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Getting Started
This page is an ordered roadmap for going from zero to a running, tunable rusEFI setup. Each step links to the detailed page for that topic. If you already have your ECU and just want the short version, see the Quick Start.
New to the project? Skim the rusEFI overview on the Home page first to see what rusEFI is and whether it fits your project.
Hitting unfamiliar abbreviations? EFI documentation is dense with them — CLT, MAP, TPS, ETB, baro, VVT and so on. They are all spelled out in Acronyms & Terminology.
Decide which ECU suits your engine and the features you need. rusEFI runs on two broad categories of hardware:
- Universal ECUs — you wire them to your engine yourself.
- Plug-and-play (PnP) ECUs — they connect to a specific factory harness.
See the Hardware overview for the supported boards, the ECU Comparison for a spec-by-spec table, and Other Hardware for additional options. You can also design your own board.
Running a carburettor? The engine needs injection hardware before an ECU is any use — see Converting an Engine to Fuel Injection for what that involves.
- Download the rusEFI bundle for your specific ECU. The bundle includes the firmware, the rusEFI Console, drivers, and the TunerStudio definition file.
- Install tuning software by creating a TunerStudio project.
- Learn what the rusEFI Console is used for.
Official boards ship with firmware already installed, but it should be updated before you start.
- How to Update Firmware
- How to DFU — used for updates and for recovery if a normal update does not work.
If you are using a universal ECU, plan and build the engine wiring, including power, grounds, sensors, injectors, and ignition.
- TunerStudio Connectivity — connect TunerStudio to the ECU and resolve connection problems.
- rusEFI Console — connect the console for monitoring and diagnostics.
Set up the parts that must be correct before the engine can run — most importantly the trigger.
The Get Running guides below walk through sensor and output configuration in context.
Follow the guide that matches your hardware:
- Get Running With a Universal ECU
- Get Running With a Plug-and-Play ECU
- Performing the First Start on a New rusEFI Install
- Logging Guide — how to record proper log files (essential for any troubleshooting or tuning help).
- rusEFI Online — share and compare your tune and logs with the community.
- Troubleshooting — a symptom-based starting point for diagnosing common problems.
- Support & Community — where to ask for help.
