, etc. Please note that you must have a Moates webstore account and be logged in to access the files: http://www.moates.net/files.php/

Notes from EFI Live’s Paul Blackmore regarding using the auto-tuning feature of EFI Live with Moates hardware: Check both axis of the VE table in the tuning tool to make sure the MAP and RPM headings (the ones colored sky-blue) have link PIDs associated with them. The link PIDs are usually displayed as {Link: SAE.MAP} [...]

When you set up a Roadrunner in a vehicle, you will often need to force a ‘hard reset’ of the Roadrunner PCM. This is particularly true if you are using a custom OS or changing OS type. For using EFI Live, perform the following: Open up the software, and get the EFI Live Roadrunner Control [...]

How to use offsets when programming chips: If the chip you are programming is of a larger capacity than the binary file you are putting on it, you typically need to use an offset with respect to chip addressing. This option is shown in the TunerPro RT program under ‘Moates Prom I/O’.   The Flash n [...]

The following is something which can be applied to anyone trying to troubleshoot a BURN1, BURN2, or APU1 with respect to chip programming. It is also useful to get the USB device drivers correctly configured. It is unlikely that your chip or burner has failed, such events are actually quite rare. All devices are fully [...]

Introduction What makes engine management tricky is that even the best theoretical models fail to accurately represent physical behavior in certain situations.  All engine controllers would use the same logic and procedures for running the engine 100% of the time if there was a perfect engine control strategy.  Instead, most engine management schemes incorporate several [...]

Introduction Before you read this, you should already have read the articles on Injector Theory and Speed-Density.  This article will not make much sense without the background information in those articles. First, vocabulary: ECM, ECU, Engine computer : used interchangeably to mean the computer operating the fuel injectors and running the engine RPM : Revolutions [...]

Good news: Our hardware (Quarterhorse, F3, F2A+F2E) works great on diesel trucks Bad news: As of this time (2-25-10) there are NO PUBLIC DEFINITION FILES for software that supports our hardware. (TunerPro RT, EEC Editor, Binary Editor) Bottom line: Unless you know someone that can provide you with a ready-to-program binary for your diesel or [...]

Introduction Be prepared to do a lot of reading in the numerous side links on this page.  More information that is beyond the scope of this overview will be available. “Mass Air Flow” (MAF, for short) is a method of measuring airflow into an engine in order to supply an appropriate amount of fuel and [...]

Introduction If you do not have a strong background in physics and chemistry, be prepared to do a lot of reading in the numerous side links on this page.  This isn’t intended to be a brutal presentation of the topic, but theoretical concepts are necessary in order to be able to understand what is going [...]

This is going to be rather brief because Alpha-N is rarely used as the primary strategy for engine management today.  You should at least know what it is because it is often used as a “sanity check” for primary control strategies. Alpha-N is also sometimes called “TPS maps” because the only sensor that is used [...]

Introduction Understanding your fuel injectors is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that fueling is appropriate for your engine.  First, some vocabulary: ECM, ECU, Engine computer : used interchangeably to mean the computer operating the fuel injectors and running the engine AFR, Air – Fuel Ratio : the ratio between [...]

Introduction We probably get 20 emails a week of the form: “Dear Moates, My name is ________ and I have a _________ Ford.  Can I use your products to tune my car/truck/van/etc. ?” Identifying J3 Port ECMs Our Ford products (F3 chip module, Quarterhorse) will work on pretty much any ECM that has a J3 [...]

Good Choices (simple) You have three choices for tuning forced induction on a TPI ECM (i.e. 7730). Use stock code, hack it around to be ok at WOT by power enrichment tables.  This is ugly and only has a possibility of working for low boost setups.   Do not do this unless you really don’t care [...]

Versions This is the documentation for the Nissan Boards.  At this point, there are only one version of the boards, 1.1nm  As future revisions to the board are produced, this page will be updated. Applications These boards are designed for S13 and B13 applications.  They will NOT work with S14a ECUs that have a 20×2 [...]

