BCM won't communicate... cannot read DTCs from PCM either

[Purist]

Hello everyone!

I have a peculiar problem.

My BCM was damaged so I decided to replace it. Send it over to specialized repair center where they copied all the information into new BCM.

Now when I plug it in and connect OBD scanner it says that BCM is faulty, I borrowed friends BCM to test it and OBD scanner still reads "BCM internal fault"


I believe it is highly unlikely the BCM is damaged, I am having problems with my FOB as well, it only locks the vehicle but to unlock it and disarm the antitheft I used cylinder lock under the driver side door mirror.



Does anyone know when the BCM wont work? Is there a procedure I need to follow to code it with the car even though it was duplicated by the specialized ECU repair shop?




I am located in Tampa Bay, Florida area. Thank you very much for your help! Today I should be getting in mail DRB III (clone) so I hope that will help me move forward and get my Viper going again


Thanks a lot!

 

[MoparMap]

Hmm, I wonder if it's a wiring issue at that point if it's faulting with various different BCMs, even known good ones. When you say ODB scanner, do you mean just a generic one or a DRB III? The DRB can do more in depth diagnostics and check the buses to see what modules are even reporting on it. I don't remember if the theft module is separate from the BCM on the later cars off the top of my head. I know it was on the gen 1s at least, but wondering with the odd behavior you're seeing with the lock/unlock if that could have something to do with it as well. Just really seems like it could be a broken wire or bad ground or something somewhere, which is a major pain to track down, but can cause all sorts of weird issues.

 

[Purist]

I only have generic Launch and Autel scanner and expecting DRB III clone in the mail today.

The keyless module is located behind instrument cluster so I am dreading the work

 

[MoparMap]

Taking all the interior out isn't actually all that bad, though you do need to be a bit careful with the plastics. I've done it far too many times on my car for various reasons over the years, lol.

 

[Purist]

Have you had the keyless module out? Could you please share with me what everything has to be removed to get to it? I bought a service manual, but there isn't much info

 

[MoparMap]

I haven't necessarily removed that module itself, but I've likely taken things apart to the point I could get to it. Off the top of my head I'd say you probably only have to go as far as pulling the plastic surround off of the main dash panel and maybe the main instrument cluster. I did a big thread a while back where I pulled my entire dash out of my car to get to the HVAC housing here: https://www.viperclub.org/vca/threads/the-great-blend-door-teardown-with-pics.674644/. It's way further than you would need to go, but the start of that teardown is pulling all the trim pieces and stuff. There is one picture in there toward the start with the dash surround removed that might show what you're looking for.

 

[BadAzp]

Dan Lesser @ Viper Specialty Performance would probably be a great help on electronics

 

[Viper Specialty]

As pointed out above, this is exactly the type of nonsense I specialize in..... and I am located 2 hrs south of Tampa, certainly within range of you for a service call.

 

[Purist]

Hi! thanks for the information guys! in case you you are interested - my car is here on youtube.

It wont ever go for sale - it is my personal car and I am aware that I will always face issues with flood damaged car

Here's Why This Flooded Dodge Viper Won't Start

April is National Testicular Cancer Awareness Month! I’ve partnered with @MANSCAPED to help spread the word Visit https://www.manscaped.com/tcs to lear...

www.youtube.com

 

[Purist]

but also it was the only way for me to get a Viper and I know I will end up spending a small of fortune on it over next few years but it is what it is
They obviously do not sell in Europe and used are ridiculously expensive so I had to take this path but I will make it

 

[MoparMap]

Hey, nothing wrong with buying something damaged and fixing it up. It doesn't make it any less great of a car and it's all about what you're willing to deal with and fix. If it's nothing too serious it also lets you spread out the cost of the car over time. That was basically my 67 Dart project. Started life with a 318 and a 4 speed and almost no interior, but it ran and drove. Over the years it's got an 8 3/4 rear end, a 5.7 Hemi (started with a carb), a T56 6 speed, fuel injection swap, and computer upgrade, all spread out over time. Every step of the way it was still a running and driving car I could enjoy though.

 

[Purist]

Wow I love that setup! 67 dart with 5.7 hemi and T56

Thank you for the support! BTW do you have DRB III or what diagnostic/programming tool do you use?

 

[MoparMap]

You must be registered for see images attach

This is more or less what the Dart looks like at the moment. Older picture, but I don't think I've really changed anything externally since it was taken.

And yeah, I finally managed to snag a DRB III off Ebay some time ago. I bought one of the WiTech VCI pod clones before that. It worked okay for checking things and doing some basic diagnostics, but it was kind of a pain to use with all the cables and the laptop. The DRB III is nice because it's all in one. The VCI pod also can't deal with the TPMS system for whatever reason. I tried digging into that one, but never ended up finding anything. Doesn't really make sense why it doesn't work, but doesn't really matter now.

 

[Purist]

sweet car! Have you ever programmed with the VCI pod? I have to reprogram my BCM and still learning about it

 

[MoparMap]

I have not personally. I don't believe it's impossible to do, but it was generally recommended not to program with the clone pods at least just due to the somewhat sketchy nature of them. They aren't necessarily original hardware, so there was always a question of whether they had everything necessary to be able to program. The factory ones were used for it though, so in theory they are capable of it at least. I was thinking there was maybe a different cable used for programming vs diagnostics, but it's been a while since I have done any research on them. You might try a Google search and just look up "programming with clone VCI pod" or something like that and see if anyone else has had experience with it. They were used for all sorts of cars, not just Vipers, so you have a decent base of people out there that could have them.