EFI live... I don't understand.
 

I have searched, and everyone seems to love EFI live.

However, I'm ashamed to say my questions are more basic than those I am finding.

I am used to tuning with a stand alone ECU (AEM EMS). It replaces the OEM ECU/PCM. I plug my laptop into that, and start tuning. Pretty simple.

How does EFI Live work? Is it similar to the above statement, or do you send your PCM to EFI Live and then they re socket the ecu? Or is it some kind of box and wiring harness that plugs into your OEM PCM, then you plug your laptop into that? How does the PCM read your wide band signal?

I will have to buy a PCM. Is there a particular PCM I should look for? My project is a boosted LQ4 into a non GM vehicle.

I will have to buy/make a wiring harness for both the engine side and the PCM side. Should I just buy an OEM harness and tape up what I don't use, or buy one of those custom "stand alone" harnesses? It will be a bare bones engine. Meaning, the only sensors I will be using are, AIT MAP CAS CLT TPS O2 Knck (maybe 1 or 2 that I forgot also). No emissions or anything fancy. My N2O control, but EFI Live already does that from what I have read.

Would it be best to just get an OEM PCM and wiring harness (again what vehicle and year) and just get my LQ4 running with that, then get EFI and start upgrading what I need to after I get it running?

Thanks for any help you can throw my way guys, and sorry for such simple questions. I have just never even seen EFI Live in person, so I don't know.

EFILive plugs into the OBDII port to access the oem PCM. The connection to a laptop or desktop is through a USB connection. You can log data either with a laptop like you do now, or the V2 version can log data as a stand alone without any computer.

You do need a computer to download/upload tuning files/parameters. If you want the capacity to tune on the fly with EFILive you need a Moates RoadRunner PCM. There is a bi-directional dash in the EFILive Scan Tool that allows you to make some parameter temporary modifications w/o doing a reflash of the PCM.

You ought to be able to buy an engine/PCM harness together. As far as what year to buy, you'll have to research the differences and make that decision.

I have a brand new Roadrunner PCM for sale here for $100 under list price: https://ls1tech.com/forums/parts-cla...e-pcm-new.html if you or anyone else is looking. Pics there too.

Cool, thank you very much. That answered what I needed to know.

As far as the year on the PCM, I was just wondering cause I had read that people just despise the 96-98 ( I think) year PCM's for some reason. I don't know why though.

As far as the engine, I already have the LQ4, I have yet to buy the PCM and harness, that is why I was asking. But, since you brought it up, is there any reason why I couldn't just run the PCM and harness that came with the LQ4? EFI Live will work on that just fine right?

Oh, and as far as the hook up on the road runner, thank you, but I am still researching and am not ready to buy yet.

A stock pcm and harness will work. [If you have dbw, get 1 that accomodates that feature], Just remove the items you don't want. There are several places to get the wiring schematics. [I used Alldatadiy.com for the LQ4 from the 05 Hummer I got the engine from.]
If you want a fancy harness, Howell, Speartech, etc, all sell them..
If the LQ has the dbw, you will need a tac module and a matching pedal assy...

Thank you for the help. You say if I have DBW... Unfortunatly I don't understand what the DBW abbreviation means. I did a search and the closest I can come up with is that it has something to do with the throttle pedal assembly. I'm just going to assume that I don't have any of that. I will be running a throttle cable directly to the throttle body and thats it. Of course that doesn't help if that has nothing to do with DBW.

Anyways, again, thank you guys for the replies. I will learn all of this stuff eventually, the lingo is just a little different than I am used to.

Drive by wire.

DOH! /smacks forehead...