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Thread: Introduction and OBD2 Tuning Questions

  1. #1
    Carb and Points!
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    Introduction and OBD2 Tuning Questions

    Hello all. I appreciate the add and the all the info and work you guys have done. I have been researching for a way to tune my truck after a cam upgrade and engine rebuild without having to spend an arm and a leg on HPT. It's an 03 Avalanche, 5.3l with a p59 PCM, OS 12579405. After finding the forums and youtube videos, I have successfully flashed it over to the 12587603 OS.

    Tools I had used was LS Droid, OBDlink LX, Tunerpro and a bench harness with a switch for the ignition.

    I had tried several versions of PCMHammer to no avail. Not sure why. It would read the initial info, Like OS, serial and VIN but not do a full read.

    I had started with the OBDLINK LX and LS droid in the vehicle at first and was getting mixed results. I then moved to a bench harness. My bench harness uses an Elenco Precision regulated power supply, model XP-620. I had it set at ~13 volts. Still after moving to the bench harness I was getting nothing. I had realized and after had read somewhere, I believe on Facebook, That I had updated the OBDlink's firmware to the latest version and that on LS Droid FB, someone said the most stable version was 4.5.1 for the OBDlink. So I rolled it back to that version and I started getting full reads of the PCM. I had backed up my full read, just in case any tune I write was troublesome. I did try PCMhammer again after this and still no reads. Ok with the read out of the way, I found the 7603 bin and xdf off of github repository, by boredtruckowner and snowman. Sorry I cant remeber how it was spelled and cant seem to find the github right now for him. Some interesting things that I found is that after grabbing an xdf from both githubs, they had different assortment of options in tunerpro. One had way more than the other, but also it seemed like a red flag to me as well, because I wanted to stick to as stock as possible xdf. I ended up using the xdf from boredtruckowner.
    So everything is going well, I am researching my tune and what I need to adjust and what not to touch, etc. Except when I go to save the bin in tunerpro, I get a checksum error. Ok. lets figure this out. Did some reseaarch and found that tunerpro requires a plugin for gm(p01/p59) PCM's. I go to tunerpro website download the plugin from their link, which redirects to joukey's github. I download the "GM-P01-P59-checksum-plugin.dll" and place it into the appropriate folder. Which it has to be placed into the plugin folder under Tunerpro in the documents folder. I go to save the bin file again and still get a checksum error. Of course, I restarted the computer.. Yes, i uninstalled and reinstalled Tunerpro. Still got a checksum error when saving. After sifting through some more forumns I had came across a plugin from boredtruckowners github, believe it or not. I popped that sucker in the plugin folder and it worked. It actually saved with no checksum errors. Wow.
    Finally, I am ready to write to the PCM the new OS. I load up LS droid,I reset the bluetooth for the OBDlink. I made sure the PCM had been on for 30 secs minimum. I go to write on LSDroid and nope I cannot write. I have to do 3 calibration writes before I can do i full OS write. @#%^! So, I try to do my first calibration. I started the process and selected my original OS from my first read to use. LSdroid hangs at the cheksum screen. Right at 100%, 8/8. Just freezes, nothing. This appearently is the checksum process before even uploading the kernels. So I force close LSdroid, turn off my PCM. wait a while and try again. I selected the same original OS to write a calibrate. This time LSDroid, does a full calibrate write. No issues, No hangs. OK, perfect. Lets do another. I turn off the iginition. wait a few minutes, turn the ignition back on, wait 30 secs, and start another calibrate. Well this time it gets stuck at the kernel loading 2 of 3. Just freezes, no error screen, no recovery mode, nothing. So I once again, force close, turn off ignition. wait a while and come back and restart the whol process all over again. I finally get all 3 calibrate writes done and am ready to move onto the big one. Ofcourse I had doubts, after seeing LSdroid freeze up. I knew what was going to happen.
    Just as I had predicted, LSdroid had froze 3 different times trying to write this damn thing. Same times as the when I was doing the Calibrates. I actually got a full write done on the fourth try. Turned off my ignition switch, waited a few minutes and did a read. 20 something minutes later, the read comfirmed the OS and after popping it into tunerpro, I confirmed all the changes I had made for my tune. Perfect! Now heres the weird part, I did not ever change my VIN not on any device, software nothing. MY plan was to make sure the file writes then figure out how to change the bin. Also, I did not do a VATS delete. I never touched VATS. The read from my OS change and write had showed that my vehicles VIN was somehow incorporated into the bin. IDK, but hey thats even better.

    And then whats better than that? Ill tell you. The fact that after putting the PCM back into the truck, The vehicle started up first time. No problems. Hell yeah!. I drop it in gear and see if it stalls? Nope still runs. Ok, time for a test drive. Took it out for a spin, came back, no issues. Sweet, Im in there like swim wear!

