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Thread: Bricked an E40 with HPT - Why?

  1. #1
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    Bricked an E40 with HPT - Why?

    I am working on 06 TBSS LS2 transplanted into a 69 Camaro. It is using the 06 E40 out of the TBSS. The car was built with a 6 speed manual trans, a combo the TBSS was never equipped with. It is also using the 06 TBSS TB and pedal. The wiring harness was supplied by Speartech. I first flashed the pcm with a 06 GTO M6 file (write entire) thinking that OS might be a better match for what the car was using. That resulted in no TB movement with the pedal. Never attempted to start the car, just checked TB movement with the pedal. I knew the GTO uses a different TB but tried it anyway. So I reflashed the 06 TBSS file it originally had and the TB went back to operating normally. I wrote start up tune disabling VATS and the usual DTCs for a transplant and the car started up fine. Everything appeared to be working normal except the car would not enter PE mode correctly while driving. The Fuel System Status would change from CL-Normal to OL-accel/decel, but the commanded A/F would stay on 14.68 and the O2s would go to below 50mv. Sometimes after 4-5 seconds of commanding PE the commanded A/f would switch to to the 12.25 I was commanding in the tune, but not consistently. I've never seen anything do this before and have been doing this a long time on hundreds of vehicles. Was also setting a P0689 code, Computers and Control Systems Ignition Relay Feedback Circuit Low Voltage. The vehicle builder called John at Speartech to see if he thought anything in his harness might cause that code to set and told him about the PE problem we were having. He thought it might be because we were using a TBSS file with a M6 trans.He suggested try using a SSR calibration because a SSR was built on a Trailblazer platform and was offered with a manual trans. They also share the same TB and pedal being used in the Camaro. I didn't think that would fix the PE problem, but thought I'll give it a try if for no other reason I would be starting with a manual trans calibration. I have full M/Y licenses on 06 TBSS and have a few 05 SSRs I've licensed individually, one being a manual trans vehicle. I don't have any 06 SSR files licensed. Me thinking 05 and 06 E40s are the same, I wrote entire the 05 SSR MT file I had to the vehicle. I now have a bricked ECM. No fuel pump with key on and HPT Editor and Scanner unable to locate the ECM. Vehicle will crank but that is all it will do. Checking with my GM parts guy, he shows all 05 vehicles using E40s to be a different part # ECM than the 06 vehicles using E40s. I thought all E40s were the same. Any idea why flashing the 06 ECM with the 05 SSR cal bricked it? My guess is it has something to do with the ECM Slave modules but when I didn't brick it writing the 06 GTO file first, I didn't think writing the SSR cal would either, but it did.

  2. #2
    Try unhooking the all power to the PCM overnight ad try flashing again in the morning. Efi live guys had the same issue, flashing 05 cals on 06 pcms and bricking them.
    06 Grand Prix GXP, LS4-full bolt ons, Tuned by me

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    Thanks. I was hoping someone from the company could let me know why their product bricked this ECM.

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    Not sure, we have never been able to brick one here but I can't say we've attempted to flash a 05 cal to an 06 pcm or vice versa either. Any dtc's? ie P0601, P0606 or other?

    You also might want to post the file that was in the vehicle and the file you wrote to the vehicle that created the issue.
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    Bill, HP Tuners is unable to find the ECM so I can't check it for codes. Do you know why there are different GM part #s for 05 and 06 E40s? Here are the files.
    Attached Files Attached Files

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    Quote Originally Posted by GXPLS4 View Post
    Try unhooking the all power to the PCM overnight ad try flashing again in the morning. Efi live guys had the same issue, flashing 05 cals on 06 pcms and bricking them.
    It's been out of the car for about 3 days now. I'm going to rig up a bench harness later and see if somehow it's unbricked itself.

  7. #7
    Our software will write entire the slave cpu OS and CAL for the E40. My guess is a hardware incompatibility.
    I count sheep in hex...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris@HPTuners View Post
    Our software will write entire the slave cpu OS and CAL for the E40. My guess is a hardware incompatibility.
    As in hardware inside the ECM? Specific differences between the 05 and 06 E40s internally that make the YM cals specific to their year E40s? I think I've see you say that HP Tuners can not brick an E38. Should this be the case with E40s or is there specific differences between the two that an E40 can be bricked unlike the E38.
    Last edited by 2xLS1; 01-20-2014 at 07:22 PM.

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    E40 isn't really similar to the E38. They are definitely brickable. You can brick an E38 just as easy by trying to write entire an operating system that's not compatible with the ECM, ie: flashing a 2008 calibration into a 2006 ECM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by DSteck View Post
    E40 isn't really similar to the E38. They are definitely brickable. You can brick an E38 just as easy by trying to write entire an operating system that's not compatible with the ECM, ie: flashing a 2008 calibration into a 2006 ECM.
    Say if you do what you said with an E38, does it make it where you can not re write entire it back with a 2006 OS? Bricked to where HP Tuners can not even communicate with it any more to attempt a rewrite? I thought there was something about the boot loader that never gets corrupted on E38s.

