L96 flex fuel engine, 6L90 transmission, manual transfer case, according to the rpo codes.

I initially hooked the battery cables up to my other truck, just to power it up, and got stuck on some key security problem, so my code reader couldn't even get any stored dtc's until I figure that out. Tried out the window/door lock power buttons, they only partially work, power windows don't work, fan works, mode seems to work, most of the exterior lights work, didn't try blinkers or wipers.

Passenger front panel is dented up a bit, bed sides are busted up (not a big deal for me, I plan on putting on a flatbed).

I was going to start with getting past the key security problem, so I had bought a new battery for it, but instead decided to try to clean up the engine compartment first. Basically everything in it is covered in packed on dirt. To me, it doesn't seem like someone stuck it in a mud pit, but more probably it was from driving repeatedly on a long muddy road behind somebody else, and never cleaning it up, so it's just multiple layers of baked on mud.

Here's some pics of the engine compartment:

That's the steering box, completely encased in dirt, and of course, the ecm, w no cover...

Initially, I tried getting this stuff off just using a nozzle on a hose, but that basically didn't get anything off. This stuff is hard, and baked on, and the water would mostly just run off instead of loosening it up at all.

Switched to the pressure washer with a wide-angle nozzle, and 45 minutes later:

It's a lot better, but I'm going to hit it again tomorrow, as there are still a bunch of spots with thick, caked on dirt around parts and wiring harnesses. And I need to take a closer look at the radiator. When I looked at it today, it looked reasonably clean from the outside, but it wasn't particularly bright, so I'll put a light on the inside and see how clean the fins are.

 

First thing I would have tackled would have been removing the tire from the grille.

 

That was just there to aid in pushing it into it's parking place w/o damaging the bumpers/grilles of that truck and my other truck...

 

Damn did they sink it in a mud pit?

 

That is a lot of dirt and crud! I worked for an older gentleman many years ago and he ran a business pouring solid concrete walls on SC area. He ran pretty low budget and his vehicles were pretty shabby. One station waggon thing that I had to drive temporarily to transport some workers was a real rough one. It was leaking so bad and I popped the hood and it was caked with stuff. I told him I was going to wash it to see where the leak was coming from (I just really wanted to clean it) but he absolutely refused. His words "the dirt is what is holding it all together" haha.

I believe this is a second truck for you? What will be its purpose? How many miles on it? I assume you got it cheap given the present condition. Look forward to watching it get refreshed. The engine cleaning is already a big improvement. How far are you going to take it in terms of restoration?

 

That is a lot of dirt and crud! I worked for an older gentleman many years ago and he ran a business pouring solid concrete walls on SC area. He ran pretty low budget and his vehicles were pretty shabby. One station waggon thing that I had to drive temporarily to transport some workers was a real rough one. It was leaking so bad and I popped the hood and it was caked with stuff. I told him I was going to wash it to see where the leak was coming from (I just really wanted to clean it) but he absolutely refused. His words "the dirt is what is holding it all together" haha.

I believe this is a second truck for you? What will be its purpose? How many miles on it? I assume you got it cheap given the present condition. Look forward to watching it get refreshed. The engine cleaning is already a big improvement. How far are you going to take it in terms of restoration?

This is going to be a backup truck for my other one, as the other one is old enough that, even though it's been pretty reliable, it can break down unexpectedly and I need another vehicle that will go when that happens at the wrong time.

It's got about 150k km on it (100k miles) so not a high-mileage truck, it's just been used hard.

As for how far I'll go with it, I just want to get everything working again, and so the truck looks ok (so replace hood trim and passenger fender which is dented in). The cab doesn't appear rusty, I need to fill/paint the various mounting holes in it. It's going to be a work truck, so it's not getting some fancy paint job, probably the main upgrades will be a radio w carplay, adding DIC controls (from my research, just need to find the DIC panel and plug it in), maybe some running boards. The sides of the bed are damaged, so there's not much point in trying to sell it, when I replace it w a flatbed.

