LBZ Owners read this thread!!!!!

[DKD]

Just got off the phone with a customer that has a 07' classic LBZ, he had a CEL pop up while driving so he dropped by the local dealer, took out his PPE program, and left the truck for them to look at... They called him the next day and said it was ready to go, they told him that it needed a reflash and thats all it took to make the CEL go away. So he drove it home, plugged in the PPE programer, uploaded a program, everything went fine, tried to start the truck and nothing! wont crank over. no CEL, PPE now locks up while trying to load the stock program, we forced the stock program into it with the PPE and still no luck, PPE was alot of help but they ran out of ideas. Back to the dealer, Come to find out the new reflash will lock the ECM if you try to upload a program or change anything in the ecm. The dealer cannot unlock it. They are required to send in the ECM when they run into a certain engine code and the no crank problem, if the ECM has had this flash. They put a new ECM in the truck and told him not to try and upload any programs or it will do the same thing again and they will have to charge him to replace it (they are telling GM that the computer locked up while they were trying to re-flash it). So now what??? Has anybody else heard about this new flash?? What happens if we use EFI live on a customers truck that has this flash... will we run into the same problem??

[rcr1978]

If this was an issue you would think it would be a problem on the new LMM's, I have been tuning mine but it's only an 07.5. I hope this is not going on though if it's true could be a scare tactic by the dealer

[Dennis93TA]

I don't know why GM would do that. That would cost them more money by shipping parts back and forth. I'n not saying they aren't doing it, it's just stupid if they are. When i worked at GM they reflashed alot of cars, cop cars got special flashes, so i can't see them taking that away from the dealerships.

[GMPX]

DKD, the LBZ / LMM programming routines are ALL built in to the ECM, EFIlive, TechII or any other programmer has no real control over the process apart from sending the commands and hope for the best!
This unfortunately is how Bosch do things.
Now I know that there is dead LBZ / LMM ECM's all over the place with failed programming from TechII so it's not that uncommon.
Whilst I don't know what went wrong with the example you gave I am pretty sure that GM aren't actually (on purpose) allowed to do anything like that due to the regulations that they must allow 3rd parties to be able to reflash a controller. The current OS (according to CalID) for the LBZ is 12616698 which we have had support for without any drama's so far.

The only instance of special flashing is with the Australian HSV cars, the dealers must get special permission to flash those. Meanwhile, I wouldn't be too concerned!

Cheers,
Ross

[dynarex]

my o/s is the latest 6698-just did update a few weeks ago and so far efi has had no problems at all with the reflash

[Jasondt2001]

I've had the 6698 update since I've had efilive and I've had NO issues and flashed and reflashed EFI tunes ALOT.
I've also had a hypertech and a diablo sport on this truck w/ that OS and have not an issue.
I think this one may have just been a fluke.

[DURAtotheMAX]

Whilst I don't know what went wrong with the example you gave I am pretty sure that GM aren't actually (on purpose) allowed to do anything like that due to the regulations that they must allow 3rd parties to be able to reflash a controller.s

Ross just out of curiosity, why is this? Wouldnt GM want to lock them?

[a78turbo]

I have found that in the last few months, ecm's are getting locked when flashed with gm software updates. There way of keeping the public out of them. Had the same issues with mine on the latest update.

[DKD]

Ok so they most likely are not feeding us a line of BS? What did you do with your ecm to fix the issue?

[a78turbo]

I was able to force a full flash with EFILive and remove the lock. took some work though.

[DKD]

HMMMM well this is a customer's ride and we don't really wannna get in the middle of a war with him and the dealer...but he mostly just wants to recal for his tire size what is involved to "force a full flash"

[ripmf666]

I had the updated on my LBZ and installed my PPE in the parking lot with the teck standing there and everything was fine and drove almost 60 miles back home.

[1998ws6]

Ross just out of curiosity, why is this? Wouldnt GM want to lock them?

SAE J2534 forces OEM's to not use proprietary toos, and they do lock them, but the aftermarket companies have figured out the seed/key algorithm and can reflash them.