My EFI Live Custom tune is locked!

**MetalGoat** · 12-06-2007, 08:28 PM

Can anyone tell me how to "unlock" a custom tune on my car.

When I ask to open the tune, it asks me to enter in an unlock code (5 character code?) and I want to unlock it so I can edit the tune to the way I want it. Have heard of brute forcing it but dont know how to go about it.

Any help would be awesome.

PCM is a 1999+ and I can get the number if you need it. I have the EFI Live V1 ready to go so I hope I haven't wasted my cash if I cant get the tune unlocked.

Cheers

**tblu92** · 12-06-2007, 11:09 PM

Who did the tune origianlly? It it wasn't you--you are probably out of luck--especially if it is not an EFILIVE tune--(EFILIVE can't unlock HP and vice versa)--Sometimes you can unlock EFILIVE tunes done by someone else--You'd have to look in the EFILIVE forums for some help there--If it is a tune that you did--then you should have the lock code--if you lost it--try e-mailing EFI for some help--

**0rion** · 12-06-2007, 11:35 PM

tblu, lets say you have hptuners ( I'm not sure of the options on EFI) and you have a locked pcm. Can you "write entire" over a locked tune? Just curious. Not sure if it locks out the write part or if it won't let you connect to write.

**MetalGoat** · 12-07-2007, 08:25 AM

The tune is EFI Live . . .

I dont want to edit the current tune and change it to anything else, all I want to do it be able to edit what I currently have

Cheers

**Frost** · 12-07-2007, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by 0rion

tblu, lets say you have hptuners ( I'm not sure of the options on EFI) and you have a locked pcm. Can you "write entire" over a locked tune? Just curious. Not sure if it locks out the write part or if it won't let you connect to write.

Nope. If it's locked, you need to get to the business of talking to the person that locked it.

**Frost** · 12-07-2007, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by MetalGoat

The tune is EFI Live . . .

I dont want to edit the current tune and change it to anything else, all I want to do it be able to edit what I currently have

Cheers

not that it matters, but I have read this sentence like 5 times and I am not sure what it is that you are trying to get across. I read "I don't want to be able to edit the tune I'm running, I just want to edit it..." ??

**Firebirdjones** · 12-07-2007, 10:01 AM

This is what I have been preaching about lately when it comes to tuning cars. I stay away from the tuners,,,,due to this very reason. Once it's locked your in trouble, and if the tuner goes out of business or can't be found,,,,well,,,,it's self explainitory.

Frost,,,,,
I believe what he is saying is he doesn't want to do a write entire and start all over,,,,he simply wants to access his tune without erasing or losing anything so he can make a couple of changes. I don't think this can be done without the code,,,unfortunately,,,he will have to find the original tuner and hope he still has the code,,,,and then hope he is nice enough to allow him to have it,,,,lol.

Unfortunately there are still many tuners that lock these computers after tuning thinking they have to hide there top secret techniques,,,,when in fact tuning is not rocket science, and many things that worked on the old school stuff still applies here, it's just done with a key stroke instead of hand tools.

Take Frost's advice,,,,check with your tuner about this situation before he/she even touches the car, or better yet,,,,get your own tuning software.

Sorry to hear of your dilema,,,,hope you get this worked out.

**MetalGoat** · 12-07-2007, 03:21 PM

Yes, had a few bourbons last night

I want to be able to edit the tune to the way I like it. I know a lot of tuners like to lock their tune but have also head it requires a custom operating system to "unlock" it. EFI Live asks me to enter a code when trying to read the tune and this is what I have heard can be hard to do when trying to get it unlocked.

People have suggested using a brute force to obtain the code but I then ask "how do I do it" I know it will take a long time to work out but I dont mind sitting the laptop in the car and letting it plug away at trying to figure out the code as I am on holidays now.

**Frost** · 12-07-2007, 05:35 PM

There are a buttload of characters and number of them to try though... You would have to write code to BF and even then it could run for days and days and not make a match. Do you know who tuned the car? Don't say his name, just asking if you KNOW who locked it? Another possibility, (and much much more affordable than you'd think) is to just buy another PCM. You could even get one loaded with a "mail order" or "starter" tune that you could tweak out from there. There are places around that sell PCMs with base tunes for like $250 USD. I'd imagine you could even find cheaper... I know I've seen them sell for around $150 before (no "base" tune, just stock); maybe eBay. Since you have the software, get a base tune from a repository or ask a forum member to make you up one, if you know of a good EFIL guy that would do that. (I'd do it for you if you had HPT)

**tblu92** · 12-07-2007, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

tblu, lets say you have hptuners ( I'm not sure of the options on EFI) and you have a locked pcm. Can you "write entire" over a locked tune? Just curious. Not sure if it locks out the write part or if it won't let you connect to write.

If a tune is locked--It won't even let you in to read what's in there--
I NEVER lock any of my tunes--I've got nothing to hide--some guys lock them because they are afraid the customer will find out they hardly made any chamges at all for the $500 price tag or they want to assure the customer will keep coming back for $100 updates---Personally i think it is a Chicken S--t thing to do and i don't charge for updates either

**0rion** · 12-07-2007, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by tblu92

If a tune is locked--It won't even let you in to read what's in there--
I NEVER lock any of my tunes--I've got nothing to hide--some guys lock them because they are afraid the customer will find out they hardly made any chamges at all for the $500 price tag or they want to assure the customer will keep coming back for $100 updates---Personally i think it is a Chicken S--t thing to do and i don't charge for updates either

I agree. That was 1 major reason I bought my own edit cable in the beginning and have since moved to hptuners. I don't want anyone touching my car unless it's absolutely necessary and even then I'll supervise. I would never let someone tune my car and lock the tune.

**Firebirdjones** · 12-08-2007, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

I agree. That was 1 major reason I bought my own edit cable in the beginning and have since moved to hptuners. I don't want anyone touching my car unless it's absolutely necessary and even then I'll supervise. I would never let someone tune my car and lock the tune.

Exactly why I went with Hptuner as well.

**foff667** · 12-10-2007, 05:35 PM

Yeah if the pcm is locked you'll need the original tuner to unlock it or purchase a new pcm...there are a few people out there that will unlock them but they are few & far between & the fact is you can more often then not find a new pcm for the same or less then they would charge to unlock your current pcm and even then you'll loose the tune that was on it.

BTW if its locked with efilive or hptuners you will not be able to read/write or write entire over it, when its locked its locked, not even a tech2 will be able to access it.

-Bill