Washington-based tuning company Trifecta Performance has become the first company outside of General Motors to crack the encrypted ECU for the C8 Corvette Stingray.
The C8-generation Corvette utilizes GM’s latest Global B electric architecture, a connected system that must be encrypted to protect against cyberattacks. Software experts have been trying their hardest to crack GM’s well-protected ECU since the C8 Corvette Stingray hit the market in early 2020, but Trifecta is the first company to do it successfully. This will allow Trifecta to retune the C8 Corvette Stingray’s native ECU to better accommodate forced induction setups and other engine upgrades that may require a different air/fuel ratio or other settings to be adjusted.
Other companies, like FuelTech for example, have been able to tune the C8 Corvette Stingray by implementing a “piggyback,” ECU system that acts as a workaround to the stock encrypted ECU. As Trifecta explains, these systems work by “persistently lying to the engine control module (ECM) about what’s going on with the engine in order to push the ECM into a behavior,” that allows it to make more power. In some cases, the mass airflow sensor or manifold pressure sensor in these piggyback ECU setups must be disconnected in order to prevent the car from throwing a sensor fault. Cars with these systems may also allow the transmission to become overpowered, as the control module does not know how much power the engine is truly producing, which can damage the clutches.
FuelTech’s tuned C8 Corvette
Trifecta says that tuning the vehicle’s native ECU prevents the above-mentioned problems and, instead of figuring out how to sidestep the OEM diagnostic and safeguard systems, allows it to recalibrate them and use them to their advantage.
Unsurprisingly, the stock 6.2L LT2 V8 engine has almost no meat on the bone with regard to tuning. Trifecta attempted to squeeze more power out of the C8 Corvette Stingray’s stock motor by adjusting the air to fuel ratio, ignition timing advance, DI injection timing, DI rail pressure, and variable cam phasing angles, but saw no noticeable improvements. The good news, though, is that the LT2 V8 can still produce a lot more power with some upgrade parts.
“While we didn’t find power, what we did find is that the C8’s software largely works the same way as the older ECUs, like the E92, and that we were able to modify the parameters required to make power adders work on the C8 without stand alone or piggyback systems,” said Vince Geglia II, owner and founder of Trifecta.
While increasing power output will require aftermarket parts, the company says it sees some room for improvement with regard to the C8 Corvette Stingray’s transmission behaviour and throttle response and may eventually offer a reflash that addresses these minor shortcomings.
“This is a very exciting moment for the C8,” Gegalia said. “We’re excited to share in pushing the platform forward, and to have the opportunity to work with the community’s members who share our passion for the C8!”
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Comments
Nice, this will huge for the advancement of C8 performance options!
If they got into the C8- that means they can now get into other interesting things , like the L3B.
What’s the price to unlock the ECU? HP tuners has been doing unlocked ECU swaps for 2 years on this Global B and nets the same results that Trifecta is claiming to be first at, but it’s expensive from HP Tuners.
Also, is this a paid post by Trifecta?
I might be reading between the lines here, but I think Mark Reuss might have found his “good guys”… anybody else wondering that?? These guys would be a perfect fit.
Trifecta was previously the factory tuner for Cadillac, I think specifically turbo 2.0 and 3.6 engines
It would seem that certain Brink of speed or what ever he reads he needs to ck his source, he thinks GM gave it up. He should check into Trifecta, Acourding to gmauthority.com they was not givin crap but through a lot of hard work cracked the code. So who knows what there talking about. We just would like correct info.
In computer programing terms…
if 5 modules green-light 100% throttle body angle, but even 1 module orders 50% TB angle, then the master mind of the TB will only allow for 50% TB.
The car takes the LEAST commanded value from any module.
So IF you hack the ECU, and order more spark or tb or fuel etc etc…
it only takes 1 other module in the car to request a value which produces less power, and the car will obey the other module.
GM has more than just the ECU calling the shots on this car, mark my words.
People still do not get it yet, this same gatekeeper protocol existed on the c7z also with the brake control module having ultimate power to pull dow the TB angle than the ECU and HP tuners which were ordering 100% TB angle at a dig at the drag strip, we are positive of this fact on the c7z.
The c8 is no different, only now, its many modules that do this, not only the brake control module
Vette Titans highly unlikely. Trifecta has been around for a long time and has cracked other platforms before anyone else did to offer tuning. They have a track record for this sort of thing. They have the experience. They have products for a large portion of the GM product line. The C8 community is small as it is, and the portion of that community that actually wants to mod their C8 is even smaller, in comparison to the other markets Trifecta is highly successful in. Seems to me like you are simply using their announcement to ride their coattails and increase views of your own videos.
Once again, kudo’s to the GM/Chevy/Corvette drivetrain engineers for developing a computer system designed to produce maximum power and torque for the 6.2 liter Corvette engine. Just remember, when this whole drivetrain was finally put together and certified by the government (EM, Mileage reliability ect) GM knew that everything would pass the test and they also knew that outside “Tuners” would want to increase the potential of this drivetrain and they also knew that it would have to be in small increments lest they destroy the whole drivetrain the first time they went to “WOT” (wide open throttle) so now what? Lets see just what Trifecta can eventually put together that’ll make a really potent drivetrain right from the manufacture even more potent. Rest assured there will be an improvement but also be aware that you’d better plan on limiting horsepower and torque…unless you’ve got enough cash to keep replacing the stock factory components.
Personally speaking, I can’t see too much of an improvement, just enough so that the “Tuners” can make claims that’ll have some new C8 buyers reaching for their credit cards and able to lay down some hard cash for small improvements.
Breaking into the ECU as was done on the 19 zr1 by swapping for a non encrypted ECU, does not gain a person any gains on Global B for the C8
There are roughly 10 modules in the car that all have the torque tables.
The car obeys the least commanded torque from any of those 10 (which is usually the ECU which is commanding the gas pedal input, since it is usually less than WOT in most situations…. thus the ECU is the least torque command of the 10 in those NON WOT instances.
In normal circumstances, 9 of the 10 allow for max torque (call it 470 at most) and that max torque number is different for each rpm, but the car has a max torque table in all 10 modules. (If one of those other 9 see a problem, then they too have the right to decrease peak torque at any and all RPM)
So, this is why when Trifecta does things to bring the power DOWN with the ECU, the car listens. It obeys the lowest requested torque.
inversely, when they try to bring the torque above 470 at peak, and above its oem torque curve, it does NOT listen.
The other 9 modules are still commanding the stock peak WOT 470 torque numbers and the car listens to those instead. (since they are lower)
The car always listens to the lowest of the 10 torque inputs.
Trifecta still has another 9 modules to reprogram… at minumum.
And that probably means they need to REPLACE 9 more modules… at minimum, since I do not believe they have actually cracked the encruption, just as the 19 zr1 was never cracked, we just replaced the ECU with a non encrypted one.
Trifecta is welcome to get into more details of what they have done, but being blunt, we already knew the car behaved this way… back before 2020.
This appears to a half-baked bogus announcement from trifecta imo, and it is really misleading false info that far too many publications have bought into and perpetuated as truth.
They have cracked the ECU… but they have not begun to crack global B.
The c8 is like no other car before it. Even other cars like Caddy do not have as severe of checks and balances in their global B as the c8 has which control peak torque numbers across the RPM range.
Stay on top of these guys and force them to show you some results when turbos are added to the car. I already know the answer of what happens 😉
It seems the rest of the world is still in the dark, including Trifecta
Good comment, will be sure to stay on this story for you guys.
Why not just wait for the Z06?