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    Quote Originally Posted by GXPLS4 View Post
    Try unhooking the all power to the PCM overnight ad try flashing again in the morning. Efi live guys had the same issue, flashing 05 cals on 06 pcms and bricking them.
    Just rigged up a bench harness after having it powered down for over 72 hours and it is still bricked. Both scanner and editor unable to locate VCM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2xLS1 View Post
    Say if you do what you said with an E38, does it make it where you can not re write entire it back with a 2006 OS? Bricked to where HP Tuners can not even communicate with it any more to attempt a rewrite? I thought there was something about the boot loader that never gets corrupted on E38s.
    Yep. I bricked an E67 because I grabbed the wrong one trying to write entire a 2012 OS to an early service number.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2xLS1 View Post
    Say if you do what you said with an E38, does it make it where you can not re write entire it back with a 2006 OS? Bricked to where HP Tuners can not even communicate with it any more to attempt a rewrite? I thought there was something about the boot loader that never gets corrupted on E38s.
    It will corrupt the nvram to where you cannot read or write to the pcm, however pcm will still function as normal otherwise.
    It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to be done in two weeks...

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  14. #14
    without knowing the exact hardware changes its impossible to say. For example, they might change some input or output hardware, that when the main operating system executes might cause a system reset that gets into an infinite reset-run-error-reset-run-error-reset loop

    The ECM will only remain in boot mode if it detects an operating system or calibration is missing or corrupted, it cannot detect an operating system that is not valid for the hardware (and neither can we track all compatible hardware/software versions).

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2xLS1 View Post
    I am working on 06 TBSS LS2 transplanted into a 69 Camaro. It is using the 06 E40 out of the TBSS. The car was built with a 6 speed manual trans, a combo the TBSS was never equipped with. It is also using the 06 TBSS TB and pedal. The wiring harness was supplied by Speartech. I first flashed the pcm with a 06 GTO M6 file (write entire) thinking that OS might be a better match for what the car was using. That resulted in no TB movement with the pedal. Never attempted to start the car, just checked TB movement with the pedal. I knew the GTO uses a different TB but tried it anyway. So I reflashed the 06 TBSS file it originally had and the TB went back to operating normally. I wrote start up tune disabling VATS and the usual DTCs for a transplant and the car started up fine. Everything appeared to be working normal except the car would not enter PE mode correctly while driving. The Fuel System Status would change from CL-Normal to OL-accel/decel, but the commanded A/F would stay on 14.68 and the O2s would go to below 50mv. Sometimes after 4-5 seconds of commanding PE the commanded A/f would switch to to the 12.25 I was commanding in the tune, but not consistently. I've never seen anything do this before and have been doing this a long time on hundreds of vehicles. Was also setting a P0689 code, Computers and Control Systems Ignition Relay Feedback Circuit Low Voltage. The vehicle builder called John at Speartech to see if he thought anything in his harness might cause that code to set and told him about the PE problem we were having. He thought it might be because we were using a TBSS file with a M6 trans.He suggested try using a SSR calibration because a SSR was built on a Trailblazer platform and was offered with a manual trans. They also share the same TB and pedal being used in the Camaro. I didn't think that would fix the PE problem, but thought I'll give it a try if for no other reason I would be starting with a manual trans calibration. I have full M/Y licenses on 06 TBSS and have a few 05 SSRs I've licensed individually, one being a manual trans vehicle. I don't have any 06 SSR files licensed. Me thinking 05 and 06 E40s are the same, I wrote entire the 05 SSR MT file I had to the vehicle. I now have a bricked ECM. No fuel pump with key on and HPT Editor and Scanner unable to locate the ECM. Vehicle will crank but that is all it will do. Checking with my GM parts guy, he shows all 05 vehicles using E40s to be a different part # ECM than the 06 vehicles using E40s. I thought all E40s were the same. Any idea why flashing the 06 ECM with the 05 SSR cal bricked it? My guess is it has something to do with the ECM Slave modules but when I didn't brick it writing the 06 GTO file first, I didn't think writing the SSR cal would either, but it did.
    I am having almost the EXACT issue in a Camaro Restomod Swap currently... Car will drive normal until 35% throttle at PE. Car shudders and shakes. My 02's tank to less than 50mv. Did you ever get to the bottom of this issue? I would LOVE to know what caused your issue. ECU is out of a 2006 GTO. I am hoping the motor is the same.

  16. #16
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    I wish someone that had these kind of symptoms would chime in

  17. #17
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    What is the service number of the E40?

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    hi the sev # 12597883

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    thanks for asking me that, I now know what the problem is. that service number is for 2005 gto and programmed for 2006 gto which has a 12596679 ecm

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    LSX378, I have been chasing this problem for weeks,if your interested it started on another thread ls2 restomod stumble on hard acceleration,i didn't have a clue on the ls motors when this started.I'm learnin thanks