What tools does Blitz Motorworks use for its Opel vehicle services?

• DPS (Development Programming System) (cover photo) is an advanced programming tool used by General Motors to perform manual calibrations , flash programming , and custom tuning on electronic modules (ECU, ABS, IPC, etc.).

What is it used for?

• • Programming modules outside the SPS environment
  • Create and load specific calibrations
  • Perform advanced functions such as virginization, adding equipment or immobilizer settings, mileage settings, etc.
  • Compatible with J2534 interfaces and modern GM/Opel vehicles (although it can be used in Astra H and similar as well)
  • Used by engineers and specialized technicians for high-level interventions

DPS is ideal for those seeking complete control over electronic unit programming , beyond what the standard dealership environment allows. It's our most widely used program, and we often install it on customers' computers to program our custom files.

DPS doesn't have a "virginize" or "add this equipment" button. It's a complicated program to use with a slow learning curve, and to do anything, we need a file that instructs the ECU what to do. These files can be created and edited by understanding how the ECU works internally, how calibration utility files work, how the seed/key works, and what the security access points are that allow an ECU to be unlocked for modification.

I promise to write an article detailing the use of DPS and how to create these files and explain in more depth how the program works.

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

DPS isn't a program for sale; GM only grants access to developers they've validated under a series of strict requirements. But it's easily found online.

We continue with non-original hardware and software-

The fact that we also use non-original software and hardware doesn't mean that these programs have fewer capabilities. On the contrary, thanks to specific Opel/GM companies and developers, there is extremely powerful software available to do practically anything that isn't possible with original software.

• Skytec Appcenter . One of our most used, this software is compatible with any J2534 device (we used it with our original MDI) and can be used to program, reprogram, and configure virtually any Opel-GM control module. Its main advantages are:
  • Reset and program PIN code, change VIN easily
  • Vin relearn from practically all radios
  • Dashboard configuration with virtually all available options (unlocking hidden tabs and menus)
  • On some engine ECUs it reads the entire flash memory.
  • Possibility of remote use with a token system.
  • Direct download of calibrations.
  • Reading PIN code directly from the EOBD

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

It can be downloaded from their website and costs €600/year with all packages activated.

• Vxutility . Another of our favorite software, this program has similar features to Skytec. It works with any J2534 and is used for:
  • Reset and program PIN code, change VIN easily
  • Vin relearn from practically all radios
  • Instrument panel configuration, manual DID editing.
  • Program many functions to modern PSA and Opel PSA vehicles, such as rear cameras, VIN change, etc.
  • Nice and easy to use interface.

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

It can be downloaded from their website; each action you perform consumes credits. Credits can be purchased, and each one costs €30 . Changing a VIN will cost one credit, and activating a camera will cost two credits, for example.

• IOterminal (ioprog) . A program we love, it's used to read and write the complete memory of many electronic modules. It has its own hardware; it's a small device that can be connected via an EOBD socket or via a bench , that is, by pinning the ECU outside the vehicle (it comes with a cable for this). Its features are:
  • Reading and writing FLASH and EEPROM memories
  • Programming modules such as ECU, TCM, BCM, EPS
  • Recovering locked modules using bootpin recovery and shadow flash . This is very important because there aren't many programs that do this.
  • Editing calibrations
  • Compatible with ACDelco E83, E78, E87, E39 units, among others.
  • Compatible with CAN and K-Line protocols
  • Modular licenses by module type or manufacturer (we have all Opel and PSA licenses)

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

It can be purchased at specialized online stores and costs around €500 with only Opel licenses.

• BitBox. It is a software that we also have advanced programming developed by BitSoftware , designed to read, write and modify calibrations in ECUs of GM vehicles , including Opel, Chevrolet, Saab and Holden . It works via OBD2 connection or on the bench through the CAN bus , and requires a J2534 interface (like Tactrix Openport 2.0, although the MDI 1 works without problem) and a Senselock USB key that always has to be connected to the PC during use. With this program we can:
  
  • Reading and writing calibration maps on GM diesel and gasoline ECUs.
  • It has automatic checksum correction when typing. This is our main use (but we also know how to manually recalculate the checksum with the Windows programmer's calculator).

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

It can be purchased from websites selling programming tools (such as www.ecutools.eu) and with licenses for GM gasoline and diesel engines, it costs around €1,200.

