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After installing my APEX'i Super AVC-R, I decided it was time to upgrade the ECU. I didn't want to deal with a core charge or
anything, and I have little patience, so I just drove up to Concept Z and picked up a chip for my car. At only $99, I wasn't too
worried about having to replace it when injectors get replaced, and I was lucky enough that Coz just happened to have a chip
for my car in stock (basically a stock, 5-speed federal TT).
Then I headed by Fry's Electronics, where I found two 28 pin machined sockets for only $2.89. I also picked up some desoldering
wick while I was there.
 Since the sockets came in two-packs I decided to practice on my old burnt-up ECU. After I was done and happy with the
results, I moved on to my current (functional ECU)
 Here's the ECU opened up with the daughter board moved out of the way, so you can see the stock EPROM (the one with the
sticker on it)
 Terrible pic, but this is the underside of the motherboard with all the solder removed from the ECU pins.
 After desoldering the stock EPROM (which was pretty difficult in itself), the hard part was removing it. It's glued down towards
the top of the ECU motherboard. I didn't want to damage the motherboard, so I found a small zip tie and fed it through
underneath the EPROM. It finally broke through all the glue, and I was able to kind of saw it side to side and cut away at the
glue underneath. Then I pulled straight up on the zip ties and slowly pulled out the EPROM. The ziptie trick was nice, since I
didn't have to worry about scratching the motherboard--my only concern was if I had all the solder removed, but I could see
daylight through every pin. I came out without too much of a struggle!
(Yes I was trying to heat up the glue, too!) Here it is with the socket installed...
 Another terrible pic, but the socket soldered down. The only thing I wasn't happy with was how much of that clear brown stuff
(flux?) had dirtied up the board, but all the leads were still in great shape, it just didn't look so pretty.
 And with the CZP chip installed!
 After it was in, I buttoned everything up and installed it. I turned the key, and it fired right up!
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What I did today ($102.89 ECU upgrade) - 
