Been short on time so I took the car in to have the waterpump, opti-spark and thermostat replaced.

From what he has told me briefly on the phone:

Today he had gotten everything back together and the car was running rich, he pulled injector(s). At somepoint during this the car died. During this is he was monitoring PCM with laptop / tool he wasn't specific. Basicly he says that when the engine died and the PCM went with it.

I had MadZ28 tuning, will need to get it again. He is to replace the PCM tomorrow.


My question:

What are the chances that he is responsible for the PCM failure, if he is not what could have caused it?

How would you guys handle this?

 

PCMs in my experience VERY rarely go bad unless it's user error. (welding while PCM is connected, kill it during a reflash, etc)
Even that is not that common, so my guess is that it MAY be something else.

 

Thanks Ion,

I will be getting back in touch to get tuning back. I am thinking that he should cover the PCM replacement, we'll see.

 

Anyone else?

 

from my experience, PCM's rearely go bad. If its truely indeed a bad PCM, I would lean towards the mechanic doing something wrong. The only times I have ever heard of a bad PCM is when a file upload went bad. He could of been using a snap on scanner and tried uploading a fresh file from GM either with a tech 2, and lost communication and fried the PCM.

 

From my parts store days: I was told that a bad voltage regulator could fry the pcm IF the battery was disconnected. The battery was a buffer that would absorb some of the the excess voltage but when removed from the mix there was no absorbation. I guess we sold quit a few W platform pcms from backyard mechanics removing the battery cables to see of the alternator was good. I just wanted to post this but I dont think it is what happened in your case.

 

Hey, in your experience, even if the negative terminal to the battery is disconnected have there been problems with welding and the PCM? I disconnected the battery when I made my exhaust last time, and afterwards the PCM started giving me data errors over my cable.

 

Update:

Well I appriciate the post.

I have now been told by that it was a "relay" that went out instead of the PCM. I am really questioning this guys knowledge. Wished I had time to take care of this myself.

-Still waiting to get the car back.