I just finished settin' up my 383 Lt1...well, it's still not in the car, but I wanted to make sure everything was alright w/ the engine before I put it in...so, I moved the engine to the side of the car and plugged it all up...Delteq blinked once, everything looked good...

So, I put my aldl cable in, turned on the laptop, and checked connections...It's a 233Mhz PII Sony Vaio w/ onboard Serial. Serial settings are 9600-8-N-1/Hardware Flow Control. I've also tried 2400, and a few in-between w/ no luck. EVERY port on the PC is not even installed. BASE Win98 install w/ ONLY Serial Port enabled. Cable is from ALDL Cable. Hyperterminal shows the scrolling data when the key is turned on. I tried PCMComm from Lt1_Edit, and I see battery voltage, TPS, Throttle Blade %...it all works when I open the blades...I don't have O2's/Maf and a few others hooked up, but it shouldn't matter...

I tried PCMRead from LT1_Edit and it'll "Sync Up" and run for about 10 minutes...still saying, "Retrieving VIN"...and sometimes will go, "Receiving Security Code"...then, "Sending Security Code"...it'll do this a few times and I notice thru the scrolling code saying, "locked" "locked" "locked"....this happens awhile, then it'll go, "Security PASSED"...then the Fan relay clicks and I get, "Error Communicating w/ PCM...Connection Lost"...almost like, once it "gets in", the PCM kicks it out.

So, I tried Datamaster, and it's showing all data pertaining to what's plugged in. I tried WinFlash from TunerCAT and it'll retrieve the VIN fine, but trying a Read OR Write, it'll go, "Incorrect Message Sent" almost within 5 seconds from clicking it. I then tried both thru REAL DOS, and same crap...fan relays will click for a second, failure, it'll try to reset, then "Incorrect Message Sent"...

So, from the data logging and HyperTerminal tests, I can't blame the cable. All connections are hard wired, so it can't be the "connections to the pcm"...Triple checked PCM ground and juice, all is good. I've waited MORE than 15 seconds after turning the key to attempt a memory Read or Write, no luck w/ either.

SO, I leave you guys w/ this... Could it be a bad PCM? I have no way to know the PCM is even "Good"...I get the SES Light when key is turned, as well as Fuel Pump relay priming. But, as far as anything else w/ it, no idea. The engine was off Ebay and completly rebuilt. From the looks of how it "Was", didn't look like it'd even run (but the guy said it ran fine...riiiight)

I don't know what else to try. I can't see the Laptop being the culprit either. I'm able to do EVERYTHING w/ it, other than "Read" or "Write"...so, it's not making sense to me.

Please, if anyone has input, I'm open to suggestions. Oh yeah, and battery voltage is above 11.9...12.8+ actually.

Thanks for any insight!

-Adam

 

No one has ANY idea?

 

I see the only reason to do a final check on the engine before installing it is to make sure it is put together right and the nuts and bolts, valve train, etc are all buttoned up----essentially that it is "ready" to be installed. If the wiring, pcm, electrical, etc are the issues, then that has nothing to do with the integrity of the mechanical parts of the engine.

So my opinion is to put the engine in---button it up and go from there and not waste time with trying to analyse the electrical system before the install. JMHO

 

That's going to be my next step, but as I said, I wanted to see how everything is before I "Cram" it in the bay...I re-wired the entire car ('90 Firebird), so it wasn't even setup for the engine. That was why I "tested" it in case of shorts or whatever (everything was perfect however)...

So, I wanted to know if anyone KNEW of what it could be...if a bad PCM would do what it's doing, but not allow you to "read" or "write" the chips...

 

Is this the old PCM, or one that came with the enginge? If it came with the engine and was programmed, the programmer might have disabled some readouts and that would be a reason why you can read them.

If on the other hand, the pcm is just a stocker, the best way to check it out is to borrow a pcm or pick up a used one from the bone yard and throw it in---I bought an extra PCM when I had my mail-order tune----kept my original one which was brand new in a box just in case I needed it. JMHO

 

This is one that came w/ the engine...I have no idea if it works...all I can go by is the priming of the fuel pump and the feedback I'm getting thru PCMComm, etc....

I was going to get a brand new one from Advance, rather than trying my luck w/ another used one...

Also, if it WAS programmed before and locked out, why can't I even program over it? I wasn't aware of a type of "lock" that would block both means of screwing w/ the flash...

 

Quite a few views, but still no one wants to chime in...

 

Some laptops just wont work. But if you tried flashing the PCM and it failed once it began then you have a giant paperweight... can be fixed but just takes a little time and you gotta send it to the right guy(s).

 

When I tried to flash, it didn't get anywhere...it would do the exact same thing as reading...so, the PCM still "works"

 

Any other idea's? I'm gonna try it one last time when it's in the car...but then I'm just gonna buy a new PCM if it fails...

 

You don't know anyone with a 95 Lt1? You should just try and borrow one. And, verify that your laptop is fine by pulling and flashing the computer in the car that you're borrowing from.