What to Log

Every PID TunerMind needs for a complete diagnostic report — organized by system, with recommended polling rates and a one-click HP Tuners channel config download.

Skip the setup — download the channel config

Import tunermind-channels.cfg directly into HP Tuners VCM Scanner. All 56 channels pre-configured with correct polling rates.

In VCM Scanner: open the Channels panel

Click the Channel Config icon → Open Channel Config

Browse to the downloaded .cfg file and click Open

Required PIDs

Recommended PIDs

Optional PIDs

Don't flood the bus. Not everything needs to run at 100 Hz. The polling rates in this guide are tuned to balance data resolution against bus bandwidth. If you're logging on a vehicle with a slow CAN bus (pre-2010 trucks), drop transmission channels to 20 Hz if you see data dropouts.

The foundation of every analysis. Without these, TunerMind can't determine load conditions, airflow, or operating state.

Engine Speed (RPM)

ENGINE_SPEED

100 HzECMRequired

Everything is indexed against RPM. Non-negotiable.

Vehicle Speed (MPH)

VEHICLE_SPEED

100 HzECMRequired

Required for shift point validation and TCC slip calculations.

Throttle Position (%)

THROTTLE_POSITION

100 HzECMRequired

Distinguishes idle, cruise, and WOT conditions for context-aware analysis.

Desired Throttle Position (%)

DESIRED_THROTTLE_POSITION

100 HzECMRecommended

Reveals DBW lag or calibration issues between pedal demand and actual throttle.

MAP (kPa)

MANIFOLD_ABSOLUTE_PRESSURE

100 HzECMRequired

Load signal used to validate VE table accuracy and fuel trim context.

MAF (g/s)

MASS_AIR_FLOW

100 HzECMRequired

Primary airflow measurement. MAF drift is one of the most common hidden issues.

Engine Load (%)

ENGINE_LOAD

100 HzECMRequired

Calculated load value used across multiple diagnostic checks.

Intake Air Temp (°F)

INTAKE_AIR_TEMP

1 HzECMRequired

Affects knock threshold and fuel trim corrections. Critical for hot-soak analysis.

Coolant Temp (°F)

COOLANT_TEMP

1 HzECMRequired

Determines if the engine is fully warmed up. Cold-start data is flagged separately.

Barometric Pressure (kPa)

BAROMETRIC_PRESSURE

0.2 HzECMRecommended

Used to normalize fuel trim analysis for altitude. Matters a lot above 3,000 ft.

Accelerator Pedal Position (%)

ACCEL_PEDAL_POSITION

100 HzECMRecommended

Separates driver input from throttle response for drivability analysis.

Knock retard is the most important safety signal in the log. Per-cylinder data reveals which cylinder is the problem — don't log just the global value.

Spark Advance (°)

SPARK_ADVANCE

100 HzECMRequired

Actual timing being delivered. Compare to desired to see retard events.

Desired Spark Advance (°)

DESIRED_SPARK_ADVANCE

100 HzECMRequired

What the tune is asking for. Delta vs actual = knock retard.

Knock Retard — Global (°)

KNOCK_RETARD

100 HzECMRequired

Global knock retard. Any non-zero value during cruise or WOT is a red flag.

Knock Retard — Cyl 1 (°)

KNOCK_RETARD_CYL1

100 HzECMRecommended

Per-cylinder knock lets you pinpoint a single bad injector, plug, or piston.

Knock Retard — Cyl 2 (°)

KNOCK_RETARD_CYL2

100 HzECMRecommended

Per-cylinder knock.

Knock Retard — Cyl 3 (°)

KNOCK_RETARD_CYL3

100 HzECMRecommended

Per-cylinder knock.

Knock Retard — Cyl 4 (°)

KNOCK_RETARD_CYL4

100 HzECMRecommended

Per-cylinder knock.

Knock Retard — Cyl 5 (°)

KNOCK_RETARD_CYL5

100 HzECMRecommended

Per-cylinder knock.

Knock Retard — Cyl 6 (°)

KNOCK_RETARD_CYL6

100 HzECMRecommended

Per-cylinder knock.

Knock Retard — Cyl 7 (°)

KNOCK_RETARD_CYL7

100 HzECMRecommended

Per-cylinder knock.

Knock Retard — Cyl 8 (°)

KNOCK_RETARD_CYL8

100 HzECMRecommended

Per-cylinder knock.

Fuel trims tell the story of what the engine is actually doing vs. what the tune expects. Both short and long term are required — one without the other is half the picture.

Short Term Fuel Trim B1 (%)

STFT_BANK1

100 HzECMRequired

Real-time fuel correction. Spikes here indicate immediate lean/rich conditions.

Long Term Fuel Trim B1 (%)

LTFT_BANK1

100 HzECMRequired

Learned correction. Values outside ±5% indicate a systematic fueling problem.

Short Term Fuel Trim B2 (%)

STFT_BANK2

100 HzECMRequired

Required for V6/V8 bank comparison. B1 vs B2 split reveals bank-specific issues.

Long Term Fuel Trim B2 (%)

LTFT_BANK2

100 HzECMRequired

Long term B2 correction. Compare to B1 for bank imbalance diagnosis.

Commanded AFR

COMMANDED_AFR

100 HzECMRecommended

What the ECM is targeting. Deviations from 14.7 at cruise indicate enrichment strategies.

Injector Pulse Width B1 (ms)

INJECTOR_PULSE_WIDTH_B1

100 HzECMRecommended

Actual injector on-time. Useful for injector duty cycle and sizing analysis.