Binary Editor In order to issue you a license for Binary Editor, you must first download and install the software. ( http://www.eecanalyzer.net )  Once you have downloaded and installed the software, go to the “Register” menu at the top of the screen and select “Register Binary Editor” Next, you will be presented with a screen [...]

94 and 95 were also kind of odd years for GM computers as they transitioned toward OBD2. There are several groups of ECMs. 94-95 LT1,LT4,LTx: These can be tuned via TunerCATS ( link ) with the $EE definition and an ALDU1+CABL1 (94 – square ALDL style connector) or ALDU1+CABL2 (95 “D” shape OBD2 connector).  APU1 [...]

Lately, we have been getting a lot of questions from people with 96-97 GM vehicles looking for a tuning solution.  Unfortunately, these are transitional years where the electronics are incompatible with either the earlier and later computers that are well supported. There are a few solutions for people with 96-97 computers: -Convert to a 94-95 [...]

So you want to use your Ostrich 2.0 with one of our switching adapters? ( Two Timer, G2X, G3 ) This guide gives you an idea of how to “stack” your ROMs to make things work. Step 1: determine how big ONE program is. ( look how big your ROM is – 27C256 = 32kbyte [...]

(eventually this page will have more information) Basics When we talk about “OBD1″ GM vehicles, we mean vehicles made from (approximately) 1986 to 1995.  These cars used several different types of engine controller – some have one injector for each cylinder (Tuned Port Injection, or TPI along with the LTx motors) while some have fewer [...]

(eventually this page will have more information) The main product that we make for 98+ GM vehicles is the RoadRunner emulator that allows realtime changes to be made to a LS1 ECM. The RoadRunner is designed to be used with either EFI Live or TunerCATS software. EFI Live is a comprehensive tuning software package that [...]

“I have a Ford.  What do I need to tune my car?” is an email we frequently receive.  Hopefully this page will provide some answers. We also often get asked, “Can I use your product to let me put _______ on my engine?” The answer to this is very simple: our products let you tune [...]

Moates.net F.A.Q Last updated 2-03-06 Autoprom | ALDU1 | Burn1 | F1 | F2/F3 | F2E GM tuning F.A.Q. | Ford tuning F.A.Q. | Wideband F.A.Q. Tuner Pro | EEC Editor | Moates Software GM tuning Frequently asked questions You can use the ALDU1 and CABL2 together for both datalogging and reprogramming. Just get you a free trial version of TTS DataMaster and then get you a copy of TunerCat with the proper [...]

Here is a link to an Excel file that shows a good cross-reference of info. Click here if you want to see the guide and open in Excel:     http://www.moates.net/Moates Hardware Selection Guide.xls

General Troubleshooting Procedure The first thing you should do if you are having trouble with the Ostrich is to follow the instructions in the “USB Troubleshooting Guide” which you can find here – for the rest of this guide, it is assumed that your Ostrich has been assigned a COM port and you have selected [...]

FTDI provide a utility called “FTCLEAN” that forcibly removes drivers from your computer.  WARNING: THIS WILL BREAK ALL DEVICES THAT USE FTDI DRIVERS, NOT JUST MOATES HARDWARE. Do not attempt this procedure unless reloading the drivers has failed to restore your devices to full functionality.  You should not be thinking about doing this unless you [...]

About Moates USB Products Almost all Moates.net products have a USB interface to connect to a computer. (ALDU1, HULOG, Hondalog, BURN1/2, Ostrich 1/2, Roadrunner, Quarterhorse, Jaybird) Fortunately, all Moates.net products with a USB interface use the same USB support chip so they can all use the same drivers. This makes it easy for you – [...]

USB Drivers are needed for almost all products.  You only need one driver package for ALL Moates USB products.  One for all and all for one?  You can find drivers we know work for Windows 2000/XP/Vista can be downloaded by clicking here There is a Vista Specific Guide that may be helpful to those running [...]

Unsupported Vehicles V6 Hondas have very limited hardware and software support K-series Hondas have no support from hardware we make at this time 2001+ non-K series Hondas (D17, R18, etc.) have no support from hardware we make at this time Automatic Hondas have very limited support. Very little has been done with automatic transmission controls [...]

