2 Fried PCMs?

[RetroAus]

300mA...What is needed? Its a radio shack universal wall plug (adjustable from 1.5-12V @ 300mA). What do you recommend?
What your saying would make the most since...however it is the worst case scenario with two dead computers and no more licenses.

You need at least 1 amp..as soon as write begins your voltage will drop..then you have yourself a dead pcm.

[Blacky]

Hi Turbogtu,

EFILive will replace your two PCM licenses free of charge. Please send you FlashScan serial number and auth code to me at paul@efilive.com
See this page for how to get your auth code: http://www.efilive.com/index.php?opt...110&Itemid=120

If you are using a wall plug you need one that outputs a regulated 12V and can supply at least 1 amp (1000mA) at 12V (as RetroAus said).

The PCMs can be recovered but only be removing, reprogramming and re-soldering the flash chip to the main circuit board.

Regards
Paul

[turbogtu]

I would think so. If it can erase the whole thing and then rewrite it, why can't it? Or if that was part of the sequence anyways, then why can't it start back from where it left off, writing?

[turbogtu]

Thanks Blacky. Bummer....but I'll gladly take the licenses back, turn a $500 dollar loss into $200-300.

[johnv]

I use a fully charged car battery as a power source with my bench harness when flashing custom operating systems or full re rights , never any problems.

[Blacky]

I would think so. If it can erase the whole thing and then rewrite it, why can't it? Or if that was part of the sequence anyways, then why can't it start back from where it left off, writing?

The problem is that the program code used by the PCM to communicate via the OBDII connector is stored in the flash memory. During a full-flash, just before the flash is erased (which includes erasing the comms code), EFILive copies its own communications code from the PC to the PCM's RAM. That way, once the flash memory (containing the comms code) is erased, the PCM can continue to communicate with FlashScan by using the comms code in the RAM. If power is removed from the PCM (or it is rebooted) before EFILive re-writes the comms code back into the flash memory, then the RAM copy gets destroyed and the PCM has no way to communicate with the outside world. For all intents and purposes it is brain-dead.

If you don't need to do a full flash then you should perform a cal only flash. A cal only flash does not delete the comms code and is therefor almost fail-safe.

Later PCMs like the E38 do not require the comms code to be deleted during a full flash. So it is almost impossible to cause a permanent failure in one of those. (Not that that helps you any).

Regards
Paul

[Blacky]

Thanks Blacky. Bummer....but I'll gladly take the
licenses back, turn a $500 dollar loss into $200-300.

Replacement licenses sent.

Regards
Paul

[turbogtu]

I see, thanks for the info, I went out and got a 1.5A plug so hopefully I shouldn't have the same problem anymore. Also I got the licenses....which eases the pain. Thanks Paul.

[GMPX]

300mA...What is needed? Its a radio shack universal wall plug (adjustable from 1.5-12V @ 300mA). What do you recommend?
What your saying would make the most since...however it is the worst case scenario with two dead computers and no more licenses.

The PCM alone draws 330mA on the bench when it's not being programmed, with the erase voltage switched on this jumps to around 450mA (from memory), plus the current draw from the V1 or V2, you are going to be up over 500mA minimum during a reflash.

To give you some head room I would suggest a fixed 12V, 1A regulated power supply. Regulated is important as the voltage will not vary with load, it also means it should produce a reasonably clean 12V.

EFILive can recover a PCM no problem, but in this case the flash has been completely wiped clean, much like pulling the BIOS chip from your PC, it would be totally dead. The PCM needs something in the flash for minimum functionality, when the traffic light is red in the full reflash this is the danger zone, once it gets past that then you are safe. The 'red' zone is writing the equivalent of the PC's BIOS, without it, it's brain dead.

Cheers,
Ross

[Chuck CoW]

Hey Fellas....As a suggestion, I use a common shop "booster pack" for bench flashing.

It's always plugged into the wall, this way the power never goes low and the pcm is buffered from the wall. Voltages are good for cars and bench flashing NEVER messes up.

Chuck CoW