    With my cam upgrade the truck would die out when put into gear.

    *With all that being said, what I am about to write is my opinions that stem from my trials and tribulations. Don't take offense! Again these are opinions even though they may help someone out, understand what worked for me may not work for you!* (I will write all the the files, software versions, and specifics down below that I used.)

    Now, I understand first and foremost that this is a pretty long write up, especially for an Introduction but I dont want to write several different times when it could be said all in one swoop. I am a pretty quick study and I realize that when people ask you to read through forumns, before asking questions, or when people are in such a hurry that they feel like, they have to ask a question right away to get help to understand why something is not working. In my trials and tribulations of my process, I did not write to ask questions, and even though at times with being under pressure to have my truck back running, I still did not write. I felt I had to, have access to this forumn which I just got yesterday, to have acces to bins and xdf's, but that wasn't the case. There are bins, xdf's on other forumns and github. Which was awesome. I just did my due diligence. Alot of researching forumns and google searches. The one gripe I would have is most of the information on the forumns are outdated. For example, it was LSdroid's Facebook group, where I had learned that the most stable version of LSdroid to work with the OBDlink LX was 4.5.1. So, to me and understanding that even if I did ask for some help, as a new person, that chance would be slim to none. So, I was stuck sifting through outdated material, deciphering everything like I was trying to restablish, an old archaic language from the ancient tombs. At times, I felt I should just fork up the money for HPTuners, just to have a process that is streamlined and works. My process only lasted about five days time total, starting with last week. I recieved the OBDlink LX in the mail, and downloaded LSdroid. I spent a couple of hours trying to get the PCM to read in the vehicle, that evening. Not realizing that I was using a not so stable newer firmware of the OBDlink. I decided to that there was toomuch noise in the vehicle's bus's, due to getting half reads. I did at the time went the oppisite direction and updated the OBDlink to the latest firmware, only to get no reads at all. I then decide to order a delphi bench harness off ebay, well because my junkyards around here are trash anyways. So a few days later I recieved the harness. I did some research to verify the pinouts, which the ground was not placed in the proper location on the ECM connector. So, I repinned it to the proper location and added a switch to pin 19 for the switched ignition signal. I already had a power supply that is more stable than the wall adapter that came with the bench harnes so I cut the wall plug power suplly off and wired it up to my power supply. I tried reading and was getting nothing from LSdroid or PCMhammer, until I changed the OBDlink firmware to version 4.5.1. I started to get reads from LSDroid but still not PCMhammer. So in one evening I got a full read, started editing my tune, and the next day wrote the new tune with the new OS. So a fairly quick process for a newbie minus witing on the hardware to come in the mail. My other issue is for the tunerpro plugin that cam from their website that redirects to joukey's github, does not work. So if, you are getting a checksum plugin error when saving a bin, go to boredtruckowners github and use that plugin.

    https://github.com/BoredTruckOwner/L...ksum%20Plugins

    A couple of other caveats, is that the xdf, that I felt was better, that I got from boredtruckowner's github, is locked and uneditable. Not sure why? Its probably not a big deal, but it does make me feel like it is not as original as it probably could be. And it may very well be for reasons such as no one can mess up an original, which could be a good thing. So, I digress.
    Secondly if I am going to write a new OS to my PCM, because an xdf does not exist for my current OS, why do I have to write 3 calibrations through LSdroid? This is redundant to me and frankly a waste of time.

    Ok so my specifics:

    Vehicle: 2003 Chevy Avalanche 1500, Z71, 5.3l 4x4, Automatic, Drive by wire (DBW), 4L60E transmission, has a rebuilt engine with upgraded parts and seals, 256's heads, Texas Speed's 212/218 114LSA .600 lifts on the intakes and exhausts / Stage 2 High Lift Truck Cam, .600 lifts beehive springs, BTR trunion upgrades, new rockers, pushrods, lifters, timing chain, melling water pump, melling oil pump, radiator. It has a P59 1mb PCM that, had a 12579405 OS, which is now a 12587603 OS.

    Hardware/Software:
    Windows 10 laptop, which is prob updated to the latest version, because the damn thing restarts every night.
    OBDlink LX version 4.5.1 firmware (which can be updated via the OBDlink app, that you download from the play store)
    LSDroid Beta V0.2.2B (which can not be rolled back and is the latest version)
    TunerPro version 5.00.9237 (not TunerProRT)
    PCMHammer Versions 12-14 (never worked)
    Bench Harness for PCM with OBDII port and switch for ignition @~13 volts DC.

