Hey guys, just wanted to share something with you.
The point of this thread is to expose all of the advantages, disadvantages, problems, tips, tricks of installing a custom pcm.
Every tuner out there will run into a problem child (truck), doh, but with a little patience it always works out in the end.
It doesn't matter what tuner you choose, there will always be retunes and problems will come up every now and then. Most of the time pcms work out the first time and all is good.
I'm not trying to tell on myself, lol, just exposing everything that is not usually posted on the internet. Including myself, every programmer out there will run into a truck that requires several pcm re ships, it doesn't matter what programmer you choose.
Custom tunes are far superior than hand held devices , we all know that for sure. Just like the hand helds, swapping out pcms can also have their headaches.
However, the problems aren't as bad as a hand held, for example, having an hpp3 or predator fry your pcm, that will never happen with a custom pcm, plus you'll never have any downtime like you would with a hand held.
Sometimes you'll get a ses code after a pcm install. Usually this code is a 136 crank relearn error. Basically , you need to synce the sensor and pcm again. This must be done with a techII or similar or the better version of efi live.
It's a simple procedure too, simply connect the tool and rev the engine a few times and it's done. Lots of times, shops will do it for free or a very small fee.
The security relearn is also a pita sometimes. If your truck starts for about 1/2 of a second and then dies, that is a good sign, lol. If it just keeps cranking and cranking, you need another pcm. Some trucks start up right away and others require the relearn.
A crank relearn does not hurt performance at all, however the annoying light can be a pita.
After any problems are solved, if there are any, you will enjoy greater performance than anything on the market, if you have my tune :devil: .
I hear stories of not being able to spin your new 20's, you can now after the tune.
No speedlimiter, higher shift points, harder pulls, lower 1/4 mile times, better gas mileage, firmer shifting, quicker shifting, faster 0-60 times, the list goes on and on. The results are great and worth the effort.
So, what's the point? it doesn't matter what mod you put on your truck, every one of them will have the potential to be a pita, lol. That's what it's all about. Problems come along with modding your truck, that's just the game you play.
This is supposed to be a community where we share all experiences, so feel free to post them, I don't care if it's negative (well kind of i do, lol) or positive, every post builds on the knowledge base. It may help out others who choose to buy a performance pcm.
Hope this helps answer some questions.
thanks,
allen
