codyvette

iTrader: (24)

First, thanks to anyone who has an answer. I want to switch the the computer in my 2000 Z28 to a 2001PCM. The problem I ran into is that is telling me it is an unlicensed vehicle. I Emailed bill at hp tuners and he says yiu cant put a different year model VIN in the PCM. Our inspection stations read the VIN in your car and it will come back as the wrong vehicle causing you to fail inspection. Is there a way around this? Will EFI live change the VIN to whatever you want?

Ed Wright

iTrader: (1)

For some reason hptuners won't let you run a vin & os that doesn't match. They license the internal PCM ID number, I can't imagine their thinking here. I do a lot of engine swap tuning, (like an LS1 and a 411 PCM in a '98 S10) where the smog police need to see the vehicle's vin, but then people cry "you locked my PCM" because hpt won't let them tune it when they change something. If you use Tunercat, it doesn't worry about them matching.

codyvette

iTrader: (24)

If I have someone with tunercat or efilive, will I still be able to tu.e it with HP tuners.

Ed Wright

iTrader: (1)

No, I guess I wasn't clear about that. If your vin does not match the os, hpt won't allow you to do anything to it. Simple fix is use Tunercat on one like that.

Ed Wright

iTrader: (1)

I have some GM software I can use to put your name in there in place of the vin, if no more than 16 characters. The vin has 17, but one is the checksum. :-)

James@ShorTuning

Yep gotta go to TunerCAT or EFILive for vin/os mismatch tuning. Really stinks cause I normally use 2002 OS in any F or Y cars to use the better tables and resolution. Most of the good tuners will have a variety of software to get around this issue however!

On a side note I wish they still sold TunerCAT separate from the roadrunner. It's much nicer licensing system than HPT or EFI lol

Blown06

iTrader: (32)

Could we just all use the same vin per year?

For example, someone could make a sticky with vin's for each year pcm and then everyone could use them...or am I not understanding? I haven't done swaps before.

James@ShorTuning

Maybe I'm not understanding your question, but what would everyone using the same VIN help? HPTuners doesn't care about the VIN other than it matching the year tune file it is applied to. Their licensing is based on the VCM ID (basically the ID# of the PCM).

codyvette

iTrader: (24)

I understand now. I will just tune with the 2000 pcm, get a sticker,swap to the 2002 pcm, tune for better tables and swap back once a year for inspection. It my be a little bit of a pita, but I want those few tables. I also don't want to start over learning tuning software of a different kind. I like HPT.

James@ShorTuning

You don't need to buy a new PCM. You have the one you have licensed. All you would need to do is license the other file and write entire to your current PCM. All of the 896/411 PCM's can have OS's changed with no issue.

codyvette

iTrader: (24)

This will give me the power enrichment rate table and others? I have a 2001 PCM that I already licensed for my third Gen drag car. I can write entire and it will add the tables to the 2000 model pcm? I appolagize for the ignorance and so many questions.

James@ShorTuning

Yes basically. Think of the PCM as just a computer with programming on it. The 2000 PCM and the 2001 PCM are physically nearly identical. The difference is the operating system that is flashed to the ROM on the PCM. When you do a write entire on your 2000 PCM with the 2001 Tune file you are basically cloning your 2001 PCM to the 2000 PCM. The write entire erases the PCM completely and writes the OS you have loaded into the PCM.

You will be forced (on HPTuners anyway) to keep a VIN # from that model year car however.

codyvette

iTrader: (24)

Gotcha. That works for me, thanks again.

LSX Power Tuning

iTrader: (4)

I do the same thing but I use efi live mostly so its not a big deal. I have had a couple calls over the years with someone asking why I locked the pcm when they get the vin/os mismatch. I have since added a tuning software question on my form I have customers fill out for that reason.

Blown06

iTrader: (32)

I'm now more confused.

Lets say I get a junk yard 411 pcm (unknown year). Put it in my swap vehicle. I have a tune from a year 200x vehicle that I'd like to use. Then what?

James@ShorTuning

If you are using HPTuners you will have to license the file that is on the PCM in order to flash anything to it. Once that PCM is licensed you can now open up a completely different year and operating system file that you have previously licensed from another vehicle and as long as that file was from the same style PCM (411 or 896 P01 controllers) then you can perform a write entire and now the PCM is whatever the file you flashed to it is.

To further confuse you, I have taken C5 PCM's and flashed a Fbody tune to it and it never knew the difference. The hardware is the same, the programming that is flashed to it is just different.

James@ShorTuning

This is actually part of the reason I bought EFILive also for those cars that come in vin/OS mismatched or are running a COS. And the extra features EFI has come in handy too.

LSX Power Tuning

iTrader: (4)

The issue is only with HPT if you are changing the VIN to a different year than the tune like a 2002 tune with a 1999 VIN. There is a little more to it but thats the main issue.