Anyone else receive Voluntary Service Campaign 2012/02R for the VIN being erased?

[RoadDad]

My VIN has been missing from my ECU since my 1000 mile 1st service when the tech reflashed the ECU with Lotus' most recent program at that time (2007 Elise launch car shipped to port with the 2006 ECU programming that he switched to the then "new" 2007 programming)... poooooof went the VIN.

[RoadDad]

Originally Posted by paulhastings

I would like to understand the situation better. If the car is stock is it being said that the VIN could have been erased when the dealer plugged in at service?

I am due for the first smog check and thinking of having this done first to see if there is an issue before going to the dealer.

You can (usually) check it yourself with many OBD scanners under "vehicle information"...

[chiarov]

Not to derail the topic, but what's the deal with the oil line one? I didn't receive it so I should assume I'm not affected? (Was it only single oil cooler cars?)

[RoadDad]

Originally Posted by chiarov

Not to derail the topic, but what's the deal with the oil line one? I didn't receive it so I should assume I'm not affected? (Was it only single oil cooler cars?)

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f101...recall-107511/

[xxxotic]

I had an early 05 car and they had a service bulletin to reflash the ECU, so I had it done at 1000 miles around Nov 2004, but the new printout cleared out all of the old values for top speed, running time etc and made everything effective as the date of the reflash. So I'm guessing that the reflash also wiped out the VIN. Are people with early 05 cars that never bothered to get their cars reflashed at the dealers getting letters too?

[CrusaderTBC]

got mine in the mail yesterday.

[komiko]

got mine in the mail yesterday, but there is no way in hell i'm letting anyone but BOE/Koldfire reflash my car. (Well, actually, I can reflash the ECU myself with my Koldfire cable...and backup my tune for safe keeping i believe.)

[brgelise]

Same here. Been thru emissions a few times now and it was never an issue. My CharlieX tune stays put!

[300hpMR2]

So for people who reflash a spare ECU from a different vehicle, the VIN of the other vehicle will be stored on the ECU?

[komiko]

good question, i don't know but i would certainly think so as there is no way for the car to inform the ECU of it's "identity/VIN". The identity is carried only in the ECU?

[Dietsch]

Both the "Lotus Scan 3" and The laptop based "Lotus Techcentre" can re-flash the VIN. The Techcentre will also automatically check the car for the latest ecu flash and ask if you would like to update it if there is a newer one. If you have a factory or aftermarket supercharger added to your car or a factory Sport ecu or Koldfire tune on your car do not have the recall done. Have your shop reprogram the VIN without re-flashing it. We have been automatically doing this for our clients free of charge.

- Rob.

[Dietsch]

Most white dash and many of the black dash cars have a generic VIN stored in the ECU. if it has the wrong VIN it can be re programed without changing the flash.

Originally Posted by 300hpMR2

So for people who reflash a spare ECU from a different vehicle, the VIN of the other vehicle will be stored on the ECU?

[300hpMR2]

Originally Posted by Dietsch

Most white dash and many of the black dash cars have a generic VIN stored in the ECU. if it has the wrong VIN it can be re programed without changing the flash.

Thanks for the quick replies.

So the "Lotus Scan 3" and The laptop based "Lotus Techcentre" are items that Lotus dealers have?

Thanks again in advance.

[s2kjoe]

So i got the lotus sport supercharger kit on my 2006 lotus exige. I should not go with the vin recall. I have passed emission via obd and saw on the computer as it has been acknowledge as a lotus. Also i plan to keep my car. Is this a voluntary or will the dealer make you do it? I certainly dont want my reflash (due to supercharge) to be lost!

[philethier]

Originally Posted by s2kjoe

So i got the lotus sport supercharger kit on my 2006 lotus exige. I should not go with the vin recall. I have passed emission via obd and saw on the computer as it has been acknowledge as a lotus. Also i plan to keep my car. Is this a voluntary or will the dealer make you do it? I certainly dont want my reflash (due to supercharge) to be lost!

Reflash is voluntary.

[komiko]

everything is voluntary except death and taxes. And handing over my car keys.

[m_beale1]

I had both the oil line and ecu recalls done last week.

As a part of the oil line work, the dealer replaced both oil coolers due to concerns about corrosion on the existing coolers.

It looks like I made a mistake in having the ECU recall done. I have the Lotus Sport supercharger kit and I think my ECU has been reflashed with the N/A map. (The cam switchover is no longer happening just above 4000 RPM, the car almost stalls when coming to a stop, and it feels like the ECU is pulling a lot of timing as you give the car gas. )

I called the dealer and let them know that the car is not running correctly and the dealer is supposed to be contacting Lotus about the problem. I still waiting for word from the dealer and in the meantime I'm leaving the car parked (don't want to risk a hole it a piston etc).

When I asked the dealer to perform the ECU recall I did have the thought in the back of my mind that they might not give the car the correct flash to go with the SC, but I decided to trust them to get it right.

I wish Dietsh's post had come a couple of days sooner. Based on my experience I would heed his advice and only have the recall done if you have a completely stock factory ECU.

[hackish]

Depends on the rules of the state you live in. I may or may not have seen an interesting "emissions police" device. It's a black box that plugs into the vehicle. It uses the VIN number among other things to determine if the vehicle is emissions compliant.

I have no way of knowing which jurisdictions are purchasing this device but during the demo I was never at It did successfully detect the fact that one of the diesel trucks had a tune in it. It also caught a reflashed Mazdaspeed. It also told us that a stock vehicle had an outdated calibration in it. I told the guy I just needed to borrow the device for an hour but he laughed and I didn't get to

Purely speculation on my part but I suspect all the carmakers were probably notified that their vehicles had better be compliant with EPA rules or they'd find their customers "inconvenienced".

I've been working on a solution for this issue for a while now...

-Michael

[s2kjoe]

Originally Posted by m_beale1

I had both the oil line and ecu recalls done last week.

As a part of the oil line work, the dealer replaced both oil coolers due to concerns about corrosion on the existing coolers.

It looks like I made a mistake in having the ECU recall done. I have the Lotus Sport supercharger kit and I think my ECU has been reflashed with the N/A map. (The cam switchover is no longer happening just above 4000 RPM, the car almost stalls when coming to a stop, and it feels like the ECU is pulling a lot of timing as you give the car gas. )

I called the dealer and let them know that the car is not running correctly and the dealer is supposed to be contacting Lotus about the problem. I still waiting for word from the dealer and in the meantime I'm leaving the car parked (don't want to risk a hole it a piston etc).

When I asked the dealer to perform the ECU recall I did have the thought in the back of my mind that they might not give the car the correct flash to go with the SC, but I decided to trust them to get it right.

I wish Dietsh's post had come a couple of days sooner. Based on my experience I would heed his advice and only have the recall done if you have a completely stock factory ECU.

Keep us posted as i was wondering about this also!!!

[bman6074]

If your VIN in the ECU doesn't match the one on the sticker on your car the emission test is halted and won't continue. If you don't complete emission you can't register your car. This is in CT. I spoke to Lotus (number off the recall letter) they explained to me that the VIN can be changed with out updating the tune but the dealer will need a specific tool for that. Not all dealers have it. So check with your dealer before you trek hours to drop it off.