Cheapest CASE relearn I can do myself?

**Teeeman** · 11-07-2009, 04:39 PM

Tried search, came up short...

what is the cheapest tool or package I can buy that offers ability to CASE relearn as well as read codes, etc.?

(i.e. the Harbor Freight scan tools are reasonably nice and cheap as well, but I can't tell if they offer CASE relearn capability)

Thanks!

-T

**williamssam81** · 11-08-2009, 08:09 PM

Hi Teeeman.

I haven't got any ideas, but was wondering if you I get the information
as I would like to do post it here. Cheers.

**Teeeman** · 11-09-2009, 08:21 AM

... will share anything I can learn.

Thus far I have identified about 3-4 possibilities but they are expensive.

HPTuners seems the most economical at around $600 for a suite of hardware and software to allow custom tuning.

Scan Tool II is hugely expensive around $2500 or more (even on eBay).

DHP PowrTuner apparently is discontinued.

Snap-on hand-helds are around $400 but I couldn't discern clearly if they offer CASE relearn command (can communicate 2 ways with the PCM, most scanners just read-only information from the PCM and do not send data back to it).

I can't confirm what the Harbor Freight $150 OBDII scan tool can do, but I highly doubt it will offer 2 way communication.

Autzone says the scanner they have (not sure brand) will clear codes but otherwise is read only.

I am going to call a shop later and talk to a trusted mechanic and find out what they charge to do it.

Most dealerships apparently charge right around $100.

I know it is all about having the right tools, but $100 for a 5 minute operation is a tough pill to take for me... I would rather spend $300 and have a capability than spend $100 for a service I could do myself with one hand behind my back (hahahah!).

I do still have my original PCM and my tuner offered to service it for free but my whole thought process on forking out the extra cash for the spare PCM was to 100% preserve the original components of my SS such that it could easily be returned to 100% stock if desired.

So I am going to at some point most likely go pay a shop to do the CASE relearn.

In the meantime... I am continuing to hope a low-cost tool with the capability to initiate CASE relearn can be found, but I have lost my initial enthusiasm that such a tool exists.

-Terry

**Frost** · 11-09-2009, 12:10 PM

It's often not easy even with HPTuners.

I don't sell pre-loaded PCMs except for swaps because of what you are going through. Your original PCM can easily be flashed back to stock at any time, so it's not like tuning is a permanent mod to it.

**Teeeman** · 11-13-2009, 08:13 PM

Update:

I found a knowledgeable small shop locally (RPM Automotive in Huntsville, AL... worked with Bob... talk about a savvy and smart mechanic, this guy is on top of things and is a beta tester for one or more scan-tool diagnostic type hardware systems).

He had a GM Tech II scantool, took 5 minutes to perform CASE relearn for me... no appointment, same day... (took 4 minutes to type in the VIN and scroll the menus which totally cracked me up... the actual relearn took about literally 1 second!).

He charged me $35.

So far, so good (put about 50 miles on the car).

Can't tell any improvement in idle nor power (it hadn't seemed to really have lost anything before other than an engine light) ... but my last tank of gas mileage dropped from 19 to 16 or so...

... should see the old mileage back now.

The funniest part is the PCM does all the work... the handheld simply tells it "do a CASE relearn"...

... there ought to be a button in the trunk to tell the PCM to re-perform any such learning modes, it could be that easy... but then GM would not be able to charge folks $100 to flash the PCM every time the car has a hiccup?

I am sorry to say I don't have any new info on hardware that lets folks do their own fixes like this.

Trust me, the process was so simple I know my 12 year old could have done it and am debating that one of our Gerbils might be capable (hahahah!).

-T

**Frost** · 11-13-2009, 09:33 PM

All it really fixed for you was misfire detection. You aren't going to see mileage gains or what-not. The TechII is the best and easiest tool to do it with.

**Teeeman** · 11-14-2009, 04:29 PM

... interesting... I did see a drop in mileage on my last tank.

Ah well, maybe I was just lead-footing it more.

-T

**gnomee** · 11-20-2009, 08:16 AM

What do you guys mean by CASE relearn? Just curious.

**Frost** · 11-20-2009, 11:28 AM

It's actually crankshaft variation re-learn... it describes (and 'learns' or remembers) the relationship to the PCM between the crankshaft reluctor and crankshaft pickup as it can vary from setup to setup.