Flashing a BCM via Autocal and BT Dieselworks

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Rocket Man

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I just completed this and thought I’d share my experience so that others can learn and understand how this works. First I want to say that I did initially encounter a difficulty with obtaining my BCM tune and I did send a follow-up email to the initial order confirmation, followed a few weeks later with a phone message, then another separate email sent directly to them. I did not get an answer and 6 weeks went by. At which point I sent another email with the subject of “WTF” and I described my frustration. Ben Tyler, the founder, got back to me and said he couldn’t find any emails from me but after I gave him my order # and copies of my emails he apologized, sent my tune file, and said he partially refunded me. I haven’t seen any refund yet but I have no reason to doubt him.
On to the programming part. BT can do quite a few changes to your BCM, here’s a link to that. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0164/1950/files/BCM-tuning-autosync-compare-final.pdf?241

What I wanted was to eliminate hyper flash in my 08 Silverado along with a couple items like eliminating DRL’s and changing the lane change turn signal flashes from 3 to 5 blinks. The programming from BT Dieselworks is listed at $195 and they state you need to have an available TCM slot on your Autocal or else you’ll need to purchase one. I’m not sure how that works but I knew I had purchased 2 tunes from Blackbear, one for my 02 Yukon Denali which doesn’t have a separate TCM and one for this truck, which does have a TCM. I hoped the slot from my 02 was available. So yesterday the tune file arrived. BT said I would need to have my tuner “authorize” it so I forwarded it to BB. Shannon @BlackBearPerf sent it back in ONE DAY ( thanks Shannon) and the email just said” try this”. I copied the tune file to the Autocal and tried it. I got an error code, no bueno. I emailed BB who said they needed to contact the tuner who I assume is BT, and said BCM’s normally can’t be programmed with an Autocal. I emailed BT who tossed in the critical info that I did not see on their website or in any communication I had with them that the Autocal is used as a PASS-THRU device and I need to do the programming through my laptop using the EFI Live software. Aha. So I tried that. At first it said it couldn’t program because the controller needs to be licensed. I clicked the button to check the license and it said it needs to be licensed before I can check the license. I saw there was one available TCM -not BCM- slot available do I clicked the “ license module” button and it licensed the BCM. Then I clicked the “full flash” button and it said it can only “cal-flash” which I think is calibrate flash and it programmed. No more hyper flash and if you’ve followed my build thread you know how many resistors and hours I’ve tossed at that issue. And a few other cool features have been added. Overall I’m happy, there was just a long time there where I thought I tossed money down the drain. Better communication would have been great, timely communication would have been even better.
 

Joseph Garcia

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I just completed this and thought I’d share my experience so that others can learn and understand how this works. First I want to say that I did initially encounter a difficulty with obtaining my BCM tune and I did send a follow-up email to the initial order confirmation, followed a few weeks later with a phone message, then another separate email sent directly to them. I did not get an answer and 6 weeks went by. At which point I sent another email with the subject of “WTF” and I described my frustration. Ben Tyler, the founder, got back to me and said he couldn’t find any emails from me but after I gave him my order # and copies of my emails he apologized, sent my tune file, and said he partially refunded me. I haven’t seen any refund yet but I have no reason to doubt him.
On to the programming part. BT can do quite a few changes to your BCM, here’s a link to that. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0164/1950/files/BCM-tuning-autosync-compare-final.pdf?241

What I wanted was to eliminate hyper flash in my 08 Silverado along with a couple items like eliminating DRL’s and changing the lane change turn signal flashes from 3 to 5 blinks. The programming from BT Dieselworks is listed at $195 and they state you need to have an available TCM slot on your Autocal or else you’ll need to purchase one. I’m not sure how that works but I knew I had purchased 2 tunes from Blackbear, one for my 02 Yukon Denali which doesn’t have a separate TCM and one for this truck, which does have a TCM. I hoped the slot from my 02 was available. So yesterday the tune file arrived. BT said I would need to have my tuner “authorize” it so I forwarded it to BB. Shannon @BlackBearPerf sent it back in ONE DAY ( thanks Shannon) and the email just said” try this”. I copied the tune file to the Autocal and tried it. I got an error code, no bueno. I emailed BB who said they needed to contact the tuner who I assume is BT, and said BCM’s normally can’t be programmed with an Autocal. I emailed BT who tossed in the critical info that I did not see on their website or in any communication I had with them that the Autocal is used as a PASS-THRU device and I need to do the programming through my laptop using the EFI Live software. Aha. So I tried that. At first it said it couldn’t program because the controller needs to be licensed. I clicked the button to check the license and it said it needs to be licensed before I can check the license. I saw there was one available TCM -not BCM- slot available do I clicked the “ license module” button and it licensed the BCM. Then I clicked the “full flash” button and it said it can only “cal-flash” which I think is calibrate flash and it programmed. No more hyper flash and if you’ve followed my build thread you know how many resistors and hours I’ve tossed at that issue. And a few other cool features have been added. Overall I’m happy, there was just a long time there where I thought I tossed money down the drain. Better communication would have been great, timely communication would have been even better.

