Reading a Vehicle

When you read a vehicle, you are transferring calibration information from the control module(s) in your vehicle to VCM Editor. The read process will automatically detect the presence of relevant VCMs in the vehicle and read them all in sequence. The various status messages and the progress bar give information about the current state of the read.

CAUTION: Ensure that the vehicle battery is charged before proceeding (keeping the battery attached to a charger during the procedure is recommended). Although it should not be possible to harm any of the vehicle's control modules during the read process, vehicle controllers can be left in an odd state if a power loss occurs.

If communication is lost, the program will automatically reset the module. It will then prompt you to correct the problem and/or try again.

Read Procedure

To read the VCM, follow these steps:

1.

Connect your HP Tuners interface device to a laptop with VCM Suite installed. Then, connect the device to the vehicle's OBD-II diagnostic port. See Connecting to a Vehicle for more information.

2.

If VCM Scanner is open, close it before proceeding.

3.

Open VCM Editor.

4.

If a tune file is open, close it by selecting File > Close in the menu bar.

5.

Turn the vehicle ignition to the ON (or RUN) position, but do not start the engine.

NOTE: Some vehicles require special procedures to be put in the correct state. See Putting a Vehicle in the "ON" State for more information.

6.

Make sure the doors are closed and all accessories are turned off.

CAUTION: Do not use any vehicle accessories, including the door locking mechanism, while the vehicle is being read.

7.

In VCM Editor, select Flash > Read Vehicle.

8.

The Vehicle Reader window appears. Wait 10 to 15 seconds.

9.

Click the Read button.

10.

Allow VCM Editor to read the vehicle controllers until the status bar indicates the read is complete.

NOTE: During the read, the instrument panel may briefly display all sorts of indicators and error messages and some accessories may appear to turn on and off randomly. This is normal.

NOTE: For vehicles with multiple VCMs (for example: LS2 A4 vehicles), there is a 15-second pause between reading each module.

11.

Turn off the ignition and unplug the interface cable.

12.

The file will automatically open in VCM Editor.

13.

If this is the initial read of the stock controller, we strongly recommend that you save (and backup) the file before any modifications are made. You may wish to restore your vehicle to the stock tune at a later date.