I have a GMC Terrain and the radio is dead... unfortunately the radio deck controls the entire centre console. Deck no longer made, and GM wants $250 to try to program it.

In a forum, I saw a person using a CH341A programmer from Amazon ($15) and with a used deck, was able to change the VIN in the eeprom.

On my old deck, I was able to access the eeprom chip and saw my VIN.

Newer (used) deck, 2h and couldn't get it to clip on properly or read properly.

Anyone have any experience with these things? The chip is an ISSI 941 412836LA3, the old deck was ISSI 938 412836LA3. Tried to find info, and I think it's 24C128. I have the CH341A programmer set to 24 Eeprom, and pin 1 at the dot on the chip, everything same as before with the old deck. Everytime I click read, it hangs and says not responding. Tried 4 different CH341A software apps.

Not sure what happened after... the CH341A prgrammer stopped being detected on the PC, light on but got really hot. Wooden desk so, no metal contact. Returning and getting another, but while I wait... any ideas?

 

what is hot, programmer or the ic

 

https://www.cruzetalk.com/threads/updated-quick-dirty-mylink-upgrade-diy-for-gen-1-cruzes.194698/



Hope this helps.


I think you should take out the chip

 

what is hot, programmer or the ic

The $15 CH341A board, the long chip on that. Sent back, new one coming today, and I'll use my cheap laptop this time since no fuse on the programing board and don't wanna damage my desktop system.

Chip wise, can't remove it because I'm just not that good at soldering for such a very small surface mount chip. The bigger 8pin chips I have done, usually add a socket if I know something that will need redone again (guitar amps) but this is too small and I'm not skilled enough.

 

So, new CH341A came, 1st try, just clamped it on, opened the software, set it to _24C128, read the chip, changed the VIN, wrote it back, did another read to verify info was there and done. 2 hours spent yesterday versus less than 5 minutes today.

Info I needed I found... ISSI 941 412836LA3 was wrong, it wasn't 6LA3 it was GLA3, and that gave me what I needed to know. Handles up to 5.5v and IS24C128.

The difference of 938 and 941, was the date of manufacture... 9th year (2009) and 38/41 is the week.