Drive by wire and other questions
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 6
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Drive by wire and other questions My first post after reading and lurking for a few weeks. Please be gentle...
I am getting a 2nd Gen f-body soon and got a good enough price that I think and LS swap will happen this year. My preliminary plan is to go LM4/4L65e. I'm not looking to make a racer just a cruiser for my bride and I.
Because the LM4 is a truck motor do I also need that PCM or will any work? I don't know how the memory maps are laid out but I did read that they were different. Would I need or be better off with an F-body box?
Can I keep the VATS if I also get the key from the donor vehicle? Not sure if I will do it but a little extra theft protection would be nice.
My Nissan is drive by wire and I kinda like it. Since that engine on the donor is FBW the only think I would need to put it in as part of the swap would be the gas pedal, correct?
I work with electronics and programming everyday so the electronic side isn't intimidating and I hope the learning curve isn't so steep
That's enough for now but I'm sure there will be more. Great site and thanks for taking the time to look.
I am getting a 2nd Gen f-body soon and got a good enough price that I think and LS swap will happen this year. My preliminary plan is to go LM4/4L65e. I'm not looking to make a racer just a cruiser for my bride and I.
Because the LM4 is a truck motor do I also need that PCM or will any work? I don't know how the memory maps are laid out but I did read that they were different. Would I need or be better off with an F-body box?
Can I keep the VATS if I also get the key from the donor vehicle? Not sure if I will do it but a little extra theft protection would be nice.
My Nissan is drive by wire and I kinda like it. Since that engine on the donor is FBW the only think I would need to put it in as part of the swap would be the gas pedal, correct?
I work with electronics and programming everyday so the electronic side isn't intimidating and I hope the learning curve isn't so steep
That's enough for now but I'm sure there will be more. Great site and thanks for taking the time to look.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Huntingdon, PA
Curious to what it is you like about drive by wire..... I feel like im in the minority of absolutely hating it. Cable driven throttle bodies feel so much better and don't have that absurd delay I've experienced every time I drove a DBW.
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 19
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From: Milwaukee, WI
To use the DBW, from what I have read, you will need the pedal, the TAC module as well as the connector for it / the pedal. The tac is a little box mounted on the firewall of the truck it came from.
Credit to lt1swap
Drive By Wire = Electric motor controlling throttle blades. Gas pedal is a sensor, that feeds to a TAC Module (Throttle Actuator Control) The TAC module monitors the gas pedal sensor, then commands the throttle body motor to set the desired throttle setting. The TAC module also communicates with the PCM. Without this communication, the TAC module will not operate the throttle blade, and will cause codes to set in the PCM.
DBW was found on all Corvette's starting in 1997. Some higher end SUV's around 2001 started getting DBW. In 2003 all Pickup Trucks got DBW. In 2004 the Express Van got DBW.
If you are getting a motor from a salvage yard, be sure to get the Gas Pedal Assembly, TAC Module, and harness that runs from gas pedal to TAC module. It's a short harness, with a rubber grommet where it passes through the firewall. The rest of the wiring is part of the engine harness.
Drive By Wire = Electric motor controlling throttle blades. Gas pedal is a sensor, that feeds to a TAC Module (Throttle Actuator Control) The TAC module monitors the gas pedal sensor, then commands the throttle body motor to set the desired throttle setting. The TAC module also communicates with the PCM. Without this communication, the TAC module will not operate the throttle blade, and will cause codes to set in the PCM.
DBW was found on all Corvette's starting in 1997. Some higher end SUV's around 2001 started getting DBW. In 2003 all Pickup Trucks got DBW. In 2004 the Express Van got DBW.
If you are getting a motor from a salvage yard, be sure to get the Gas Pedal Assembly, TAC Module, and harness that runs from gas pedal to TAC module. It's a short harness, with a rubber grommet where it passes through the firewall. The rest of the wiring is part of the engine harness.
My first post after reading and lurking for a few weeks. Please be gentle...
I am getting a 2nd Gen f-body soon and got a good enough price that I think and LS swap will happen this year. My preliminary plan is to go LM4/4L65e. I'm not looking to make a racer just a cruiser for my bride and I.
Because the LM4 is a truck motor do I also need that PCM or will any work? I don't know how the memory maps are laid out but I did read that they were different. Would I need or be better off with an F-body box?
You will need the PCM for the truck engine. Do yourself a favor and get all the parts (PCM, TAC and pedal) off the same truck, or at least the same year. Mismatched parts will give you DBW issues you don't want to deal with.
Can I keep the VATS if I also get the key from the donor vehicle? Not sure if I will do it but a little extra theft protection would be nice.
Put a hidden kill switch somewhere in the car for either the ignition or the fuel pump. Trying to keep VATS would require the BCM, all it's wiring and the Silverado ignition switch, and that won't fit your column.
My Nissan is drive by wire and I kinda like it. Since that engine on the donor is FBW the only think I would need to put it in as part of the swap would be the gas pedal, correct?
You'll need the TAC module, the pedal and the harness that goes between the two.
I work with electronics and programming everyday so the electronic side isn't intimidating and I hope the learning curve isn't so steep
That's enough for now but I'm sure there will be more. Great site and thanks for taking the time to look.
I am getting a 2nd Gen f-body soon and got a good enough price that I think and LS swap will happen this year. My preliminary plan is to go LM4/4L65e. I'm not looking to make a racer just a cruiser for my bride and I.
