For anyone who has thought about tuning a 2.8-liter Duramax, the process is not that complicated. Jordan from Dirty Diesel Customs recently laid out a full guide on how to use EFILive, walking through a stock read and a new flash on a GMC Canyon. He shared a few tips that made the job much smoother and safer for the truck’s computer.

Pre-Flash Prep: The Two Most Important Steps

Before plugging anything in, Jordan covered two simple but critical rules. The first was to make sure the EFILive software was the latest version to prevent any file compatibility headaches. The second, and most important, was to hook up a battery charger. He stressed that stable voltage was non-negotiable to protect the electronic control unit (ECU). “Every time we do a read, anytime we flash anything, we want to keep our voltage up. Because that’s when damage can happen,” Jordan said.

Stock File: The First Step In Tuning A 2.8-liter Duramax

To get started, Jordan plugged the EFILive AutoCal into the truck’s OBD2 port and hit Auto Detect in the software, which quickly found the E98 controller. He pointed out that the newer software made reading the stock file a one-shot deal. “With the newer software, we used to have to do two steps to do the stock read on these trucks, but with the new software, it’s all done in one quick swoop,” he noted.

Flashing The New Tune: Licensing And Loading

With a new tune file ready, the next step was flashing it to the truck. This was where the EFILive license came in. Jordan gave a clear breakdown of how the first flash used one license to pair the AutoCal to that specific truck for good. “So every time we tune a truck with an AutoCal, it locks this AutoCal to this truck,” he explained. Once that quick licensing process was done, he hit “Full Flash” and let the software write the new file.

What The Tune Delivered

So what did all this work get you in the driver’s seat? Jordan said the tune woke the truck up by cutting down on throttle lag and adding more power higher in the rev range. The real-world benefits of tuning a 2.8-liter Duramax were a better driving experience, but he was also straight-up about the fuel economy on the already-efficient engine.