The Max

As you can see, MyBrains, you're looking at this all wrong. Remapping an ECU is not a cheap task, even if you can get your hands on a generic map to avoid the dyno. The math dispels any theory for cost savings. The engine is mechanically set up to perform. If you're actually prepared to lose even 10kW of performance, then you really don't want or need a performance vehicle. Obviously, there's no point in doing an engine swap to an SR20DE (HA!) because of the math we spoke of before. So that leaves you with a few options: Drive with a much lighter foot Sell the car and downgrade to a less-thirsty vehicle Rip the motor and drivetrain out and pedal it like Fred Flintstone That's the reality. Personally, I'm not made of money and I'm not happy about the rising fuel costs but I love my car too much to give up anything about it and potentially damage it.

That's surprising.

That's what I heard on the grapevine as well, to the US, if I'm not mistaken.

Talk to UpRev or ECUtek about whether or not they support your vehicle's ECU and for a tuner closest to your area. That's how I do my homework.

...and so many ungrateful buggers wanted to tap into it for nothing. The guy still needed to earn a living for his efforts and experience that gained him that valuable knowledge.

What a spastic installer. That's one guy to avoid in the future. So few appreciate the amount of care required to be taken before, during and after installations. Even fine details like cable pulling lubricant, self-amalgamating tape and glue heatshrink make all the difference in ensuring not only a reliable installation but also a vehicle that doesn't have its existing reliability compromised.

Think about what you unplugged and check those plugs again.

Putting two and two together, this only happened after you had an amp installed. The simplest explanation is typically the most likely one. Whoever told you it was the BCM either isn't aware of the events that led up to this problem or he's taking stabs in the dark.

First, forget about your line-level converters. They are a passive device and don't require any power from your vehicle's power circuits. Their job is to reduce the voltage from your speakers down to something friendlier for your amp and no external power is required to make that happen. Not sure what you mean by testing the plate lights wire and you don't say how. If you turn on your parking lights, with your multimeter set up to measure DC voltage, you should be seeing 12V at your plate lights. Now, hopefully you're taking the initial measurement by putting the probes on each of the two terminals that feed the plate lights. If you have nothing there, the next thing to check is if the ground is OK or not. The way to do this is to keep one of the probes on what should be the 12V wire and touch the other probe on a bare metal object nearby, such as a bolt, chassis, reinforcement bar behind the bumper, etc. If you get the 12V reading I described above, that means the light is getting power and the grounding has been buggered up. In which case, you need to trace the ground wire and see where it has been severed or perhaps not even bolted into the body/frame to begin with! I dare say it's going to be something as simple as that. Judging from what you've mentioned so far about the audio install, your installer probably used the bolt that grounds the lights for your amp and didn't put the lights back under that bolt as well. Take a look at where your amp is physically installed - follow its ground wire and see if there's anything floating around near where it's bolted to your car that looks like it should be actually attached. Confirm it with your multimeter by doing a continuity test, to be sure it's actually going to your lights. As for a short circuit, trust me, if you say that your fuses are OK, it's not shorting out anything, otherwise you'd be blowing fuses constantly. This is the opposite of a short circuit, or what we call in the business, an air gap.

Also, get your hands on a multimeter. Visual inspection alone isn't going to solve this.

Wait. You mean the power source for some of your aftermarket audio components is being drawn from the lighting circuit? Nothing should be intercepting your taillights. They should be left alone and a more suitable power source should be obtained, preferably from the head unit's source instead.

You'll need an OBD scan tool to reveal the code so that you know what's upsetting it. If you don't have access to one, then you'll need to take it to a mechanic.

Still hunting down the taillights issue?

Please pay attention to what we're telling you. Start looking from your taillights onward. That means looking in your boot space. Stop persisting with your dash and fuseboxes.

The installer buggered up something in your boot then. As previously suggested, take your boot apart and work your way from the lights on.