Hugh G. Rection

A friend of mine just bought wrecked 2001 Camaro and pulled the engine and trans out of it to install in his C4 Corvette. The problem is that the previous owner used an HP tuners custom operating system and apparently the software takes is upon itself to lock the PCM. The previous owner swears he did not have the PCM locked. Can anyone unlock the PCM or is it junk? (Original tuner moved and we haven't been able to locate him.)

Alvin

iTrader: (2)

As cheap as those computers are from the wrecking yard I would just go out and get another. If you need it unlocked there are guys who will do that but it would cost more than a new PCM>

shoemike

iTrader: (25)

If it is not locked to the cable,
someone with HPT can read it and migrate the tune over to a stock OS
or just upload a stock OS and tune.
This way it will be readable with other software/hardware.
A new PCM will probably be cheaper tho.

Hugh G. Rection

No, locking it to a cable means that that cable can be used to reflash it. In this case, the PCM is locked so that nobody can read it if unless they have the unlock key. Some tuners do this to protect their tunes, but in this case, it appears to be some HP tuners' nonsense that automatically locks the PCM if one of their custom operating systems is flashed in. I've checked with a few other people and this seems to be the case.

I agree, buying a new PCM is probably cheaper, but we just hate to throw away a perfectly good PCM and would like to find a solution.

Schwanke Engines

iTrader: (1)

You should be able to take the PCM to a dealer and have them put the correct base tune back into it with the SPS. I know they can dump cals into dead boxes anyways. If not, I have a PCM here for $100

horist

what software are you trying to use to read it? HPT doesn't automatically "lock" the tune for the Customer OS's

foff667

iTrader: (2)

Its because we don't want our work stolen, we put thousands of man hours every year into creating our custom operating systems, real time tuning for the stock pcm, etc. If people could read these out and view them in hex it would be too easy to steal our hard work. That "nonsense" is so that we stay in business.

Nope, our custom operating systems cannot be written to by the dealer, any hptuners user would be able to flash the pcm back to a stock os though.

Actually they are Mike. Its an OSMod lock that you can see in the calibration details window of the file thats been converted. This is only done automatically on our custom(proprietary) operating systems.

-Bill

Hugh G. Rection

We've tried LS1Edit, HP tuners and EFILive, and none of them can even read the PCM, let alone reprogram it. That bit about locking the custom operating systems so HPtuners can stay in business is nonsense. EFILive doesn't feel the necessity to lock their custom operating systems.

This deal has really gotten me steamed. All this locking nonsense does is make things more difficult for the average guy. I'm pretty sure than any serious programmer can work around the lock. I think I know just the guy to do it. We'll soon find out.

Geoff

iTrader: (3)

Anyone who is smart enough to read one of your files out and view it in hex is not going to be stopped by your lock. It amounts to a minor annoyance for those kinds of people. The only people you are trying to really keep out are casual users of other software products.


And I am guessing the HP Tuners user would have to purchase 'credits' to return said box back to stock, if they aren't the original programmer? Essentially unless you are able to get around the lock, or pay your fee for more credits, the box is totally useless, unless the customer is using HP Tuners.


Which renders the box 'locked' to only use HP Tuners.....

foff667

iTrader: (2)

Correct, anyone that wants to go through each & every seed key to find the correct one could so yes its mainly there to discourage those that want to try and copy our code doing so is a little shady though.

Sure anyone with the license for that vcm could put it back to stock, similar to any situation where someone with an efilive custom os would want to go back to stock, the new interface would need to licence the file, nothing abnormal there. Anyone with a year/model for that vehicle could do it without even using any credits, same with a tunershop license.

Correct, again as stated previously it is for our protection.

foff667

iTrader: (2)

If hptuners can't read it means that the pcm was TUNERLOCKED by the original tuner so ONLY the original tuner could unlock it, ie it has NOTHING to do with custom operating system locks. Have the original tuner unlock it or purchase a new pcm. Or you could have someone that unlocks locked pcm's do it but would likely cost more $ doing it that way than just buying a new pcm.

Black02SS

iTrader: (36)

Like Bill said if none of the above software will read it then it has been locked by the prior tuner. Nothing software related.

Side note. If HPT is used for a COS on a vehicle, only HPT can read it. Same goes for EFILive.

Geoff

iTrader: (3)

Actually if you are using a Custom OS from EFI Live ANY software will still read it... It might not be able to 'understand' it or edit it, but it can still do a read. Also the dealership can still write the PCM back to stock if the end user needs to return the PCM to stock for whatever reason. Your PCM isn't basterdized to just a HPT Cable.

Geoff

iTrader: (3)

Again, anyone with enough smarts to break your lock probably doesn't care about your custom OS..........



But you aren't giving the casual user a choice in the software they would use to return the box to stock. They HAVE to use your software and pay you. Right? Unless the box is unlocked the casual user cannot use one of your competitors products to write over your OS.



Protecting what??? Market share????

Alvin

iTrader: (2)

Don't want to argue but I'm 99% sure efilive custom OS's look like a locked controller to other software. I had a couple customers ask me why their pcm was locked after I did a custom OS on them with EFIlive.

Geoff

iTrader: (3)

EFI Live doesn't alter the standard GM seed/key relationship unless the tuner chooses to do so. The PCM can still be written to by a GM dealer or a full flash can be done with another piece of software. Other software packages might not know what to do with the file, but the PCM can still be restored without using EFI Live.

2Tightwads

Boohoo! D' up and buy a new PCM on Ebay already dude.

Hugh G. Rection

No need. Apparently, the HP tuner lock isn't particularly effective. I've gotten several PMs from people offering to unlock it for $25-$50.

dfe1

Interesting issue- I don' buy the "getting our work stolen" deal. Anyone smart enough to work around the lock is smart enough to write his own code. EFILive doesn't put these types of constraints on its customers. Guess it's a matter of corporate policy and confidence in the product.

Black02SS

iTrader: (36)

OP's question has been answered.