Yup. I managed to get by in the Miata for about a week using the right foot to work the clutch starting out in first gear (and remember that I wear size 14 boots) then clutchless shifting after that. It's a horrible pain in the ass though...

:bowrofl: I'm envisioning the small print on the side of the cardboard box: "Contains 70% motor by volume"

My step-father (who owns a Lincoln and a big pickup) drove it back home from Gainesville. His comment: "car's got some power."

Really wish I could drive the damn thing properly, as I need to take my brother in law out for a ride. I know just the right section of road for it, too. There aren't many, but if my memory is correct then just a lisst wasy inland on Harbor Blvd, there's a huge, perfectly banked 90 followed by a tight left-right-left and then a big straight section.

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No worries - I do have a lot to learn on Miata engine management and the MS (and I did try to preface my post with that).

The vacuum thing was a misunderstanding ... when I first read the OP I thought he was trying to run vacuum into the passenger compartment (for what? I have no idea, but there are all kinds of mods out there, and I assumed that he was planning on doing something that required vacuum at or near the MS - my bad for not thinking it through all the way).

Hey guys! Put in the MS today, as well as all the other stuff. Looks like something is not quiet right. The car cranked but did not start or idle. At first it kinda sounded like it was about to catch but it didnt. I didnt get a chance to play around with it so I put back the stock ecu since it was getting late, and i need to go to school tomorrow morning. The car runs normal on the stock ecu but my cel is on. My friend who had an ms miata is going to be helping me tmrw with the settings. Any things I should try? savington is suggesting cranking pws and then warmup enrichment.

i want to tripple check... for the iat, sensor has two wires coming out of it, it doesnt matter which one goes to the ms and which one goes to ground? does it matter which ground or not really? no maf harness hook up here like the ms1? or is this an na thing?
for the mopar box, i just need to hook it up to those two wires to the ecu? No other connections?
Thanks guys!!! Hopefully everything will smooth out tmrw and the car will run!!!
Also, I am having issues install megatune. Should I follow the instructions in braineaks how to on post 7? Or since their is software on the ms it should be ok if i just download and install the megatune? Currently, when i just install megatune it opens to the screen that says megatune2.25 and car1 on the left. when i try to get into the megatune again, i get an error message. I am kind of confused here as to what i need to do.

also, just found that diy has packs of preconfigured i gues, megatune software. http://diyautotune.com/softwarelinks.htm They have alot of different ones available for download. is this an easier less setup route? which one do i go for? ms2e? the newer version of it? or a bit below that they just have a megatune "most feature" version?
thanks a bunch guys

OK!i installed megatune "tweaked by diy" version and it looks like its working. when I open it, it asks me what project to open. I think I choose MS2 BG then their are two options 2.687, and 2.862? as well as car 1. which do i go with?

You'll be running MS2/Extra on this one - not sure which code was installed when it was built, but probably 2.0.1.

Is their a megatune software package that I can get that will work with my ms?

I'd suggest, as a first test, disconnecting the fuel injectors and having a friend crank the engine while you observe the pulley with a timing light. Make sure that you're actually getting spark somewhere in the general neighborhood of #1 TDC. If you're getting the spark nearer to #1 BDC, then you may have the two ignition leads swapped. It's easy to do.

If you are getting spark on the right side of the cycle, then your problem is most likely fuel-related and you can start tinkering with cranking PW. Your fuel pump is operating, yes?

Really. The MAT sensor is just a variable resistor, and resistors are non-polarized. The sensor is also electrically isolated from the case. So it really doesn't matter which wire goes where. At this point, I'd think you'd be able to look at the MAT gauge in MegaTune and see whether or not you're getting a plausible number out of it.

No MAF harness nothing. Leave it hanging.
You mean "...to the ecu harness", right? I've not physically doe it, but from my understanding of the schematic, then yeah, you've got three connections- a +12 input, the field coil driver out, and a chassis ground. This won't prevent your car from starting however. You could disconnect the whole alternator and it'd start.

Here's the main MS2Extra site:

http://www.msextra.com/ms2extra/

At the very top, you can get an installer package consisting of MegaTune, the manuals, and the MS2Extra firmware.

After installing that package, you'll have a C:\Program Files\MegaSquirt2\MS2_Release_Firmware\ms2extra_Fi rmware directory. Run the "download-MS2-firmware.bet" file, to reflash the firmware on your MS. Do this on the stim, or at least disconnect the coils if you do it on the car.

This way, you know your MS code is up to speed. Know that it'll nuke all your configs when you do this.

Thanks joe! The mopar box only has 2 wires coming out of it though.. Where does the third one go?
As far as reflashing the ms.. Abe loaded his software on it so wouldn't I be real screwed if I loose it? Is their somewhere I can get a base stock tune?

Sorry I've been absentee on this, I don't get up as early as you spring chickens. :-)

Ok, first off: You're going to have to go through this as if it's a bit experiemental. While unlikely, it is possible to do permenant and major (and expensive) damage to your car if you don't go a bit carefully.

The first thing I would do is, like Joe suggested, turn on the MS while plugged into the car, AND running megatune. Before messing with the screen, have your hood open. For the first minute or two, check the coils, make sure they aren't getting hot. If they are you have to take care of it RIGHT AWAY. Shut off the MS, then go into software and make sure the spark output is inverted. I can't remember if the OEMs are different from the toyotas in this regard (I don't think so), but I cooked my coils....

Now when you're convinced the coils are blowing up:
Yes, you're running MS-II V2.01 (actually, a bit modified in how it handles the PID idle, I burnt my "known good" set up on there for testing, never downgraded it).
Look at the gauges. There's a "realtime display" option under tuning or something, one of the right most menus.
1) Press the gas, see that the TPS moves.
2)Check the temperatures on water and air - are they reasonable? If they are reading more than 15 degrees from reality, there is something wrong.
3) Check the MAP - it should read JUST under 100 kpa
4) The O2 doesn't get read until the motor is running (not cranking, running. For some silly reason that's how MS-IIe does things), so you can't test that till you fix your stimulator.

Basically, you go down the list, and check that every single thing there is a sensor for reads a value which makes sense.

Once all that is good, then we know we're reasonable. As joe said, try cranking the motor, and with a timing light look for spark. Do you know how to use a timing light? You can generally test the light by holding the trigger down, putting the pickup around one of the power feed wires and clamp them ok - you should see a single flash.

If you're not getting anything, the next thing would be pulling the plugs, seeing if you get a spark from them at all, and if not, you're really going to want to finish that jimstim.

Hope this all helps, I'm on IM all day today, bug me any time!!


P.S. As an aside: I like to set the LC-1 to put out some recognizable number when warming up - under advanced take it off "high impedance" and select something like 2.0V durring warm up. Then at least you'll know for sure if you're talking to it, when you first start the car that's what it should read.

Oh,yeah - the third "wire" of the altenator box is the case. Screw it to the body with a metal screw.

Once the MS is working and car is running, you can check the battery voltage, very quick you'll have an idea of if it's working correctly.