Question about VIN's and PCM use w/ HP Tuners

[Final GTS]

Hello All,

Granted, as I start this post I will say that this is regarding Dodge compatibility, and yes, I am aware it isnt available yet. (waiting (im)patiently)


Does HP Tuners STRICTLY use the VIN in the PCM to determine what "year" the car or PCM is? The reason I ask is that I frequently run 2004 Vipers with 2006 PCM's to gain knock sensors, and in some cases, just availability issues. However, Both PCM's will accept a VIN from 2003-2006, and work correctly, as they are both VPW controllers and virtually identical in every other way.

Basically, what I am asking is if HP tuners releases a system for the 2003-2004 cars, and then 2005-2006 is different because of the knock sensors in HPT, will I be restricted to not using Knock sensors on the 03-04 cars because of their VIN's even if they ACTUALLY have 05-06 PCM's in them?

In which case, should I start programming any PCM's in this predicament as 2006's rather than 2004's, and vice versa?

[Bill@HPTuners]

Our current licensing requires that the VIN within the computer matches the year & operating system ie you cannot put a vin from a 99 camaro into an 02 camaro computer. If you are running 06 pcm's an 06 Vin number would need to be retained within the computer to continue functionality as it stands now. This is mainly because, otherwise, it would break our exclusive year/model licensing.

[Keith@HPTuners]

Daniel, at this stage its to eartly to tell how Dodge will be licensed.

However, if we can perform integrity checks, its probable that we will. For example, if we can determine that the OS (Calibration) you are running has a 2006 VIN but Dodge never released that calibration for that year, we will throw an error at you.

We won't know though until we start Dodge beta.

[Final GTS]

OK, so what you are telling me is that I should alter the VIN's in the PCM so that they appear to be 06 VINs if the computers/engine are configured as an 06 car?

Will the VCM scanner also be monitoring the BCM's (Body) for Dodge? what is the VINs dont match on the BCM/PCM by the year-digit indicator?

It may be worthwhile for you guys to lisence the 03-06 cars as a group, rather than split them in 03-04/05-06... they are identical cars, engines and PCM's other than the Knock sensor inputs, and I am not the only one who swaps PCM's around like this year to year... would just make things easier for everybody, and would keep everybodies VIN's in tact and correct. Either that, or have the VCM be capable of a Knock Cal in either series if the PCM is capable of it.

[gman4dx266]

Maybe you could just do an OS upgrade when they become available, and gain knock sensor support on an older module. Then just hook them up or whatever needs to be done. Might be simpler??

[Final GTS]

Maybe you could just do an OS upgrade when they become available, and gain knock sensor support on an older module. Then just hook them up or whatever needs to be done. Might be simpler??

Older modules do not have the hardware as far as I know to support knock sensors, though are the same otherwise.

An OS upgrade would make the most sense, however I still think I'll run into the problem with VINs matching the OEM cal in the computer... this is why I think in this case, they should make the year restriction broad (03-06) and have it encompass both cals, it would eliminate the problem. Just have a box/selection in the software to enter the part number on the PCM, and it either enables or disables the Knock sensors depending on which PCM the car is running, and ignores the actual VIN for cal/PCM determinations as long as it is in the proper year range. This way, any cal with any 03-06 VIN would work. Its not like the 03-06 Viper computers will end up in previous gen cars... that just wouldnt work, period. Different buses, cals, pins and everything else.

Just as an example; today I programmed a 2004 Viper. It has a 2006 PCM and a 2006 engine block w/knock sensors, (which is the base platform for my biggest engine packages), but has a 2004 VIN programmed into it so everything is kosher with regards to plug-in and bus communications. There is no restriction in the PCM for this, so why should HPT restrict this capability? It would just overcomplicate the issue, rather than just making it encompass both cals and PCMs while being selectable as to the hardware capability.

This same practice is extremely common with the 1996-2002 cars, as they also have all identical hardware with just different cals, and will all accept any VIN's to be programmed into them. Older PCM's with more lenient cals often make their way into 00+ cars with cams/no cats, but still contain the correct VIN numbers. It makes more sense to just make the Vipers a "Generation Credit Purchase" than anything else, that way the cals/years dont mean a whole lot, just the actual VIN in the system.

[jeepingsteve]

Is there a dodge beta if not is there plans for one. I know this thread is old