PCM Problems - Please Help!!

[jbmetal]

Well, my pcm was fried, so bought one from pcmforless.com, and today I got the chance to install it. Before putting it in place, I connected the pcm and tested it to see if the car could turn on, and it turned on. I disconected the pcm again, and putted it in place and reconnected it. And then, I connected my laptop to see the new configuration with HPTuners (only reading the pcm) and HPTuners couldn't locate the pcm, and when I saw that, I tried to turn on the car again, and I just could hear the starter trying to turn the engine on, but the car wasn't even trying to run.

Please can someone tell me what's happening here!

[LETZRIDE]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

are you sure you reconnected the wires? tell me you didnt buy a 97 pcm?...you are most likely not going to be able to use you hp tuners to tune it now...

[ssms5411]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

Did you turn the car on while it was trying to read the PCM? If you did you might have fried the pcm.

[lubsvitek]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

Sounds like you're doing something in HP tuners that's screwing your pcm's up. They don't just fry themselves. I've almost fried a pcm before while writing changes and my friends battery ran out, but after couple hours even recovered from that. Are you sure you're not screwing something up in HPt?

[LETZRIDE]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

Sounds like you're doing something in HP tuners that's screwing your pcm's up. They don't just fry themselves. I've almost fried a pcm before while writing changes and my friends battery ran out, but after couple hours even recovered from that. Are you sure you're not screwing something up in HPt?

he said he couldnt read it with hpt...as it was not locating it...

[Blizzard242]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

try charging the battery

[LETZRIDE]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

doubt it's the battery...the car fired up fine the first time....are you sure you didnt cross the wires in the harness and hook em up to the wrong side?

[ssms5411]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

If he was reading the PCM for the first time getting the stock file out and tried starting the car it would fry the PCM. Because it is not just in the flash mode, it is in the OS ,so my guess is PCM dead or like LETZRIDE said he connected the blue and clear side wrong.

[FirebirdGT]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

are you sure you reconnected the wires? tell me you didnt buy a 97 pcm?...you are most likely not going to be able to use you hp tuners to tune it now...

Explain

[Blizzard242]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

doubt it's the battery...the car fired up fine the first time....are you sure you didnt cross the wires in the harness and hook em up to the wrong side?

ah yeah, i missed that part.

[bigbrian442]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

You can not hurt the PCM from "reading " it. Regardless if you try to start it or not.

[bigbrian442]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

Explain

PCM for less Sold him a re flashed 97 PCM with a 96 operating system and 96 (his) VIN. HPT will not allow you to license a non matching operating system/VIN/PCM. Not a problem with PCM for less product, But a problem for him because he purchased HPT and want to start tuning himself. It's a safety built into HPT to keep people from killing their PCM from flashing the wrong operating system into it. 99 and newer PCM's have this safety build into them. 98 and older don't .

[LETZRIDE]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

^ exactly...something along those lines...nothing wrong with pcmforless, just saying from first hand experience that if you put a 97 into a 96 that is from pcmforless, chances are you will not be able to tune with hpt....apparently there are several other 96's on a few other forums who have had this same problem.... I just mentioned it because the OP said he had hpt...so I assume he will want to tune his vehicle later...not sure about pcm's from other years though...something like a 99pcm may be fine... I think it is only an issue with a 96-97 pcm, b/c the 96's can't be tuned...

[ssms5411]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

You can not hurt the PCM from "reading " it. Regardless if you try to start it or not.

When you first hook HP tuners to the car and download the current tune on it , it tells you not to touch or turn on anything on the car or it can damage the Pcm, since it is copying the OS from the pcm. Their have been people who have fried or damage their PCM. This from HPtuners:

Warning

Do not disrupt the programming session.
Do not open vehicle doors or use vehicle accessories.
Do not program vehicles with battery voltage lower than 11.5
Do not program vehicles while hooked up to car battery charger.

[bigbrian442]

Re: PCM Problems - Please Help!!

When you first hook HP tuners to the car and download the current tune on it , it tells you not to touch or turn on anything on the car or it can damage the Pcm, since it is copying the OS from the pcm. Their have been people who have fried or damage their PCM. This from HPtuners:

Warning

Do not disrupt the programming session.
Do not open vehicle doors or use vehicle accessories.
Do not program vehicles with battery voltage lower than 11.5
Do not program vehicles while hooked up to car battery charger.

This all refers to programing not reading. Reading is non intrusive.