Smoked EFI Live Box
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: Olds Iowa
Smoked EFI Live Box I have an issue with my 98 Firebird that has been repined to 2000 pcm. I took it to get tuned after a cam swap, when the tuner plugged in and started to tune he fired the car and the EFI box started to smoke. He said that has never happened before. I didn't repin the car, but it has been tuned when the original owner did the 6.0 swap. I've had on several scan tools that haven't had an issue. Is there something in my obd port that is causing a spike on ignition. He mentioned it did it when the starter clicked, but I don't know if that was coincidence or part of the issue. He then tuned it with HP Tuners, he just unplugged each time to start it and make a pull. Is there a check I can do to see if its the wiring. Thanks
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: Olds Iowa
I checked all the pins. The grounds ohm out and the serial data is at 5v. But the 12v power is at Battery power 13.7-14.3 but when the car fires it spikes to 16.4. Would that cause the issue?
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,080
Likes: 17
From: So.Cal.
Smoked EFI Live Box There are missing engine grounds, the EFILive handheld is completing the ground, and a large current flowing thru this ground is causing the smoke...
I would say your tuner's EFILive handheld unit is now wrecked, it will need repair.
Also, similar thing can happen when powering the laptop (to which the EFILive handheld is plugged in to) using an inverter connected to vehicle battery, i.e. this causes a ground loop with 2 different ground voltages at each end, so high current flows on the ground and thru the handheld.
I would say your tuner's EFILive handheld unit is now wrecked, it will need repair.
Also, similar thing can happen when powering the laptop (to which the EFILive handheld is plugged in to) using an inverter connected to vehicle battery, i.e. this causes a ground loop with 2 different ground voltages at each end, so high current flows on the ground and thru the handheld.
