What is efilive?
- Thread starter bradpeterson
- Start date
First thing you should know about me is, I post novels!
:rofl: :roflmao:
But I do it because I try to be as thorough as possible to provide the best info I can without seeming "elusive" al in an effort to help and keep the desire for performance fire stoked
:thumb:
Installing tuning from an AutoCal is a breeze. There's really not a whole lot you need to "learn" you just contact your tuner of choice, they load tunes on the AutoCal for you, then you plug into the OBD2 port under the dash just left of the steering wheel. You pull and save your stock tune file to wipe the ECM and ready it for the performance tunes and then load the tune file. The initial process takes about 15min 7 to wipe the ECM and another 7 to load the tuning.
EFI live offers multiple options for tunning. You can get a single tune, 3 position tuning switch (DSP3) or a 5 position tuning switch (DSP5). "DSP" stands for Duramax Selectable Programming. The switch gets wired into your ECM and is simple to do, yet it's the most difficult part of the whole process.
You're gonna probably start like most of us do with "stock trans tuning" and a DSP5 switch. On a DSP5 you'll have an optimized stock, a heavy tow, a light tow, a street and a race tune. Stock trans tuning would be (respectively) stock, +50, +90, +110 and +130-150 wheel horse power (whp) over stock power output.
Because of the Allison Transmissions purpose built nature, it's not really up to the task of handling all the extra power tuning can provide, roughly around +90whp the transmission will start deteriorating. With a heavy foot and anything +90whp you can find yourself in need of a transmission rebuild very quickly. For this reason a TransGoJr shift kit is a necessity. It's not a be all fix all addition, but installing it before or with tuning and not after, will do your transmission well to live a longer life with the added power. They cost about $100 bucks and take about 2 1/2 hours to install.
You can save some money by modifying the stock air intake with the PPE air intake mod, you can do this in about 30min with basic tools in your garage, there's no real need to buy an intake as the Donaldson air filter flows plenty and is a really good filtration unit. The air box just needs to be modified a bit to allow for more air flow.
Once you've got everything done, you really don't need to change/modify anything in the tune, but if you get tuning and THEN start adding things like DPF delete, EGR delete, exhaust, turbo swaps, injectors, etc etc, you'll need the tuning calibrated by your tuner.
And there's where the AutoCal falls short, you need to have your tuner calibrate for ANYTHING! Even tire size changes...and, once you buy an AutoCal it's only good for tuning from the guy you bought it from. If you're planning on trying tuning from multiple sources, your best bet is going to be to just buy an EFI-Live V2 tuning suite from the get go, it's about 2x the cost upfront but it's much more versatile and will allow you to adjust for tires on your own and accept and load tunes from anyone.
The cool thing tho, you can change tunes on the fly by flipping the switch at any time! Just be careful and smart about doing it, you don't want to go from your heavy tow 50hp tune to your 150hp tune under WOT or even at a light if you decide to race someone...
PPE makes a programmer that is EFI-Live based that can handle tire and gear changes tho if you're concerned about that, it's called the Hot programmer.
Like I suggested earlier, use the search function on the forum select the "advanced search" button it works better, read a bunch and inform yourself before you start buying stuff, before ya know it, you'll be writing post like this to a new guy
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I was even saying WTF to myself on that one...:doh: :screwy: :dontknow:
I can't help it, my brain starts going and I can't stop it until everything is out
:roflmao:
I'm in one of those moods tonight, I should probably just log off
:hug:
I was even saying WTF to myself on that one...:doh: :screwy: :dontknow:
I can't help it, my brain starts going and I can't stop it until everything is out
:roflmao:
I'm in one of those moods tonight, I should probably just log off
:hug:
Got to give you credit, I've seen others with no paragraphs and that can be a B***H to read and understand........:thumb:
What year dmax does the OP have? If its an 06 or newer he doesn't need an intake until he installs a bigger charger. The factory intake has been proven to be the best intake for 500HP and under.
This x2^
If you really are towing that much weight, you will not be able to run much hotter of a tune, if at all. I have only revised the timing tables on my LBZ, so basically stock tune and it runs plenty warm on the pyro for me @ 25000gvw. It actually is really comfortable, I really don't even to need to watch the pyro unless on a long grade. Which is the way I would want it if towing frequently.
Almost 60,000 miles on current lmm i still haven't instaled boost pyro or oil temp guages.
A good tow tune from any of the rep tuners you don't need guages, they are that good
You mentioned running 26k and above.. I managed to cook thus cracked a piston in my first truck due to oil temps running above 250* for sustained periods. At less than 360hp..Highly recommend making/installing an aux oil cooler. Look at spending $6-800 in parts. Hauling high wind drag loads on a hot day killed mine.
