Just got my Tech 2 scanner with a GM card version 33.004. It doesn't list Workhorse as a vehicle choice. In looking at a Youtube video about the Tech 2, apparently version 33.003 does list Workhorse vehicles. Anybody have any idea how I can get that version of the card?
NEED HELP Tech 2 GM Card doesn't show Workhorse as a vehicle choice
- Thread starter Excellent Adventure
- Start date
As it turns out the GM card version 33.004 does have Workhorse as a vehicle type listed if your Workhorse chassis was built from 2004 forward. A Workhorse vehicle chassis built before then will not show Workhorse on the vehicle type list.
However, you can still work with the Tech 2 scanner by putting in the model year, and then on the vehicle list Medium sized trucks, and then the engine size. In my case that would be 2002 and an 8.1 liter GM vortec engine.
After doing that I was able to relearn the crankshaft sensor and camshaft sensor as well as find out why my cruise control was not working.
With the cruise control, the Tech 2 showed that the brake light switch was engaged even though the brakes were not applied. The cruise will not work if it thinks the brakes are applied. The ECM gets that information from the brake light switch. With the cruise control, all I had to do was adjust the brake light switch just a little bit. Then the Tech 2 showed that the brake light switch was released. Now the cruise works.
Before using the Tech2 to look at the cruise control settings, I was ready to buy a new cruise/signal light switch assembly and get someone to pull the steering wheel and install the new switch. Had I done that the cruise would still not work because the brake light switch would still be engaged and I would be out another $500 to $600 dollars.
In short, the Tech 2 allows you to know what's wrong rather than guessing what's wrong. Sure beats throwing a lot of parts at a problem and still not fixing it.
Case in point, GM/Workhorse dealers will no longer work on vehicles with a Workhorse chassis. About two years ago when I called a dealership in Yuma, AZ to look at a problem I was having, the shop manager said they had gotten a message from corporate telling them to no longer work on Workhorse chassis. So all those RVs built on Workhorse chassis with an 8.1 liter GM engine are basically told to go pound sand. Good luck, you are on your own when you have a problem.
In that light, I recently paid more than $1,500 for a "knowledgeable" truck/rv repair shop to find out why my ECM was setting the P0342 code. I found this shop after calling many truck/engine/rv repair shops in the area. They all recommended that this shop was the only place in northern Alabama that could and would work on my RV's engine. I was getting low mpg, the engine was backfiring, and occasionally it didn't want to start. This recommended shop threw expensive camshaft sensors, crankshaft sensors, and a new ECM and TCM at the problem. After all of that the code still persisted. I left that area with a lot of new parts, a $1,500 bill, and an RV engine that still was backfiring, getting low mpg, and occasionally being hard to start.
At this point I chose to chase down the problem myself. The GM engine repair manual for the 8.1 liter engine suggests that one of the problems that could cause the P0342 code was a broken or shorted wire on the camshaft sensor cable to the ECM. So I purchased a Power Probe 4 with the short/open circuit tester. With the short/open circuit tester's probe applied to the signal wire on the camshaft sensor's plug, I traced the signal until I found a break in the signal wire next to the AC tubing. Once I repaired the wire, the camshaft sensor worked like it was supposed to. The P0342 code was no longer set. No more backfiring, low mpg, or hard starts. The only thing left was to relearn the camshaft and crankshaft sensors so that they could produce correct timing for the engine. This is where the Tech 2 comes in with its relearn feature.
Bottom line, with the Tech 2, you will probably know more about your engine's functioning and occasional problem than most shops. Secondly, you can pinpoint the problem and pay for parts that will fix the problem rather than throwing parts at the problem in the hopes that you will eventually solve the problem before draining your bank account.
If you have an RV with a Workhorse chassis and an 8.1 liter GM engine, the Tech 2 scanner should be part of your tool kit. In my experience very few, if any, RV/truck/engine repair shops have the Tech 2 scanner. The scanners they have in many, if not most cases, don't have the 8.1 liter GM engine or Workhorse chassis listed and rarely have anything listed for 2002.
If you own the Tech 2 scanner, you can save many many dollars in parts and labor.
Last edited:
Mooseman
Moderator
This rare video shows the Tech 2 in use on an RV with the Workhorse 8.1L Engine. The VOP (Video Original Poster) RV Owner seems very pleased with it:
Thanks for sharing that video. I am a big fan of Kevin Caudill who did the video. He helped me through replacing the fan clutch, fan, fan belt, shrouds, water pump, and thermostat. Not much room between the radiator and the engine especially when you are lying on the ground looking up. His videos are detailed and he usually has links to tools he used or parts he needed. He's a great resource.