What is WinOLS?
WinOLS is professional binary editing software used in the field of automotive reflash tuning, aka remapping. It stands for "Windows-based On-Line Service" (aka OLS) and is widely recognized as one of the most powerful and versatile tools for identifying and modifying the engine control unit (ECU) parameters in vehicles.
In this article, we’ll outline what WinOLs does, how it works and how to use it when tuning your car.
In this article: WinOLS In Basic Terms | Can It Tune Anything? | Costs | Costs Explained | Other Hardware | How Does It Work? | Is WinOLS Right For ME?
What does WinOLS do?
WinOLS allows tuners and calibrators to access and modify the raw hexadecimal file (maps) stored within the ECU via a reflash tuning process. These maps control various aspects of the engine's performance, such as fuel delivery, ignition timing, turbo boost pressure, and more. By adjusting these parameters, tuners can optimize the engine's performance, enhance power and torque output, improve fuel efficiency, and customize the vehicle's behaviour to suit specific requirements.
That's the long way of saying it enables you to do all the reverse engineering work required before you can tune your factory (aka OEM) ECU and WinOLS doesn't care if that ECU is in a car, bike, boat or side-by-side etc.
OK, what does that even mean?
In basic terms, WinOLS is software that allows us to structure the raw data in an ECU into a format that enables us to see and understand the maps/tables we calibrate when tuning a vehicle for performance gains. Because every ECU is 'coded' and encrypted differently by every marque (Audi, Ford, Nissan etc) and manufacturer (Bosch, Siemens, Delphi etc), this is essentially reverse engineering that needs to be done for every ECU you wish to tune. It is what reflash tuning software packages do for you, but they only support selected vehicles whereas you can use WinOLS to edit any ECU.
From there, we can also tune the car using WinOLS as well, but note, these are two very different skill sets requiring different knowledge with the tuning side of things generally being considered the easy part of this process.
Can I Tune ANY Car With WinOLS?
Essentially, yes! So then why isn't everyone doing this?
Well, it's simple to understand how you use WinOLS, but in practice, there is some skill required to learn and develop which will differ between ECUs. One example of this is the fact that in some cases you need to remove the ECU from the vehicle to make a complete copy of it (the first step) as the OBD2 port only lets you access certain areas of the ECU. The price is also a comparatively large barrier to entry for many home enthusiasts.
How much does WinOLS cost?
WinOLS itself will cost you around $999 USD. There are some other associated costs which depend on your own requirements and in some cases, what you are tuning.
Why use WinOLS vs other alternatives?
Compared to grabbing a few HP Tuners credits or getting set up with Hondata or a COBB Accessport, this seems expensive, right so why bother? Well, if you want to tune a single car and any of those platforms offer good support for it, you probably wouldn't use WinOLS. Where WinOLS really becomes useful is for those that have no other realistic options, and obviously for those that will be tuning a range of vehicles in volume, noting there is also the ability to purchase 'map packs' (of varying quality) to help you hit the ground running too.
From there, WinOLS goes from strength to strength for commercial tuners who are tuning a high volume of vehicles and eventually works out to be CHEAPER for such users in the long term.
Is WinOLS all I need to pay for and use?
No. You also need a physical interface tool that will take the data from the ECU and feed it to WinOLS. You will pay for this tool which often also requires a yearly subscription.
On the upside as you will generally be using this software on late-model vehicles, you do not need to get wideband sensors and audible knock control setups as in many cases what the car comes with is sufficient. This is on a case-by-case basis, with European marques distinctly being better equipped across the board in this area, in our experience.
How to use WinOLS
Traditionally knowledge on how to use WinOLS has been limited to costly in-person training sessions around schedules that suit the provider leaving you with a short amount of time to try and absorb what is a relatively dense amount of knowledge. Now and alternatively, the WinOLS Mastery: Map Identification & Editing course is available to you, and like every HPA course you retain lifetime access to the material. This is important as while the course will launch with a Bosch ECU-based example, we plan to add more in the future based on popular demand, and for those that already own the course this will happen free of charge.
How do I know if WinOLS is the tool for me?
WinOLS is a powerful software that empowers us to unlock the full potential of our vehicles by giving access to modify ECU parameters, optimizing performance and customizing the vehicle. While it requires very different skills for the tuning process, WinOLS offers the flexibility to edit any ECU giving us the option to tune vehicles not supported by commercial reflash tuning software packages. It doesn't matter if the ECU is controlling an engine in a car, boat, side-by-side or motorbike either, WinOLS is an option.
The best way to learn more about this is to enrol in the fully refundable WinOLS Mastery course. This course provides hard-to-find and now easy-to-access training for utilizing WinOLS effectively, covers the specific hardware requirements, and you can follow along with the free demo version of WinOLS to gain some experience before investing financially. Once purchased, the course is yours for life to reference back to whenever you need and also comes with a 60-day money back guarantee so you can enroll risk-free.
So if you think WinOLS is a tool that suits your requirements, or you're unsure and want to get some insight into what is involved before getting set up, enrol now and start learning instantly.
P.S you can also break the course down over 8 easy payments and still get instant access to the content.