A good tow tune from any of the rep tuners you don't need guages, they are that good
You mentioned running 26k and above.. I managed to cook thus cracked a piston in my first truck due to oil temps running above 250* for sustained periods. At less than 360hp..Highly recommend making/installing an aux oil cooler. Look at spending $6-800 in parts. Hauling high wind drag loads on a hot day killed mine.
How big of a tune did you run? Whos tune was it? Why were towing heavy with a big tune?
Efi is just a tuning tool, you dont "install" efi live. You install a tune built by yourself or someone else.
If you were runnin a big tune 125 or larger then yeah shouldnt have towed heavy. I would bet your egt was up there also, do uou have gauges? Did you ever watch your trans temps?
Your tuner should not have given you a hot tune if you were gonna be pullin heavy with a stock trans.
What makes your mechanic think your truck needs the tranny rebuilt? Have you limped it? How many times alhas it limped? Did your mechanic drop the pan and see clutch laying in the pan? Did he cut open your spin on a d see if it had material in it?
Thats alot of questions but they have to be answered before i "comment". My coment for now you ran too big of a tune and you are lucky its just the trans... Maybe...
Efi is just a tuning tool, you dont "install" efi live. You install a tune built by yourself or someone else.
If you were runnin a big tune 125 or larger then yeah shouldnt have towed heavy. I would bet your egt was up there also, do uou have gauges? Did you ever watch your trans temps?
Your tuner should not have given you a hot tune if you were gonna be pullin heavy with a stock trans.
What makes your mechanic think your truck needs the tranny rebuilt? Have you limped it? How many times alhas it limped? Did your mechanic drop the pan and see clutch laying in the pan? Did he cut open your spin on a d see if it had material in it?
Thats alot of questions but they have to be answered before i "comment". My coment for now you ran too big of a tune and you are lucky its just the trans... Maybe...
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ok ill try to answer your questions,, but not sure,,, had an edge tuner, my mechanic who does all my work offered me the efi after install of the tune he drove it and said if I hammer on the truck I will need a tranny rebuild, he did not take anything apart. once with the edge I was towing my 15k 5th wheel not in tow mode and it went into limp mode,, when I went to towing mode never had a problem again,, my bad. egts never too hot, tranny is stock never touched,,, he wants to rebuild so it will handle the extra power, it has a 5 position switch, I will never beat on the truck just tow the camper, hope this is enough info,, another thing is I think he is talking about $6k for the rebuild, seems high to me?
But if you arent going to hammer it then why drop the cash on a built trans? 6k is a bit imo, ive seen anywhere from 3500-6000 on built trans work. Its not cheap but it does offer a piece of mind if you decide to get mean with your truck...
Honestly if it is just a tow rig then leave the trans alone and make sure you are in tow tune mode. But thats just me. If you think you will want to use all the power your truck is capable of then yeah build that sucker and enjoy it
Honestly if it is just a tow rig then leave the trans alone and make sure you are in tow tune mode. But thats just me. If you think you will want to use all the power your truck is capable of then yeah build that sucker and enjoy it
The Allison is a smart transmission, it will start to limp out way before it ever leaves you stranded...
Sounds to me like he needs a rig to learn the ALLISON with.
I'm gonna just guess that he doesn't have more than a couple performance rebuilds under his belt, and as such he is pushing the build cuz you're biting on some of the other performance doodads.
Maybe not, maybe this guys a legit Duramax performance guy who has lots of experience, IDK...but to install tuning and on the initial test drive tell you you're gonna need a built trans seems kinda off the wall to me, first, the trans needs some time to adapt/learn the new programming, second, he should've sold and loaded "stock trans safe" tuning, which isn't always the case, but unless you're pounding on the big tune everyday all day the trans shouldn't "need" a performance build for quite a while...
I wouldn't pay no $6k no how no way for a performance build for a 150hp tune, that's crazy talk. $4500 is more like it and when you do go to get it done there's better options than your buddy, guaranteed!!!
I didn't notice it mentioned if your truck is equipped with a 5sp or a 6sp???
It's possible to prolong the inevitable rebuild with a shift kit, but you'll more than likely need he rebuild sooner than later if you've got DSP-5 tuning, that big tune calls out to your inner child
hey hot cocal, like the post, the power may call on me to restrain but this dually is for the purpose of hauling our 5th wheel, not any hot rodding, the truck is a 2004.5 so it has a 5 speed, I will check on the stock trans safe tune, thanks. hope not to need a tranny for a while but ive seen a couple of you mention a guy in Baltimore, I would ask for that should the time arrive, meanwhile the truck runs awsome