Fresh LS swap running way too rich on "stock tune"

[loganwierenga]

Evening folks, newbie here that is using HPTuners to get my 5.3 swap running in my '09 colorado. I looked at the "stock tune" in the tune repository and copied every setting, every table into my file and had some success. It runs and drives about, but likes to idle low and die occaisonally...making black smoke at idle and under load. I'm not looking to performance tune this thing, I'm kind of surprised the "stock config" is this rich. It's a 5.3 ly5 from another '09 vehicle, has dual exhaust w/o cats and a very basic cold air intake. It's pretty much stock, what should i be looking at to get this thing leaned out and running better?

Thanks for your assistance!

[gtstorey]

What was the original engine?
Post your original tune that was in the ECM, new tune and a running log.

[loganwierenga]

The original engine was a 2.9L 4cyl. Original ECM tune was overwrote by CPwire in Florida, but i have my current tune file and just took a log of it at idle, with a couple revs.

Logans working tune.hpt runningatidle.hpl

[blindsquirrel]

'Stock' what? How do you know the stock file you copied from uses all the same parts as what's on your engine? Have you verified sensor part numbers, injector numbers, etc., are the same between the file you used and what you have? What was the truck's ECM programmed for originally before the copying? Please don't say it's still the 2.9L ECM OS with stuff pasted in from some random V8 file you found somewhere. The fields you can see and adjust in a *.hpt file is about 20% of the code in the ECM. You need to start with a V8 calibration, and the first step to do that is make sure the existing ECM service number is compatible with what's called for with whatever V8 calibration you want to use. And THEN, you can't change the whole OS like that using just HP Tuners. Gen 4 ECMs have to have the initial calibration put in with GM SPS and an appropriate J2534 tool.

Your initial reaction to all of that should really be 'ok, I need to take a step back, do a whole lot of research and ask a whole lot of questions, and make a plan for how to do this right...'

[loganwierenga]

It's definitely not the 2.9 ecm, it's a new ecm that got v8 code flashed by CPwire, the company that made my custom harness. I just wanted someone to look at my tune file perhaps give me a lead on improving my situation.

[blindsquirrel]

12580681 injectors and returnless/non-referenced fuel system at 58 PSI?

What MAP sensor - there were some early '09s that used the old clip-in sensor, later ones had the kind with the hole off to one side. They have different linear/offset specs.

Beside that, in that log your MAP never changes from 87 kPa. It's 87 before the engine fires up, and stays at 87 after it's running, and also 87 when you goose the throttle. That's why it's rollin' coal, it thinks it's under heavy load with low manifold vacuum all the time.

You have a metric shit-ton of codes to deal with, too, and not just the ones shown in the log. If a thing isn't attached anymore, it's related codes need set to No Error Reported.

[blindsquirrel]

At the beginning of the log, 124* ECT with 172* IAT, that is not plausible. Is there an IAT connected (internal in the MAF?)? What MAF part number?

[loganwierenga]

Well, I took entirely too long to come back to this. I was so messed up at that point my post on here wasn't even pertinent. I had many miswirings, and as you stated; codes galore.
I've spent the last few weekends hooking things up good and proper, and familiarized myself with more of the software. After unfucking all of my physical install issues and deleting codes for things not there, I'm still rich.

I wanted to ask for a recommendation for a good baseline stock tune file, it's a 2009 LY5, paired to a 4l60e. Bone stock with a cai and dual exhaust. I just want to ditch my current tune file(which was taken from the repository...i started on the wrong foot entirely.)

Any assistance with a stock file suitable for that engine and trans combo would be appreciated. And thanks to you blindsquirrel, for clueing me in to how dicked up I was. ( still am, but it's improving xD)

[2xLS1]

There is only one stock file that is correct for that engine and that is the stock file for the donor truck VIN the engine came out of. And that is if every component from the air box to the exhaust manifolds and everything in between was installed with the engine.

