Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: When is a VIN change required?

  1. #1

    When is a VIN change required?

    New member here, this is my first post so be gentle until I get the hang of some of this. I have a '55 Belair that I have swapped in a 6.0L/4L80. I paid a local guy to tune my ECM for the swap, deleting VATS and the non required DTCs, but no performance mods. I have since purchased my own HPTuners package to do my own changes to the tune. (adding performance mode, changes to abuse mode and power enhancement etc.) I've been reading the forums for a few months and have learned a lot by doing so, many knowledgeable helpful members on here, I have lots to learn yet.

    I have purchased a second ECM which I plan to use to experiment with various changes keeping the original ECM on hand to be able to keep the car running while I try different scenarios.

    One thing I have found very little reading on is the VIN change feature. I've read how to do it and am pretty confident that I could pull it off, what I need to know is why is it required? Is this strictly for smog test purposes, so that the VIN in the ECM matches the VIN on the car? In my application, it doesn't much matter what vin appears when you read the ECM as it will never match the car VIN. Thanks for anybody who can clear this up for me.

  2. #2
    Tuning Addict 5FDP's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Rogers, MN
    Posts
    13,535
    Basically is never matters unless like you said the VIN has to match for smog reasons where the computer needs to match the dash VIN.

    Or on much newer platforms the VIN on the PCM needs to work with that specific operating system for the TCM/BCM and whatever else to work together.

    But on a GEN 3 platform the VIN is just there, it can be whatever it says it is when it comes to a swap and to what changes you want to make the calibration.
    2016 Silverado CCSB 5.3/6L80e, not as slow but still heavy.

    If you don't post your tune and logs when you have questions you aren't helping yourself.

  3. #3
    Advanced Tuner
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Waldorf MD
    Posts
    774
    Quote Originally Posted by 5FDP View Post
    Basically is never matters unless like you said the VIN has to match for smog reasons where the computer needs to match the dash VIN.

    Or on much newer platforms the VIN on the PCM needs to work with that specific operating system for the TCM/BCM and whatever else to work together.

    But on a GEN 3 platform the VIN is just there, it can be whatever it says it is when it comes to a swap and to what changes you want to make the calibration.
    So... Say for instance you swap a LS engine and ECM into a car (BMW) but the vehicle needs to go thru emissions. Can you put the BMW VIN in the computer (0411) or will that not work?
    Daily Driver= 2003 BMW 330xi
    Weekend Cruiser= 2009 Pontiac G8 GT (Vararam, TSP LS3 N/A Stage 1, OBX, CTS-V converter, MagnaFlows w/ J-Pipes, 160 t-stat)
    Project Car= 1991 Chevrolet Camaro RS (LQ4 w/ Gen 4 Rods, LS3 heads, turbo...)
    Truck= 2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT LY5 4x4

  4. #4
    Tuning Addict 5FDP's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Rogers, MN
    Posts
    13,535
    Not with HP Tuners.

    No idea if another software or form of hacking could change the VIN.
    2016 Silverado CCSB 5.3/6L80e, not as slow but still heavy.

    If you don't post your tune and logs when you have questions you aren't helping yourself.

  5. #5
    Advanced Tuner
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Waldorf MD
    Posts
    774
    No... If you run an 0411... Can you input a BMW VIN into the 0411?
    Daily Driver= 2003 BMW 330xi
    Weekend Cruiser= 2009 Pontiac G8 GT (Vararam, TSP LS3 N/A Stage 1, OBX, CTS-V converter, MagnaFlows w/ J-Pipes, 160 t-stat)
    Project Car= 1991 Chevrolet Camaro RS (LQ4 w/ Gen 4 Rods, LS3 heads, turbo...)
    Truck= 2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT LY5 4x4

  6. #6
    Tuning Addict 5FDP's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Rogers, MN
    Posts
    13,535
    No.

    My previous post said that lol.

    The BMW VIN or jeep vin or kia vin or whatever doesn't work because the VIN wouldn't match with the OS that it's running.
    2016 Silverado CCSB 5.3/6L80e, not as slow but still heavy.

    If you don't post your tune and logs when you have questions you aren't helping yourself.

  7. #7
    Advanced Tuner
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Waldorf MD
    Posts
    774
    Quote Originally Posted by 5FDP View Post
    No.

    My previous post said that lol.

    The BMW VIN or jeep vin or kia vin or whatever doesn't work because the VIN wouldn't match with the OS that it's running.
    Ah OK. I thought it wouldn't work. Thanks for confirming it.
    Daily Driver= 2003 BMW 330xi
    Weekend Cruiser= 2009 Pontiac G8 GT (Vararam, TSP LS3 N/A Stage 1, OBX, CTS-V converter, MagnaFlows w/ J-Pipes, 160 t-stat)
    Project Car= 1991 Chevrolet Camaro RS (LQ4 w/ Gen 4 Rods, LS3 heads, turbo...)
    Truck= 2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT LY5 4x4