SportShift Gear Box Remap. How to Remove the TCU?

[alevine]

I am going to have my SportShift TCU remapped and need to remove and send the TCU (transmission control unit) to the vendor for the reprogram. The unit will be sent from the US to the UK. I assume the TCU is located in the rear passenger side in the boot area by the fuse box. Is this correct?

Any advise, instructions, tips or tricks on removal of the TCU? Is it necessary to press the battery disconnect button prior to removal?

Thanks in advance.

Adam

[rick-derby-]

I presume your car is a V8 vantage, as the tcu is not fully powered down by pressing the battery disconnect switch it is recommended to disconnect the battery, by removing the battery earth connection,the tcu is located in the boot behind the panel on the right hand side(the same place as the fuse box) you need to remove the puncture repair kit to gain access, you have to remove one bolt and then you can remove the tcu, disconnect carefully both electrical connections and that's all there is too it, it is surprising the difference remapping the tcu makes, remapping has now become one of the more common\popular upgrades and the one most people seem to be considering,

[alevine]

Rick:

Thanks for the quick reply. Much appreciated. Yeah, I am real excited for this mod! It should really improve the overall experience.

Yes, my car is a 2007 Vantage. I do have a few brief questions though. You advise to remove the puncture repair kit. On my U.S. left hand drive car, the puncture repair kit is on the left side opposite the fuse box. Is this different for UK cars?

Also, if I look in the area where the fuse box is located on the right side (passenger side) in the boot there is a silver colored box that is oriented in a vertical position. Is this the TCU? Are there any markings on the unit or do you have any pictures of the unit? I want to make sure I FedEx the correct piece.

Thanks again for your reply and assistance.

Regards,
Adam

[rick-derby-]

Hi Adam, sorry I really only work on the right hand drive variants, from what you describe that does sound like the tcu, unfortunately i only have 9's vanquish's and 7's in at the moment so i can't take a picture, i do have v8's in next week so i could sort it for you then, also there will be a part number on the tcu, as at home i can't get part number for you tonight, but i can tomorrow,

[alevine]

Rick:

Thanks again for all of your assistance. I greatly appreciate your help. I am not planning on removing the TCU until next week so there is no rush. Whenever you get to it would be great.

BTW, it must be a beautiful sight to see so many Vanquish's and DB7's in 1 garage! How cool!

Thanks,
Adam

[rick-derby-]

Okay i will sort some pictures out for you, reference seeing so many cars together yes i love it, during the day 9 to 4 gmt, i usually have the webcam's on that are in my workshop, so people can see what we are doing,

[Ben_Kaighin]

I believe this is what your looking for?

[alphonso]

Can i just ask what re-mapping the TCU does to the gearbox performance? I have had juddering problems with the sportshift (when pulling away) ever since I bought it, despite resetting it every day. Rick, thanks for your advice on pushing AM, they've agreed to replace the clutch under warranty which was a bit of a result.

[rick-derby-]

alphonso glad you are getting it sorted out,

remapping the engine ecu's will improve torque and bhp and also as the warm up period fuelling is altered a side effect of this is improved fuel consumption, remapping the tcu puts into an improved sports mode which will improve gear changes and also alter when the gear changes when driving aggresivly,

that's the plus sides, there are also other considerations, if you vehicle is under warranty then these type of upgrades are not condoned by Aston Martin even though there is no evidence that the programs have been alterted, if you only drive around sedately the benefits will never be felt, as torque is increased you can have more wheel slippage at the rear so and increase in tyre wear and rear brake pad wear, It is not really worth remapping the engine ecu's without also upgrading the exhaust this will give you the maximum benefit,

There is always claims that you could damage the engine or gearbox through remapping, as these programs have been specifically tailored to these cars i have never seen or heard of one experiencing any problems, the other question that is asked regularly is can you really tell much difference, the simple answer is yes, if you take a standard DB9 fit a sportspack, rear sports exhaust and a full remap, it is a completely different car to drive, performance and handling are much better,

why can you remap, simple if the full potential is released by the manufacture initially then there can not be an uprated model, leaving scope within the electronic control systems makes it easier to obtain more power later without significant engine changes, also regulations from different countries also plays apart

[alevine]

Ben:

Thanks. That is exactly the part I figured was the TCU. It does not look too hard to remove at all. I will post my results as soon as I have it complete!

Regards,
Adam

[Arbs]

Rick-derby-
"why can you remap, simple if the full potential is released by the manufacture initially then there can not be an uprated model, leaving scope within the electronic control systems makes it easier to obtain more power later without significant engine changes "

This isnt quite true, manufacturers dont release a engine mapped to there full potential for good reason. If an engine was mapped as it could be, it would cause it to be less reliable for a start. Manufactures map there cars with many things to consider not just out right performance. They have to consider that a poor quality fuel could be used, differant driving behaviours of the owners, and more importantly these days emissions. Vehicles are mapped to a certain set standard so they are able to pass emissions tests.

When manufacturers update engines in a range they normally do more than remap. they normally change many things in the engine, i.e 4.3-4.7, DB9-DBS, these both required substantial changes the the engine and auxiliarys.

The reason cars can be remapped is that these things all alter performance and when a car is remapped these things dont have to be considered so they can get more power. This is why VAG tuners can get so much more power out of the golf, A3 ect. because they unlock the potential without boundries.

[rick-derby-]

Arbs , i did make a reference to regulations from different countries that plays a part, and just to balance your comments, what about the DB7 to DB7 GT, the vanquish to vanquish s, the V8 Vantage to n400, also the 4.3 power upgrade which has a remap and is a genuine upgrade, yes there are some mechanical differences, but the programming of the ecu's does play a significant part, yes manufactures have to balance many aspects, with some such as vag leave more scope for third party tuning, where as the new m range from bmw offer very little in changes from remapping,

The point you make about the owners is very true, not everyone wants to race about so a balance has to be made because of drive ability, so many cars are down tuned, The fact remains improvements in performance can be made without major changes,

[Arbs]

Very true, all I was pointing out is that many cars can get a performance hike by remapping a ecu. But I'm not sure manufacturers leave them there on purpose. Many companys don't like people touching these maps. Manufacturers pay people fortunes to work out the best set ups for the mass Market. That's why many warrentys are void if a ecu is mapped, some even made them unmappable, GTR( although some clever boffins have got around this)
I do understand that people don't like these standard and want to change them. But these maps do work better with a mechanical upgrade aswell as aposed to on there own. Many change exhausts and intakes aswell as a map.