Vin change
Vin change 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?
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.
FormerVendor
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Dyno Tuning in KY
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
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
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.
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.
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FormerVendor
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 390
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From: Dyno Tuning in KY
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).
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Verdad Gallardo Thanks 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.
FormerVendor
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Dyno Tuning in KY
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.
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.
FormerVendor
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Dyno Tuning in KY
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.
You will be forced (on HPTuners anyway) to keep a VIN # from that model year car however.
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
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
FormerVendor
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 390
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From: Dyno Tuning in KY
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.
Last edited by James@ShorTuning; Aug 5, 2013 at 01:02 AM.
FormerVendor
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 390
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From: Dyno Tuning in KY
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.
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.
