Tuners in CA are now f**ked

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07-15-2021
Hib Halverson

Tuners in CA are now f**ked

This appeared in SEMA enews at 1442 PST on 15JUL

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Beginning July 19, California?s Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) will fail motor vehicles during their biennial ?smog check? inspection if they are found to have software modifications not provided by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or approved through a California Air Resources Board (CARB) Executive Order (EO).

BAR, which has had the authority to implement such inspections since 2013, has been gathering information from inspected vehicle ECUs since 2015. The gathered information includes CAL-ID (equivalent to a file name), CVN (equivalent to a checksum), EO status, and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This accumulated data is the basis upon which failure criteria will be determined. Disputed results will be referred to state-run Referee centers for further inspection.

SEMA is working with BAR to ensure that legally modified vehicles do not inadvertently fail inspection. During a meeting of the BAR Advisory Group on July 15, BAR staff expressed confidence that non-tuning ECU modifications, such as aftermarket wheel and tire calibrations, would not result in failed inspections. A recording of the meeting will be posted to the California Department of Consumer Affair?s YouTube channel in the coming days.

BAR anticipates approximately 5-10 vehicles will fail each day for illegally modified software. For context, BAR inspects approximately 1 million vehicles each month as part of the smog-check program. Roughly 10,000 of these inspections result in failures due to problems other than modified software.

SEMA encourages its members that manufacture performance-related products, including ECU modifications, to obtain CARB EOs to ensure compliance with emissions regulations.

For questions, please contact Peter Treydte at [email protected].
07-16-2021
danmw2003

Get OUT of that communist state. Your tax dollars are not representing you in that state.
07-16-2021
Hpindy

Why not do a tail pipe sniff ? If it passes then what the problem ? Is this a cash grab or abuse of power by the higher ups . If they want to curb emissions go after big factories or air planes . They spew mega tons of smog vs a tiny percent of hot rodders . It seems skews .
07-17-2021
madmatt9471

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hib Halverson

This appeared in SEMA enews at 1442 PST on 15JUL

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Beginning July 19, California?s Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) will fail motor vehicles during their biennial ?smog check? inspection if they are found to have software modifications not provided by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or approved through a California Air Resources Board (CARB) Executive Order (EO).

BAR, which has had the authority to implement such inspections since 2013, has been gathering information from inspected vehicle ECUs since 2015. The gathered information includes CAL-ID (equivalent to a file name), CVN (equivalent to a checksum), EO status, and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This accumulated data is the basis upon which failure criteria will be determined. Disputed results will be referred to state-run Referee centers for further inspection.

SEMA is working with BAR to ensure that legally modified vehicles do not inadvertently fail inspection. During a meeting of the BAR Advisory Group on July 15, BAR staff expressed confidence that non-tuning ECU modifications, such as aftermarket wheel and tire calibrations, would not result in failed inspections. A recording of the meeting will be posted to the California Department of Consumer Affair?s YouTube channel in the coming days.

BAR anticipates approximately 5-10 vehicles will fail each day for illegally modified software. For context, BAR inspects approximately 1 million vehicles each month as part of the smog-check program. Roughly 10,000 of these inspections result in failures due to problems other than modified software.

SEMA encourages its members that manufacture performance-related products, including ECU modifications, to obtain CARB EOs to ensure compliance with emissions regulations.

For questions, please contact Peter Treydte at [email protected].

Hib,

There hopefully there will be a simple way to adjust things - I would hope so.

I have been watching this and I am hoping to be able to download a (my) stock tune with my new tire height and 3.42 rear gear (2009 C6 Corvette, A6)

I guess my concern would be is when HP Tuners asked me to "Name" my "Stock" downloaded file I changed what it looked like from the factory - does that play a factor?

Does each Vin's tune have it's own part number from GM, so to speak, and would just adjusting that and leaving the file name alone will be fine or does this new test search each cell and table?

Or can I rename my current tune with a factory name/number and all be good?