 

That thing was a farm truck I imagine and its probably missing the splash shield underneath as well I would bet.

 

You actually likely dont even need the panel.. pull it and look behind it to see if you have the ears for the buttons to clip in and the wiring harness plugged in to a dummy spot. If so just get the buttons and cut the hole yourself, thats what I did. panel is like $60 give or take so it will save a little to go towards something else.

You can also add steering wheel audio controls if it doesnt have it from factory

 

I was going to scour junkyards for the bits so they shouldn't be that expensive. Added a steering wheel w swc's to the list of things to find. I need a whole bunch of stuff, as lots of trim/covers/shielding is broken or missing.

 

Today, I spent more time pressure washing the engine and frame, it's not terrible anymore. There's still going to mud down the center/underside of the truck that I'll get when I have the truck raised a bit.

After that, I installed a new battery w battery maintainer on it, and was able to use Autogenuity w gm enhancement to read codes from all the computers. It takes way too long doing a full scan, as they've got a stupid long timeout for scanning a given module (10-15 seconds for each one), and being a base model, a lot of modules aren't there to scan, but directly scanning a specific module, it'll immediately report the module isn't responding. Dumb.

Anyway, there's a MAP engine sensor code, and some other bcm/trailer brake/abs codes, but the ones preventing the engine from running are the theft deterrent ones, B3060 Immobilizer key not programmed and P0633 unprogrammed transponder identification code received. Since the key is brand new (not by me, but visually looks brand new), one of the last couple of flippers likely lost the key, made a new one and didn't/couldn't get the truck to learn the key.

 

I'm thinking about getting a mobile service to program and perhaps make a second key for the truck, but I'm also open to buying a tech ii/mdi2 setup, and then a short SPS subscription to program the key (probably get a second one cut and then program both at the same time).

The problem I have with buying a techii/mdi2, is that I have no idea what exactly I would need to buy to make it work.

Probably one of the items from this page:

Tag: GM MDI

www.chinacardiags.com

Actually, from what I can tell, I would want one of these two packages (as it also includes a win7 laptop w software installed):

MDI2 interface w laptop & software:

WIFI GM MDI 2 with Software and Lenovo T410 Installed Ready to Use

V2023.5 WIFI GM MDI 2 with GDS2 Tech2Win Software with Lenovo T410 Laptop 4GB Software Installed Ready to Use Some customers have problems with the hardware installation, so you can buy this bundle, we install together to use directly

www.chinacardiags.com

The above + a TechII setup:

GM Tech2 Full Package+ GM MDI 2 with Software installed on Lenovo T410 Laptop

This package includes GM Tech2 Full Package and GM MDI 2 with Software Pre-installed on Lenovo T410 Laptop Full Package

www.chinacardiags.com

Does anyone here know if the MDI2 setup alone will pull codes from a GMT800 as well as the GMT900, and run the various diagnostic and repair procedures for both models, or do I also need the tech ii to do the code reading/repair stuff, and the mdi2 for the repair procedures for the GMT900 stuff that needs to pass-through to ACDelco's SPS service?

 

I can't answer those questions, but recall this guy was mentioned on here from time to time and has a couple good videos on using the tool. Perhaps more focused on the GMT800's though...not sure. Lots of other ones out there too just looking at the suggested videos when this one is up.

 

Thanks for those videos. I'll do some more research, but it looks like I would just need the MDI II and then tech2win to do off-line diagnosis stuff, without needing a subscription, and then a subscription to ACDelco's SPS service to do programming (including adding a key if you don't have a working one already).

