06 LLY Wont Start, ATP EFI Live Errors ETC

Cjs951

Prerunner guy
Feb 28, 2013
39
0
6
Menifee
Been having tons of problems this weekend with my truck. It's a 2006 LLY ("lbz"). I ordered Efi live from ATP. Friday evening I started working on the truck, stayed up all night doing the egr delete, pcv reroute, and down pipe. Saturday morning around 7, I decided to upload my Efi live. It went through step one fine and saved the stock tune, did the licensing, and started uploading the tune to the truck. It got around 70% and the $0281 error code popped up. (ATP described this code as an error in communication. I.E. Low battery or connection at the obdII port or autocal came loose, neither of which happened.) Tried reloading the tune and instantly the error pops up again. Yes I have the key in the correct positions. Tried several more time with no luck. Called ATP and they had me disconnect both batteries for 30 minutes and put a charger on the batteries but that didn't fix anything either. Now the truck will not even crank over. All lights and accessories work fine, truck just won't start. Before doing the Efi live, I started the truck and drove it around the block and it was fine after doing all the egr, pcv, down pipe stuff. While doing the egr, pcv, and down pipe, I had both batteries disconnected. The grid heater power wire arced on something when I disconnected it so figured I may as well disconnect the batteries while I did all the work. So both batteries were off the truck for 8 hours or so. Both batteries are currently putting out 12.25 volts. All connections are good. No fuses are blown. Now I have the VATS light on the dash (car with lock on it). Tried doing the unlock, cycle key to start, leave on run for 10-11, do it again etc. with no luck. The vats light never actually goes out after the allotted time frame of 10-11 minutes. Even waited up to 15 minutes for it to go out and nothing. Also read someone said leave the key on for 30 minutes straight and it may go out, currently doing that as I type this. ATP says the ECM may be fried?? And that I need to send it in for them to bench test it. Unfortunately this is my only vehicle currently, have work tomorrow at 4am and I'm running out of options. I also plugged the Autocal into my computer and did the firmware update. Didn't fix anything. I've checked everything I can possibly think of. Truck was fine until the Efi live was plugged in. The vats light is on which makes me think oh I'm just locked out, but the truck should still crank over if it's vats right? I have nothing at all. Oh I also read aftermarket radios can effect it, tried pulling radio fuse and that didn't help either. So in a nutshell, Efi live throws error code $0281, vats light on, won't crank, batteries are good. Can anyone help? Any additional info needed? Anything I should check? Please help! Thank you!
 

pizza pig

I Like to Party
Feb 13, 2012
266
0
16
CT
disconnect batteries for 15 minutes, hold pos to neg terminals together for 30 seconds on the pass side battery (both being disconnected obviously)

Also try pulling the info/radio fuse and Update the autocal?
 

onebaddmaxxx

Active member
Feb 22, 2009
1,212
1
38
Cecil County Md
Anytime a full flash is disturbed its not good. I would use 7.5 and full flash, assume ecm may be corrupted/recover....it will start its thing and say cal is not recognized and may be damaged do you want to continue. hit yes and let it do its thing. about the only thing you can do.
 

Cjs951

Prerunner guy
Feb 28, 2013
39
0
6
Menifee
disconnect batteries for 15 minutes, hold pos to neg terminals together for 30 seconds on the pass side battery (both being disconnected obviously)

Also try pulling the info/radio fuse and Update the autocal?


Did both of those yesterday :( no luck



Anytime a full flash is disturbed its not good. I would use 7.5 and full flash, assume ecm may be corrupted/recover....it will start its thing and say cal is not recognized and may be damaged do you want to continue. hit yes and let it do its thing. about the only thing you can do.


Is 7.5 a version or update or something? New to Efi live... My last lb7 had it but I had someone flash it for me. First time doing it myself. What I don't understand is what interrupted the full flash... Strange.





A friend is supposed to come by later with a fancy snap on scanner that should tell us some more I hope. And I have 2 friends that are GM heavy line techs from when I worked at the dealership, but they aren't available to come help until Tuesday or Wednesday.
 

onebaddmaxxx

Active member
Feb 22, 2009
1,212
1
38
Cecil County Md
its not going to have communication with the ecm because the flash got interrupted. THE END.

so regardless its not going to "tell you if its fried"

You have to use 7.5 and flash it how i said in my first post. If it doesn't take it that way, then go from there.
 

Cjs951

Prerunner guy
Feb 28, 2013
39
0
6
Menifee
its not going to have communication with the ecm because the flash got interrupted. THE END.

so regardless its not going to "tell you if its fried"

You have to use 7.5 and flash it how i said in my first post. If it doesn't take it that way, then go from there.


Okay. So then what exactly is 7.5 like asked earlier?
 

S Phinney

Active member
Aug 15, 2008
4,008
18
28
Quncy, Fl
He is talking about using a V2 instead of a autocal. That you don't have. You would do a full flash if possible through version 8 of the program that flashes programs. It is possible to recover a ecm sometimes with it.
 

Cjs951

Prerunner guy
Feb 28, 2013
39
0
6
Menifee
He is talking about using a V2 instead of a autocal. That you don't have. You would do a full flash if possible through version 8 of the program that flashes programs. It is possible to recover a ecm sometimes with it.


Oh. Yeah don't have a V2. Just the autocal that came with the kit from ATP.
 

S Phinney

Active member
Aug 15, 2008
4,008
18
28
Quncy, Fl
You can as a logging device. I have never tried as a tuning device so I can't say for sure. It can't hurt to connect it and see. Probably depends on how Rob set it up as well .
 

Cjs951

Prerunner guy
Feb 28, 2013
39
0
6
Menifee
Says on Efi live website "autocal cannot be used in pass thru mode with the v7.5 software to read, flash, or lock any controllers"
 

S Phinney

Active member
Aug 15, 2008
4,008
18
28
Quncy, Fl
I just read that it can be used to flash using V8 . So you should be able to do the same thing that we are talking about. Have you used V8 to load tunes into your autocal before? If so that is done in V8. Check it out.
 

Cjs951

Prerunner guy
Feb 28, 2013
39
0
6
Menifee
I just read that it can be used to flash using V8 . So you should be able to do the same thing that we are talking about. Have you used V8 to load tunes into your autocal before? If so that is done in V8. Check it out.


Literally all I've done with it all was, plug the autocal into my truck, got all the errors described in og post. Plugged autocal into computer and updated the firmware. Plugged autocal back into truck and still got errors haha. Sorry I'm having a little bit of trouble following all the v8 and 7.5 stuff. All new to me. I'm a prerunner/suspension/fabrication guy. Tuning is all new to me.
 

S Phinney

Active member
Aug 15, 2008
4,008
18
28
Quncy, Fl
Plug your autocal into your computer and open V8 of EFI LIVE software. You have some tutorials available there in the help tab. I have only done a few autocals and haven't ran into this problem.
 

Cjs951

Prerunner guy
Feb 28, 2013
39
0
6
Menifee
I'm currently sitting in the truck with laptop and autocal. Autocal hooked to truck and laptop. V8 is open. Looking for 7.5. Something additional to download from Efi live website I'm assuming?

Found 7.5.... Downloading now