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So, after much searching, the internet has let me down.....as yet, there is no tuner out there who can remap post 2019 cars with the Denso/Freescale ECM.
Sometime in 2019 Volvo moved to a newer processor architecture on their ECM's, meaning that the traditional unlock methods won't work. This new architecture is either referred to as EEA or 'the freescale' platform.
As these ECM's cannot be unlocked, they are closed to aftermarket remapping.....so who wants to help me figure out how we can enable this?
Shall we play a game? 
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You may have emailed me about this...I know, I have a 2019 ;-)
To give you an idea, it's probably possible, I think the Mazda version of this ECM has been "cracked". Likely the only thing stopping the Volvo version from being cracked too, is the expected demand for it, so the vendors that do this routinely, like Alientech for example, they would just need to turn their attention to it, but because Volvo...they haven't. That's my guess anyways.
I can tell you, this is a hardware task. The software update process is protected by signed software and signature check. So the task is taking the hardware ECM, figure out how to read it to get he original program off of it, and figure out how to compromise the signature checking inside the ECM, so it could then be loaded with unsigned calibration.
It requires a very certain set of skills...
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I guessed this was likely the situation.....but also realised that the majority of tuners would be looking at this from an ECU chipset exploit.
Was wondering though if the CEM is an active participant in flashing the ECM module?
If it is, perhaps an instruction to switch all ECU's to flash mode as issued by Orbit may unlock the ability to flash the ECM...
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02-02-2023, 09:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-02-2023, 09:12 PM by Power6.)
All the ECUs are independent pretty much when it comes to diag and software loading. To flash the ECM you need the ECM programming PIN, which is not insurmountable to get (capture a total upgrade with ECM update, or an ECM reload from VIDA, then crack the PIN with OrBit)
That part is not so bad...then you have the signed code process to get around, I really have not gotten into exactly how it works, but basically you would only get to be able to flash a "Volvo signed" file at best case, so you could maybe reload the same calibration to the ECM. But you don't have the ability to sign the code with Volvo signature, so you can't ever make your own "tune". That's where the hardware compromise is needed, to get around that signing process.
For the encryption geeks around, I don't know if it's a private key per car, which would have to be individualized to each ECM, or it's Volvo wide private key, where any signed Volvo file, like an ECM calibration destined one particualr car, could be loaded on another as long as it is signed by Volvo.
BTW in the Volvos we are dealing with, only a few security critical ECUs are using a signed code process. Others, like the CEM are not, just need the PIN and flash what you like ;-) You can be sure, this will be expanded to all possible ECUs in future generations, this is how automakers will probably "win" not because it's impossible to hack, but simply because the effort is too high for the reward!
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02-02-2023, 11:17 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-02-2023, 11:18 PM by silo24.)
Slightly gutted but also good to get this knowledge into the forum!
Cheers!
Next step.....can we put a 2018nECU into a 2019 car?
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I have been looking at it. Plugs are the same. It's an open question on whether the ECM "operates" the same in the car, i.e. does it play the same on the network, interact with the other ECUs the same way. That needs to be tested as the first step.
I got a used 2018 ECM from an S90 T6 that is the older Denso model. Looking at wiring diagrams, there are a lot of wires that are on different pins in the harness compared to my 2019 S60. So an adapter would need to be made. That's as far as I've gotten, the need to adapt the wiring put it down the priority list on things to try by quite a bit, since it's not just a plug in affair. Once that is sorted, then you need to have someone who can write to it, or the tools to write to it, so the immobilizer info and such that makes it work in the car can be written, just to see if it would start up in the car, run the engine without any problems or trouble codes.
Anyone want to take it on, if you got a T6 I got an ECM for you...
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Sounds like we'd be better off crowdfunding a Bounty programme!
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That's not a bad idea...I will see if I could find who would do it and what would it cost...I got no clue but I can ask around. I guess there is no guarantee of success so there is that. I have to think it's pretty possible though if other models of ECU with the same CPU have been done.
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Oh, I would support the crowdfunding bounty program, if it works this would allow Robert Hilton from Hilton tuning to finally be able to Tune Volvo's 19+ at least to MY21
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(02-05-2023, 08:18 AM)mamous Wrote: Oh, I would support the crowdfunding bounty program, if it works this would allow Robert Hilton from Hilton tuning to finally be able to Tune Volvo's 19+ at least to MY21
AFAIK Hilton has no tune for the 2017-2018 either anyway??
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