 

Well, jumped into the deep end and ordered this:

WIFI GM MDI 2 with Software and Lenovo T410 Installed Ready to Use

V2023.5 WIFI GM MDI 2 with GDS2 Tech2Win Software with Lenovo T410 Laptop 4GB Software Installed Ready to Use Some customers have problems with the hardware installation, so you can buy this bundle, we install together to use directly

www.chinacardiags.com

MDI1 passthrough device (in MDI2 box)
used laptop w tech2win software preinstalled

While waiting for it to arrive, I'll hit the local junkyards for various damaged trim pieces, interior and exterior panels, and odd bits and pieces I've noticed is missing or damaged.

 

Replaced the OBD connector on the truck, as the po busted off the mounting tabs. Straightforward to do, but I forgot to disconnect the battery, so when it was depinned, the power pin shorted out and blew the fuse.

I knew that GM uses the cigarette lighter fuse for powering the obdii port, so I looked through the interior and underhood fuse diagrams for it, found some aux power ones in the dash fuses, they were all good. The cover for the underhood fuse box is busted, making some of the diagram unreadable, but no obvious fuse to check from what I could read.

So, went inside to go through the mitchell website for the truck, to find the wiring diagram for it. Searched for OBD port, nothing, diagnostic port, found the master connection list, search it for "diagnostic" didn't find the port, start going through the list from the top, find data link connector, remember that's gms name for it, and click on that. See the connector diagram, and the pinout, power is on circuit 640. Search for 640, nothing. You have to manually look at every power diagram to find it. Mitchell of course tries to make it suck even more by disabling opening links in new tabs (figured out how to get around that in Firefox, working on a greasemonkey script to get rid of their stupid disabling of copying text), control click on a bunch of diagrams from the master power distribution list (don't recall how I got there), and look through them until I find the one with circuit 640, which indicates it goes to LTR/Fuse 53 for gas trucks.

So, replaced the fuse, which had blown, plugged in the Autel diagnostic tool I have, it powers up and reads some codes, fixed.

Ugh. The paper version (I have it for my '04), at least all the pages are clear and high-resolution, even if you have to flip through a lot of pages to find stuff. The default for looking at wiring diagrams for Mitchell is to present a small, low-res pic, that you have to click on a link to then get a larger, but still low-res pic. And if you don't kill Mitchell's disabling opening links in new tabs, it's even more annoying, remember name of diagram, click on link to see diagram, click on link to see larger version of diagram, examine diagram, go back to the list of diagrams find the name you remembered, look at the next diagram in the list, repeat. Lame as ****.

 

As well, Mitchell makes even the most basic stuff really suck on their website.

You can't save deep links into it, like say, to the page with connector views, or master connector list, because they include session-specific info in the url. So, when they timeout your login after 30 minutes or so, all the url's from that session just go to a session expired page, please login. But, because Mitchell sucks, they don't have, say, a login button, or even a link to a login button. You have to manually go to mitchell's home url, then click the login button, and then find what you want all over again.

Does anyone know if Alldatadiy.com is this stupid, or is it a better website?

 

Also spent more than I really wanted to on this:

It was being auctioned on copart.ca, ignition wiring has been stripped, got it for a lot less than what the seller wanted... I'm going to use it as my parts truck for this build, as the front fender, hood, bump of it are knicked up, interior is nicer, lots of bits and pieces to migrate over. And depending on how the mdi setup I have works at getting the engine going, it may be an engine and/or transmission donor as well.

copart has to be owned by ticketmaster, they tack on fee's for everything, pay to have an account to bid, general "environment" fee, presumably to clean up their site when they leave (yeah sure), fee to stage the vehicle to pick it up, pay to place the winning bid over the internet, on and on, on top of the usual buyers premium... :-(

 

Sure does sound like a frustrating website. A lot of digging to find a blow fuse location.
Buying a truck to fix a truck…that’s impressive! Haha

 

I did it for my '04 as well, primarily to get the 4wd system to transplant into the 3500, but I've wound up getting a bunch of other parts from it as well (tires, PS pump, hydroboost, steering wheel, various other interior bits and pieces).