Many questions and perhaps too early for any answers.

I welcome your feedback.

Thanks,Matt
07-17-2021
2xLS1

File name has nothing to do with it. It's the 1s and 0s in the file and the checksums they generate.
07-17-2021
tunerpro

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hpindy

Why not do a tail pipe sniff ? If it passes then what the problem ? Is this a cash grab or abuse of power by the higher ups . If they want to curb emissions go after big factories or air planes . They spew mega tons of smog vs a tiny percent of hot rodders . It seems skews .

That's precisely what the CARB EO testing process is - a check to ensure the vehicle, when modified, be it by hardware, software, or both, doesn't emit any more emissions than it did from the factory.
07-20-2021
scgms1

Quote:

Originally Posted by madmatt9471

Hib,

There hopefully there will be a simple way to adjust things - I would hope so.

I have been watching this and I am hoping to be able to download a (my) stock tune with my new tire height and 3.42 rear gear (2009 C6 Corvette, A6)

I guess my concern would be is when HP Tuners asked me to "Name" my "Stock" downloaded file I changed what it looked like from the factory - does that play a factor?

Does each Vin's tune have it's own part number from GM, so to speak, and would just adjusting that and leaving the file name alone will be fine or does this new test search each cell and table?

Or can I rename my current tune with a factory name/number and all be good?

Many questions and perhaps too early for any answers.

I welcome your feedback.

Thanks,Matt

Hi Matt,

2xLS1 has the correct answer as stated in a BAR post - https://www.bar.ca.gov/ARSC/Newslett..._Modifications

There's not a method of correcting the checksum/CVN as changing a word, even misspelling a word, changes the CVN in a calibration file. For GM, this was for the most part implemented (CVN) due to high warranty costs associated with DuraMax's and the failures that occurred due to ________ & _____,... The first year I recall was 2005.

One thing I have noticed is GM's database is not 100% accurate when it comes to these numbers. What this means is if GM was going to brand my title/void the powertrain warranty based this alone, and the vehicle has not been modified, I'm going back to them that the information is not correct. The question would be how to prove this and who's responsible. This is on a car that would be under warranty. For your car it would probably result in a letter asking you to bring the vehicle to a Referee Station to have the car inspected even if no modifications have been done. If modifications have been done, then you will probably be f'd.

Based on GM's responses to fixing SI errors on older models, it would probably take a court order to get changes made. I'm guessing the BAR/CARB is not going after Malibu's and the like, but trucks, Vette's, Camaro's,... or any of the other manufacturers with high performance cars.
07-21-2021
TheMechanic

Quote:

Originally Posted by tunerpro

That's precisely what the CARB EO testing process is - a check to ensure the vehicle, when modified, be it by hardware, software, or both, doesn't emit any more emissions than it did from the factory.

I remember a while back when I was a smog check guru they were going to go to the IM240. That was a dyno test that simulated a complete drive cycle. Instead they went with the 15mph and 25mph test. Later of course they went OBDII. That is nothing more than an onboard dyno test that runs all the time in a PCM/ECM.
07-30-2021
Hib Halverson

Quote:

Originally Posted by madmatt9471

Hib,

There hopefully there will be a simple way to adjust things - I would hope so.

Whether or not it's going to be "simple" will depend on how modified the car is.

Quote:

I have been watching this and I am hoping to be able to download a (my) stock tune with my new tire height and 3.42 rear gear (2009 C6 Corvette, A6)

There is no "stock" tune for a C6 auto with 3.42s and different tires. The only solution I can suggest, is flash the ECM with a stock cal (ie: for your stock axle ratio and stock tires) and see what happens. Sadly, my gut feeling is that i think you are in deep s**t because you're looking at changing rear drive units and gong back to stock tires, but never say "Never"...the situation could change but currently, I believe that's the fix you are in

Quote:

I guess my concern would be is when HP Tuners asked me to "Name" my "Stock" downloaded file I changed what it looked like from the factory - does that play a factor?

