Ric Herber

I got the MS to stop resetting and tried burning the ECU on every configuration screen. No dice. I don't know what else to do. I have another email into Braineack.

Matt Cramer

Check it with a timing light while cranking, with the MS installed. See if it looks like something reasonable in the 10 to 20 degree range, or if it's doing something retarded (literally).

Also, could you post a compete data log, just as it comes out of MegaTune? They're easier to work with than screen shots.

Ric Herber

Matt,

Here is log I just ran.

Thanks.

Ric Herber

I just tried checking the timing. I pulled #1 plug and verified I have spark but the timing light will not flash. This is the same light I've used previously to check timing. I'm not certain if the light is bad or if something else is wrong.

N3v

fwiw, I had issues getting my timing light to work using the blue plug on the headlight harness as my positive. I ended up hooking it to jumper cables and attached those to the battery in the trunk. That worked. It still didn't light every single time, but I think it was because I was jamming a spark plug wire into my COP, then attaching the wire to the plug.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Sounds normal. My timing light is also finicky about working while the starter is cranking. I've taken to using an external power supply to drive it when I'm verifying initial timing on a new MS build.

Ric Herber

Doh! I should have known better than to use the blue plug when the engine is cranking. I checked timing using a battery charger for power and I think I found something.

With the MS controlling timing, the timing mark is 10-20* ATDC. With the stock ECU in control, the mark is 10-15* BTDC. That explains why it won't start. I tried adjusting the CAS to both extremes but it appeared to have little effect with the MS.

The real question is, why is it doing this? Previous to starting the MS install, I checked timing and even verified the crank spocket and cam timing marks were lining up correctly. This is a question for someone above my pay grade. Any ideas?

Ric Herber

I guess the previously posted msq file couldn't be opened correctly. See if this file works.

Thanks.

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

Turning the CAS should move base timing around. Yet you say it has little effect. Did it have any effect. I pretty much has to have an effect.

I looked through your datalog and MSQ. MSQ looks ok to me. Looking at the datalog I can see it's trying to start. RPM are jumping up from 250 up to 500 and 600 sometimes. Try going into Megatune and clicking: Spark>Spark Settings> and under "trigger angle" change that to 75 and see if that helps.

Also clean the spark plugs if they're dirty.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Leave the CAS alone. It's range of adjustment is fairly limited.

Timing, with the MS, is adjusted in software. Specifically:



First, set the value in the red box to 10, and burn. This will lock the timing to 10°BTDC. Then, adjust the values in the green box to make the crank actually read 10°BTDC while running. I honestly can't remember whether raising the number or lowering it advances the timing. Try changing the pulldown box that says +22.5 to 0. If that moves the mark in the correct direction, then tweak the box that says 65 to fine-tune. If it moves the wrong way, change 22.5 to 45 and then tweak the 65 box to fine tune. You'll need to re-check it once the engine is up and idling, but this will get you close.

When done, set the red box back to -10 and re-burn.

Ric Herber

Thanks Joe! That makes sense. I'll give that a try today.

Thanks again.

Ric Herber

I changed the fixed angle to 10*, the trigger angle addition to 0, and the trigger angle to 60*. The timing mark is now at 10-12* BTDC and the car now stumbles, attempting to start. This was just before it started raining hard and I had quit. I think I'll go get some fresh plugs and try again when the rain stops. I know the existing plugs are very black from all the starting attempts.

BTW, is my required fuel setting, currently 5.9, correct for stock 1.6 injectors?

wayne_curr

iTrader: (8)

13.4 is your req fuel.

Ric Herber

There is a god!! I got it to start after putting new plugs in, setting the Fuel Req. to 13.4, and cranking on it for a while. It runs like crap, almost like it's only running on a couple of cylinders. It will restart reliably without excessive cranking. Here is the log file. Any suggestions?

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

Your TPS reading is 100% all the time. That's not right. You need to figure that out. Have you calibrated it? Looks like it's running really rich as your duty cycle is very high, and map is high too.

Ric Herber

I pulled the new plugs to see what they look like. #1 and 2 are already looking black while #3 and 4 look pristine. I re-verified spark for each plug.

Do I need to calibrate the TPS since it is a '93? When I tried it, i got a number of 30 closed and 34 100% open. If I go back to calibrate again the closed number is now a few points higher than the previous 100% number and the new 100% number is again a few points higher than the new closed number.

I see where the duty cycle shows a max of 15.1 but the readings in the graph stay pretty much between 5 and 6. The same for the MAP, the max shows 94 but the graph stays between 55 and 65. Are you saying the graph numbers are too high? If so, what should I adjust to lower the duty cycle? The MAP is just teed off the line at the back of the intake manifold.

Ric Herber

The MS started resetting again. I found that if I jiggled the boomslang side of the 1B wire on the large yellow connector the MS would either go off or reset. Unfortunately, while jiggling the pin, it broke off. What was strange was that the MS still stayed on. I thought the 1B wire was the power source for the MS board. Is this correct?

Either way, I'm done until I can get a new BS connector because it looks like the pins in this connector are molded in. Hopefully, Braineack will be back from vacation soon.

It's hard enough trying to get MS to work without having a suspect harness also.

wayne_curr

iTrader: (8)

Those pins aren't molded in, they are removable unless you got some strange connector.

I too am also battling resets. I'm going to run yet another ground I think through the firewall, already have 2 additional but doesn't seem to fix anything.

Hang in there, i know how frustrating it is. I'm struggling to get my standalone to work right. Although, I assembled my own and i'm a bone head so I never know what could happen =P

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

Ric, I just emailed you back....Sorry for the hiatus. I think Ben is on the right track here.

Ric Herber

With Braineack's help, I've got the car to run. It turns out it is a california car.

I'm now trying to turn it and I'm getting frustrated. I used VE Analyzer in MLV to make adjustments and ran a log after each change. I seemed to have a lean condition during cruise. So I used Autotune to see if it would tune out the lean cruise condition and ran a log after each change again. Just when it looks like VE Analyzer has it close but can't get rid of the lean cruise, Autotune gets rid of the lean cruise and screws up most of the rest of the tune. I have repeated the process several times, always with the same results. I have the custom.ini file set to:

xLimits = 1000, 7000 ; RPM
yLimits = 40, 90 ; MAP
zLimits = 10, 200 ; VEp

I still have a small issue with idle and a very hard cold start but the VE table is giving me fits. I've attached the last 2 msq and log files. The first log file is for the VE Analyzer msq file. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Ric