FAQ | HP Tuners support

HP Tuners E41 Upgrade Kit Installation

This page rewrites the official HP Tuners E41 upgrade kit instructions into a cleaner TM AG support article. It keeps the important fuse locations, cable orientation, software prompts, and uninstall steps in one place so the install flow is easier to follow.

Applies to: HP Tuners E41 upgrade kit installs on vehicles using the E41 ECM, especially 2017 to 2022 applications covered by the official guide.

Quick answer: install the upgrade cable first, remove the correct ECM fuse, fit the cable fuse plug with the correct wire orientation for your model year, read the vehicle in VCM Editor BETA, then perform the first write with the cable still installed so the ECM upgrade can complete. Once the write finishes, remove the cable, reinstall the original fuse, and do not drive the vehicle with the upgrade cable still installed.

Important: the upgrade cable is only for upgrading the E41 ECM in the vehicle. Once VCM Editor tells you to remove it, remove it. Do not drive the vehicle with the upgrade cable installed.

Watch the install video here

Before you start

What you need

  • The latest VCM Suite BETA from HP Tuners.
  • Your MPVI2+ or MPVI3 device.
  • The gray HPTNet cable with M8 connectors.
  • The Upgrade Box.
  • Access to the vehicle battery, OBDII port, and under-hood fuse box.

Stop and double-check if

  • Your fuse location does not match the model-year instructions below.
  • Your connector or kit layout looks different from the official guide.
  • You are not sure whether the ECM was already upgraded before this job.

Step 1, install the latest VCM Suite BETA

  1. Download and install the latest VCM Suite BETA from HP Tuners.
  2. Open the software only after the hardware is installed correctly on the vehicle.

Step 2, install the E41 upgrade kit on the vehicle

  1. Connect the gray HPTNet cable to your MPVI2+/MPVI3 device and the Upgrade Box.
  2. Open the hood and disconnect the vehicle battery.
  3. Open the under-hood fuse box.
  4. Find and remove the correct ECM power fuse for your model year.
  5. Install the upgrade cable fuse plug into that fuse position with the correct wire orientation.
  6. Reconnect the vehicle battery.
  7. Route the wire from the fuse plug through the driver-side window and connect it to the Upgrade Box.
  8. Plug the MPVI2+/MPVI3 into the vehicle OBDII port.

Fuse location and wire orientation by model year

2020 to 2022 models

  • Use fuse #78, listed as ECM (15A).
  • This is a two-blade micro fuse.
  • RED wire: blade goes in the slot closest to the engine.
  • WHITE wire: blade goes in the slot nearest the driver-side front tire, furthest from the engine.
  • Do not remove fuse #86. The guide notes that #86 is an additional 30A ECM-only fuse, but it is not the one you need for this install.

2017 to 2019 models

  • Use fuse #57, listed as TCM/ECM (15A).
  • This is a three-blade micro fuse.
  • The kit plug is only a two-blade plug.
  • RED wire: blade goes in the middle slot of the fuse cavity.
  • WHITE wire: blade goes in the slot closest to the engine-bay firewall.
  • The third slot, furthest from the engine-bay firewall, should stay empty.
Important: if the fuse plug is installed incorrectly, the ECM upgrade will not complete properly. Follow the fuse orientation carefully.

Step 3, read the vehicle in VCM Editor BETA

  1. Open VCM Editor BETA.
  2. Go to the Flash menu and select Read Vehicle.
  3. If the cable is installed correctly and the module has not yet been upgraded, VCM Editor should show the upgrade-required message below.
Expected prompt

Upgrade Required.

This module requires an upgrade before it can be tuned. This upgrade will be performed during the first write to this module. Please make sure to leave the unlock cable installed until the upgrade is complete.

If you do not see the upgrade-required message

  • If you were not given a stock file and do not see the message, recheck the cable installation and fuse-plug orientation.
  • If you were given a stock file and do not see the message, the ECM may already be upgraded. In that case, remove the cable and tune as normal.
Error you may see if the cable is not installed correctly

Error

This module requires an upgrade service performed by HP Tuners prior to tuning. Please e-mail support@hptuners.com for details.

Step 4, modify the stock file if needed

You can make your initial tune changes before the first write, or you can perform the upgrade first using the supplied stock file with no changes. The upgrade itself happens during the first write.

Step 5, write the control module and perform the upgrade

  1. With the upgrade cable still installed, license the vehicle if needed and go to Flash > Write Vehicle.
  2. The software upgrades the ECM first. The guide says this takes roughly 9 minutes.
  3. When the upgrade finishes, VCM Editor should show the successful-upgrade prompt below.
Expected prompt after the upgrade completes

Unlock Completed

Upgrade completed successfully! VCM Suite will now perform a write entire on your module.

Please do not disconnect the upgrade cable at this time.

  1. Click OK. VCM Editor will then perform a Write Entire of the loaded tune file to the ECM.
  2. When the write finishes, VCM Editor should show the write-complete prompt below.
Expected prompt after the first write completes

Write Completed

Write complete. Please uninstall the upgrade cable and replace all removed fuses.

Warning: Do not drive the vehicle with the upgrade cable installed in the vehicle.

Step 6, uninstall the E41 upgrade kit

  1. Turn the key to the off position and disconnect the vehicle battery.
  2. Disconnect the HPTNet cable from the MPVI2+/MPVI3 device.
  3. Remove the upgrade cable fuse plug from the fuse box.
  4. Reinstall the original fuse you removed earlier.
  5. Reconnect the vehicle battery.
  6. Plug your MPVI2+/MPVI3 directly into the OBDII port again.
  7. At that point, you are ready to tune the vehicle normally.
Final warning: do not leave the upgrade cable installed and do not drive the vehicle with it still connected.

Fast install checklist

  • Install the latest VCM Suite BETA.
  • Connect MPVI device + HPTNet cable + Upgrade Box.
  • Disconnect battery and remove the correct ECM fuse.
  • Install the fuse plug with the correct RED/WHITE wire orientation.
  • Reconnect battery, route the cable, and plug into OBDII.
  • Run Read Vehicle and confirm the Upgrade Required message appears.
  • Run Write Vehicle with the cable still installed.
  • Wait for the upgrade to finish, then let Write Entire complete.
  • Remove the cable, reinstall the original fuse, and tune normally.

Need help from TM AG?

If the upgrade is not behaving like the prompts above, send the vehicle year, make and model, ECM details if available, a photo of the fuse-box position you used, and a screenshot of the exact HP Tuners message you are seeing. That makes it much faster to tell whether the issue is the fuse placement, cable orientation, or something already changed on the ECM.