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Thread: Did I Tunerlock On Accident? Hardware Failure?

  1. #1
    Tuner in Training
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    Jun 2020
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    Did I Tunerlock On Accident? Hardware Failure?

    To be very clear, I have been working on this car for several hours and I had flashed the car at least a dozen times. Here is what happened....

    Did a write calibration, started the car, didn't like the result, turned car off, made changes to startup airflow table, tried to reflash the ECU, and it gave me the x36 error. The whole process took maybe 3 minutes.

    It?s like at 6:00 I flashed an unlocked tune and at 6:03 it?s locked and I can?t write to it. I don?t even know how to lock a tune. Could I have locked it on accident?

    Again, I had performed a write calibration to the car multiple times over the course of a few hours (say from 4:00 to 6:00) and I had to stop tuning because all of the sudden it's like the ECU is tunerlocked. Laptop was plugged in, VCM scanner works fine, tried a different USB cable, tried restarting laptop. Car runs and drives (but obviously doesn't have finished tune) so ECU seems ok.

    I start digging in forums as I am thinking it is a hardware issue and I found and referenced this thread to HPTuners support.... https://forum.hptuners.com/showthrea...er-of-Attempts.....

    Sent email to support and they responded.

    "Hello Andy,

    Thank you for contacting support, What Bill was referring to "hardware" in the forum post is the vehicles ECMs hardware. Controller unlocker x36 is relating to the ECM being tunerlocked. We can not unlock a tuner locked ECM. You might need to reach out on the Forums for help unlocking the tuner locked ECM.

    Christopher Martinez"

    Again, I've never locked a tune, don't even know how to go about doing so, and had written to the car moments before.

  2. #2
    Tuner in Training
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    Jun 2020
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    Here is full email I sent to support with the entire backstory of what I am working on.

    - Your full name Mark Andrew Cunningham. 678-681-XXXX is cell number.

    - Your customer ID #. This is the same number as the cable ID # and the
    software serial #. 13748XXXXX

    - Vehicle you are working on. 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP. See attached photo of
    actual VIN for the vehicle (IMG_4598).

    - Detailed description of the problem you are having including all error
    messages. Customer brings me 2008 Pontiac G8 GXP. Tells me he did a cam
    swap (BTR LS3 Stage 3) and in the process, found out his original computer
    was locked, so he had someone replace it. Tells me the guy flashed a 2008
    G8 GT file into it (note, the car is definitely a GXP). I read the tune
    file out of the car and it shows up as 2008 Silverado (IMG_4516). My
    original read file of the vehicle is attached, named as E38 12624402 T43
    24243170 Pontiac G8.

    - Transmission shifts poorly, speedo is off. I try making some changes
    but no improvement. I must have flashed the E38 (with different changes of
    the E38 12624402 T43 24243170 Pontiac G8 file I originally read out) 20-25
    times during process of idle and startup tuning (which actually worked out
    well), and transmission tuning (never could get it right).

    - Being frustrated with the transmission, and questioning what tune is
    actually in the vehicle, I compare the tune currently in the vehicle to
    some downloaded GXP files I found in repository, and notice that the OS is
    different and that there are tables in the GXP files I got from the repo,
    that do not appear in the tune I pulled out of the vehicle.

    - I decide to license and do a "write entire" of a stock GXP file that I
    downloaded from repository (the file I flashed is attached as 1257881894
    stock GXP jakes G8 licensed), to the E38 and T43 controllers in the
    vehicle.

    - Things go well. Transmission shifts much better and speedo reads
    correctly. I start tuning for startup, idle, and MAF calibration. I did a
    "write calibration" to the E38 in the vehicle 6-8 times in the process of
    startup and idle tuning with no problems. The last successfully flashed
    file is attached as stock GXP MAF Tuning Only - idle 0.

    - Last thing that happened is a controller unlocker x36 exceed number of
    attempts error. See img_4595. I did not lock this tune file. Calibration
    details show file as unlocked.

    - After reading this thread....
    https://forum.hptuners.com/showthrea...er-of-Attempts.....
    I see that it may be a hardware issue and decide to email this help support
    ticket to you.

    - Vehicle scans fine.

    - I have not tested my MPVI on any other vehicle ( I am scared I might
    brick something).

    - I have attached a log file just in case you need it (short drive.hpl).

    - Laptop Make, Model, Operating System, CPU and RAM. See attached laptop
    info photo.

    - VCM Suite Info log. See attached text file.

  3. #3
    HP Tuners Support
    (foff667)
    Bill@HPTuners's Avatar
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    sounds to me like you flash an 08 G8 file into an 09 or vice versa from the information you posted, yes this will corrupt the NVRAM as explained here https://forum.hptuners.com/showthrea...ashing-warning
    It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to be done in two weeks...

    A wise man once said "google it"

  4. #4
    Tuner in Training
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
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    38
    I made a mistake/typo. Customers car is an 09. I verified the VIN. The file I flashed is an 09, also as verified by VIN. So if both are an 09, is there still an NVRAM problem?

  5. #5
    Potential Tuner
    Join Date
    Oct 2022
    Posts
    4
    If you did accidentally apply a tuner lock you would be able to see so with VCM editor, if YOU applied the lock.
    Im having what sounds like the same issue with only editing the pulled tune. Acting like its tuner locked while its not. 2nd e38 ecm in a few days, truck runs fine, VCM scanner works as it should but I cannot read or write the tune at all.
    Any updates on yours?
    Last edited by Bmaxwell; 10-02-2022 at 05:52 AM.