After frying my PCM today using the DOS version of flshprog (luckly I found a place with PCMs for $90 shipped next day, since there seem to be no junkyards in this area with anything new than 1980 vehicles), I'm a little bit angry. I thought this was suppose to be foolproof, unlike the WIN version. Of course, that doesn't seem to be the case, since it communicated with my PCM and then didn't do anything afterward. I programmed 2 times before this with no problems. 3rd time isn't a charm!!!!! Anyways, now I want to know where I can get a programmer that I don't have to worry about ruining another PCM. Unless I'm wrong and this happened for some reason that I'm not seening. Anyone with info on why this happened or where to get a better programming utility, please email me and tell me or post it here.

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DOOM Master
Jet black 94 Z28 Camaro (DOOMZ28)
Performance mods: Homemade 4" CAI, Homemade RAM Air, self ported MAF, 1996 SS exhaust, LT4 knock module, 160 thermostat, TB bypass, Pro 5.0 shifter, air silencer delete, IAT relocation, do-it-yourself custom tuning
Stereo mods: 2 Punch Power 2nd Edition 12" subwoofers, Punch 200.2 Amp, Alpine 8873 4 channel Amp, 2 Alpine Pointsource 6 1/2 speakers, 2 Alpine 6 1/2 speakers, 2 Phoenix Gold 50mm dome tweeters, Alpine head unit (8640 I believe)

 

Where did you get the PCM? I'm in the same boat.

 

Ah, Mikael, your lucky, I saved the number for the place! It's 1-888-452-6768. It's a junkyard/used parts dealer place somewhere here in IL, not sure where. It might cost more to ship it down to FL, but the PCM was only $80 and he can get them out in 1 day. So I'm only out my car a couple of days, thanks to this place! No thanks to Tunercat's DOS flash programmer, however!

 

Use the windows version. I never had any problems with it. I never even used the DOS version (I have Windows 2000- no true DOS prompt). But everyone runs into bad luck sometimes when working on cars!

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KYLE-SERGEANT USMC
97 Trans Am with minor mods.
EMAIL: dayusmc@marimecorps.com

 

Ah, the WIN version couldn't even read the PCM without screwing up 5 times first. I don't think I'm going to try programming with something that has that many problems just in reading. I don't want to know how many PCMs it would fry trying to program.

It could have been a bumped cable or interference, so I'm going to run the cable better and rig the ALDL connection so it can't move. That, and I'm probably going to invest in a EEPROM flash programmer and socket my PCM so I can just pop out the flash chips and reflash them so this probably will only be a minor inconvience in the future. If the EEPROM programmer isn't an arm and a leg.

 

Sounds like a plan. I am suprised that you had problems with the windows Flash utility- Everyone I talked to said it worked great! Good Luck!!

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KYLE-SERGEANT USMC
97 Trans Am with minor mods.
EMAIL: dayusmc@marimecorps.com

 

It's not the programmer's fault, most likely. Probably your cable or your computer's serial port.

I've flashed probably 50 times with no problems from the reader (twice from the laptop battery going dead, though :P).

Fix your cable as you mentioned and see what happens.

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Solomon
What's life all about?
Silver '95 Camaro Z28 M6: 14.3 @ 98.7 - With problems, but will improve!
White '90 Cadillac deVille: 16.3 @ 81.4 - Not likely to change soon.
Learn the basics of tuning your OBDI LT1 PCM!

 

Well, I got the new PCM today and put it in. Course, it came from a Cadillac LT1, so everything was off and the car would die right away. So I had to reprogram it, VERY scary since I didn't want another fried PCM. Well, after I tested by reading the PCM first, I uploaded my original BIN file. Fortunately, nothing happened. Probably a bumped cable, but still, I'm not doing anymore programming until I get my old PCM socketed and have a few extra flash chips laying around.

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DOOM Master
Jet black 94 Z28 Camaro (DOOMZ28)
Performance mods: Homemade 4" CAI, Homemade RAM Air, self ported MAF, 1996 SS exhaust, LT4 knock module, 160 thermostat, TB bypass, Pro 5.0 shifter, air silencer delete, IAT relocation, do-it-yourself custom tuning
Stereo mods: 2 Punch Power 2nd Edition 12" subwoofers, Punch 200.2 Amp, Alpine 8873 4 channel Amp, 2 Alpine Pointsource 6 1/2 speakers, 2 Alpine 6 1/2 speakers, 2 Phoenix Gold 50mm dome tweeters, Alpine head unit (8640 I believe)