Calling any tuners

OK. Looking to see if anyone on here has significant tuning experience with efi live or HP tuners that can maybe enlighten on what goes on with the traction control and if any of that stuff is available with the tuning software. Here is a synopsis of the current state of affairs.


Vehicle is a 2006 hummer h3 with originally the 3.5l i5. The engine has been swapped for a Cummins 4bt. Truck has been on the road for a year and I already have 20k miles on the swap.

The ecu and bcm are still installed and functioning in the vehicle. The transmission is now controlled by a standalone controller to allow programming of the line pressures and shift points.

From the i5 I have relocated the coolant temp sensor, crank angle sensor mounted to a custom 58x tone ring. With these mods all the factory gauges work, tach and coolant sensor. Engine starting circuits are retained and interlock through the existing park safety switch. Starts like a factory motor. The alternator field controller no longer goes through the ecu pwm circuit and is direct wired with a battery sensing line. Alternator is a cs144.

The following relevant sensors are no longer connected. Throttle body, maf, map, both o2 sensors, cam angle, cam actuator, coils, transmission is disconnected from factory harness, vss now goes to the trans standalone, and one app reference now goes to the standalone as well.

Aside from check engine codes which I have not pulled, the following messages are in the DIC. Reduced power, stab sys, and trac failed.

The cause if these messages are likely from being forced into limp home from lack of various sensors. I think the stabilitrac and traction control are disabled because torque management is part of those systems.

Tuning wishes in order of rough priority

1. Clear whatever is disabling the traction control. This has killed the offroad capabilities.

2. Suppress DIC messages

3. Clear check engine codes as applicable.

4. Enable stabilitrack if possible

5 suppress tire pressure monitor warning

6 disable transmission control if necessary.

I know nothing about efilive and all the tuning. Do you have a local speed shop? They should know how to get it to work.

What do I not get is why stabilitrak is not working. Thats weird, I bet if you get stabilitrak to work the traction control will start working.

TPMS light can be turned off by PCMofNC correct?

Its so intertwined its ridiculous. An abs fault will not allow you to swap t case modes, reduced power leaves you struggling up the smallest grades and normally its because of some dumb reason. While I am not answering your questions I am following this closely. Good luck!

Do you have a scanner? Scangauges will only clear and read engine codes but if you can get someone to tell you all the codes we can start looking at what codes they are and why they might be on. With how whacky our systems are it may be something simple. I have found that. to be true. IIRC when I got "reduced power" once it kills everything including traction control. It only let 2-3 gears work. The second I cleared the reduced power CEL which is 2022?? Or 2012 Its 2100? Its 2XXX something traction control and and everything worked again. For older vehicles having tools is a must when going places. For ours carrying a scanner or damn laptop with a tuner on there is almost a must, or so it feels when your out on the trail.

Ive done some searching, my optimistic guess is if you can even clear the reduced power mode temporarily I bet TC and stabilitrak will start working. Thats how it is on normal H3s, I know yours aint normal but its worth a try. Hope for the best.

I think the reduced power mode and the corresponding other messages are due to a fault in the drive by wire system. Eg, the throttle body is faulted (because it is gone) and there is a fault in the accelerator position.

These both have redundant position sensors and if they don't all agree, it could be a potential safety issue with a normal vehicle. In response, the ecu runs everything to limp mode to prevent a possible run away vehicle with no throttle control.

I have an idea to hook the throttle body back up and restore the app for a test.

I do have a scangauge just haven't pulled all the codes yet. Might take a while.

Can anyone with a scan gauge run a test for me. Pull the throttle body connector and see if this replicates these three messages. For a second test, plug that back in and pull the connector on the accelerator pedal. I'm betting this may replicate this part of my problem.

Yea I'll give it a shot tomorrow and let you know how it goes

Its so intertwined its ridiculous.

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Yup. CaseyS...your efforts do not go un-noticed. Its great that you got this far with the swap. Best of luck trying to get the HAL-2000 to recognize the Cummins.

