I'm trying not to think bad things, but about three months ago i got the infamous 2-3 start/die and then nothing symptoms when trying to start my car. Having read through all kinds of threads here as an act of defiance/hedge against sketchy mechanics/technicians should I ever need one (and there is no shortage of them here in Vegas), or in prevention of needing one, I have learned quite a lot and recognized it right off the bat. I had also previously watched a bunch of YouTube vids and recall at least a handful of different people having done mods to the sentry key system eliminating the need for the transponder. I wanted that.
I also build gadgets like laser engravers, 3d printers, CNC, LED arrays, hexapod robotic "bugs" and whatever else I feel like I can pull off, program micro controllers, repair PCBs, micro soldering, fault finding on circuit boards (I suck and need more practice, but AI has surprisingly been a crap-tonne of help on this) I extract, dump and explore firmware for various devices, eeproms, etc, etc, etc. In short, I'm a nerd of the highest order and am no dummy about this sort of stuff. I'm no GENIUS about it, either, but have a firm grasp of concepts and learn new ones quickly. I did some research, or tried to, to find out what was inside the modules in my car, controller chip wise and came up empty, short of cracking them all open. I just wondered what protocol for bridging might be used as I have several varieties for many different types of chips and also have a few chip programmers in addition to the readers.
I have always been of the mindset that if a thing is broken what's the harm in taking it apart and trying to fix it? That mindset applies to most things that are useless if I don't fix it because I have no plans to pay someone else to do it, but in this case, I was not willing to risk further damaging things in an exploratory sort of manner knowing how uncommon and hard to come by parts can be for this vehicle. But I did try a few simple things suggested by specialists, like reflowing solder joints that can come loose from vibration on the relay controller, checked t he relays themselves (so rad to watch them all do their thing I even videoed it) dismantled my dash to see if I had loose connections in the wiring harnesses, checked/tested fuses, grounds, and all that basic troubleshooting stuff one might do that isn't invasive (except reflowing, but I trust myself with that task). My odbII reader came up empty for codes which I find curious, but nothing shocks me when an entire vehicle's multiple mechanical systems are each managed by a controller unit and communicate via a local network. Two of them, if I am not mistaken. The fast one (CAN C) and the non-time crucial functions on the slower one (CAN B). This would all be a new world of data communication for me to go spelunking into. Coincidentally it's often used in robotics to sync multiple servos and memory, and clock systems and Lemmy knows what else. Only gotten my toes wet in this department so far, but it's good stuff to know.
Anyway, I found "my guy" and made contact. I explained what I wanted as skreem delete which in my mind is to delete the need for the skreem security by either modding the firmware and deleting the need for code matching, or an added module that tricks the PCM or manages to harvest several codes in the upcoming sequence and feeds the correct one. Whatever the case, I don't care. I just need to start my car. By this point, it's been two months and I had been waiting on my husband to allocate the funds for this job which took a while. Meanwhile, I was stranded 8-10 hours a day wherever I had him drop me or here at home with no choice and driving myself batsh**, going stir crazy. I'm told by "my guy" to pack up my main computer module, the skreem and keys and mail it to such and such address. Absolutely. Can't wait. Except I have to till it's done and returned to me in working order. (*insert ants in mah pants*)
So once I decided I was hands off and going to source a specialist to write out my need for a transponder from my computers, since this would be the second time in a year needing some kind of locksmith (once prior for my misplaced key that was locked in my parked and for sale food truck along with the food truck keys as well that I found a week and a half later) I decided that I wanted not to have to deal with them again because for this issue, they were trying to charge me double the going rate to do exactly what I did and that is mail off my PCM, Skreem and keys to a reputable specialist with the answers to my problem. He was basically charging an a-hole gouge, sight unseen no less without knowing for fact what the issue was which was shady imo, just to mail my stuff away for me. An extra five hundred bucks to ship my stuff away? Gee, thanks a pant load, Chet. Hard pass. He was even kind of laughing at me on the phone which only aggravated me. I get this sort of thing often I can only assume due to my femaleness being assumed to equate to ignorance in all things "mans work" or whatever. All the damn time, it's actually shocking. AND insulting. I was just hoping someone locally might have the magic I needed. I called 6-7 locksmiths, 2-3 dealerships which neither one wants to claim their bastard child crossfire, and only the ONE smug opportunistic a-hole called me back. Not even the guy who programmed my last key would respond which is sus.