That one was a better deal, but this one probably will still save me both time and money vs either buying parts new or waiting for trucks to show up in local junkyards to get parts off.

 

Received the diagnostic setup that I ordered

WIFI GM MDI 2 with Software and Lenovo T410 Installed Ready to Use

V2023.5 WIFI GM MDI 2 with GDS2 Tech2Win Software with Lenovo T410 Laptop 4GB Software Installed Ready to Use Some customers have problems with the hardware installation, so you can buy this bundle, we install together to use directly

www.chinacardiags.com

The box included:
-MDI clone in MDI2 case
-refurbished laptop w power supply
-2-button/scroller usb2 mouse
-about 6' long usb2 cable
-slightly shorter MDI2 plugin to OBDII connector
-nylon laptop case for holding everything.
They did do a good job of packing the laptop and MDI unit, even with a damaged box corner, everything inside was undamaged and firmly held in place (shaking the box, nothing would move).

The laptop looks almost new, other than a sticker peeled off the bottom, and perhaps the fingerprint sensor looks worn (it kinda looks a little worn/dirty). It boots up into Windows 7 Ultimate (or so it claims), and has a bunch of software pre-installed.

The GDS2 app seems to work (it's cracked), but the libraries/configurations it comes with seem to just cover vehicles just after my 2012 (I think it's around when GM formally was switching models from using Tech2's to GDS2). I was able to use it to read vin/calibration version numbers from some of the computers, I may play around with it some more to see if it will do more for my '12, but it probably won't.

Don't know what ALPEMIX is.

Not sure what that Data Bus Diagnostic app is for.

The Development Programming something app seems to be for loading calibrations into the truck, I don't think this will be useful to me, as I got a subscription to SPS.

Don't know what the RDS3 app is for, tried it, it was in Chinese, I think I may have selected the option to update itself, afterwards I looked at the pic higher up on the screen with RDS3 in the title, which is also in chinese, but appears to indicate you should make sure NOT to select the button I pressed, to prevent it from updating. It probably does't work right anymore, but it's still in Chinese, so I can't really tell.

MDI Manager, is an old version of Bosch's manager app (it's a free download), it lets you know the computer can see/talk to the MDI unit (which needs to be either plugged into a vehicle, or with a separate power supply, it won't power up just via usb). The firmware on the MDI unit was also old (so it worked with this version of MDI Manager/drivers).

The main app I wanted to use, Tech2Win, doesn't work. It comes with a half dozen PCMCIA bin files(the programs that are executed on techii's, that this application emulates), but from the log file, right when the emulator starts up, something goes wrong (so, you select what PCMCIA setup to use, then select the MDI/MDI2 device to use, then the app just quits). I did try using an uncracked Tech2Win app on another computer, and using the same PCMCIA bin file with both apps, the uncracked one reads and emulates it, while this cracked one just quits, so it's probably not installed or cracked right. The uncracked app partially runs fine, it just puts up a dialog at startup that it's unlicensed and then doesn't do any actual communication with the vehicle.

After seeing that the MDI device did kinda work to talk to the truck via the GDS2 app, I went to:

Site Maintenance

and paid for a 2 year subscription to the SPS service (which is just for programming the various computers in the truck). I initially tried using Firefox to buy the subscription (registering worked fine with it), but the button at the very end of the process (after you enter what to buy and credit card info) just doesn't function with Firefox. Redid it with Opera and that worked (did this part on my regular MacOSX system).

Switching to my Win8.1 setup, updated it (I rarely use it, I hate using windows).

Started with downloadig the latest version of MDI manager from bosch's website (google for it if you want it, if you are going to use acdelco's/gm's software, don't, as it's included as part of the download from them, installed it, installed app was missing some dll (no idea why), I googled for it, found some random copies on the net, copied them into the right directories, and the app launched. With the mdi connected and powered via a power supply (a 12V/1.5A one for a HD), MDI Manager saw it, but it had an incompatible firmware, used the update feature to update the firmware and then I could connect/disconnect from it and it was fine. Note, updating the firmware resulted in MDI manager on the laptop I bought to not work with it, but I could install the newer version of MDI manager onto that laptop, and then both it and GDS2 worked again.