I personally feel its a no-win in the long run. I don't want to take the wind out of your sails...If you are "stick-to-it" enough to go there...then I'm behind you 100%. I love the H3's electronic traction aids and I also love the 4BT diesel. But if I ever go there...it will be a complete re-wire with a stick-shift. That alone is a huge task but at least you know what you're working toward will have guaranteed results. Trying to keep the swap computerized...I foresee a situation that could be years and years of farting around with software, and experimenting with different wiring schemes...all with no predictable outcome. The frustration would send me over the edge! -LOL

I'm hard headed like that though. When I first started this project, I wasn't sure anything electronic would work right.

I think the throttle body and accelerator pedal are the key here.

http://www.underhoodservice.com/tech-tip-reduced-engine-power-message-displayed-on-gm-vehicles/

When the potentiometers don't agree it freaks out

Step one will be to reconnect the throttle body and pedal. If that works I want to try and use some 10k pots to fake out all the feedback signals.

I'm just putting another possibility here. I'm far from an expert.
You said you have a different alternator and alternator field controller goes straight to the battery.
The computer may think you have a dead/low battery. This wool give a reduced power, stab sys, and traction control fail at startup.
I've had a couple of dead batteries. This happens every time.

lol, hey its good to be hard headed. Im sure you will get it. Later today I am gonna disconnect crap and let you know.

EFI Live and HP Tuners are pretty much limited to PCM, ECM, and TCM tuning.

I think lockers are your only practical solution for wheeling, and the stability control is probably a permanent loss. Traction control and Stabilitrak probably have their own processors that are looking at a number of simultaneous signal parameters that would be very difficult if not impossible to simulate short of your own custom programmed processors.

So do you think the stock 3.5L throttle plate (and pedal) could be adapted to the 4bt's mechanical injection? Even if it didn't actually control the throttle...perhaps it could be synced-up to provide a signal somewhat parallel to the curve of the mechanical throttle.

My approach on the ABS was to "fake" the puter out .. Rather than try to relearn it. I think this same approach could work on the motor....however there are many more sensors that would need to generate fake signals. TPS, IAC, O2, MAF, and many others would all need to fall into the normal operating range defined in the software. Some of the stuff (like VVT and ignition timing) don't even exist in the diesel. Given all the interconnections to other systems....its a daunting task.

What if you invented a box that generated fake signals for the BCM? You would plug it into the BCM so it forever thinks the 3.5L is just sitting there idling, (even though it's not there). Then operate the 4bt complete separate and independent of the BCM.. I'm sure it's not that simple.

Perhaps you might be able "jumper" certain circuits that are not allowing things like TCS. Maybe you "jumper" other functions to satisfy whatever is causing REDUCED POWER mode?

4speedfunk said:

What if you invented a box that generated fake signals for the BCM? You would plug it into the BCM so it forever thinks the 3.5L is just sitting there idling, (even though it's not there). Then operate the 4bt complete separate and independent of the BCM.. I'm sure it's not that simple.

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You'd need to know what signals and values are needed or you could end up really spinning your wheels (bad pun). It could work on static functions like TPM, but things like TCS and stability control are comparing dynamic values of vehicle & engine speed, throttle, torque, brake and steering position, etc. and all have to relate to each other as mapped in the processor for a given condition or the intended function, e.g. TCS, won't work. Onboard processing power is pretty substantial and I think it would be impossible to "fake" all the readings simultaneously, short of creating a parallel processor system generating the correct values; assuming you had the documentation to know what they were.

My point exactly. You would have to map the logic path of the entire system...then figure out where to intercept and jump signals. I think it will be impossible for anyone short of NASA.

One problem I see is that TC relies on being able to reduce engine torque as needed, something it won't be able to do with the 4BT.

OK the throttle body is wired back in. I also restored the one wire for the accelerator pedal position back to the PCM. I can't start it until Napa gets my power steering line done. They are taking forever. Since I no longer have accelerator position to the standalone, I'll need to rewire that direct now. Hopefully I can report tomorrow on the DIC messages.

OK, so putting the throttle body back in cleared the reduced power message but not the traction control and stability system messages. There is something else the traction control system is looking for. In sifting through the schematics the other day, I noticed a torque commanded line from the bcm to the PCM. I need to look into that further now.

I am now sidetracked though. The throttle body responds like it is supposed to with accelerator inputs even though the engine is not there. This means I can likely either adapt this throttle body or an appropriate linear actuator to run the 4bt throttle. If I can crack this but, cruise control should work. Damn, another project.

your a smart ****in dude