[loganwierenga]

I appreciate the response, unfortunately this engine came from a salvage yard. Swapped into an '09 colorado with the 4l60e(swapped input shaft for v8). I'm an absolute newbie of course and dug into HpTuners without proper knowledge, am currently running some other users modded file and of course it runs...poorly. That's why I'm looking for a good base file, I've messed with the file enough to know some basics, and can remove codes for components i'm not running. It doesn't have to be the "perfect" file, I'm just looking for an unmodded stock file for that engine i can license and be alot closer than I currently am without having to mod countless tables.

[Alvin]

What did you wire the truck up as?

I've done a bunch of these V8 colorado swaps. Some of them are setup on E40's and use Trailblazer tunes as a start.. some are wired like a E67 and use a late colorado V8 tune as a start.

You should never copy from stock file to another for a engine swap.

[loganwierenga]

Thanks for the response Alvin, Mine is an e67 ecu with a cpwire custom harness. 2009 colorado (formerly 2.9L I4) swapped with a junkyard ly5 (2009).
Also wanted to add that cpwire did the tech2 flash on the ecu before i ever touched it with hptuners. Just looking for a good base file that i can disable the things no longer on the engine (evap, downstream o2's ect..).

[Balakayt.]

If its starting running and driving AND all the wiring is straightened out then I think your best bet is going to be just start tuning it. As other said just copy paste will never had great results.

If it were me Id start by verifying you have GM fuel injectors find the part number confirm what you have and then make sure the data in the tune is correct. Verify that the Map is working AND the tune is set up to match the MAP sensor that is installed. From there you can move into MAF tuning and VVE tuning.

There is a shit ton of info here to get you what you need. The more you navigate the forum the more you'll find and learn.


Out of curiosity what is the VIN number from the PCM? is it different from the truck itself? If they flashed it using Tech2 it should have a vin.

[Balakayt.]

I realized i could just download the vin from your tune and decode it. It decodes to a 2012 chevy Colorado with a 5.3.

I downloaded a stock 09 Colorado 5.3 file and a stock 2012 Colorado 5.3 file. When you open them you'll see they are both E67 but different operating systems.

How did the truck drive before you altered the tune file?

[blindsquirrel]

Very rarely will GM use the same OS ID across multiple years, even if there are no differences visible. The same as with any software development, bugs/improvements found after release are rolled into the next release and that gets it a new ID number.

2009 E67 and 2010-up E67 are different service numbers, and calibrations won't interchange between them without bricking.

[Balakayt.]

Very rarely will GM use the same OS ID across multiple years, even if there are no differences visible. The same as with any software development, bugs/improvements found after release are rolled into the next release and that gets it a new ID number.

2009 E67 and 2010-up E67 are different service numbers, and calibrations won't interchange between them without bricking.

Good to know. He said he pulled a stock tune from the repository. Im assuming it was a stock tune for an 09 Colorado 5.3. So what i was thinking was even if you could copy over all the tables manually between a 2012 and 09 there would still be some major differences in the stuff you cant see/access. Or would doing that still run a risk of bricking the ECM? Hope that makes sense

[blindsquirrel]

The visible settings can be copied without bricking anything. Not saying that is the right way to do it, because there's no difference in the physical engine hardware that would require anything other than plain ol' tuning. Copying stuff and hoping it works OK is not tuning.

[loganwierenga]

I'm not even remotely pretending to be a tuner, and I appreciate any and all information given. I'm just a joe-schmoe who's wife blew up his 4 banger truck, and opted to do a 5.3 swap..fumbling all the way xD

Well into all this and I'm regretting that I didn't spring for wideband o2 sensors; I'd imagine you folks would recommend I get them asap if I ever want this thing to run truly right?

[RDF1]

I'm not even remotely pretending to be a tuner, and I appreciate any and all information given. I'm just a joe-schmoe who's wife blew up his 4 banger truck, and opted to do a 5.3 swap..fumbling all the way xD

Well into all this and I'm regretting that I didn't spring for wideband o2 sensors; I'd imagine you folks would recommend I get them asap if I ever want this thing to run truly right?

Wideband is the only way to tune PE/WOT Fueling.