Launched Edge(initially tried Explorer, but the site didn't seem to like it), and logged in my account, on the same page where you start the process of buying a service, it also shows the entry for the subscription I bought. I forget the exact steps I did here, because the process got stupid, but it was something like clicking add vin, goes to a new page, there's some buttons there, a download button and a start application button. You want to first hit the download button, and then download the big installer (at least that's what I did), install that (which was a hassle for me, I had already installed bosch's MDI manager software, and GM's installer refuses to work unless all of it is gone, and it was somewhat finicky to remove). At the end of this installer, you have a bunch of apps on your desktop. Do not try to directly execute them. I did, and they don't work right. First, the main app checks with gm's servers and update/download a bunch of stuff, then it presents a big window with a login button. But the login button doesn't initially respond (because the updaters are still apparently working in the background, and it can take several relaunches of the app before everything is updated and ready to go) and then when it does respond, the acdelco tds login info doesn't work. INSTEAD, you need to go back to Edge, and acdelco's website, and click the launch app button. That will then launch the app, with some hidden login credentials, that enables the app to work.

With the app working, I took the laptop, MDI, cables (should have also taken the power supply for the laptop) out to the truck, and then used the SPS service (from within the main app launched by the website), to work through the theft deterrent relearn procedures (there were 3, one for new keys, one for replacing either the pcm or the chip reader, and one more that I forget the title. All 3 procedures require a 12 minute wait. The first one (for new keys), got the security light to turn off when I reinsert/turn the key on (it goes out when the other lights do), but I still get the P0633 code. I tried the other two procedures as well, they all completed successfully, but I still get the P0633 code, and when I try to start the truck, all the lights go off, but no action from the starter (and with a week old battery on a battery maintainer).

So, tomorrow, I'll go back through the P0633 diagnosis procedure in mitchell's site for my truck, and see what else to do to get past it.

 

And from looking up the P0633 code now, it's not the problem, something else is preventing the engine from being started. Once the engine starts, then this code should automatically be cleared. There was a B3060 unprogrammed transponder identification code received before I did this process, and going through it cleared that code (which also turned out the security light).

 

And doing more reading of the diagnostic procedure for P0633 and the SPS procedures for the theft deterrent setup, there are some additional steps (turning key off/wait a couple minutes/turn key back on) to do, after doing the SPS procedure, to complete them properly, which I failed to do.

 

TOUCHDOWN!

I don't know why, but someone unplugged the signal wire to the starter. Plugged it in (already checked that it had oil and coolant), turned the key, and it fired right up. It quickly had good oil pressure and voltage, so it's basically working. Now to put the front wheel back on and see if it will move on it's own.

 

To follow up on what I did today, I, um, found a copy of the emulator executable for Tech2Win, that apparently doesn't need a license file, and tried it with the Tech2Win that is installed as part of GM's/ACDelco's Techline Connect installation, as well as adding the GM NAO 33.008 pcmcia bin file (GM North America Operations tech ii pcmcia executable, the software that runs on techii's for NA vehicles). That worked and I could read dtc's and read data from the various computers in the truck.

So, for me, I expect to just use tech2win and sps as part of gm's installation, on my laptop, to work on this truck. The laptop I got from chinacardiags isn't really necessary for me, as the only software on it that I might need now is the GDS install if I get a 2014 or newer truck sometime in the future (I think it's got libraries for up to about 2020/2021 or so).

