A long road ahead....

[Kitch]

Hi, I live in New Zealand and have a 1994 Chevrolet G20 Starcraft conversion van that I've been tinkering with.
It has the original LO5 5.7 TBI with 38,000 miles on it but I'm needing more torque to help it get out of it's own way when are travelling on our holidays.
I have recently fitted some new ceramic coated Hooker headers to it and it has a 3" single exhaust system with no cat, I've rebuilt the TBI with new stock injectors, new MSD cap, rotor, leads and NGK spark plugs, I've made a salad bowl for it and installed twin electric fans.
I have also fitted a new AC Delco EP381 in-tank fuel pump, a heated narrow band O2 sensor and an Innovate MTX-L wide band O2 sensor and gauge.

I have purchased a new L-31 Vortec crate motor for the van a new Comp Cams roller cam, GM performance TBI to Vortec manifold and a 650 CFM TBI unit but was planning on learning how to tune what I have got currently before I swap in the new motor.
Not that anything is wrong with the old motor but it just seemed like a good way to get a factory four bolt main roller engine with better heads.

While over the years I've had experience with carbureted V8's this is the first EFI V8 that I've attempeted to modify.
I've been data logging with TunerPro RT connected via a ALDL to USB cable, a friend of mine got me set up with TunerPro a while ago and we
logged the van when it was dead stock. I figured now that I've made a change with the headers I should look and see what the difference might be.




I realise the questions I have are very basic but I haven't really found an answer in my searching.

I guess the first of many things I need help with is making sure the XDF and ADX files I'm using to data log with are correct/suitable?

My PROM has the part number "8768" and "BDTZ" on the outside case and the EPROM has the number "4895" and "3195" on it.

From that info my friend used the XDF file OE_TPV5_v250.xdf and the ADX file A219_OE_31_v250.adx, that's what I've also been using to data log with and then save the xdl log files so that I can later look at with TunerPro RT.

First off are those XDF and ADX correct for my vehicle/ECU?

The next thing is all the tutorials I seem to have found refer to loading a .bin file into TunerPro but I haven't managed to find what might be the correct .bin file for my ECU. In saying that I've been able to data log without installing a .bin file, so how does that work?

And lastly TunerPro under the heading "Item list/General" shows my PROM ID as being "2247", is that my actual prom ID or is it getting that from the XDF or ADX file that I've loaded?

[dave w]

A .bin file is not needed to data log.

To load a .bin file in TunerPro, click "File" then click "Open Bin..." and browse to the .bin file location. Once you get the .bin file into TunerPro look in Scalars for Mask ID, then double click Mask ID. A widow will pop up with the two character code. See attached screen shot.

I don't have a copy of "BDTZ" in my library. Maybe you can post the "BDTZ" .bin file?

PROM ID is not something I look at.

dave w

[Kitch]

Hi Dave, thanks for the reply. I'd be happy to give you a copy of the "BDTZ" .bin file but I haven't bee able to find one via the internet, is there some way I can extract the .bin file from my ECU?
Your screen shot makes sense but I assume I need to have a .bin file loaded before the MASK ID window will actually open? I found the Scalers/MaskID in the parameter tree but nothing happens when I left click on it.

[Kitch]

Okay, a little bit more research. I ordered an APU1 from Moates last week and I'm assuming I can use it to read my PROM and save a copy of it as a .bin file, does that sound correct?
I also loaded a .bin file and a xdf file that I found here in the thread "16168625 PCM information $E6" I know they aren't the correct ones for my van but having the .bin file in TunerPro allowed me to look through the scalars with some actual information in the output window :-)

[Roadknee]

You'll like the APU1. You'll need the HDR1 adapter to read the bin off your stock chip. You'll also need the G1 adapter. Buy the GP1 package which includes the G1 and two chips you can burn once you're done tuning and want to remove the APU1.

[Six_Shooter]

To add, the only file needed strictly for datalogging is the ADX file.

The BIN and XDF are only needed if you are using what is called "tracing", where a bubble will appear on maps and actual logged values will show up next to scalers. The ADX has to be set up for this though and occasionally a certain XDF has to be used with the ADX, due to some of the linking, but for the most part most XDFs for that mask will use the same naming conventions for each table or scaler.

[Kitch]

Damn... I didn't know I needed the HDR1, I ordered the APU1 and the GP1 package last week and should have them here by the end of this week. I just went to the Moates site and went to order an HDR1 so that I could read the bin of my stock chip but the freight on the $10 HDR1 was almost $60 and that was the cheap option!

[myburb]

I live in canada and did the same thing. Not quite as bad as you at $47 shipping but still hurt. It does hurt but I just chalked it up to I didn't research enough and it works and there doesn't seem to be any other way without desoldering and stuff that my old eyes don't do.

[Kitch]

Shipping can very quite a bit from the US, I was going to get a cam direct from Comp Cams but the best they could on shipping was $225 to NZ. I ended up getting the cam from Jegs and shipping was about $45, so it pays to shop around if possible.

[fastacton]

Can you find a similar bin to download and start with that instead? There are usually several similar bins for each configuration. I've shipped to customers in NZ before and was amazed at how much it can cost.

[Kitch]

In the bin files for the 16168625 I found that "BDKC"'s description sounds close to my vans specs and I loaded that for a bit of a look in TunerPro.

I emailed Moates to see if it was possible to find a cheaper shipping option and they think they have one, which was good of them.

[Kitch]

Dave, I've managed to get a copy of my "BDTZ".bin file from my PROM. How do I get a copy to you?

My "BDTZ".bin has a $0D Mask ID rather than a $E6, could you recommend an XDF and ADX file to use with my bin?
I did a search and found what I think will work in the PCM information for 16197427 but was hoping for some advice.

[PJG1173]

your 8625 is the same as a 7427. It will run $E6, $0D, and $0E

[Kitch]

Beginner question here, I noticed when I changed from an $E6 XDF to $0D XDF that some of the scalar values have changed. Can I assume that the $0D XDF shows the correct values for my $0D mask prom or is that not how it works?

[PJG1173]

Beginner question here, I noticed when I changed from an $E6 XDF to $0D XDF that some of the scalar values have changed. Can I assume that the $0D XDF shows the correct values for my $0D mask prom or is that not how it works?

yes that is how it works. the different code masks have the values stored at different address locations. that is why you need a mask specific xdf and adx

[Kitch]

All my new hardware arrived from Motes today.
I've burn't my first chip with the APU1 & TunerPro, it's just a direct copy of my factory chip. I then fitted the new chip to my G1 adaptor, plugged it into my ECM and started up the van!
It's always good when stuff works as it's supposed to :-)

[Kitch]

Just added a photo of my van and the salad bowl I made to go between the TBI unit and the air cleaner base, looks just as home on my kitchen bench :-)