Can anything else go wrong?!?! UGHH Help!!!

[Schmieder]

Ok, so in my never ending quest to turbo my car properly, I have to tune.

Seems a brilliant option opened up. Swap in a 97 Lumina PCM in my hard to tune 96 GP.

Seems simple right? WRONG!

Now HP Tuners is telling me my 96 GP Vin WILL NOT allow a license to tune a 97 PCM.

I asked the staff but I doubt I will get an answer due to legality. I know they won't give advice to break laws.


Here is my question.........

Can I read the VIN# in the 97 Lumina PCM and use THAT VIN to activate the HP Tuner???

I'm not worried about emissions stickers Where I come from, they are not needed.


Jeese 'oh man, How many loops of fire do I need to jump through just to tune my turbo project?!?!?!!!!!

[bszopi]

Do you have the 97 PCM yet? If not, where are you planning on getting it from? Should just be able to get the VIN from the vehicle. Not sure if the VIN is actually in the PCM or not.

You could always search eBay for a 97 Lumina and use the VIN they list in the auction.

[Schmieder]

Do you have the 97 PCM yet? If not, where are you planning on getting it from? Should just be able to get the VIN from the vehicle. Not sure if the VIN is actually in the PCM or not.

You could always search eBay for a 97 Lumina and use the VIN they list in the auction.

Ayyyeee, you have a good idea there! I thought maybe Luminas would have the VIN in the bottom right windshield area like my 96 GP.

I would have scanned the Wal-Mart parking lot for a 97 Lumina just to snag a VIN but grabbing one online.....Good Idea !!!!! Lets just hope they don't use HPT, lol

EDIT:Wait...is it really that simple?! Just use another VIN from a listed 97 Lumina? Of course if that is illegal I "won't" do it, but....is it really that simple?

I'm afraid the "If it's too good to be true.....

[Weatheralls Auto]

The VIN is in the PCM,
It is the VIN in the PCM you must licence, not the VIN of the Car.

[IsaacHayes]

Should have bought the DHP in the sales section......... You'd be tuning already.. (and tune unlimited # of vehicles).

I'm not sure how HPT works, but it may look for the VIN in the PCM (not sure if ODBII does this) so I'd get one from a junk yard and write down the vin from thePCM you get it from... I thought HPT only did 97 montecarlos?

[Weatheralls Auto]

Example, I am using a PCM from an 2001 Impala with 3400 in a J-Body lol.

[robertisaar]

I thought HPT only did 97 montecarlos?

HPT actually does most GM vehicles from 97-up...

[Schmieder]

Should have bought the DHP in the sales section......... You'd be tuning already.. (and tune unlimited # of vehicles).

I'm not sure how HPT works, but it may look for the VIN in the PCM (not sure if ODBII does this) so I'd get one from a junk yard and write down the vin from thePCM you get it from... I thought HPT only did 97 montecarlos?

I'm not ready to purchase just yet. I have to wait until the end of January. If one is for sale then, its a done deal. Though, i am not budgeting for it. If I can snag a DHP then, all the better.

What if I bought the PCM from EBAY? How likely is it I may get a blank PCM?

And if it is blank, I know I'll have to download a .bin file to start from there.

Now, can I find a VIN else where and write it to the PCM if I must? But I have to License the VIN first to write to the PCM. I don't want to buy a VIN license and not be able to flash it to the PCM.

ughh

Thanks

[Schmieder]

The VIN is in the PCM,
It is the VIN in the PCM you must licence, not the VIN of the Car.

That bit of info really helps, thanks

not being sarcastic either

[Weatheralls Auto]

If it is a Brand new Pcm, it will need a stock flash to it as far as I know, I do it with the Tech2.

The PCM I have just came from wreckers, so I will use that Vin thats in the PCM.


FWI -> Some licence a Vin, then program the same VIN to multiple PCMs on the same licence.

[IsaacHayes]

Robert, I meant as far as 3100 applications. I thought HPT only supported the 97 monte as a 97 3100 PCM.

When you get a replacement PCM, you must tell them your VIN so they program it to that... So yeah you could run into problems if you don't have one that you know the VIN.

3400 modified would know how it all works, I think he explained it once.

[robertisaar]

http://www.hptuners.com/products/vcmsuite_vehicles.php

[Schmieder]

If it is a Brand new Pcm, it will need a stock flash to it as far as I know, I do it with the Tech2.

The PCM I have just came from wreckers, so I will use that Vin thats in the PCM.


FWI -> Some licence a Vin, then program the same VIN to multiple PCMs on the same licence.

Ok, I will have to buy from the junkyard I guess. At least they're not too hard to pull.

[Schmieder]

Robert, I meant as far as 3100 applications. I thought HPT only supported the 97 monte as a 97 3100 PCM.

They support 97 Lumina's. I checked.

EDIT:

I think my problem is solved. I found a cheap 97 Lumina PCM. I emailed the vendor and they responded quickly, the stock flash is still intact. Which means the HP Tuner will read the original file and 'think' I'm tuning the 97 Lumina. I don't give a rats *** what the HP Tuner software thinks. As long as it tunes, I'm fine. I may have to adjust gear ratios but the engine is the same so it should be practically identical to mine.

I saw a screenshot of HP Tuner scanning a PCM and the VIN# is there

[pocket-rocket]

If you can't get the VIN from the people that the PCM came out of (how many really keep track of that when they just toss the PCM on the shelf?), you could find someone like planethax on the forums to send it to, or take it to your local dealer to have them power it up/check it/read the VIN.