The only hiccup with my setup is that, when I want to use SPS, which is now part of GM's Techline Connect app, when TC is launched via their stupid process (go to ACDelco's website login, click on the vin I have a subscription to, which opens a new tab on GM's website, click on the Launch TechLine Connect Application button [which you can only press once, if there is any problem with the app or you quit it, you need to go through this process again]), TC scans all the installed files that they are up to date, including the Tech2Win emulator executable, and it doesn't like that it's not the right file and errors out. So, when I want to use SPS, I need to copy the original executable into the app folder, and when I want to use Tech2Win, I need to copy the modified executable.

Prior to finding the starter plug being disconnected, I did run through the key relearn and ecu/tdm module replacement sps procedures again, following the process described on Mitchells website, which didn't make any noticable difference (still had the P0633 code after doing them).

After running through those procedures, I switched to working through the no-start diagnostic procedure, checking the mega-fuse on the battery connector, and various fuses & relays in the underhood fusebox, which all were fine. I moved on to checking the starter, and found the small connector to it was unplugged, and plugged it back in. Went back into the truck and it fired right up.

Checked for DTCs afterwards, and the P0633 code was now a history code, and didn't get generated after clearing DTCs.

 

Now, with the engine running and it drive's ok (bonus, no TCM codes after driving it around the block), I'm switching to maintenance and part swapping mode.

Started with swapping in the DIC control panel from the parts truck, which was easy enough to do, and it worked fine with running through all the options.

Stuff to do includes:
-fixing engine dtcs (P2227/P2228, barometric pressure sensor problems)
-fix transmission leak/missing bolts (pan is missing a bunch of bolts or they are broken off, and it appears to be leaking around where the shift lever is, but need to clean the area to see where exactly the problem is)
-swapping over the seats some other interior bits (new driver's seat is power while original is manual, so need to figure out making that work) and fix various door handles that don't work right/are missing.
-swapping hood, front passenger fender, bumper
-clean the radiators stack more (may need to remove or separate them more to get more mud out of them)
-change fluid/filters in engine/transmission/diffs/transfer case/brakes/power steering
-clean more mud off the underside and under the wheels (I took off one of the front wheels and the rotor and brake were caked in dirt)
-check/replace brake pads and parking brake shoes (need to get the special socket for the axle nut, I expect it's different than the one for my '04, but I'll check if what I have works)
-get the passenger rear taillights working
-make sure the trailer plug and TBC (it has gm's integrated setup) works
-make/install a flatbed for it

Bonus stuff:
-see if fog light setup will work (the parts truck has them, hopefully they will work when swapped without needing a VCI code to reprogram the bcm to enable them)
-install a radio that supports carplay and a backup camera
-install power mirrors (the truck came with them, but the p.o. likely broke them and was cheap by installing manual ones)
-swap the tinited windows for the rear doors window
-swap over the remote door lock setup (not sure if just swapping the module in will work, or if I need to find someone who can get acdelco to make a VCI code to add that option to the truck).

So, this should keep me out of trouble for awhile...

 

After shopping for a bunch of fluids, and, somewhat ironically, getting a couple parts for the parts truck (p.o. had stripped some parts, including one of the driver's door hinges and door latch, I got them just so the door could be reasonably opened/closed), I spent another couple of hours getting the truck up off her feet, took off her boots, and pressure washed behind all the wheels.

Before:

After:

Need to do more with the rear rotors, as it got too late to get all the dirt out of the vanes in the rotors (most of it is out, but there still is a bunch in there).

Then, spent some hours on rockauto, selecting a bunch of parts (spark plugs, air filter, trans filter, shocks, brakes, brake hardware, inside and outside drivers door handles, door lock knobs), totaling about $665US including shipping and taxes. Remembered to use the RA discount code

Also, figured out that I could save about $50 in shipping costs by ordering the front shocks in one order, the rear shocks in another, and the rest of the parts in a third order. Doing it as 3 separate orders, everything could ship via fedex, if the shocks were bundled together, they could only ship via DHL, which was $50 more than the fedex charges for shipping the shocks as 2 packages...