Overview The G1 is an adapter that allows a chip or emulator to be plugged into OBD1 memcal based GM PCMs. The GP1 kit is a G1 chip adapter and two 27SF512 flash chips packaged together at a lower price. Compatibility The G1 is compatible with the following vehicles: 1986-1993 TPI & LT1 94-95 TBI [...]

Overview The Jaybird is a USB based device used ONLY for loading tunes onto F3 adapters.  It is designed to be the simplest and cheapest solution for programming J3 style Ford chips.  It cannot program other chips. The Jaybird CANNOT READ STOCK ECMs!!! If you require this functionality, you need to get BURN2+F2A+F2E instead.

Overview The F3 is a simple chip for EEC-based Ford ECUs allowing the stock program to be replaced with a tune of your choice. To install, simply clean with contacts of the EEC connector with carb cleaner and a wirebrush, and slide the module on. It is critical that the vehicle is fully off before [...]

Overview The Honda chip kit contains all the components necessary to put a chip in your OBD I Honda ECU. There are two varieties of this kit, the USDM and JDM versions. JDM ECUs are smaller square ECUs that require surface mount components. The USDM ECUs are rectangular and use standard thru-hole components. This kit [...]

Overview The HuLog, HondaLog, and Xtreme HuLog are USB datalogging adapters that are used to datalog Honda ECUs. Functionally the devices are identical, however the HuLog/Xtreme HuLog come in ABS plastic enclosures for protection. Also, the Xtreme HuLog will retain its COM port assignment regardless of what USB port is used. Tips and Tricks To [...]

OVERVIEW The ALDU1 is a datalogger designed to work with OBD I GM vehicles. The ALDU1 is compatible with the CABL1 and the CABL2, which are interface cables that connect to GM OBD I and OBD II vehicle respectively. The ALDU1 can be purchased by itself, or as a combo with either the CABL1 or [...]

Many Nissans can use our tools to reprogram their factory ECUs. Types of Nissan Computer Trivially chippable Nissans fall into several categories: 28 Pin EPROM (VG30DETT 300ZX Twin turbo, KA24E 240SX, RB26DETT R32 Skyline GTR, …) – If you see a 28 pin EPROM inside the ECU, this is your application.  Ostrich 2.0 works in [...]

The RoadRunner is the only available full blown emulator for LS1 PCMs – unlike other “emulation” software, the entire contents of the flash is emulated Real-Time, not just certain maps.  It can also be used as a general purpose emulator in custom applications (Bosch Motronic, Nissan, …) Hardware Available At this point, there are two [...]

Neptune is a tuning hardware/software package developed by James Holy that also supports a great deal of features. The Neptune board was designed by Moates. More information can be found at the official Neptune site here

eCtune is the latest ROM Editor available for Hondas. It is written by Calvin Baank and has an exhaustive list of features. eCtune has very structure licensing. It is important to note that eCtune tunes will only work when run off the Ostrich. This means a separate Ostrich must be present in each car you [...]

The Autoprom was the first Moates device. It is a combination Emulator, Chip Burner and Datalogger. Today you can buy these devices separately, however this package eliminates the need for 3 separate units. Compatibility As of writing this article, the only software known to be fully compatible with the Autoprom is TunerPro RT.  TunerCat OBD1 [...]

This page is here to add VTEC capability to your otherwise non-VTEC ECU. The reason we are able to do this, is because when Honda designed their ECUs, the boards for the P05, P06, P28, etc were basically all identical. For the ECUs like the P05 and P06 that did not require VTEC, the components [...]

Tuner Pro is a piece of software written by Mark Mansur that is compatible with a great number of vehicles and ECUs. Download TunerPro here Originally written to modify GM and Ford binaries, the uniqueness of TunerPro is its ability to have Definitions. While this adds a slight layer of complexity to the end user, [...]

