2011 Skoda Octavia RS ECU upgrades - ODBII or bench only upgrades?

[kamold]

Hi All,
I am shortly to take delivery of a MY2011 Octavia TDI wagon (can't wait!)
Have greatly enjoyed the APR stage 1 upgrade in my A3 (realise that I won't get the same sort of gains on a TDI tune)

Is the ECU software on the MY2011 TDI Octvias encrypted? ie is the only way to get an aftermarket ECU map by doing a bench flash?

From the info I have garnered from various tuners they seem to indicate that it 'might' be encrypted. Is the only way to know from the serial number of the ECU itself or does someone know what the cutover build date was the encrypted maps which can't be updated via OBDII?

Thanks

[jbviajero]

I have the MY10 118 TSI. I have tried both the viezu and bluefin units on it; neither unit can read the file.
Feedback so far is that it may just be a funky ECU version rather than encryption per say. So potenially it could still be tuned via a laptop with the right software.
But potentially a bench tune which I hope won't be the case. I'll find out in the next week or two - need to find the time to take the car in.
Good luck with the RS.

[Guy_H]

Both the TDI & the 118 TSI Octavia's are encrypted & require bench flashes from MY10, one quick visit to your APR / Oettinger dealer would have confirmed that in a couple of minutes. Take it from someone that tunes several Skoda's a week.

Viezu / Bluefin should be able to tell you that directly from you ECU part number rather than waste time plugging devices in & "having a go"

[DNA Tuning]

Both the TDI & the 118 TSI Octavia's are encrypted & require bench flashes from MY10, one quick visit to your APR / Oettinger dealer would have confirmed that in a couple of minutes. Take it from someone that tunes several Skoda's a week.

Viezu / Bluefin should be able to tell you that directly from you ECU part number rather than waste time plugging devices in & "having a go"

How is plugging in a Viezu/Bluefin unit and checking that way any different to an APR dealer plugging a cable in and checking? Both methods involve plugging something into the OBD port and spending a few minutes, no? Which part of that is wasting time?

[Guy_H]

VCDS gives you the ECU number, you can pull the ECU & read the ECU part number, your VW dealer can read the ECU number for you.

Seems like this chap has had visits from or stuff posted to him form two tuners, spent his time & the tuners time - sounds like a waste of resources to me. Any APR dealer can do the tune on the spot - either method.

Just my opinion. Hell, keep plugging stuff in, maybe something will work one day - it's the operators choice, its just lucky there is not much chance of killing the ECU in these new ones.

[Jmac]

We are using CMD Flash software on a lot of before ECU chip change or direct ECU flash. Not the case with the above mentioned though unfortunately. To find if the ECU is encrypted i read the eeprom, thats the only way, only way that its a waste of time is getting a hand held without checking it, thats it.
Cheers
Jmac

[parso_rex]

ECU HW and SW numbers give it away instantly like indicated above its about 10 seconds work. I see 5 variants of that TDI's ECU in my database and two are encrypted. I guess we got shafted over here and ended up with one of the two
Luckily its not the case for the Passat TDI's here or at least the ones I've seen so far.

[Jmac]

Ive had one mate it was a 125 CRD mate. Bummer, actually only a bummer it was under warranty and customer wanted the switchablilty which is fair enough otherwise i would have done it CMD, looking forward to them all coming out of warranty, be a lot of Ecus opened up then hehehe, i have a good few on the cards. Can only imagine what itll be like down there
Cheers
Jmac

[jbviajero]

Both the TDI & the 118 TSI Octavia's are encrypted & require bench flashes from MY10, one quick visit to your APR / Oettinger dealer would have confirmed that in a couple of minutes. Take it from someone that tunes several Skoda's a week.

Viezu / Bluefin should be able to tell you that directly from you ECU part number rather than waste time plugging devices in & "having a go"

In my case I was working night and day and weekends and more. So the couple of hours spent getting to and from an APR dealer (or any other tuner) was not an option. Hence 'having a go'. Plus I liked the idea of being able to put the thing back to stock if selling or if I was caught out by lower octane fuel out on country roads.
Now though I will look into the bench tune. Any suggested tuners near-ish Annandale are welcome.