Because the LM4 is a truck motor do I also need that PCM or will any work? I don't know how the memory maps are laid out but I did read that they were different. Would I need or be better off with an F-body box?
You will need the PCM for the truck engine. Do yourself a favor and get all the parts (PCM, TAC and pedal) off the same truck, or at least the same year. Mismatched parts will give you DBW issues you don't want to deal with.
Can I keep the VATS if I also get the key from the donor vehicle? Not sure if I will do it but a little extra theft protection would be nice.
Put a hidden kill switch somewhere in the car for either the ignition or the fuel pump. Trying to keep VATS would require the BCM, all it's wiring and the Silverado ignition switch, and that won't fit your column.
My Nissan is drive by wire and I kinda like it. Since that engine on the donor is FBW the only think I would need to put it in as part of the swap would be the gas pedal, correct?
You'll need the TAC module, the pedal and the harness that goes between the two.
I work with electronics and programming everyday so the electronic side isn't intimidating and I hope the learning curve isn't so steep
That's enough for now but I'm sure there will be more. Great site and thanks for taking the time to look.
The lag most people dislike about DBW can be programmed out. It's in there to keep the general motoring public from tearing their cars up. Also, you are correct, cruise is a simple 4 wire hook up on a DBW gen3 engine.
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All lsx vettes are dbw and I have not seen any lag in their response. ;-)
From my experience, people with lagging response don't know who to tune the pedal tables or which file to use to eliminate the characteristics the haters describe.
From my experience, people with lagging response don't know who to tune the pedal tables or which file to use to eliminate the characteristics the haters describe.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
OK, just about ready to starting picking parts at junkyards. There's several LM4's in inventory nearby so that's shouldn't be a problem.
While learning more I found out that some cars used a separate module to control the transmission and others did it via PCM. I haven't been able to pin down a year for the cutoff. The LM4 was only made in 03 & 04.
Another issue I may encounter is I've read there was a change in VSS with transmissions that happened in 2006. Is this backward comparable?
I guess a better question, and I hate asking these, is what 4L60 or variant can I make work with the LM4 setup? I'm kinda married to that for the weight savings and DBW. The LM4 only came in 4wd and the SSR and I'm putting it into a 2nd gen fbody.
While learning more I found out that some cars used a separate module to control the transmission and others did it via PCM. I haven't been able to pin down a year for the cutoff. The LM4 was only made in 03 & 04.
Another issue I may encounter is I've read there was a change in VSS with transmissions that happened in 2006. Is this backward comparable?
I guess a better question, and I hate asking these, is what 4L60 or variant can I make work with the LM4 setup? I'm kinda married to that for the weight savings and DBW. The LM4 only came in 4wd and the SSR and I'm putting it into a 2nd gen fbody.
OK, just about ready to starting picking parts at junkyards. There's several LM4's in inventory nearby so that's shouldn't be a problem.
While learning more I found out that some cars used a separate module to control the transmission and others did it via PCM. I haven't been able to pin down a year for the cutoff. The LM4 was only made in 03 & 04.
Another issue I may encounter is I've read there was a change in VSS with transmissions that happened in 2006. Is this backward comparable?
I guess a better question, and I hate asking these, is what 4L60 or variant can I make work with the LM4 setup? I'm kinda married to that for the weight savings and DBW. The LM4 only came in 4wd and the SSR and I'm putting it into a 2nd gen fbody.
While learning more I found out that some cars used a separate module to control the transmission and others did it via PCM. I haven't been able to pin down a year for the cutoff. The LM4 was only made in 03 & 04.
Another issue I may encounter is I've read there was a change in VSS with transmissions that happened in 2006. Is this backward comparable?
I guess a better question, and I hate asking these, is what 4L60 or variant can I make work with the LM4 setup? I'm kinda married to that for the weight savings and DBW. The LM4 only came in 4wd and the SSR and I'm putting it into a 2nd gen fbody.
I believe the LM4 also came in the Trailblazer EXT and was available in 2wd version in that chassis. Most salvage yards separate the engine and trans.
https://archives.media.gm.com/us/gm/...pig_index.html
Andrew
Dbw I put a 2003 Trailblazer LM4 in my '39 Chevy. Although I also took the TAC and APP from the donor vehicle they would not work. Found out that an early 2007 TAC, APP and pigtail would work fine. Looking back it may have been the tune. I sent the ECU off to get VATS, EGR etc programmed out and I think they use a later tune (05 or 06) which made my original TAC and APP unresponsive.
I seem to recall that after a certain model year (maybe 2006??) the TAC is no longer necessary. Can anyone confirm that??
(At least I'm hoping that's the case, because all that I have for my 2008 engine is the DBW pedal, the ECM & the TB...)
(At least I'm hoping that's the case, because all that I have for my 2008 engine is the DBW pedal, the ECM & the TB...)
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2014
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That's pretty much where I'm at. Something was changed in 2006 but I can't pin down what exactly was changed. I had a ton of bookmarks on my tablet that were wioped out when I did an upgrade last week and this subject was one of the bookmarks.
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 207
Likes: 8
From: Spokane, WA
-Nick
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I put a 2003 Trailblazer LM4 in my '39 Chevy. Although I also took the TAC and APP from the donor vehicle they would not work. Found out that an early 2007 TAC, APP and pigtail would work fine. Looking back it may have been the tune. I sent the ECU off to get VATS, EGR etc programmed out and I think they use a later tune (05 or 06) which made my original TAC and APP unresponsive.