Well everything was going well until the car just died. It was running off the 730 and I was booting up the laptop to start using data master. After a few min. of trying to get data master to work the car just died. I used Data master the night before with no problems. Now it does not start with the 730, and the SES light flashes a code 12 everytime I turn on the key. The cooling fan runs as well. Which means the car thinks it's in diag. mode, but the pins are not jumpered @ the ALDL. I pulled the chip out of the ECM and still the SES light and all comes on. I unplug the ECM and turn the key on, all systems go. I plug the 165 back in all good. Plug the 730 in NO go. Did my ECM go bad? What would be a good place to start?

 

Are you using the flash proms? Or the uv's? If the uv's try a longer erase time-it's happened to me-would work for a brief time and then the typical fans on etc. That's why I'll only use the AT's now. If it's a flash prom already....try filling buffer with ff, flash, then reflash your bin again. There have been some bad batches of the AT's also.

 

Thanks drive it. I'll give it shot.

 

Couple things. I ran into a bunch of different issues that would make Diacom not link and keep the cooling fans on all the time.

First it was a (ahem) prom in backwards. It didn't do any permanent damage to anything.

Second was a BIN that verified to the buffer, but I had used the same erase time on the same chip for about 5 erases. I go up 30 seconds each erase now. Haven't had that problem back. I have heard of others having a problem if they use the same erase times EVEN THOUGH they verify as erased when you do an 'erase check'.

Third was a bad solder joint (cold solder joint) on the EPROM socket. I am still old school and am using a non-ZIF socket. I just took more time soldering (and got a socket with longer legs). Yeah, I Need a ZIF, but the sockets are free if I can find the right ones in the spare parts bin. This was easy to diagnose because applying pressure to the EPROM allowed correct operation. It was easy to spot also because every time I went over the same railroad tracks, the problem would rear its ugly head.

Like I say, all of these caused the fans-on error. You said that it already ran, so I am going to rule out VATS, but you still might want to disable it in the chip just for trial runs.

Good luck. My swap has been flawless now for several months--it is the engine I have to worry about now :U -Matt-

 

Couple other things. Diacom requires a VIN number to link. I use a made-up VIN number for a 92 F-body. IU don't know what your program uses.

For my 85 update to link, I had to swap a terminal in the ALDL connector. I could have just jumpered one of the terminals to another one (don't confuse this with jumpering A to B) but I didn't. I don't have any schematics handy, but it was something like moving the data stream line from say pin F to pin L. THOSE ARE NOT the correct pins though.

 

Thanks for the info guys. Upon further research I found the following.

I think it's the chip, or the adapter not making good contact with my ECM. I have looked the adapter over well, and it is OK looking. Plus the car wouldn't start until I reflashed the chip. So, I thought bad chip(useing AT29C256).
I got four of them, so I just took another and flashed it. Put it in and the car ran great again. Even drove it up and down the drive way a few times just to see how it did. Then it to just died. Same thing as before. I pulled the chip out, and reflashed it. Car now works. I also noticed that if I pull the chip out of the ZIF, but do not reflash, put back in, it will work sometimes.

Thus leads me to think a bad connection at the ZIF maybe, or chips lossing flash? I know Craig makes a great product, so I really feel like I can rule out the adapter. I'm going to do some more testing today.
:crazy:

 

It is sounding like the adapter. Bummer. I don't have one, but I would pay special attention to the ZIF on it...maybe put a chip in and open and close it a couple of times to get the legs nice and straight on the EEPROM. But you got to drive it! :D

 

Well I guess it's the whole 2 steps forward 3 steps back thing.

I started it today and it ran for about 5-8 min. Then just died. So I first tried to pull the chip and reseat it. No luck. I then burned the chip again. No luck. I then put another chip in. No luck. I then pull the adapter out all together. No luck. I then put the stock memcal in, and again no luck. I put the 165 back in all OK. So, is it possible my ECM is going crazy after X amount of time? It seems to die at the exact amount of run time each time. Like it's timed delayed, or something is kicking in, and killing it.

 

After it dies, I would disconnect the battery for about 2 minutes just to let everything in the comp come to rest. If you try to start it and it still doesn't start, I would probably put the ECM in the fridge for an hour or 2 and then try it again. The main problem is that condensation can build up when you do that, so just don't leave it in overnight. That may be the only way for you to tell if something (like a transistor) on the ECM's power supply is getting too hot and is opening.

Other than that, I am pretty clueless.

 

Thanks for the help Highhopes.

Some help/ideas are better than non. I'm going to try what you suggested. The weather here has been very hot, and sticky.