The 20-20 Tow Tune, a tutorial:

thneill

Whered all my $ go
Aug 23, 2011
144
0
16
36
East Texas
I would like to try this tune out and I think it would be a good way for me to start learning the software. Where do you get EFI Live? Can you just pay for the program and download it from their website? (efilive . com) They also have a trial try before you buy thing. Should I do that first?
 

LBZrcks

.........
Jun 2, 2007
5,297
12
38
38
SoCal
I would like to try this tune out and I think it would be a good way for me to start learning the software. Where do you get EFI Live? Can you just pay for the program and download it from their website? (efilive . com) They also have a trial try before you buy thing. Should I do that first?

You can download the software for free, but you need the actual hardware V2 to hook up your computer to your truck and flash the ECM. You can call SoCal Diesel and buy it.
 

RobsDmax

Member
Mar 19, 2012
832
1
16
Arthur, Ontario
Just got your EFILive? Perhaps a little intimidated by it?

Here's how you can build a 50rwhp Tow Tune in less than 20 minutes that's safe and sane:

First, download the latest version of the EFILive software and USB driver from the www.efilive.com site. You will use the V3 USB driver. The distribution disk often does not have the latest release, which is true for all software.

Next, make sure your battery on both your laptop and truck is in good shape.

If you have a handheld tuner loaded in your truck RETURN TO STOCK.

Plug the cable into your USB of your laptop, and the other end into the data port of the truck. Turn your ignition to the RUN position (BUT DO NOT START THE TRUCK). Launch EFILive tuning tool. If it says DEMO MODE, make sure you loaded the USB driver from EFILive.

Download your stock tune: FLASH->READ PCM CALIBRATION
This will take about 3 minutes. Turn off ignition for 15 seconds. SAVE the calibration "MyTruckStockECM". Copy it to at least 2 computers. You need to make sure you always have a copy of your stock tune. Now SAVE AS "TowTune" or some other working name, just to be safe.

Now click the EDIT pull down on the top left, and click Configure Display Units.
Click the ALL button, then the IMPERIAL button, then OK. Now we will be in American units. This way we are talking about the same numbers.

Now to tune!

Fake Injector Mod
First we are going to do the "Fake Injector Mod". This will make the engine think you put 50HP injectors in the truck by increasing how much fuel it shoots in everywhere. In the upper left corner of your screen is a box that says NAVIGATOR. This allows you to go straight to an area you want to. You can also click on ENGINE OPERATION->FUEL QUANTITY, etc and find it using the navigator "tree" off on the left side.

Type B0721 (0=zero, not "O"regano) in the Navigator box. Up will pop the Main Injection Pulse (No Pilot). This table tells the engine how long to leave the injector open to get a desired amount of fuel. So if the engine wants 100mm3 of fuel at 160MPa fuel pressure, it will leave the injector open 1526 microseconds to get it on a LLY. The No Pilot means this table is used when the pilot injection is off (high engine output).

Click on the upper left grey square in this table (between 0 and 0) and it will select the whole table. CNTL-A will do the same. In the top middle of your screen is a box that says ADJUST. Type 20 in this box. Now click the % button just to the right of the ADJUST box. Congrats! You have just installed 20% over injectors!

Repeat this with B0720 Main Injection Pulse. This is the table used when the pilot injection is on.

Fake Resistor Timing Mod
Adding some timing can make more power, get better mileage, and reduce EGT's. But making a timing table can be quite a chore. So we will steal one from General Motors! We know this is fairly safe timing because GM uses it.

Navigator - B0908 Injection Timing (A). This is a table used for setting the timing at very high altitude. It has more advance than the low altitude table. Select the whole table (ctrl A) and copy (right click mouse, COPY or hit ctrl C). Now, NAVIGATOR - B0909 Injection Timing (B), click the upper right corner, and hit ctrl V which is paste. Navigator - B0910 Injection Timing (C), paste again. Now all three tables should look exactly the same.

This has the same effect as putting a resistor in the Barometric Sensor to get more timing, but it is well within safe limits.

Fake Boost Stick
This applies to only LLY's. If you have an LB7, you will have to get a crack pipe or Big Head waste gate mod.

Navigator - B0202 Boost Sensor Scaling. Click on the grey 1.09 volt box, hold down the mouse button, and drag all the way to 5.0 volts. You should have just 1.09 to 5.0 (and inbetween) selected. In the ADJUST box, type in -20 (negative) and hit the % button. At 5.0v it should read about 42. What we did was to fake the engine into seeing less boost than there is by 20%. The reason we start at 1.09v, is because 1v is atmospheric pressure, and if we did the whole thing, it would try to make more boost at idle, which is not necessary.

You will notice that there is a dip in the graph up top at 1.09v, and when you look at the numbers, it goes 12.4, 13.9, 12.3, 13.5, 14.7. We want to smooth this out. So at 12.3, type 14.5. At 13.5, type 14.9. And at 14.7 type 15.4. Now it's smooth!

