Has anyone here used an HP Tuner on an '04 Monte Carlo? Is it typical for the security light, bells, and whistles, or whatever, to go off while editing the PCM? I had Tim at ZZP try twice to tune mine, but got flustered with the security issues, and finally gave up. 1st time he pulled the PCM and swapped in a new PCM with the ZZP 1.0 tune. 2nd time he gave up. Neither time was on the dyno. He dislikes Monte Carlos. GPs don't have that issue, or at least he knows how to work around it.

So now I have my own HP Tuner (birthday present), and I'm concerned with the same security issues. One person said it's "normal". What is this forums opinions on HP Tuners and "security" issues? Is this the same security accessible from the factory stereo deck?

 

Whenever you upload or download anything to or from the PCM, the instrument cluster is going to freak out.
This is perfectly normal as the PCM controls everything on the instrument cluster and if the signals going to and from the PCM from the ODB2 port are off then it will make the gauge cluster flutter.

When my tune was being uploaded and downloaded each time my gauge cluster did some crazy stuff. It will stop as soon as the file is done being loaded and the car will be fine.

-Riggs.

Oh, I asked about the gauge doing that when the guy tuned mine and he said that every GM 3800 car does that. Just the nature of messing with computer signals. The Grand Prix will do similar things. I'm not sure that they have the same security light though, but it won't affect anything either way. I got real nervous when mine did that but I was told that it is perfectly normal.

-Riggs.

 

my cluster goes a lil weird when i edit my pcm too so i dont think there is anything wrong with it

 

Are these tuners locked to one vehicle? I want to buy a ZZP downpipe with cat for my car over the summer and if I throw any codes I want to be able to clear them without having to shell out $500 for the tuner that I am probably only going to be using once. Oh and another problem, I am a Mac user and do not own a PC so the software wouldn't work for me anyway. And if my fiance finds out that I did a mod to this car that caused a thrown code, he will kill me LOL. And I am not familiar with any shops in my area to go to and clear any codes. Would they do that kind of a thing at a dealership? I know one in my are that claims to have a "performance shop". (Libertyville Chevrolet)

 

Dealerships won't disable codes in your PCM.
The only thing a dealership will do to the PCM is to completely clear the current tune and reload the factory tune.
They will probably clear the code when it sets, but most dealerships don't particularly like it when you modify cars without using their parts and may charge you to just clear the code.

You can clear codes with any scanner (like AutoTap), or with things like the Aeroforce gauges.
This will not permanently disable the code, but will clear it when it comes up.

HPTuners makes you pay either per car, or per model/year and you use "credits" to pay for each. (It takes 2 credits to unlock 1 2005 Monte Carlo s/c SS, but for 6 credits you can unlock all 2005 Monte Carlo s/c SS)
There is another tuner around called DHP PowrTuner that isn't made any more, and when they went out of business they opened up their software to all makes/models that they had supported. You can only find the DHP software used though.

-Riggs.

 

For about $60 you can buy a scanner that you can use to read and clean your CEL codes. You can't modify or turn them off, but you can read them and clear them.