Talk to any diesel truck owner, and they will surely tell you that custom diesel tuning is everything. As enthusiasts, truck owners are always looking for the best way to improve the performance and ultimately, the towing capabilities of their diesel trucks. While finding a reputable supplier of a custom tune is easy, uploading that tune can sometimes seem a little confusing. Luckily, Calibrated Power and EFILive have put together this easy-to-follow video that explains how it’s done.

In the video, Pual Wilson is using an EFILive SPADE device but the process is the same for EFILive’s AutoCal device and Flashscan, as all are intended to provide a convenient platform for professional tuners to distribute custom tunes to their customers. While they can both upload tunes to your truck, they each have special abilities. You can learn the differences by checking out the comparison article we did.

Now, getting back to the actual custom diesel tuning process. With the tune(s) loaded on your EFILive device, begin by connecting it to your truck. This is pretty straightforward. You just need to connect the OBDII plug from the device to the OBDII port on your truck.

While the EFILive devices have several possible connection ports, there is only one that connects to the OBD-II cable. Next, make sure everything you can shut off is turned off before starting your truck. Radio, lights, blower motors, etc. should all be off. Second, make sure the batteries are charged.

Once your tuner is connected and all power drawing devices are turned off, turn your key (or push the start button) to the On position. When the EFILive device comes on, you will see “Scan Tool” as your first option. You will need to use the arrow buttons to scroll down to “Tuning Tool” and press OK. Next, arrow down to “Program Full” and press OK. Next you will see “Read”. Press the down arrow again and you will see the tune file. When you see this file, press OK and your module will read “Checking” and then it will start flashing the tune onto your truck’s ECM.

Whether you’re using a SPADE, Autocal, or Flashscan, you will have a couple of prompts to follow and your dashboard will light up. When your new tune is uploaded to your truck, you will be prompted to turn the key off and on. Once all of these prompts are done, you have successfully flashed your tune.

Again, the video above is a great resource that shows a step-by-step process for you to add custom diesel tuning to your truck and since the demonstration makes it easy, what are you waiting for?