Now save this program.

Go back to the truck and hook up with the key in the RUN position. Launch EFILive Tuning Tool.

Select FLASH->Program PCM Calibrations. You will hit start, and it will say the cable is not "married" to the truck. Close the FLASH window and try again, and there will be a new button on the window to allow you to marry it.

Now do it again, and in less than 2 minutes, you will have a pretty good tow tune that is essentially just a the GM data that has been moved around a bit.

Hey mcrat did you ever do a write up for lmm with dpf delete, would love to try this on my dads lmm
 

Dudgy

Runaway
Jun 1, 2010
416
0
0
Alberta
Newb question here. I have an LB7, so what the heck is a crack pipe or big head waste gate mod? Any info or links? :confused:

Banks big head wastegate is a replacement adjustable wastegate actuator to adjust the wastegate and get more boost out of the turbo, you can get about 31-32 out of that stock lb7 turbo:thumb:
 

Gone Nomad

On a Time Out
Sep 29, 2011
72
0
0
Hey McRat!

Now that you just turned another year older, is there any chance you might feel like rejuvenating this old thread to reflect how your very helpful tips in the OP relate to newer DMax tuning, like for the LMM?

Even if no update is forthcoming, THANKS for the OP! :thumb:
 

TRUBBS

Member
Jul 6, 2011
461
0
16
Fake Boost Stick
This applies to only LLY's. If you have an LB7, you will have to get a crack pipe or Big Head waste gate mod.

Navigator - B0202 Boost Sensor Scaling. Click on the grey 1.09 volt box, hold down the mouse button, and drag all the way to 5.0 volts. You should have just 1.09 to 5.0 (and inbetween) selected. In the ADJUST box, type in -20 (negative) and hit the % button. At 5.0v it should read about 42. What we did was to fake the engine into seeing less boost than there is by 20%. The reason we start at 1.09v, is because 1v is atmospheric pressure, and if we did the whole thing, it would try to make more boost at idle, which is not necessary.

You will notice that there is a dip in the graph up top at 1.09v, and when you look at the numbers, it goes 12.4, 13.9, 12.3, 13.5, 14.7. We want to smooth this out. So at 12.3, type 14.5. At 13.5, type 14.9. And at 14.7 type 15.4. Now it's smooth!

Now save this program.
\.

i know this is a VERY OLD thread but i just found it, but on this boost part, my numbers dont match? unless im being dumb and looking in the wrong spots but mine are way off from his
 

TRUBBS

Member
Jul 6, 2011
461
0
16
Can you post a pic of your B0202?

I can tonight after work, in the mean time

on the graph along the bottom the numbers i got are "0.00, 0.78, 1.56, 2.34, 3.13, 3.91, 4.69

the values between 1.09 and 5 volts are (selected and copied)

85.031250
93.359375
101.671875
110.000000
118.328125
126.640625
135.031250
143.359375
151.671875
160.000000
168.328125
176.640625
185.031250
193.359375
201.671875
210.000000
218.328125
226.640625
235.031250
243.359375
251.671875
260.000000
268.328125
276.640625
285.031250
293.359375
 

abuen

New member
Mar 8, 2011
7
0
0
Lets wake this thread up.
I was trying to figure this out on the lml. Its very intimdating on these. It almost seems like there is hundreds of tables and im never going to finish. Now, has anyone tried say a 20/20 on lml. If so would you like to share what you did. Im trying to get this truck a bit more responsive. And maybe a lit bit more power for towing. Just trying to learn...
 

NinjaMax

WTF!
Oct 3, 2012
1,266
0
36
41
Severance, Colorado
Lets wake this thread up.
I was trying to figure this out on the lml. Its very intimdating on these. It almost seems like there is hundreds of tables and im never going to finish. Now, has anyone tried say a 20/20 on lml. If so would you like to share what you did. Im trying to get this truck a bit more responsive. And maybe a lit bit more power for towing. Just trying to learn...

I called a tuner to help walk me through it back in the day, no way I would try to learn to tune on a 50k+ plus new pickup... Just me tho. Good luck
 
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abuen

New member
Mar 8, 2011
7
0
0
I called a tuner to help walk me through it back in the day, no way I would try to learn to tune on a 50k+ plus new pickup... Just me tho. Good luck


get what your saying.... I'm not trying to make crazy power. I was gonna buy a tune but that takes the fun out of having a flashscan. I would even pay for someone to help me through it.
 

jkholder09

New member
Jan 8, 2012
1,188
0
0
Maryland
Like many new calibrations the lml has multiple modes of operation. You will need to make a change in each mode and drive it and log it. Than define what that mode is.
That takes a long time and patience. I don't think anyone is going to give that work away, but you can certainly start a thread and maybe some others would join. Each one take a table and road test and define it. Just a thought.