We get asked this question constantly, so I decided to put a short page up about it. The basic question is this.

If I buy DSMLink now and upgrade to larger injectors later, do I need a new chip?

The answer depends on how large a change you're making and which version of DSMLink you're running.

The 2G DSMLink package uses the ECU's built-in, battery-backed RAM to store configuration changes you make via the laptop. That means as long as battery power is maintained to the ECU, your changes are saved. But if you disconnect the battery in the car, the DSMLink settings will revert back to the settings the chip was originally ordered for.

So for example, if you're change injectors from 450s to 850s and your original 2G DSMLink chip was ordered with 450 injectors as the battery reset default, then those defaults will run you nearly 90% richer than expected. That's too much. You would, of course, have to adjust for the 850s in the ECU→Fuel dialog, but if battery power is lost unexpectedly, the ECU is going to revert back to those 450 settings. Not good. In this case, it seems clear that a new chip with new defaults that more closely match your new configuration is recommended.

That doesn't mean you can't install the new injectors until you have a new chip. You can still dial the injectors in with the laptop application and run perfectly fine using instructions provided in the user's manual. You would simply have to be mindful of the implications of a battery reset. You would, for example, have to reload a previously saved configuration from the laptop if you disconnect the battery while working on the car.

Once you're happy with the new setup, simply contact us to order a new chip with new defaults.

twdorris@ecmtuning.com

The 1G DSMLink package includes a memory board that permanently records any changes you make via the laptop to persistent RAM. You could remove the ECU from the car and set it on a shelf for 10 years, but the DSMLink settings you put into it before being removed would still be there. In this case, there's no need for a new chip with new battery reset defaults because the 1G really doesn't have the concept of a battery reset default.

The latest version of our product, ECMLink (V3), permanently records the changes you make to flash when you turn the ignition key off. So there is absolutely NO need for a new chip with new defaults. It simply doesn't have any meaning here. Any change you make is recorded permanently already. So there really are no defaults to change.

The user's manual (V2) or the integrated help file (V3) has a good section on how to dial in new injectors. Please read this section! We also have a short page on this wiki with some injector starting points suggested posted by our users.