PCM Compatability 15+ Hemi 8sp

[DA67Goatman]

For those of us that are stuck needing to unlock the PCM, can we swap backwards to an earlier model to avoid that since pre-15 don't need unlocked? I'm trying to keep my factory PCM just in case anything happens I have a 10min swap back to perfectly functioning. I know I need to stick with 5.7 hemi and 8sp donor PCM but I don't know enough and I'm not the one tuning it.

 

[DA67Goatman]

Nothing?

 

[joshuaeb09]

You'll need to stick with a 2015+ PCM. Depending on if you're going to use HP tuners or Diablo you can buy a new unlocked PCM without having to unlock or lose possession of your stock PCM. You can also pick up a donor PCM so long as it is the correct model and ship that off to be unlocked and re-flashed to your VIN.

https://www.hptuners.com/product/new-dodge-modified-pcms/
https://www.diablosport.com/pcm-modify-your-vehicles-computer/
https://www.hptuners.com/product/pcm-modification-service/

https://forum.hptuners.com/showthre...dge-Jeep-RAM-PCM-Identification-VCM-Suite-3-0

 

[DA67Goatman]

How did you come to that conclusion? I haven't found any information on PCM compatibility. Currently I have a few salvage yards looking into it as usually their system has a compatibility chart for various models/trims.

 

[Tim Garceau]

I’d presume the modules all have to be VIN matched to communicate. So if you found a junk 2013-14 truck with similar options it could be done with at least the PCM/TCM/BCM(HUD as well)

Ultimately more labor and costly than a reflash.

 

[Wild one]

How did you come to that conclusion? I haven't found any information on PCM compatibility. Currently I have a few salvage yards looking into it as usually their system has a compatibility chart for various models/trims.

This is a question you're more likely to get the correct answer to by asking on either Diablo's or HP's page.As far as I know you have to stick with the same year PCM,but to be safe hunt up the outfits that do the re-flashing and ask them,they'll know for sure.Both Diablo and HP have phone numbers,look up their phone numbers and call them

 

[joshuaeb09]

How did you come to that conclusion? I haven't found any information on PCM compatibility. Currently I have a few salvage yards looking into it as usually their system has a compatibility chart for various models/trims.

I'd say Matt over Moe's is a fairly reliable resources as are the tuners.

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/can-i-install-a-2014-pcm-on-a-2015.96091/#post-1430385

The OS on the PCM's changed in 2015+ to accommodate the encryption as did a number of other modules on the CANBUS if you start picking apart part numbers. Some of them carry over between the various 4th gen years, but not all of them.

 

[DA67Goatman]

I was hoping for an unbiased response from those that like to tinker and also believe that after spending 50K on a truck I shouldn't have to spend another 10k to "unfix it" to the way it should have been.

I'm not a traditional consumer that takes things at face value, prove to me that I need your version of a product/service over another. I'm looking solely into reliability and keeping this thing working, and eliminating several nannies to smooth out operating some of the features.

Since, to my knowledge, no tuners can adjust MDS or grille shutters, air suspension or the shifter. If they can't make the changes, I can achieve some of them mechanically but I'm not an electronics/software savy individual and have the hardest time finding someone who is willing to try new things. If I have to dump $800 into another PCM and unlocking it then the tuning I wnat to do is no longer worthwhile.

It's not that I'm a strict contrarian, but I see the end result and many other ways to get there that appear to be better or cheaper or sometimes simpler. As far as I know not a single person has done most of the changes I want to make which makes things far more difficult for me.

Thanks to those that responded, I don't see one generic or thoughtless regurgitated response and I thank you for taking the time to help me with my goals.

 

[DA67Goatman]

I'd say Matt over Moe's is a fairly reliable resources as are the tuners.

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/can-i-install-a-2014-pcm-on-a-2015.96091/#post-1430385

The OS on the PCM's changed in 2015+ to accommodate the encryption as did a number of other modules on the CANBUS if you start picking apart part numbers. Some of them carry over between the various 4th gen years, but not all of them.

So basically if I have to I can convert my truck back to 2014 with all the modules from a donor truck. Is that what your saying?

 

[Wild one]

I was hoping for an unbiased response from those that like to tinker and also believe that after spending 50K on a truck I shouldn't have to spend another 10k to "unfix it" to the way it should have been.

I'm not a traditional consumer that takes things at face value, prove to me that I need your version of a product/service over another. I'm looking solely into reliability and keeping this thing working, and eliminating several nannies to smooth out operating some of the features.

Since, to my knowledge, no tuners can adjust MDS or grille shutters, air suspension or the shifter. If they can't make the changes, I can achieve some of them mechanically but I'm not an electronics/software savy individual and have the hardest time finding someone who is willing to try new things. If I have to dump $800 into another PCM and unlocking it then the tuning I wnat to do is no longer worthwhile.

