There is a lot of confusion between ECU flashes and piggybacks. What’s the difference? Which one is better for your car? In this article, we will break it down for you and help you decide which type of tune is right for your vehicle. So, what exactly is an ECU flash? And how does it differ from a piggyback? Let’s find out!
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What Is An ECU Flash?
An ECU flash, or a full replacement tune, is a 100% raw replacement of your stock computer with a new tuned one. With an ECU flash, you will be getting all the features of a piggyback plus more! A fully tuned computer has many benefits. No “tuning” can hold a candle to the power and control that a programmer offers over your engine’s parameters.
Most piggybacks are designed to work in conjunction with factory sensors and do not offer any tuning changes other than timing, rev limiters, fuel cut-off, etc. With an actual ECU Flash, you can adjust almost every single parameter that affects how your run. You can add multiple stages of boost, adjust your cam timing, run sequential setups, run piggyback CDI’s, and much more! An ECU flash is the closest you can get to professional tuning without taking your car apart.
What Is A Piggyback?
A piggyback is an add-on device that intercepts communication between the factory ECU and other vehicle sensors. They are typically installed by connecting into factory or aftermarket wiring harnesses on each sensor they wish to monitor. This allows the user to control the parameter being monitored (such as fuel levels).
A map can then be loaded onto the device which tells it how exactly how much power should be added in whatever situation the user has set up. A piggyback also acts as a boost controller and can control the actual boost levels sent to your engine’s turbo or supercharger.
A piggyback is designed to offer only timing changes and offers no tuning capabilities. This means it offers no control over any of the other varying parameters that affect how your vehicle runs such as cam timing, fueling, rev limiters, and throttle response.
It does not offer any additional features such as sequential setups, multiple stages of boost, etc. While some piggybacks can read multiple sensors at once (which is very useful on high-end Audi/Porsche vehicles), they cannot make any changes on their own without having input from factory sensors.
Pros and Cons of an ECU Flash:
ECU Flashing has many advantages such as improved throttle response, faster shift points, optimal shift points for full boost, adjustments to the timing map, and more. The main advantage that an ECU flash offers is having no boost leaks! A piggyback relies solely on the factory boost control system which can often result in boost leaking.
If boost is leaking (even if your wastegate spring is set correctly), you will not be able to run a safe tune, and damage to your engine could occur. An ECU Flash does not rely on this system and makes adjustments while the wastegate opens/closes while also offering real-time adjustment of any parameter while driving (boost leak or not). This gives you more power without worrying about boost leaks! This is the biggest advantage of all!
Cons would be it’s more expensive than a piggyback. ECU flashes are usually $300-$800+ depending on what manufacturer you go with and your model vehicle. Also, an ECU flash cannot adjust parameters such as cam timing, rev limiters, etc. Although not always needed for every application, this feature is very useful with many vehicles that experience cylinder/tranny issues over time.
Pros and Cons of a Piggyback:
Piggybacks have many advantages such as: adjust timing, rev limiters, etc. They are much cheaper when it comes to the purchasing price. Piggybacks can typically be purchased for around $200-$400 depending on your vehicle and the brand/model you choose. Another advantage piggybacks have over a flashed ECU is that they do not require you to remove any recalls from your vehicle to flash its ECU!
The biggest disadvantage of a piggyback is boost leaks. If boost is leaking, no matter how minor or major it is, you will NOT be able to run a safe tune, and damage to your engine could occur. A piggyback also cannot control parameters such as cam timing response, throttle, etc.
While the shifting of gears is one of the most important things in a car, having your car “shift” through its maximum power potential is every bit as crucial. Tuning your vehicle properly will give you an edge over other cars on the road and have the hardware confidence to know that you are taking care of your investment.
ECU flashes can offer many advantages, but making sure that you are using all of them to their full potential with optimal timing maps, etc. takes specific knowledge about proper tuning. If any mistakes are made when flashing your ECU, they could have catastrophic effects on how it runs. Although there are many benefits to both piggybacks and flashed ECU’s, keep in mind that each car has different requirements for what its specific system needs to operate efficiently.
Conclusion
ECU Flash is a more expensive, but highly beneficial service for your car. It will give you the best performance and fuel efficiency from your vehicle by optimizing engine parameters to maximize power output while reducing emissions.
However, if the price is an issue or you only want some of these features, then piggybacking may be better suited for what you need at this time. In either case, make sure you talk to a mechanic about any potential issues with your engine before choosing one option over another.
