[Gmecm] Class2 DIY tools?

[Jay Vessels]

Hi there!

Are there any consumer tools that will talk over the Class 2 bus on a GM 
  light truck that will communicate with the IPC and BCM?  I'm thinking 
of tools that would do some of the tests that I can do with a Tech2 
(i.e. command IPC to turn on/off indicator lamps, command fuel guage to 
full or empty, read BCM DTCs, etc.)  I haven't done an exhaustive 
search, but it seems most tools outside of the Tech2 will either only 
read and clear DTCs, or they are geared to primarily gather powertrain data.

An example of why I want this -- I've got a '99 Bravada that seems to 
have a failure in the Class2 bus wiring.  I recently replaced the heater 
core, which involved at one point removing the IPC and BCM.  Things 
worked fine for a few days, then the IPC seemed to have lost Class2 
communications since the fuel gauge, seat belt indicator, and a few 
other things stopped working.  Things not driven by Class2 data (tach, 
oil pressure gauge, voltmemter, SIR lamp) still work.

Last night I started checking the wiring harness and apparently angered 
the security system since now it starts and immediately dies.  I suspect 
an intermittant break in the Class2 bus that I have completely broken, 
and now the BCM can't send the Passlock "thumbs up" to the PCM.

Being able to attempt to talk to the IPC and BCM would help rule out 
some faults, and I could more quickly hone in on the problem.

These kind of problems have come up before -- I had a failed distributor 
cap on this same truck, and at the time I had access to a Tech2 which 
really made running tests much faster since I could eliminate a lot of 
areas quickly.  My Tech2 connection has dried up, unfortunately, since 
he changed jobs.

So, does anyone have a tool that does at least a reasonable subset of 
what the Tech2 does for decent money?  I don't have the bones for a Tech2...

Jay Vessels
1982 Chevrolet S-10 Sport, 2.8V6 TBI
1984 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer Sport, 2.8V6 (TBI pending)