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View Full Version : help! convert to ETC/drive by wire



DURAtotheMAX
June 11th, 2009, 12:25 PM
quick question on how to convert a gen III V8 from cable throttle to electronic throttle. I can find a zillion threads all over the internet on how to convert ETC to drive by cable, but nothing really on doing the opposite swap?

Im buying a vortec 4.8 complete with PCM and harness (out of a 99 silverado) to go into my offroad buggy. The 4.8 is pre-2003 so its drive by cable. But the engine in my buggy is rear mounted, and it would be sooo nice to not have to mess around with a clunky/sticky 13 foot long throttle cable...so I want to convert it to drive by wire/ETC.

From looking at the pinouts of a 99-02 4.8 and a 2003 4.8, pretty much everything is identical, the only differences being the way the O2 heaters are actuated, and the 99-02 PCM has wiring for IAC and TPS, whereas the 2003 PCM just has the UART data wires to go to the TAC module.

Here are my questions:

Is there some 512k flash file out there (that I could directly full-flash into the existing 4.8 PCM so I dont have to buy another one) that supports ETC???

IF I have to buy a 2003 1 meg 4.8 PCM to make it work easilly, will the 2003 1 meg PCM plug right into the 99-02 truck 4.8 harness?? And if it will plug in (by grinding off the indexing key on the green connector), the only differences being Ill have to add the 2 pins for the TAC module UART data, remove the TPS/IAC wiring pins, and redo the O2 heater wiring... Is that correct???

Then obviously Ill have to buy a ETC throttle body, a TAC module, and an accellerator pedal assembly, but that should be easy to find and cheap because it seems EVERYONE has ETCphobia and wants to swap to cable operated throttle bodies...:confused:

thanks
ben

chevy052500hd
June 11th, 2009, 04:29 PM
I have a throttle body for you if your interested pm me on price. It's off a 5.3it should work out for ya.

Later
Kurt

GMPX
June 11th, 2009, 07:15 PM
Ben, you really need to get an ETC base program.
There is many ETC maps we don't show, if the tables are blank then you will never get it to work.
Your best bet might be to start with a Corvette tune from 2001+ then remap the fuel / spark to suit the 4.8L. You will need to get the correct Pedal and TAC for whatever tune you decide to run with.

Cheers,
Ross

Highlander
June 11th, 2009, 09:50 PM
Show more tables for the ETC!!!! I wish i had more control over the traction control portion to act as a Launch Control.... Like the new GS/Z06/ZR1 have :)

MICK
June 12th, 2009, 12:09 AM
Show more tables for the ETC!!!! I wish i had more control over the traction control portion to act as a Launch Control.... Like the new GS/Z06/ZR1 have :)


I want these ones...:)


ETC Acceleration Rate Low Speed Threshold = KPH

ETC Acceleration Rate High Speed Threshold = KPH

ETC Low Speed Acceleration Rate = KPH/Per Second

ETC Med Speed Acceleration Rate = KPH/Per Second

ETC High Speed Acceleration Rate = KPH/Per Second

Add 10% to these ones and see what happens to your back tyres.

Highlander
June 12th, 2009, 01:09 AM
if you know where they are located, you could however make a cax file and what do these do exactly?

DURAtotheMAX
June 12th, 2009, 01:50 AM
would it be possible to just swap to a 2003 4.8 truck PCM? That way I wouldnt have to copy a zillion tables to make the corvette tune into something that would work with the 4.8?

Would the 4.8 truck PCM work fine with the existing truck drive by cable harness, provided I add the few extra wires for the TAC module?

thanks for the help
ben

chevy052500hd
June 12th, 2009, 02:18 AM
should work fine, did that in a s-10 swapped from the vortec box to a 1mb everything worked out fine for me.

DURAtotheMAX
June 12th, 2009, 02:45 AM
alright so time to find a TAC module, 4.8 throttle body, and 1 meg PCM...

samh_08
June 12th, 2009, 10:35 AM
x2 on showing more ETC tables...Even if you have to give them with a 'Alter these at your own risk' warning ;).

DURAtotheMAX
June 12th, 2009, 01:56 PM
should work fine, did that in a s-10 swapped from the vortec box to a 1mb everything worked out fine for me.

when you say vortec box, do you mean the old style vortec PCM's?

How did you swap from an old vortec PCM to a LSx style PCM without changing the entire harness? THe plugs are all different.

WHat I am wondering is if the 99-02 drive by cable LSx harnesses are "98%" compatible/interchangable with the 03-05 drive by wire LSx harnesses.

MICK
June 13th, 2009, 09:49 PM
if you know where they are located, you could however make a cax file and what do these do exactly?


Attached is a tune file of a 2001 4x4 truck that has ETC operational using a 0411 on the operating system 12208322.

Also I put the ETC parameters in a cax so you can check them out, there would be a description of the parameters there as well.

Has a few other cool toys in that cax, you will need to have a look around.

Cheers

Mick

MICK
June 13th, 2009, 09:59 PM
when you say vortec box, do you mean the old style vortec PCM's?

How did you swap from an old vortec PCM to a LSx style PCM without changing the entire harness? THe plugs are all different.

WHat I am wondering is if the 99-02 drive by cable LSx harnesses are "98%" compatible/interchangable with the 03-05 drive by wire LSx harnesses.


You can pull the pins on the old connectors and refit them to the newer style LSx connectors. Most of the wires are the same color.

