new old guy

[Pappy]

Hey guys and gals. I stumbled across this forum searching for any info I could find about tuning. I have a 1988 chevy scottsdale that I have had since it was new. Just recently installed a new motor with a cam and out of necessity wanted to learn to burn my own prom. I fear I have bitten off more than I can chew.

[EagleMark]

:welcome2:

If your a GearHead and enjoy doing your own work? It's another tool in the toolbox and can be quite rewarding. If you don't have computer skills or time to learn and desire? Then it's not for you.

Lots of guys have come here green and are now helping others with tuning!

:welcome:

[Pappy]

Definately a gearhead. I have a 29 model a with a 350/350 combo, 4 link rear and an actual mustang II front end (not a kit). Runs and handles like a dream. Currently building a 51 chevy half ton truck with a nice little small block on a modified S-10 frame. All this is old school carburetor aspirated stuff though. Tuning an EFI vehicle is completely new to me. I have already invested in all the equipment and software ie, moates burn 2, Ostrich 2, socket booster, various adapters and and ALDL cable. I have TunerPro, TunerCat and a few other programs installed but I am having a heck of a time getting this laptop with Vista to communicate with the ECM. Most of this has hit me at a really inopportune time. Any other time I would welcome the challenge but I really need my truck back on the road yesterday. Let me slow down a little and give you some background.

My truck has been mine since it was new. I have rebuilt 4 rear ends and a transmission for it over the past several years. I started seeing a lack in power as the engine was approaching the 200k mark so I decided to do a top end after checking rods and mains for wear. I decided that is may be a great time to add a little more ponies under the hood too. I went with a comp 268h cam because it performs so well in my 29 and I like the very slight choppy idle and I figured the TBI system would handle it. After new cam bearings, cam, rebuilt heads, .030 over pistons and rings the truck ran decent but made no good horsepower in mid range. I knew that the thing would have to be tuned after such drastic changes so I went to the local yard and got a couple spare ECMs in case I did something catastrophic, and saved my ecm and original prom. I got all the necessary equipment and software to start data logging, emulating, and burning chips and began reading on the basics. Once I thought I was ready to get my feet a little wet I unhooked the batteries, removed my ecm and installed the pick and pull ecm that I installed the chip adapter into for my Ostrich 2. I can get Tuner Pro to recognize the cables and the hardware, and the program says its emulating but I can't get my ALDL to connect and I can't get the ecm to read from the Ostrich even with the stock bin and the checksum disabled. The ECM acts as if it is in fault mode. So I thought no problem...there is some simple something I have overlooked and I will just put my stock ecm back in. So far that hasn't worked out well either...now my stock ecm is in fault mode and I don'k know what to do next.

[Six_Shooter]

If the original ECM is in LHM, you have either a power supply failure (check all fuses) or if you removed the PROM from the carrier to read the BIN file, you may have re-installed it backwards. Hopefully this hasn't damaged the EPROM.

Also you HAVE to use the Socket Boost with the Ostrich 2.0 and any ECM that uses the 24 pin EPROMs.

If the ECM does not read from the EPROM/Ostrich, the ALDL will not work either. The information for the diagnostic link is contained in the BIN file that is stored on the EPROM.

[EagleMark]

Once I thought I was ready to get my feet a little wet I unhooked the batteries, removed my ecm and installed the pick and pull ecm that I installed the chip adapter into for my Ostrich 2. I can get Tuner Pro to recognize the cables and the hardware, and the program says its emulating but I can't get my ALDL to connect and I can't get the ecm to read from the Ostrich even with the stock bin and the checksum disabled. The ECM acts as if it is in fault mode. So I thought no problem...there is some simple something I have overlooked and I will just put my stock ecm back in. So far that hasn't worked out well either...now my stock ecm is in fault mode and I don'k know what to do next.Well find what fault. Your ALDL cable should be able to connect to stock ECM. If not we will back up... like Six said, power, ground or a mis installed chip if you ever had it out?

Or just do this. Turn on key, watch CEL, it should come on, blink and stay on till engine is started, then go off if not codes are stored. Look here to read codes without cable or laptop.
http://www.gearhead-efi.com/Fuel-Injection/showthread.php?52-GM-ECM-Reading-Error-Codes-CEL-SES-Light

New cables and FTDI chip drivers have been giving us all issues! So look at this installation tutorial and can follow the links to other driver issues. But sometimes the latest FTDI drivers that install do not work!
http://www.gearhead-efi.com/Fuel-Injection/showthread.php?1557-Cable-Installation-to-TunerPro-RT

[Pappy]

Ok...I am sure that the prom is ok...I kept the original in tact with the holder just to have a place to go back to. I thought the aldl problem was probably in the fact that the prom wasn't being read. I have a 28 pin zif socket coming, so I think I will install it in the correct ecm with the adapter so I can us either the 24 pin ar 28 pin chips and cut some of the wear and tear on these things since it looks like I am going to be pulling chips left and right until I get the hang of this. Thanks again guys for the advice. I'll get the correct ecm and correct prom together and check my connections and fuses and be back with the results.

[EagleMark]

I tend to use a Zif until done. Then put in a chip. If you've got an Ostrich you shouldn't be needed to swap chips. But the Zif is great for ribbon cables too. Always slip on a DIP socket to protect ribbon cables.