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Thread: Change Vin Does Not Work

  1. #1
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    Change Vin Does Not Work

    I had to replace a PCM in a 2005 Corvette C6. I could not change the vin to match the old PCM. It would tell me I did not have the correct license. Why can't I change the vin? I was able to tune the car.

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  2. #2
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    did you ever get a reply on this?



    Could write to the file but cannot change vin? unregistered vehicle. It is licensed as single vehicle in my licesnse info area

  3. #3
    to change the VIN you must be licensed for the current vehicle type (which you probably aren't) and the new vehicle type (which you might be if it wasn't a single license).
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  4. #4
    Advanced Tuner n0dih's Avatar
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    The OP said he was able to tune the car but not change VIN, what would that be?

    Just curious.

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris@HPTuners View Post
    to change the VIN you must be licensed for the current vehicle type (which you probably aren't) and the new vehicle type (which you might be if it wasn't a single license).

  5. #5
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    You can only change the vin on a pcm where you have the year/model license for the vin in the pcm as well as the vin you are trying to change it to AND both would be a valid vin/os pair combination.

    Our software's intended use was never to be as a vin change tool, for that matter you can't even change vin's on fords and likely other applications.

    The reason why is simple, licensing. If you had a single vcm license for a 2009 CTSV and picked up 10 E67 pcm's from G6's , for instance, for $5 off of ebay the last thing we want is a tunershop changing the vin's from a G6 vin to a CTSV vin and not having to have a license for those other 10 pcm's. If you plan on tuning multiple pcm's we offer year/model & tunershop licenses. Not to mention the 8 credits that come with the interface originally.

    Our software's intended use is to be able to read the binary off of the pcm and modifiy that file, in stock form, ifi you are using a replacement pcm you will want to have it flashed with YOUR vin number & YOUR operating system via gm tech 2 dealer flash tool then read it out with our software, anyway else is simply not recommended.
    It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to be done in two weeks...

    A wise man once said "google it"

  6. #6
    Advanced Tuner n0dih's Avatar
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    I guess I am not following well, if HPT licenses the PCM itself, what difference does the VIN matter? The shop, or owner has to buy a license for each PCM regardless. Doesn't matter what the VIN is.

    Just seems like it was set up to be very difficult for the end user who might be doing an engine swap who needs say an old 1999 VIN in a 2005 PCM or something. So it ends up forcing them to have difficulties for smog testing and if they ever bring it in to the dealer for something.

    Am I missing something?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill@HPTuners View Post
    You can only change the vin on a pcm where you have the year/model license for the vin in the pcm as well as the vin you are trying to change it to AND both would be a valid vin/os pair combination.

    Our software's intended use was never to be as a vin change tool, for that matter you can't even change vin's on fords and likely other applications.

    The reason why is simple, licensing. If you had a single vcm license for a 2009 CTSV and picked up 10 E67 pcm's from G6's , for instance, for $5 off of ebay the last thing we want is a tunershop changing the vin's from a G6 vin to a CTSV vin and not having to have a license for those other 10 pcm's. If you plan on tuning multiple pcm's we offer year/model & tunershop licenses. Not to mention the 8 credits that come with the interface originally.

    Our software's intended use is to be able to read the binary off of the pcm and modifiy that file, in stock form, ifi you are using a replacement pcm you will want to have it flashed with YOUR vin number & YOUR operating system via gm tech 2 dealer flash tool then read it out with our software, anyway else is simply not recommended.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by n0dih View Post
    I guess I am not following well, if HPT licenses the PCM itself, what difference does the VIN matter? The shop, or owner has to buy a license for each PCM regardless. Doesn't matter what the VIN is.

    Just seems like it was set up to be very difficult for the end user who might be doing an engine swap who needs say an old 1999 VIN in a 2005 PCM or something. So it ends up forcing them to have difficulties for smog testing and if they ever bring it in to the dealer for something.

    Am I missing something?
    We offer single vcm, year/model & tunershop licenses so the vin makes all the difference in the world.

    a 2009 CTS has a completely different vin structure than 2000 Silverado, for instance.

    Not sure how to make that any clearer.

    Our software's intended use was not for people doing pcm swaps from a 99 pcm to an 05 pcm. Original intent was an affordable tuning solution for vehicles using their stock pcm, if we no longer offered year/model licenses and restructured the way we do the tunershop licensing sure but that is NOT something we plan on doing.
    It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to be done in two weeks...

    A wise man once said "google it"

  8. #8
    Advanced Tuner n0dih's Avatar
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    If you offer single VCM license, the VIN that is in it doesn't matter. It is SINGLE VCM still. So what you are saying is the model is single VCM AND single VIN. Correct? Year/Model is above that, and Tunershop above that.

    So you don't offer Single VCM only from what you are telling me.

    Just trying to wrap my head around why VIN has to be in the mix.

    Has the 2009 cars have different than 17 digit VIN? I havent' followed that closely. I know 17 digit came in 1981, did it get further upgraded?



    Quote Originally Posted by Bill@HPTuners View Post
    We offer single vcm, year/model & tunershop licenses so the vin makes all the difference in the world.

    a 2009 CTS has a completely different vin structure than 2000 Silverado, for instance.

    Not sure how to make that any clearer.

    Our software's intended use was not for people doing pcm swaps from a 99 pcm to an 05 pcm. Original intent was an affordable tuning solution for vehicles using their stock pcm, if we no longer offered year/model licenses and restructured the way we do the tunershop licensing sure but that is NOT something we plan on doing.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by n0dih View Post
    If you offer single VCM license, the VIN that is in it doesn't matter. It is SINGLE VCM still. So what you are saying is the model is single VCM AND single VIN. Correct? Year/Model is above that, and Tunershop above that.

    So you don't offer Single VCM only from what you are telling me.

    Just trying to wrap my head around why VIN has to be in the mix.

    Has the 2009 cars have different than 17 digit VIN? I havent' followed that closely. I know 17 digit came in 1981, did it get further upgraded?
    yes the vin DOES matter. Single vcm means just that, single vcm, not muliple vcm multiple vin.
    It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to be done in two weeks...

    A wise man once said "google it"

  10. #10
    the original poster said he replaced the PCM in the vehicle. Most likely he had a single vehicle license for the old PCM and hence needs to license it before he can change the VIN. I assumed he meant he could tune the old PCM before the replacement.

    The point Bill is making is that the VIN must be valid for the OS that it is going into. We need to enforce this due to our year/model licensing option to prevent people changing the VIN to tune for free.

    The VIN & OS are also used extensively to determine what kind of ECM is in the vehicle, so you you can just click a button and read and write, rather than have to work out what PCM, ECM or TCM you have in the car and select it from a list of 45 controllers before you do anything. Hence, we don't allow people to put 1998 vortec truck VINs into a 2011 E67 ECM becuase it breaks things that make tuning easier.

    Hope that helps.
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