It's not that I'm a strict contrarian, but I see the end result and many other ways to get there that appear to be better or cheaper or sometimes simpler. As far as I know not a single person has done most of the changes I want to make which makes things far more difficult for me.

Thanks to those that responded, I don't see one generic or thoughtless regurgitated response and I thank you for taking the time to help me with my goals.

Any decent tuner can adjust all the parameters you're thinking they can't.You can delete MDS /grill shutters and change the shift points and speed at which the transmission shifts while also taking some of the torque management out,it's not recommended you totally remove torque management,but you can cut it back a fair bit and still be safe with the 8 speed.I'm not sure what all they can do with the air suspension,but you can change it's ride height slightly with either longer or shorter arms at the wheels,depending on if you want it slightly higher or lower from the stock parameters

 

[joshuaeb09]

I was hoping for an unbiased response from those that like to tinker and also believe that after spending 50K on a truck I shouldn't have to spend another 10k to "unfix it" to the way it should have been.

I'm not a traditional consumer that takes things at face value, prove to me that I need your version of a product/service over another. I'm looking solely into reliability and keeping this thing working, and eliminating several nannies to smooth out operating some of the features.

Since, to my knowledge, no tuners can adjust MDS or grille shutters, air suspension or the shifter. If they can't make the changes, I can achieve some of them mechanically but I'm not an electronics/software savy individual and have the hardest time finding someone who is willing to try new things. If I have to dump $800 into another PCM and unlocking it then the tuning I wnat to do is no longer worthwhile.

It's not that I'm a strict contrarian, but I see the end result and many other ways to get there that appear to be better or cheaper or sometimes simpler. As far as I know not a single person has done most of the changes I want to make which makes things far more difficult for me.

Thanks to those that responded, I don't see one generic or thoughtless regurgitated response and I thank you for taking the time to help me with my goals.

I'm running a full EGS delete that requires the tune to keep the CEL off, my MDS is disabled in the tune, my current TCM tune has no Auto Park, and while I don't have air ride I know you can get some leveling links and do other things to play with it a bit.


The PCM encryption is a fact of life unfortunately on newer vehicles. Ours is fairly easy to bypass when you start looking at whats happening with Diesels as a comparison, Example would be the L5P. Unlocking our PCM's is about as difficult as rooting an android phone and flashing a custom rom so that's why it's so cheap where as the L5P requires actually replacing hardware components inside the PCM to get it running non GM signed code.

https://www.hptuners.com/product/l5p-ecm-exchange-service/

There were actually a few talks about the levels GM went to keep the L5P locked up and much of it mirrors what we would do in the world of cyber security to protect sensitive data like card holder or patient PII from an attacker with physical access. HP Finally cracked it after 2 years as no level of protective measures are invulnerable to a dedicated attacker with unrestricted physical access on a long enough time line, but it just goes to show how much worse we could have it for tuning.

 

[DA67Goatman]

There seems to be a miscommunication as to what I'm looking to achieve so I will clarify my intentions so that we can all agree that nobody has done the things I want to do.

I want o be able to use the air suspension the way it should be used, for hooking trailers and unloading the bed. I'm not looking to alter the height. I want it to dump and raise much faster and be able to move with doors open and vehicle moving as well as engage aero mode much earlier.

I want to remap the MDS to only activate after achieving operating temp and remap the trans to hold gears longer and downshift sooner favoring higher rpm with MDS active over bogging the engine on all 8 cyl.

I have already deleted the mach fan and need to lower the e-fan on temp and vss limits.

I would like to remap the grille shutters to work properly, close for faster warm up and maintain the 203* thermostat coolant temp and still close as much as possible for mpg while highway cruising.

I need to be able to completely disable the stability and traction control or remap it to actually help instead of hinder acceleration in less than perfect conditions.

I also want to generate the high idle function that the diesels have where the cruise control will raise the idle while in park.

The only "performance mod" will be stainless headers to fix the manifold bolt issue which of course will not have cats and I will need the codes blocked and fuel maps might need small adjustments.

To my knowledge most of these things have never been addressed by any tuner/company as its much easier/cheaper to just delete things rather than fix them properly.

I have very little experience with tuning as the only thing I ever dabbled in was my RX8 with a Cobb Accessport and it was more of the same "fixes" for reliability. I have a acquaintance who is willing to experiment with HP Tuners, but he has said that the software doesn't access many of the things I want to do. If There is a specific tuner who thinks they can accomplish these thing I would like to meet them. If I can't make all these improvements I may just leave it as is until I get it payed off then off it all together. I was hoping this was going to be my forever truck.