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Thread: V2 won't read E38 ECM (Shows "EXT" in V8)

  1. #1
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    Default V2 won't read E38 ECM (Shows "EXT" in V8)

    Guys, I've been tuning for quite some time now and when I run into problems I've been pretty good at figuring them out on my own, but this one has me stumped!! This is actually my first post ever on the forum. Here's my issue....I have a V2 that has worked flawlessly for me for years now, up until a few days ago. When I try to read a E38 ECM in V8 I get no communication from the ECM. On the module selection screen (where you can choose between your engine or transmission module) I get a red X that shows "EXT".

    My V2 has read many many E38's for quite a while now so I doubt it's a firmware/bootblock issue. Although I did reinstall the firmware and removed/reinstalled my USB drivers just to be sure. I found this issue since my personal vehicle has an E38 ECM and it would not connect to it. It won't connect and read data using V7.5 either. Using the scan tool I get the message "ECM NOT DETECTED". I first began my troubleshooting by trying to connect to three other trucks that were in my shop. 2 of these trucks have E38 ECM's and the other truck had a LS1B ECM. What's stumping me is I can connect and read the LS1B ECM just fine. The other 2 with the E38 I could not. So that makes three E38's my V2 can't detect and read.

    Has anyone ever ran I to this situation before? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

  2. #2
    Lifetime Member GMPX's Avatar
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    I've seen a few situations where on a conversion wiring has been wrong and it damages the CAN inputs on the V2. Any chance you've tuned a conversion vehicle with an LS1 where this may have happened?
    I no longer monitor the forum, please either post your question or create a support ticket.

  3. #3
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    Crap, that's just my luck! Come to think of it I had a GMC 6500 C&C that had the 8.1 that was liquid propane injected. A local gas company runs these and I do all of their repairs. This truck had both the OBD II port and the round 9-pin deutsch diagnostic connector found in most heavy duty trucks. I actually connected my V2 to the truck just to see if I could see any random codes. I tried one time and it wouldn't connect so I put my V2 up and used a ScanGuage to pull the codes. Thinking back now I haven't tried to connect to an E38 ECM since then. I believe you've hit the nail right on the head. So I guess my next question is if this is repairable or will I have to purchase a new V2? I'm pretty familiar with the internals of ECMs as I do reading/writing of chips via debug modules such as a BMD100, so I feel confident around circuit boards with a soldering gun. When the CAN inputs get damaged is this by voltage and simply burnt circuits or would parts need to be replaced? Just wondering if this is something I could tackle or would it need to be boxed up and sent off? Thank you for quickly getting to my problem!!

  4. #4
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    Anyone know if this is a major repair? I know it will require going into the V2. Or does anyone have any suggestions where to send it off to for repair. I'm from Alabama.

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member GMPX's Avatar
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    Sounds bad if that happened. I've seen one myself like this and they ended up getting another unit, the CAN interface chip had a hole in the top of it!
    You could try contacting SoCal Diesel as they do handle repairs for the V2 units.
    I no longer monitor the forum, please either post your question or create a support ticket.

  6. #6
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    Update....I took a peek and the CAN chip had a bubble on the top of it. Buttoned it up and sent it out for repair. Got it back finally and it's working like a charm again.

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