LMM: Do I dare ask about EFI live and .....deletes.... Have EFI live.

fastline

New member
May 2, 2019
11
0
0
I hate firing off knowing there are probably 5 million similar questions. I have EFI live hardware, I have a brother that is VERY programming literate, and I have been building engines for 30yrs. I am not tooting horns, just want to get over the rookie hurdle.

Got an LMM about 5min after the tree hugger police shut things down. I (as expected) now have plugged DPF codes. I do not have a title for this truck and a trailer it to the track ONLY!! I am about to take the sawzall to the business area of that exhaust and splice some custom 4" and leave the associated sensors for now.

I am doing bracket racing so I don't really need the fastest truck, I just need consistent and reliable, without transmission failures and I don't want to burn a lot of fuel at the track.

What I need to do is buy my VIN from EFI live and need a little direction on how to get in on this. I do CNC programming and C+ programming for a living so I can grasp 'programming' but I have never walked through this and not sure how EFI Live set everything up.

I would like to throw a mild tune at the truck but I understand I have 3 options... 1, get heavy in programming these trucks and warm up our dyno and waste months of my life. 2, load up a mystery file for my truck and 'hope' someone else knew what they were doing?? 3, pay huge dollars to a company for a paid ECM file for the truck, and again hope the person knows what they are doing?

I am hoping I get get comfortable with options 2 for now?
 
Last edited:

2004LB7

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2010
6,985
2,146
113
Norcal
I think you are way over thinking it.

You don't need programming experience, it wouldn't hurt but is not how you modify the tunes. If I was in your shoes, I would download the software and look at the tunes. You only need the purchase the license if you want to flash in a tune.

Also, as you tuched on, there are numerous threads discussing making tunes. You can probably search for "tow tune" or "transmission safe tune" and get many results to your question

If you are not already aware, no one if going to give you a training session on tuning. That is something you need to do yourself. All the threads are here on how to do it. Just take it in baby steps and only change a little bit at a time. Flash it in and see how it does. And don't forget that logging is your best friend for seeing how things are working and related together. If you have a specific issue that doesn't seem to be discussed already the make a thread asking for help on it. Otherwise start reading a lot

For a mild tune, no dyno is required. Infact probably more then 99% are made without one. Dynos are almost only used to extract maximum potential from the tune. Mostly HP but sometimes MPG or other desired aspects. But if you choose to have another tune it for you there are venders here that can help you with that

For your exhaust I wouldn't make any modifications as you probably know it is illegal and we don't condone that type of activity here

Like I did, you can always clean out the DPF and restore some of its life. There are many YouTube videos on cleaning a DPF
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,611
1,868
113
Mid Michigan
Sad to say, this subject has become one we no longer talk about here.

IIRC, you'll need older V7.5 EFI software or the non-US versions, as V8 or newer had those tables disabled, didnt it? Someone smarter than I can verify if thats correct.
 

fastline

New member
May 2, 2019
11
0
0
I believe I do have a copy of V7.5 and V8 loaded. I have modified my first post. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't have a title for the truck and is purely a mild race only truck.


Where (on this site or other) can I get specific info on starting out with EFI Live programming? I was surprised of the lack of info from the OEM. Seems like I can still plug in and capture my OEM ECM file. Which I most certainly want to save and keep. I can then make the mods I want to the file and get the VIN license when ready to load back to the truck?


I am used to going through miles of programming code and sounds like EFI Live sort of "dumbed it down" or applied a programming mask so it becomes more intuitive for the user? Example table 201-tire size ratio. Input actual diameter of tire here. And code is edited. ?
 
Last edited:

quinton

Active member
Nov 28, 2011
1,883
0
36
Granbury Tx.
Sad to say, this subject has become one we no longer talk about here.

IIRC, you'll need older V7.5 EFI software or the non-US versions, as V8 or newer had those tables disabled, didnt it? Someone smarter than I can verify if thats correct.



No they didn’t mess with it for the older trucks. When they did a update awhile back they had disabled those tables but I said something about it and they put them back.
 

fastline

New member
May 2, 2019
11
0
0
have V8 and that am certain has not been updated in years. Was there an update version where things became locked on the LMM or just newer models?


I seem to recall having various issues with EFI life, both with 7.5 and 8 with what I use it for mainly, which is diagnostics. Auto detect the ECM, then toggle for available PIDs but if you select one wrong one (even on the list), all values will be null/etc. Then have to go back through and figure out which one is causing it.

Just several glitches! Glitches I don't need when trying to flash an ECM! Would not mind an update but worried that will come with a lock down....
 

rfletes79

Active member
Mar 5, 2010
649
164
43
Galt, Ca 95632
You have everything you need with v7.5 and v8 to do anything you need to your lmm. You are way over thinking this. You may have to update to the latest software and firmware but you'll still be able to do what you want with the latest software/firmware.
 

fastline

New member
May 2, 2019
11
0
0
One thing I would like to at least look into is turbo lag. The LMM has a variable geometry turbo and was my hope that lag would be minimal. Now, I came from a gas 350 with a super charger and I know I will never get that level of response, but this lag is frustrating for sure.

I could be the exhaust back pressure is hurting turbo spool up but I also need to make sure there is not something like a TPS delay that is causing this.
 
Last edited: