Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Chiptuning - gearbox question

On the BMW forum I am following I hear a lot of people who are chiptuning the ZF auto gearbox.
I was wondering if the logic/electronic used by Morgan is a 1:1 carryover from BMW or if it uses their own software (that means that we will never get rid of that "steptronic" lag during shifts).

MMC use exactly the same as BMW, i know a guy who got trouble in a trip with the gearbox of is +8 the car be repair in a BM agency in Germany.

i don't want to be the blackbird but play with this chip's must be made by someone with high knowledge, the damage (if occur) can be really costly

From a mechanical perspective I agree that is exactly the same. I was wonder if BMW programs could run on MOG. For instance SW like INPA, EDIABAS and as well this "new" magic XHP Flashtool.

I don't know about the autobox, but I was told by a BMW specialist who connected his diagnostic software to Tarka that the engine management software was not standard, it seems that MMC has had it customised in some way. He said that the only people who could change anything would be MMC, or their contractor.

Ciao Peter,
This was what I did not want to hear but somehow I was expecting.

You are never going to eliminate shift lag anyway. Double clutch boxes cut shift lag by having the next gear "pre engaged" before shifting but the ZF box is not a double clutch box. Its a developed slush box so it will always need a bit longer to engage a gear.

From what was said I think the alterations are so that the BMW software doesn't look for inputs from sensors that are standard on a BMW but not present on a Morgan. Applying standard BMW aftermarket software might, or might not, open up inputs that, in the absence of data, would throw up all sorts of error messages.
Basically he just didn't want to take any risk because he had no idea what had been done or how.

Try the latest version of the MB 9 speed box, with AMG software. Based on ZF Slushpump but with new software and more rapidly operating actuators the gear shift speed is as quick, from my experience, as the double clutch box in the AMG A45, and much smoother. The computer driven blip to march revs and over run noise is addictive. It seems that the computer plays games with ignition timing and fuel injection, plus valves in the exhaust all in aide of a more theatrical effect.

It certainly makes the ZF box in the aero seem sloooow....and the blips very tame!

It isn't just the BMW cars. If you want a Tornado chip upgrade on your Plus8 you need knock sensors fitted.
Compared to tintops the Morgan range has a lot of redundant sensors/input that a corresponding tintop needs. If these inputs are monitored as part of the ecu then a lack of input could throw up faults. Some adjusting of the maps would be needed for a Morgan. Either an option to ignore a signal loss or a partial rewrite. Also, some fine tuning of the map could be done to take into account the lightness of a Morgan v the tintop donor car. Once a prototype car has been set up after dyno and road tests then that map forms the basis for all other cars of that type. A rewritable ecu would then be easy to set up with engine manufacturer help.
PeterJ, have you seen the old Top Gear episode where they had a F1 team plug in a laptop and programmed it to run the engine and play the top gear theme tune by varying revs? Adding a blip on changedown is easy and is mainly to smooth out the change in gear by matching engine revs to the new gear. The sound is a nice side effect! It can be learned by a driver with manual gearbox and is the basis of heel and toe changes.

I am remembering something related to a "sport +" mode on the new Aero8 MKV but I understood that they are not planning to offer this to older cars.
Maybe was it was you Peter, who discovered this? My memory is getting bad.