Installing your new memcal in your VN - VS Commodore (V6 & V8)

[Cobez]

Ok i'll post up some photos when i can, but it's easy to follow without pics. To be safe, disconnect your battery before doing all this. I am not responsible for any damage YOU do to your car. I have done this step by step a few times and never had a problem.



Step one: On the front passenger footwell on the left side, there is a plastic kickpanel, this is attached to the doorsill, with a bit of fidgeting and moving around, you can remove this kick panel and unclip it from the doorsill. If you own a grandpa spec VN to VS (100% bog stock) there is a good chance you will have a steel plate under this kick panel covering the ECU itself. Basically, this thing is a prick to get off, attack it as neatly as possible, but not too violently, as you could damage the ECU behind it. There is really no concrete instructions to getting this plate off. I haven't come across one so far, but they do exist.



Step two: Now you should have a steel box staring you in the face (the ECU) with 2 looms plugged into it. Remove these 2 looms by unplugging them from the ECU. They are held in by clips and it takes a bit of stuffing around but you will get them eventually.



Step three: The ECU is attached to the wall with 2 screws, just feel around the edges of the ECU and find them and undo them. The ECU should come free.



Step 4: One end of the ECU has a steel plate cover on it from VN to VR i believe that's held on by 2 tiny bolts, you can undo them easily enough with a small shifter etc, on the VS, there is a small plate that is held on by "security screws" i like to call them. You will need the correct heads to undo the VS ones. Either way, get the plate or cover off and the memcal will be staring you dead in the face.



Step 5: Unplug the memcal by undoing the clips that hold it in and remove. Plug your new memcal in (it will only go in one way).


Re fitting is the reverse of removal. I hope this helps out a few people.


Any problems or questions, just post up and someone will help you out! It's all very straight forward though. Once you get the kickpanel off, you can pretty much figure it out as you go along.

[VZHSV]

sweet right up man good work

[TVR-190]

you forgot to mention the metal plate/ cover

odds are you wont have this on the car still but there may be a metal shield sorta thing protecting/ covering the ecu, if so give up all hope cause its a bitch to get off, or do as i did and attack the damn thing with a hammer, pliers and a crowbar for an hour.

[delcowizzid]

haha the good old rivited on security panel allways fun to remove them rivits are hard as.need a good sharp drill bit and dont drill to fast or you will melt the tip of the drill bit

[Cobez]

you forgot to mention the metal plate/ cover

odds are you wont have this on the car still but there may be a metal shield sorta thing protecting/ covering the ecu, if so give up all hope cause its a bitch to get off, or do as i did and attack the damn thing with a hammer, pliers and a crowbar for an hour.

Ahhh true, most should not have it but alot of grandpa spec VN to VS's will.

[greenfoam]

The panel is only on VP's, I think only like two guys I've done a memcal for ever has still had the plate on the car so it's pretty rare (mine still had it too)

[TVR-190]

The panel is only on VP's, I think only like two guys I've done a memcal for ever has still had the plate on the car so it's pretty rare (mine still had it too)

its a good club to be in.

[Matt_vp]

The cover was still on mine, was lots of fun getting it off.
Matt

[DannyboyDS]

why not use a large drill bit on a slow speed and effectivly shave the top of the rivet off? thats how I replaced the panel for my shifter assembly i my VS Auto (The panel int he floorpan, its just rivited in)

[crawjp]

hey guys, im just about to fit a 2.5" hi flow can and exhaust, considering extractors next week, do you think I should replace my ecu with something better or get my stock one re-tuned? What one should I get?

engine 3800 buick

cheers,

[crawjp]

PS i meant hi flow cat

[delcowizzid]

replacing the DELCO ecu is a huge waste of money and point less me or greenfoam can do a tune for about a 10th of the price of a haltech

[crawjp]

unreal guys, but im still slightly unsure of how it all works, do I send you my old chip (which I presume is that blue thing lol) or do you send me a new chip thats been tuned? I wouldnt mind keeping mine just incase i want/need to swap it back to stock.

thanks delcowizzid

[NORTI]

I paid for another one, so I could keep my stock one, if I ever want/need to go back.

[ScoHar]

my security panel was still on, drill bit took out the 2 rivets easy as, even riveted back on after I was done, as I KNOW ILL NEVER REPLACE MY FOAMY CHIP!!!

[sgtqld00]

hey can someone fill me in what electronically erasable eeproms that are available do you use for

1 vn\vp 3.8L auto
2 VS 5L Auto

Thanks

[delcowizzid]

29C256's 29C512's or 27SF512's they can be hard to get theres a guy selling 27SF's on pgmfi.org right now for cheap or moates.net has them

[sgtqld00]

I found some 29c512 and 27sf512 locally. but not 29c256. Can i use a 29c512
in a vn/vp??? If so hows that work?? or is there a link i havn't come across.

Thanks.

[delcowizzid]

yeah you can use the bigger 512 in the 808 ecu just fine you just need to burn the tune with an offset or stack the bin 4 times in tunerpro before you burn it.you can switch between the stacked bins too if you really want good for testing tunes back to back.i see you just joint over the way on DH.net

[Com91]

I was stuck with this problem until i had a brain wave and used a hack saw to make a straight groove through the middle of the head so that a flat head screw driver could fit in it, works pretty damn well too, my apology's if this has already been suggested.

You will need the correct heads to undo the VS ones.

[Cobez]

Haha all good, as long as it works, then it works!

[sv3800#055]

nice writeup, thanks

Andrew

[nathanVY]

my VR ecu has those hideous "security screws", what kind of screw driver head do I need to get them off? where can I buy one from?

[5 speed VR]

use a allen key to remove the memcal cover plate with those star head srews or go get a bit :P

[Patti2912]

I know this is an old post but can someone tell me if it is recommended to disconnect my cars battery prior to removing memcal?
I'm hearing conflicting stories.
Cheers.