Originally Posted by kidturbo

If all you're looking for is some extra engine data or to check codes, then Torque is a great little app. Just having it installed on a phone, and a BT OBD-II adapter handy, will cover most diagnostic issues that you ever encounter. Best $30 scan tool setup you could own. However ya ain't gonna like viewing consumer grade tablets in direct sunlight. Tried that on a boat a few times. But for a nice clean dash install, about any of the NMEA2000 capable displays will do just fine.

Personally I like that little Simrad used in the video the best. Full of cool features like pop up windows on trim changes [if properly equipped], and you can set all the important engine alarm values. Built in depth sounder screen also. Think I paid like $250 for it used off eBay. Doesn't require much real estate, so you could run one with analog gauges for temps, pressures, and Tach. It's aso possible to run a normal pulse input style tach on the E38, by assigning the output pin in the tune.



All the E38 hardware looks identical. However only certain OS [operating systems] will run on certain model year ECU. So if you want to run a 2009 LS9 OS, you can use an ECU from about any other 2009 vehicle. Just need to flash the LS9 OS into it using a Tech2 or tuner tool. What ya can't do is take a 2012 ECU from a truck, and load a 2009 OS file onto it. Learned that one the hard way... Luckily EFIlive made a reference sheet, "link above" which tells what will interchange. So ya power up the ECU somehow, read the existing OS # from it, then check the cross reference page before proceeding. Then for wiring harness pinout, you follow the schematics that match the year vehicle OS your using.

I plan to get into this wiring a bit more detail soon as I grab a couple E67 PCM's to play with. A good example of pinout differences is how the MEFI 5 and GM E67 ECU are identical hardware. But if you check the pinouts, you'll quickly notice multiple pins are assigned different. GM seems to have don that a good bit between years, models, and engine platforms. E38 for example also used on most V6 engines during same period.