ESM Chips - Information & Help

[vi11ain]

I see from the Mountain Chips website that the V5 chip with the switcher board is not currently available.....

Is there any news on when it will reappear? I really want to be able to switch from the stock settings back through the various stages, once my wastegate is ported and the turbo is back in the car....

Thanks

Ben

[rip]

I see from the Mountain Chips website that the V5 chip with the switcher board is not currently available.....

Is there any news on when it will reappear?

No, but I can explain what the problem is.

Moates changed their switch. Alan (ESM) supplied 2 of these with switcher kits (I was one). Both of us soon suffered failed ECUs.

ESM suspects that the new switch draws too much current from the ECU & this is the cause of the failure. He then immediately withdrew the V5 switcher from sale.
I sent ESM my old ECU for testing.

I expect the switchers will be available again when:

Moates discontinue their new switch & replace it with a new model, which then needs to be tested
or
Moates discontinue their new switch & re-introduce the old one.
or
ESM finds a suitable alternative, tests it & supplies this with the kit.
or
ESM examines my ECU & finds that the switch was in no way responsible for the ECU failure.

[vi11ain]

Ah-ha! That makes perfect sense.

In that case, once my car is back on the road I'll buy a v4, then upgrade it once the switcher becomes available again.

Cheers

Ben

[Jimmer]

I'll be next on the list.
Hope it's soon!

[alexg]

Hi, does anyone have any information on time frames for the V5 and switch being available again.

I'm just trying to work out if I should go for the V4 and upgrade or wait.

Any info would be great even if very rough to help make this decision, thanks.

[ailwyn]

I don't believe there is any timescale on the v5 being available... my 2p would be to go for the v4 and if you feel you need it, go for the v5 later.

[rip]

Hi, does anyone have any information on time frames for the V5 and switch being available again.

No.
Read above...the 2nd post on this page.

[Elanlover]

Hi, does anyone have any information on time frames for the V5 and switch being available again.

No.
Read above...the 2nd post on this page.

Wasn't it just the remote switcher module itself that was the issue? A V5 chip with programmable settings can be changed on the board itself with the little dial. A pain to do for sure but possible. Would Alan provide them without the remote switcher?

[dapinky]

I know Alan was reluctant to provide the V5 as a 'stand alone' chip initially, but can't comment on the current policy....

....also, if you were to go for the V4, then upgraded to a V5 switcher, Alan was offering a 'Part Ex' deal so the costs were the same (don't know if this is still the case, though )

[Elanlover]

I know Alan was reluctant to provide the V5 as a 'stand alone' chip initially, but can't comment on the current policy....

....also, if you were to go for the V4, then upgraded to a V5 switcher, Alan was offering a 'Part Ex' deal so the costs were the same (don't know if this is still the case, though )

No doubt I could be wrong here but I had always thought that what Alan meant by this comment was that he wouldn't provide the V5 programming on a "stand alone" chip like we buy the V4 today. In other words, a chip with no switching capability at all. However, the current V5 setup with the remote switcher has a little dial right on the board that allows you to switch the programming right there or through the remote switcher module. I currently have the V5 without the remote switcher as Geoff is building a custom one for me. It works fine but to change the programming I have to remove the ECU to get at the little dial.

So, the V5 without a remote switcher module is not like the stand alone V4 chips that can't be switched at all. But, switching programs does require accessing the ECU. I mention this only because if you have a strong desire for the V5 then you could use it without the remote (like I am now) and wait for the revised remote to appear later.

Alan?????

[RichardK]

I would be keen to take the V5 without the switcher right now.

Four days to arrival......Car +Cape Town.....

[ESM]

Sorry for the long delay. Work's a git and the cars keep breaking. Blue car has been on a failure quest of late. First it started making some worrying noises so I had it shipped off (thanks AA relay) and a CV joint/jackshft wear problem was diagnosed. Got that done and the noise was still there! So out came the gearbox. It all seemed ok but on disassembly a kackered bearing was identified. Got it back, quiet (relatively) again, and the brakes were worthless. and it was misfiring. After phaffing about with coils I found the HT leads caused the miss. As for the brakes, well Wilwood, in a moment of less than brilliance, put aluminium pistons on the Powerlite caliper. So the pistons been corroding (pitting) happily over the years in all the lovely salt I expose them by driving the car through the year. Since the car had been sat around for months the worst ones (kerbside, inner) stuck more or less completely. I pushed them out and in and cleaned things up ( had to grin and bear the pitting) just in time for the snow we had. So the brakes got saltier and had only gentle use. They got worse. Anyway I got them working again by doing many, many hard stops on a particularly late drive home from work after the weather had improved. It was exciting because it was turning hard right on serious braking. Anyway by the time I got home I was stopping straight and true and quite rapidly as well (smoking tyres and everything). Now I've got eight shiny new pistons to go in and I've had these ones anodised. I'm also going to put a silicone coating on them as well for good measure. Red car is working ok mechanically but it developed a bad case of hood rot. Seams were ripping and water was pissing in in spite of my best efforts and years of pretty good weather proofness. It's away getting a new hood and new seals (the hood didn't fit very well but I understand this is not at all unusual).

'So blue car is running ok now,' I hear you say, 'you can test out the new switcher bits' . Well it was running ok until Thursday when another late departure from work was quickly followed by a fore/aft shift cable failure. I got 3rd by moving the shift actuator under the bonnet and, with much revving got back to work. It was dark, blowing a gale and pissing with rain at this point. So I got a torch and some big cable ties and set about lashing the broken adjuster to the mount. I was fortunate enough that the wind was strong enough to hold up the bonnet without any need for the support! Half an hour, and several bouts of swearing later, it was selecting gears again.

The good news is that I did fit a switcher today. I'll run it for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.

[HJ2]

2 cars, twice the problems...
This was not your season i guess...

I think this is pretty much a rock solid excuse for your delay
I hope thing run a little smoother from here

[GeoffSmith]

All very well, but 95% of your post is off topic!

[ESM]

Whereas your post is 100% off topic. Like this one in fact.

[GeoffSmith]

Good to see you about again and hope you get over your motoring woes.

[GeoffSmith]

Off topic I know but what the hell....

As for the brakes, well Wilwood, in a moment of less than brilliance, put aluminium pistons on the Powerlite caliper.

I deduce that the Powerlites are for the 15" wheel as I've got Dynalites which have stainless pistons. I've added something to the Wiki.

[Jimmer]

SOOOOO?????

Are you any closer to sorting out the switcher issues Alan?
I know I'm not the only one gagging to know when I'm going to be able to place an order.

[lotos]

SOOOOO?????

Are you any closer to sorting out the switcher issues Alan?
I know I'm not the only one gagging to know when I'm going to be able to place an order.

+1

I'd even consider just the switcher chip without the extra switch, so I could do it manually on the board. Not sure how inconvenient that is, but I'd consider it.

[vi11ain]

Me too - I'd really like one with the both sets of programming for use with and without the O2 sensor - after reading how easy the conversion to closed loop is, it sounds like a no-brainer, but I'd like to have the ability to switch back!

I'd be happy to have it without the external switcher - unless that's sorted now, of course!

Ben