LB7: massive problems loading a tune on my 03 SLT Duramax

fastpunker

adrenaline junkie
Feb 7, 2012
215
1
16
Lake Havasu City, AZ
I am new to the diesel world, just bought my first dmax last month and have to say I will never own a gas full size truck again!! love it!

I picked up a hypertech tuner to add some power to my truck being the horse power junkie that I am. Went to go load a tune on it and it said that "this tuner is not for this vehicle" This message came up because after doing more research my ecm vin comes up with #, $, *, and other symbols in it.... i.e. a corrupt vin.
Before I go on, I will state I have looked all over about corrupt vin's and found similar threads, but no confirmed solutions. (sorry just trying to prevent the bashing I've experienced in other forums back in the day)

So I have a buddy thats a diesel mechanic at the local dealership, brought the truck to him to try and re-flash the ecm... was not able to do it. So I ordered a used ecm from a local junk yard. Couldn't program that one either while in my truck. So we suck the junk yard ecm in another truck and programmed it to my vin, then we stuck it back in my truck and it immediately re-flashed back to the corrupt vin.

Some other problems that might be related from research I've done... The security light is on and been on since I bought the truck. (I have tried doing the ten minute key turn reset thing with no results) Another random problem is that the clock on the radio resets sometimes after the truck has been off for a couple of hours. (only done this 4 times in over a month)
I am kind of wondering if the bcm is bad and causing the power problem with the radio clock and could also could be causing the corrupt vin in the ecm? Or if the security light being on could be messing with the ecm vin.... :confused: I want to try to get rid of the security light first, any suggestions on how to reset that other then the key turn method?

I just want to add some horse power to my duramax, any help with will be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!!!
 

messejme

Jazzy, Me and Max
Mar 7, 2008
741
0
16
Branchburg NJ
Did you pull three or four fuses from the under hood panel before programming the ECM? I think onstar and xmradio need to be disabled to program. Hope this helps
 

Mpsoldier

That just happened!
Mar 10, 2010
646
0
16
In my House
pull the radio fuse and the onstar fuse next unplug the bcm under the dash driverside under steering columb black box three plugs come back with feedback
 

fastpunker

adrenaline junkie
Feb 7, 2012
215
1
16
Lake Havasu City, AZ
which three plugs are you talking about? I believe there are 5 or 6 on there... and are you saying to do this to load the tune or to reprogram the ecm?

thanks
 

justin_08

Blackmax
Jan 31, 2012
68
0
0
Indiana
On my 03 I had to pull 4 fuses under the hood before it would program. I can't remember which ones it was tho.
 

Mpsoldier

That just happened!
Mar 10, 2010
646
0
16
In my House
the bcm has three plugs on it little black box and unplugging the bcm will eleminate all interferrance from the body. it's located directly underneithe the dash driverside.
 

Alliance1289

New member
Apr 26, 2011
285
0
0
307
Some trucks seem to be really picky about having fuses pulled and such... other trucks such as mine (maybe its just a glutton for punishment) could seem to care less about what fuse was pulled if any.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
 

fastpunker

adrenaline junkie
Feb 7, 2012
215
1
16
Lake Havasu City, AZ
my bcm has 5 plugs, three large and two small ones.... are you guys saying to disconnect these to try and load a tune or to reprogram the ecm? ...using a tech-II or efi-live.
 

Mpsoldier

That just happened!
Mar 10, 2010
646
0
16
In my House
try unpluging them and load a tune. you have to save the stock file first with that tuner right? if so unplug prior to that and go from there . That how i had to do my 02 idk why just figured to give it a shot.:thumb:
 

fastpunker

adrenaline junkie
Feb 7, 2012
215
1
16
Lake Havasu City, AZ
tried unplugging them and pulling the radio and onstar fuses... same result. the problem is the vin number in the ecm is corrupt....... the tuner has to read an appropriate vin number before it starts to establish communication with the ecm to then load a tune.

My thought from what I have read on other threads and other forums is that the security light being on is causing a communication problem to the ecm and therefor causing the corrupt vin number. Anyone know how to reset the security light?
 

Mpsoldier

That just happened!
Mar 10, 2010
646
0
16
In my House
do you have a manual for the truck it will say how to in the manual. i figured unplugging the bcm will get rid of the security part.
 

fastpunker

adrenaline junkie
Feb 7, 2012
215
1
16
Lake Havasu City, AZ
no i dont have any kind of manual for the truck.... i left the bcm unplugged for 45min to try and clear it out. didnt work. I read that unplugging both batteries and grounding the positive terminals would reset it.... but i also read that the security light comes on when people change the batteries at the same time and then they cant even start their truck because of it... so im kinda worried about doing the battery bit...
 

20dirtymax03

Playin' Durty
Dec 15, 2008
6
0
1
40
Waconia Mn.
Try unhooking the Positive on your batteries (Both) for 10 to 20 mins. Then hook them back up. I know its weird but it worked for me.
 

Bryce418

Still slow
Oct 5, 2009
611
0
0
Is the hypertech one of the updatable ones? I have seen guys have issue reloading there programs when we update their ECM. I wonder if the tuner isn't recognizing the os in the ECM as a valid one.

Also is it a new programmer?
 

fastpunker

adrenaline junkie
Feb 7, 2012
215
1
16
Lake Havasu City, AZ
its one of the old tuners... and it is used but know that it works.
I'll try the positive terminal disconnect tomorrow to see if it clears the security light.
 

taylorbok

Member
Jan 31, 2011
113
0
16
is the ecu for sure flashed to the proper vin?

to me almost sounds like the programmer was not un programmed from the original owners truck, or maybe it was one of the styles that gets "married" to the truck if its old enough. That being said sounds like its trying to run in a bootloader (or w/e) from a vin that is not yours and confusing the ecm.