That's been addressed in outer members' posts to this thread.

Quote:

Does each Vin's tune have it's own part number from GM, so to speak, and would just adjusting that and leaving the file name alone will be fine or does this new test search each cell and table?

No

Quote:

Or can I rename my current tune with a factory name/number and all be good?

Again, that's been answered by others here.

Quote:

Many questions and perhaps too early for any answers.

I welcome your feedback.

Thanks,Matt

You're welcome. Glad to be of service.

P.S. Vote "Yes" on recalling Gov Newsom. Maybe a conservative administration would consider reining-in CARB and the BAR.
08-02-2021
06MonteSS

1 Attachment(s)

here it is... Attachment 112214
08-08-2021
CptMidway

This one sucks and looks to be difficult to get out of unless there is a check sum editor/writer available. I imagine there will be a ton of disputes with 50 state legal handheld tuners as well. But do you really want to take your vehicle to a referee to go over it with a fine tooth comb?

I better call the shop that has my truck and tell them to halt the work that was planned! Looks like I'll be going back to stock.

The impact that that this will have on the aftermarket shops around CA is going to be huge. Just another step to push us towards electric vehicles it seems.
08-08-2021
Seishuku

My question is, is doing a "write entire" with your original read enough to satisfy the check?

They must be identifying illegal tunes by CVN, which could be easy enough to patch around really, as long as you have a way to read/write the ECU and patch the code your self... Obviously HPTuners isn't going to add a code patch for that.

Seems like a pretty easy way to get around the check, but not something just anyone can do.

But if just flashing back to stock is enough, then this isn't any more of a problem than smog checks in the past were, where you put all your stock hardware on and get checked. A big pain, but works?

Not that I need to do this, I don't live there, never will. I would imagine that eventually all states will start doing this at some point.
08-09-2021
TheMechanic

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seishuku

My question is, is doing a "write entire" with your original read enough to satisfy the check?

They must be identifying illegal tunes by CVN, which could be easy enough to patch around really, as long as you have a way to read/write the ECU and patch the code your self... Obviously HPTuners isn't going to add a code patch for that.

Seems like a pretty easy way to get around the check, but not something just anyone can do.

But if just flashing back to stock is enough, then this isn't any more of a problem than smog checks in the past were, where you put all your stock hardware on and get checked. A big pain, but works?

Not that I need to do this, I don't live there, never will. I would imagine that eventually all states will start doing this at some point.

So if you have a "Patch" for the CVN's you just became a VERY wealthy person. Oh and yes if you do a write entire with the stock file you will be good to go after your drive cycle to set the monitors.
08-09-2021
Seishuku

Good to know on writing a stock file, the way some of the articles I've read, it sounded like it would have to be a full flash by dealer level tools to get it to comply with CA rules.

But no, I don't have a patch... Just speaking hypothetically.
I've seen some pretty amazing assembly patches for MED17 ECUs in the VW/Audi community that do similar things (manipulate OBD2 data), just seems like it would be fairly simple task for someone with that knowledge.
08-09-2021
2xLS1

It's already been figured out on the P01 and P59 PCMs. I've seen screen shots that look legit.
08-09-2021
TheMechanic

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2xLS1

It's already been figured out on the P01 and P59 PCMs. I've seen screen shots that look legit.

:yay: :pray:
08-09-2021
2xLS1

I wouldn't hold your breath that this is going to be something commercially available to everyone. What I saw was probably done by a hacker that knows his way around a binary file. Yes there are plenty of ways to get the raw .bin out of a PCM. What I saw was a screen shot of the calibration details page in HP Tuners for a P59 PCM that showed the main OS number with it's correct CVN and then every segment number after that displaying 12345678 and every CVN for those showing 1234. All I'm saying is based on the pic I saw someone has figured out how to do it. So don't PM me. I don't know anymore than that. And I'm not going to post the pic here either.