Injector Pulse Width B2 (ms)

INJECTOR_PULSE_WIDTH_B2

100 HzECMRecommended

B2 injector pulse width for bank comparison.

Fuel Loop Status (Open/Closed)

FUEL_LOOP_STATUS

10 HzECMRequired

Confirms closed-loop operation. Fuel trim analysis is invalid in open loop.

O2 Sensor B1S1 (V)

O2_SENSOR_B1S1

100 HzECMRecommended

Upstream O2 switching pattern reveals sensor health and fuel control quality.

O2 Sensor B1S2 (V)

O2_SENSOR_B1S2

100 HzECMRecommended

Downstream O2 for catalyst efficiency monitoring.

O2 Sensor B2S1 (V)

O2_SENSOR_B2S1

100 HzECMRecommended

B2 upstream O2. Compare switching rate to B1S1 for bank-specific issues.

O2 Sensor B2S2 (V)

O2_SENSOR_B2S2

100 HzECMRecommended

B2 downstream O2.

Fuel Pressure (PSI)

FUEL_PRESSURE

50 HzECMOptional

Useful for diagnosing fuel delivery issues on DI engines or high-demand builds.

Desired Fuel Pressure (PSI)

DESIRED_FUEL_PRESSURE

50 HzECMOptional

Compare to actual for fuel pump and regulator diagnosis.

Torque management is the invisible power thief. It fires during shifts, traction events, and even normal cruising on stock tunes. You can't see it without logging it.

Torque Mgmt Spark Advance (°)

TORQUE_MANAGEMENT_ADVANCE

50 HzECMRequired

Timing pulled by torque management. Negative values = power being removed.

Torque Management Active

TORQUE_MANAGEMENT_ACTIVE

50 HzECMRequired

Binary flag showing when TM is engaged. Correlate with RPM/speed for patterns.

Desired Torque (Nm)

DESIRED_TORQUE

50 HzECMRecommended

What the ECM is targeting. Gap between desired and actual reveals TM intervention.

Actual Torque (Nm)

ACTUAL_TORQUE

50 HzECMRecommended

Estimated actual torque output. Compare to desired for TM quantification.

Torque Reduction Active

TORQUE_REDUCTION_ACTIVE

50 HzECMRecommended

Separate flag for active torque reduction events (different from TM advance).

For 6L80, 6L90, 8L90, and 10L90 diagnosis. Log all of these at the recommended rates — the TCC slip calculation requires both input and output shaft RPM.

Trans Current Gear

TRANS_CURRENT_GEAR

50 HzTCMRequired

Actual gear the transmission is in. Required for shift point and TCC analysis.

Trans Commanded Gear

TRANS_COMMANDED_GEAR

50 HzTCMRequired

What the TCM is commanding. Delta vs current gear reveals shift quality issues.

Trans Input Shaft RPM

TRANS_INPUT_SHAFT_RPM

50 HzTCMRequired

Required for TCC slip calculation: Input RPM − Output RPM × Gear Ratio = Slip.

Trans Output Shaft RPM

TRANS_OUTPUT_SHAFT_RPM

50 HzTCMRequired

Required for TCC slip and gear ratio validation.

TCC Slip RPM

TCC_SLIP_RPM

50 HzTCMRequired

Direct TCC slip measurement. Values above 50 RPM in lockup indicate a problem.

TCC Commanded Slip RPM

TCC_COMMANDED_SLIP

50 HzTCMRequired

What the TCM is targeting for slip. Compare to actual to see if TCC is responding.

TCC Pressure (PSI)

TCC_PRESSURE

50 HzTCMRecommended

Hydraulic pressure applied to TCC. Low pressure with high slip = mechanical issue.

TCC Duty Cycle (%)

TCC_DUTY_CYCLE

50 HzTCMRecommended

Solenoid duty cycle controlling TCC apply. Useful for solenoid diagnosis.

Trans Slip RPM (overall)

TRANS_SLIP_RPM

50 HzTCMRequired

Overall transmission slip — catches clutch pack slipping separate from TCC.

Trans Fluid Temp (°F)

TRANS_FLUID_TEMP

1 HzTCMRequired

High fluid temp degrades shift quality and TCC function. Flag if over 200°F.

PRNDL Status

PRNDL_STATUS

10 HzTCMRecommended

Range selector position. Confirms manual vs automatic mode during analysis.

Trans Shift Mode

TRANS_SHIFT_MODE

10 HzTCMRecommended

Normal/Sport/Tow mode affects shift scheduling. Context for shift point analysis.

PCS Current (mA)

PCS_CURRENT

50 HzTCMRecommended

Pressure control solenoid current. Abnormal values indicate solenoid or TCM issues.

Shift Time 1-2 (ms)

TRANS_SHIFT_TIME_1_2

10 HzTCMOptional

Actual shift duration. Long shift times indicate clutch pack wear or low pressure.

Shift Time 2-3 (ms)

TRANS_SHIFT_TIME_2_3

10 HzTCMOptional

2-3 shift duration.

Shift Time 3-4 (ms)

TRANS_SHIFT_TIME_3_4

10 HzTCMOptional

3-4 shift duration.

Shift Time 4-5 (ms)

TRANS_SHIFT_TIME_4_5

10 HzTCMOptional

4-5 shift duration.

Shift Time 5-6 (ms)

TRANS_SHIFT_TIME_5_6

10 HzTCMOptional

5-6 shift duration.

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