To perform an auto to manual conversion on an OBD I Honda ECU, use the following procedure: Verify that you have an Automatic. You will know if there are resistors in RP17 and RP18 (next to the EEPROM) Remove RP17 and RP18 Replace RP18 with a jumper. (The one you removed from J12 usually works [...]

Honda ECUs have a Diagnostic Generation, Model and a Board Revision. The diagnostic generations are OBD 0, OBD I, and OBD II. Examples of the model are  P28, P72, etc. The board revisions are 1980, 11F0, and 1720. Diagnostic Generation (OBD 0, OBD I, OBD IIa/b) From top to bottom: Knowing the generation of your [...]

About Firmware Updates and a Warning Periodically we release new firmware for our products. We generally recommend against updating firmware unless you have a very specific reason for doing so, as it can often be a risky process. If you are attempting to update your firmware because you think your current firmware is corrupt, be [...]

For those of you who are interested in tuning Hondas, here is a brief summary of what is available to you. First, only certain Hondas can be tuned using our hardware. In short, these are any vehicles that run a B, D, H, or F (Accord) series engine and can run an OBD I ECU. [...]

The Ostrich 1.0, which has now been discontinued, was the first in the Ostrich line. Upon the creation of the first Moates product, the Autoprom (APU1) the team at Moates quickly realized the demand for seperation of the Burner/Emulator/Datalogger combo. As a result, the Ostrich 1.0 was born. Early versions of the Ostrich 1.0 were [...]

Introduction Although our hardware uses USB connectivity, you don’t have to be a kernel level device driver programmer or any sort of expert in the USB framework to interface our devices.Our devices simply create a virtual COM port that can be written to via all sorts of methods. Old-school Windows programmers may be familiar with [...]

The release of the Ostrich 2.0 was the marking point for the next generation of Moates products. Along with a 75% size reduction, the Ostrich 2.0 also boasts many firmware advances. The Ostrich 2.0 connects to the host computer with a baud rate of 921,600bps, which is the fastest bit rate supported by standard RS-232. [...]

Download Flash & Burn here. Flash & Burn is a software package used with the Burn1 and Burn2 EEPROM burners, as well as the Autoprom (APU1). Note, many tuning software packages (like CROME and Hondata) can interface with these burners directly making this software not necessary.

The 2Timer is a great tool used by anyone who needs multiple fuel maps one one chip. Good examples are those who run Nitrous, or typically run two different types of fuel. (I.E. Race Gas map vs. Pump Gas map) Creating a BIN for the 2Timer We get this question a lot, so we have [...]

The RoadRunner works exclusively with EFILive, which is compatible with all LS1 PCMs.

  CROME is a ROM-Editor written primarily for OBD I Honda ECUs. A Pro version is available for $149 which unlocks a hidden data-logging feature. CROME works natively with the following Moates hardware: Ostrich (both 1.0 and 2.0) Burn1 Burn2 HuLog (both Xtreme HuLog and Original HuLog) HondaLog If you can see this, then you [...]

EECEditor is a ROM Editor for many Ford vehicles.

About the QuarterHorse The QuarterHorse delivers in unparalleled fashion. It gives you absolutely bumpless, 100% realtime tuning AND realtime datalogging for all EEC-IV and EEC-V through 2004. It plugs into the J3 port like a chip, but its capabilities are stunning. This is just the hardware, and limitations of vehicle coverage are dependent on software packages available separately [...]

The Burn2 has the same features as the Burn1, only smaller and more compact. The Burn2 is a revolutionary device that was designed with the automotive enthusiast in mind. it supports chips used in our products aimed at ECUs/ECMs from the late 80s and early 90s. The BURN2 can: WRITE SST 27SF512, ATMEL AT29C256 and [...]

The Burn1 is a revolutionary device that was designed with the automotive enthusiast in mind. it supports chips used in our products aimed at ECUs/ECMs from the late 80s and early 90s. The BURN1 can: WRITE SST 27SF512, ATMEL AT29C256 and 29F040 chips. READ but NOT WRITE 2732A, 27C128, 27C256 chips (and most other 24/28 [...]