    Bins/xdf's:
    12587603 bin from boredtruckowner's github
    12587603 xdf from the same github
    1Mb PCM OS Checksum Plugin.dll for TunerPro, from boredtruckowner's github

    My next step is to get the truck tune dialed in, which I need to figure out. I'd prefer not to buy HPTuners, but I am tempted too,to be able to run a scanner and drive logs.
    I belive there is a way to run a scanner and logs with TunerPro RT, but as of right now I am unsure of what hardware is required to be able to do so. I am currently under the assumption that the OBDlink or any bluetooth device for that matter and that is not propierty to another company's products, such as HPT, will not work with TunerPro RT. I think there is a cable but also unsure of what and which one it is.

    I did not want to mess with the base spark table in my tune but I did. I will prob roll it back to stock. I did take note that when doing a tune you want a smooth transistion from the rpm ranges, which the stock bin does not do. I had simply changed the percentages of my adjustments I had made and did not smooth them out. So I have to figure that out as well. I mean currently the truck drives good, but I do notice that the rpms are higher and the truck wants to lunge forward as soon as its dropped in gear. And with my foot on the brake at stops, if I dont hold the brake tight the truck will move forward pretty easily. So, I am thinking I need to bring down the in gear percentages some.

    As far as my cam, I am really unsure of what to change. I'd prefer not to change anything that doesn't need changed.

    Maybe someone can help me out with this, or maybe they won't. IDK.

    Anyways thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, and especially thanks to all those who have created a process to allow this to happen, without the cost of HPT or the equivalant!

    Jeramy Scott

  2. #2
    Super Moderator dave w's Avatar
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    I think that's the longest introduction post ever.

    I updated the title and moved the post to the OBDII Tuning Thread, thinking more members will respond to your post.

    dave w

  3. #3
    Carb and Points!
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    Thanks Dave, I appreciate it! I hope at the least, it can help some people out.

  4. #4
    Fuel Injected!
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    I use Tuner Pro RT because it is the latest and I don't have trouble with checksums. I also don't have any trouble with PCM Hammer but I'm using an OBD Link MX.

    There are quite a few different versions of XDF for that 7603 BIN and you might try a different one. The people that write XDF files lock them so that they can't be changed and developing an XDF file or even editing an XDF file should only be done by somebody skilled with either a program called "IDA Pro" or another called "Ghidra". Not many of us know how to use those programs, certainly not me.

    Rick
    1970 Chevy El Camino, LM7 Engine, 4L60E - Two 896 and two 0411 PCM's

  5. #5
    Carb and Points!
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    Thanks, Rick! Are you logging/scanning with Tunerpro? If so, what hardware are you using to connect with to the OBDII port? Secondly, I totally understand the reason to lock the xdf file.

    I originally did not have access to this forum, and it seemed the only place I found, what seemed to me a legitimate xdf, was on boredtruckowner's GitHub.

    Also I just wrote my second tune, with the OBDlink LX and LS Droid, although it took me four try's. It kept hanging here and there. Mostly before ever loading the kernels. I think I need a few more tunes, but the pain of pulling the PCM in and out, and also the freezing issues with LS Droid, deters me.

    I will look into those other xdf's and see what I can find.

    Thanks, again!

    Jeramy Scott

  6. #6
    Fuel Injected!
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    I pretty much do everything with a home built, junk yard parts bench harness and the PCM on the kitchen table with a 3 amp Radio Shack power supply.

    No logging for me with Tuner Pro RT though I have long been curious about that. I only use Tuner Pro RT to edit my BINs. I use my MX Bluetooth device with just about every Android OBD2 app imaginable. They do a reasonable job at logging or scanning and my favorites are:

    Car Scanner

    MotorData OBD

    OBD Fusion

    OBDLink

    I hope you are keeping good track of your tune files as you edit them. ALWAYS keep a pristine saved copy of your last best tune file so that you have a way to recover your PCM, if necessary. I also recommend that you purchase a spare PCM from the junk yard to run your tune experiments on. I think I'm up to six "spare" (???) PCM's that I keep on the shelf and I've yet to purchase one that was anything but perfectly functional - these devices are quite rugged and dependable. I've gotten them for anywhere from $16.00 to $38.00 each.

    Rick
    1970 Chevy El Camino, LM7 Engine, 4L60E - Two 896 and two 0411 PCM's

  7. #7
    Fuel Injected! trlrider's Avatar
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    Ditto what Rick said. Except I am now using the OBDXPro, reads and writes much faster then the MX+ I also have. The MX+ now resides in the truck and linked to a tablet that I uses a gauge graphics on to monitor various goings on on the truck. Still learning, have a long way to go.

    Great introductions write up, wow!

    Louis
    Jack of all trades, absolutely master of none! Too many projects, not enough time and limited funds.
    Geronimo, Guadalupe County, Texas
    1993 K1500 Suburban - SBC Refit retraining the TBI and Computer Control.
    2004 Z66 Avalanche 5;3 to 6.0 LQ9 upgrade - project pending

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