Thank you for giving us the details of your experience - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the resolution.

Our collective knowledge base has been increased!

I want to say that some time back, I had reached out to these folks with a couple of emails regarding their BCM tune offering, but I never received a response. I can't be sure it was them and not someone else, but I gave up on a BCM tune after that experience. Maybe, its time to try again.

Thanks again!
 
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Rocket Man

Rocket Man

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Thank you for giving us the details of your experience - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the resolution.

Our collective knowledge base has been increased!

I want to say that some time back, I had reached out to these folks with a couple of emails regarding their BCM tune offering, but I never received a response. I can't be sure it was them and not someone else, but I gave up on a BCM tune after that experience. Maybe, its time to try again.

Thanks again!
White Auto Media Services was the place that used to do BCM programming and were the only place to get it done I believe. They required the BCM to be sent to them. Now their website directs you to BT Dieselworks. It’s possible you dealt with White.
 

Joseph Garcia

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White Auto Media Services was the place that used to do BCM programming and were the only place to get it done I believe. They required the BCM to be sent to them. Now their website directs you to BT Dieselworks. It’s possible you dealt with White.

Yes, absolutely, it was White that I reached out to twice, and received no response. Thank you for refreshing my memory.
 
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Rocket Man

Rocket Man

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I have spent a bit of time checking to see if my frustration with getting service in a timely manner was a fluke or the norm with BT Dieselworks and unfortunately it seems it’s the norm. I visited a couple diesel forums and their FB page. Some guys on the forums said he never answers emails or phone calls and the best way to get ahold of him is through messages on FB. So I checked and it looks like he never answers those either. He has left guys hanging for months with no reply. It’s too bad, his work is highly regarded and he offers things nobody else does but everybody seems to agree his customer service is nonexistent. So beware. You might have to wait a long long time, and you might have to get really aggressive like I did in order to get the product. I do have to say that once I got his attention, he kept responding until my situation was resolved.
 

08z71bgm

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Good to know. I just put some led bulbs in and it started hyper flashing. They will fix this.

So I’ll need efi live and the autocal device in pass thru mode with a recalibration for the bcm?
 
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Rocket Man

Rocket Man

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Good to know. I just put some led bulbs in and it started hyper flashing. They will fix this.

So I’ll need efi live and the autocal device in pass thru mode with a recalibration for the bcm?
Yes and an available TCM slot on the Autocal which I never got the full scoop on. I asked BT Dieselworks at one time but never got an answer. It’s listed as a requirement on their website. I do know that I bought 2 vin licenses from Blackbear, one of which is for my 02 which doesn’t have a TCM since it’s built into the ECM so I don’t know if that is what was used. The BCM file had to be sent to BB to be “authorized” so I assume they are who assigned it to the TCM slot. Maybe they’ll chime in here- how about it @BlackBearPerf ?
 

08z71bgm

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Yes and an available TCM slot on the Autocal which I never got the full scoop on. I asked BT Dieselworks at one time but never got an answer. It’s listed as a requirement on their website. I do know that I bought 2 vin licenses from Blackbear, one of which is for my 02 which doesn’t have a TCM since it’s built into the ECM so I don’t know if that is what was used. The BCM file had to be sent to BB to be “authorized” so I assume they are who assigned it to the TCM slot. Maybe they’ll chime in here- how about it @BlackBearPerf ?
Sounds good. Hopefully they can clarify it. What is the total cost? 195 or 195 plus something else?
 

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