Yeah, I did some searching too. One option presented was to downgrade the PCM back to an older OBD-I model with a conventional calibrator prom.

Everybody else I found thus far wanted several hundred to calibrate a single PCM, with one outfit selling the laptop software to program the PCM only a few times before coughing up for some more dough to try it again.

I'm really liking my decision to stick with the stock '90 ECM for my upgrade to a Series II 3800.

It'* your '00 SE you want to tune, right?

Check out the PowrTuner from Digital HorsePower (DHP):
http://65.109.52.43/PowrTuner.htm

I've got one on the way. It cost me about $400, plus $15 for a serial-USB adapter, plus about $30 for a "spare" PCM for my 98 LeSabre (in case I f*** it up). It hooks up between your laptop and your OBD-II port. For supposedly about $40 in parts, you can make up a rig to read and write PCM'* off the car.

According to the website, it scans, datalogs, reads PCM'*, and does partial or total PCM writes, and also does CASE learns . Once you buy one, there'* a whole online community to support it:
http://www.gmv6pcm.com/

You can choose two supported "vehicles" with the unit, and add up to 2 more for $159 each. The two I chose with my unit were:
1) 2004 LeSabre
2) 1998-2002 GM 3800 (any)

It sounds expensive, but between its ScanTool abilities, and its (hoped for) indispensibility in "dialing in" future mods, it ought to be worth it. Besides, if I don't like it, I've seen them resell on E-Bay for over $300.

I will be posting my review in about a month, after I've read the 100'* of pages of instructions and guides and tinkered with it a bit.

Really look forward to reading it. I looked at DHP'* site but was a little concerned about their licensing. I wasn't sure if you only get a few tries for your $400, or if you get to work repeatedly on the same PCM as many times as you like.

TunerCat sold their OBD-II software to JET who is selling it under their own name brand. Doesn't mater cause the 3800 isn't supported yet. (See that a lot, no support for the 3800 in most cases, or just support for the F-Body 3800)

Another one is Wester. But the entry price is wicked high (over a grand) but it'* the most comprehensive in terms of supported PCM'*.

Poly endlinks if you have a lot of miles, tires, CAI/FWI, PCM, tune ups etc.

I haven't added tons of HP to my car as of this point, but i have made it much better handling, safer, and responsive. The engine revs pretty good now, climbs much faster than before, and throttle response has been greatly improved.

Tune-up is important. Make sure everything'* good before moving ahead with mods.

My understanding is that, with the licensing I chose, I can read and write an infinite number of times on:
1) Any 2004 LeSabre on earth; and:
2) ANY and ALL 1998-2002 GM 3800'* (as well as 3.4'* and 3.1'*) in the universe.

(#1 may be even broader than that...I think it may depend on the PCM part#)

We shall see when it gets here whether it lives up to the promise and the hype.

Ha, as I'm sitting here typing this, their doing a report about car computer diagnostics on Fox News...pretty coincidental

I'm pretty sure my car'* alright as far as maintenance things go; the plugs, wires, air filter, oil, and one coil are brand new.

Agrazela, that pcm reprogramer looks great! It seems like the only disadvantage of the lowest cost $399 is that it won't do partial writes, only full writes, so you'd have to just copy and paste your previous information from the last reprogram and alter what you want in order to make some changes. I'm not to sure what DHP files you'd need because the 3 grand unit won't read them and neither will the $500 unit.


The following vehicles are supported currently :

1996 Grand Prix 3.1 / 3.4
1997 - 2005 Grand Prix V6
1996 - 2005 Monte Carlo/Impala V6
1995 - 2002 Chevy Camaro / Pontiac Firebird V6
1997 - 2004 Buick Regal V6
1996 - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville V6
1996 - 2005 3800 / 3100 3400 V6 Vehicles (not listed above on request)

I think that the 1996-2005 3800/3100/3400 V6 Vehicles that is last shown is for other vehicles not listed only, but thats just how I interpreted it, and you'd have to specifically pick 1996-2004 Bonneville V6 to have it work for our cars. Either way, I'm inriqued to find out how it works and maybe then I'll pick one up after I get some mods under the hood.

I think I may just start out with an Intense chip as they've got the experience with it and then after that get the reprogramer. It'd deffinatly work doing that way because I believe the Intense PCMs are not encrypted.

Maybe the question I should have asked first also is: Is it even abnormal that my 92 Lumina Euro with a 3.1 (140hp stock and I believe 189lbs of torque) and only mods were a high flow cat and cone air filter could burn out better/longer than my 00 Bonneville SE that is stock? The Bonneville can deffinatly accelerate a hell of a lot quicker than the Lumina, but it doesn't sit there and spin the wheels like my old Lumina did.

~Dave

low end torque makes the tires spin easier. gearing and where the torque comes in plays a big differance

I think I read that the Bonneville'* torque max is at 5700 rpms...not sure if thats correct or not? How do I figure out which gearing I have of the offered options and can it be changed?

So then torque has effect on my 0-60 mainly then? I'm a little lost on the whole horsepower / torque thing.

According to the folks at DHP, the newest version (the version I'm getting) of the $399 job does partial writes.