• MD Flasher is a professional electronic programming and diagnostic software designed to work with ECUs, immobilizers, airbags, and instrument clusters in GM, Opel, and Vauxhall vehicles. It works with J2534 interfaces such as Scanmatik or Dialink, but we used it with MDI1 and it worked without issue. Like BitBox, it is protected by a USB dongle, which must be connected to use the program. We purchased it with the GM Explorer package, which includes specific modules for working on electronic units in this family of vehicles. With this program, we can:
  • Reading and writing FLASH and EEPROM memories
  • Virginization of S-module for adaptation to other vehicles
  • Mileage adjustment on frames with Fujitsu, Spansion, and Cypress microcontrollers and airbag module adjustment (reset after impact)
  • Immobilizer repair without disassembling the ECU (has an option to transfer synchronization and key information from one eeprom to another)
  • Reads PIN codes directly on most ECUs, even on older vehicles.

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

Like BitBox, websites selling programming tools (such as www.ecutools.eu) and the "GM explorer" license cost €525.

• Kess 3 is an advanced reprogramming tool developed by Alientech , designed to read, write, and modify data on ECUs and TCUs in Opel, GM, and many other brands. It's the direct evolution of KESS V2 (which we also have in a clone version) with significant improvements in speed, versatility, and connectivity. Kess is an extremely powerful (and expensive) tool, and we use it for most current vehicles to:
  • Reading and writing engine and transmission maps
  • Chiptuning, cloning and module recovery
  • Custom modifications to ECUs and TCUs (AdBlue management, power management remapping, etc.)

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

The Kess3 Slave version is available through a Kess3 distributor. This tool, with a license for passenger cars and a license for the ECUs in Bench or Boot, costs €1,400. However, the license must be renewed annually and costs approximately €600.

We have many more tools ... many more. Like for example Galletto 4 V54, Galletto 1260 , Kess2, K-Tag, Scanmatic Pro II , Op-com , eeprom programmers like CH341A or EZP2019 , Autel generic diagnostic machine , battery testers, oscilloscopes ... And for the older Opels we also have original TECH2 with CANdi adapter , and also an original TECH1 with almost all the cartridges in an almost collector's condition, fully operational ready for the oldest Opels.

Generic and GM-specific software -

We also use some programs that, although not all of them are directly related to Opel, are necessary to perform many of the modifications we make to the binary files that contain the calibrations that make up the software of an electronic unit. Binary files are the "instructions" that tell the unit what to do and how. These are the programs we use most for these tasks:

• Hex Editor Neo is a software program used to open binary files and view their contents. Its main features are:
  • It can calculate practically all checksums that exist (when a byte is modified in the binary it must always be recalculated, otherwise the ecu will give an error)
  • Compare calibrations and show differences by shading.

The most commonly used checksums in GM are Big-Endian and Little-Endian, although many engine ECUs also include CRC16. Each unit has its own peculiarities, such as adding 1 to the result, inverting the position of the result, and so on. Thanks to our years of experience, we know how to calculate them all manually, although we also have tools for this.

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

It is a program that is downloaded from its website with a free version and a paid version.

• HxD. This is a tool similar to the previous one, which we use a lot due to its simplicity. Its main features are:
  • Allows easy selection of byte blocks
    
  • Quickly compare calibration differences

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

It is a program that is downloaded from its website as a free version.

• GM Configurator. It's a program specifically designed for Opel and GM vehicles, and for people who regularly modify calibrations. It's one of my most used programs, as it's almost essential for quickly creating programming, saving a lot of time. It allows you to:
  • Automatically correct the checksum by selecting the type of electronic unit.
  • Sort calibrations by automatically renaming them in numerical order.
  • Create programming packages to load with DPS.

How much does it cost and how do you get it?

It is not a program for sale.

At Blitz Motorworks, we work with a technical ecosystem comprised of multiple diagnostic and programming tools. Each has its own cost, strengths, and limitations. The combination of all of them allows us to reach the deepest recesses of Opel electronics.

But what truly defines the value of what we offer can't be measured in devices, euros, or licenses . The true cost lies in the hours dedicated , in tests that don't work, in test modules that break, in late nights thinking of solutions, in starting over again and again without losing focus. In reading, studying, making mistakes, and learning. Again and again.

We do this whole journey with pleasure, because behind every service lies a genuine passion for the brand and what we do. And we sincerely believe that's priceless .