So about 2 weeks ago, after 2 weeks of waiting (as) patiently (as possible), I get my package and am giddy happy dancing, half skipping, with the box into my house but the contents are... confusing. My skreem is missing and a tiny box, sealed with holographic anti-tamper seals and topped with clear packing tape with 4 wires coming off of it were in its place. No instructions included. A printout of the pin out for the 4 wires and 2 of the original CAN wires that connected to the skreem are forbidden to be used. Also the power for the ignition to the PCM is also forbidden, but this is all it says. Here I was expecting a modded SKREEM to just plug in and call it done so I can start putting my interior back together. And maybe, you know, LEAVE MY HOUSE. Also, I'm in Vegas. It's JUNE and not getting any cooler out. I need this done a month ago.
I contact them explaining my confusion, ask for help and am told it would be easier to explain on the phone and to call tomorrow. Fine, okay. But I am a third shifter and as I am winding down my day, they are getting started, as I am starting my next one, have to do a few things and by the time I can call, they are calling it quits. I drop a text though and ask if it's a good time because I don't want to disturb dinner or whatnot and don't get a reply till way into the night. Call tomorrow. Shoot.. Okay. I don't need it explained like I'm five, just tell me how and where it connects. But since I can't seem to sync up with them, I am in the meantime doing my homework. Reading from the manual that has more pages than the Holy Bible, watching vids, reading forums, fixya, and similar sites, studying up on CAN bus for dipshidiots like myself and learning a ton, then taking stabs at it and nope. still no start, no crank, no nada. Well, sometimes crank.
I sent a long-winded text to them Friday around the same time, like 5:something, explaining what I was learning on my own, which I have learned even more since and know some info I sent was wrong or half wrong, but hoping to have it started "today" which I say every day trying to will it into existence, but still not successfully going yet, I waited and waited and when I got no response by the end of Friday, I figured I'd have to wait out the weekend for a response if we are in fact doing the off the clock/off the phone thing, but here we are, it's Tuesday, tomorrow marks TWO FRIGGIN WEEKS SINCE I'VE HAD MY PARTS BACK, A full month since I put them in a box to be shipped and going on three months since my lawn ornament was a car. And the carrot just dangles there, $600 of pure frustration later. One would think that would come with some customer support. No?
I also have an aversion to my phone that only gets worse with every person that berates me for not answering my phone. The irony. . I hate the thing and all it stands for. So I misplace it A LOT. It dies while it is lost in the ether, and I can't track it when that happens so I have to keep careful watch over it lately. My husband leaves for ten hrs a day, my kid moved out on her own, and if anything happened where I needed to go someplace urgently, I can't. It also hinders my ability to get stuff done because by the time he gets home, even if I wanted to take his car out, the days of late night and 24 hour store hours are long gone, even in a 24 hour town. I would give my right foot and my neighbor's first born for some help with this. Ya know, before I completely crack.
4 wires:
Run/start
GND
CAN+
CAN-
Can't use original 2-wire connector to the skreem But sourcing power is easy there is the pink w/ green dots ACC/ON wire that my stereo uses, but there is also the On/run pink and I believe red that's basically the same. Perhaps each is on a different CAN network, but I don't think it matters. Key turns on, wire gets powered up, and I have tested those connections with the voltage meter to make sure they would be live. I know that CAN is low voltage on a differential of no more than 5v split between them, and each wire has two-way communication, and I'm pretty sure + is dark green and - is white throughout the vehicle but if I am wrong, this would be good to know. I am pretty sure skreem used CAN C, I know the instrument cluster is the translation point and bridge from B to C and vice versa, sort of acting as a central way point for all the devices and sensors to get info to the other CAN network. What am I missing? Did I get a bunk module? I don't want to trash talk anyone's business so I'm wondering if anyone has bought one similar? Do I need to terminate it? What are some good locations or even splices to get at the CAN and is the location of any module on the network, whether before or after this module or that sensor, is it significant? I've taken about a half dozen stabs at it. No dice. Mostly just various CAN points I've tried piggy backing off of. Your help and patience with me is appreciated, since I have just about lost mine.
Oh and as an added bonus in my search for an answer, I watched a Vid filmed 4 months ago where dude ordered the same thing I did by name, "Skreem delete" from the same place as I did and I was bent to see he got his OG skreem back modded and dude plugged it in, car fired right up. wtaf? *growl* The no contact starts to feel like I've been taken for a ride, but I know this not to be the case. And why did they keep my module? I was never told this would be the case. Likely swapped it for an arduino nano, as that's about the size of the project box it is sealed inside of. Anyway, I'm gonna stop griping, gonna go grab some Zzzz for a few hours and look forward to and greatly appreciate any replies or help with this. This car starts today! (my daily mantra) y'all are rad and I appreciate this place's existence so much. Please forgive my whiny ranting. I realize people mostly don't care. . I just feel like that song, Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage.