Lextec would be the man to chat with on that.

Sometimes you need to add a few wires to connect a few things up.

Not to sure if you can go as far as 03-05 but maybe.

Mick

Highlander
June 14th, 2009, 08:52 AM
can you please explain actually what these parameters do?

When you put

ETC Low Speed Accel Rate 2 MPH/s
that means that the ETC will limit the acceleration of the vehicle to 2mph/s?

And what does the Power To Takeoff do?

These parameters control how fast the ETC "opens" not just final position?

Thanks

GMPX
June 14th, 2009, 10:58 AM
Because I see tables in the ETC area does not mean I know what they do. We aren't GM guys, we don't know everything.

samh_08
June 14th, 2009, 11:23 AM
Because I see tables in the ETC area does not mean I know what they do. We aren't GM guys, we don't know everything.
Understood, but wouldnt knowing what these tables do potentially be the next greatest thing? Is there any ETC tables that you know of that are actually limiting performance?

Sam

Highlander
June 14th, 2009, 12:19 PM
Understood, but wouldnt knowing what these tables do potentially be the next greatest thing? Is there any ETC tables that you know of that are actually limiting performance?

Sam

if the blade opens 99.5% it is not limiting performance ;)

I see why it isn't needed to include everything...

i like it that the throttle control helps to smooth out the way the car applies the power... Even at that... I like it that it can make the application of the power linearly.

I will have this on my lt1 :)

dfe1
June 14th, 2009, 02:19 PM
You should be able to download the 2002 4.8 Silverado file from holdencrazy.com. I have a 2002 5.3 with the same operating system and it's drive-by-wire. You should be able to do a complete reflash of the 2002 operating system into your existing PCM and they you should be ready to drive by wire (aswuming you obtain a suitable throttle body, pedal and pedal controller).

chevy052500hd
June 14th, 2009, 05:15 PM
when you say vortec box, do you mean the old style vortec PCM's?

How did you swap from an old vortec PCM to a LSx style PCM without changing the entire harness? THe plugs are all different.

WHat I am wondering is if the 99-02 drive by cable LSx harnesses are "98%" compatible/interchangable with the 03-05 drive by wire LSx harnesses.


Ah the plugs are different but the pins themselves are the same so it was a matter of popping off the color caps and unpinning the old vortec black box connectors and repinning it to the new ls1 box connectors. They should be compatible the only thing that is different is you have red caps on the 512k boxes and on the 1mb boxes you have green caps. This no problem, I used the red caps on my 1mb box by simply grining down the rejection tabs in the center of the caps and leaving the outters.

dfe1
June 15th, 2009, 03:50 AM
Because I see tables in the ETC area does not mean I know what they do. We aren't GM guys, we don't know everything.
GM guys don't know everything either.

S10Wildside
June 17th, 2009, 10:28 AM
Very interesting! I spent a solid evening trying to turn on ETC from a 4.3L calibration...I spent minutes turning on ETC from an LS1 Camaro/Firebird calibration. Ross helped me to understand that there are tables behind the scenes that were preventing ETC on the 4.3L calibration.

MICK - excellent information. When I have some extra time, I'm going to look further into this with the files you provided.

I want to see that ETC will work with the 4.3L calibration before getting my Syclone engine rebuilt. Hmm...then I need a vehicle for it.

http://www.eficonnection.com/coilpercylinder/SycloneETC.jpg

DURAtotheMAX
June 17th, 2009, 01:07 PM
Very interesting! I spent a solid evening trying to turn on ETC from a 4.3L calibration...I spent minutes turning on ETC from an LS1 Camaro/Firebird calibration. Ross helped me to understand that there are tables behind the scenes that were preventing ETC on the 4.3L calibration.

MICK - excellent information. When I have some extra time, I'm going to look further into this with the files you provided.

I want to see that ETC will work with the 4.3L calibration before getting my Syclone engine rebuilt. Hmm...then I need a vehicle for it.

http://www.eficonnection.com/coilpercylinder/SycloneETC.jpg

You can always run a new body style (GMT-900) silverado 4.3 ECM and calibration. In 2008 they FINALLY overhauled the 4.3 and switched to coil packs and drive by wire. I think it uses an E67??

ben

DURAtotheMAX
June 17th, 2009, 01:13 PM
here is a picture

Probably wouldnt be cheap or easy to obtain parts because they are still new...but up-to-date fuel and ignition technology on the 4.3 DOES now exist in factory form! :D

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/penguin1494/X10PT_6C032Custom.jpg

S10Wildside
June 17th, 2009, 01:26 PM
here is a picture

Probably wouldnt be cheap or easy to obtain parts because they are still new...but up-to-date fuel and ignition technology on the 4.3 DOES now exist in factory form! :D


I purchased the timing cover, timing set, and crank reluctor for the new 4.3L about one year ago. The timing cover doesn't fit the early 4.3L engines, the timing chain looks like a bicycle chain, and the reluctor is over an inch larger than the 4x reluctor.

The ECM is not supported either.

DURAtotheMAX
June 17th, 2009, 07:32 PM
what ECM does it use??

S10Wildside
June 17th, 2009, 08:46 PM
what ECM does it use??

I seem to recall it uses a Hitachi controller. I asked Paul or Ross about this a long time ago and was told there would be little demand for this controller, so EFILive won't support it anytime soon.