Just Installed Microtech LT10S - On stock FS-DE

[LordWorm]

Posting this to consolidate the couple of threads i've hijacked with info about my install...

Ok after chasing gremlins for a week, I finally got my Microtech LT10S running on my SP20 Protege (MP3 I guess..*shrug*).

Its still a bit ghetto, wires are not tidy, stock loom is still largely intact, VICS is not controlled by an output yet, idle control valve isnt controlled by an output yet and thermo fans are currently set to run all the time as I havn't wired these into the ecu.

But it runs, and runs well.

Big thanks to Twilightprotege for lending some insight into installing the microtech, even though mine turned out to be slightly different to yours.

My setup is:

Microtech LT10S
X4 Igniter
4 bosch HEC-715 Coils
Wideband A/F option
Log-to-Ecu Option
Dash unit.

Baring in mind its only been tuned for an hour in total, on the street not a dyno, I'm really happy with what its doing. Its got a good turn of speed out of 2nd gear, and the delivery of power is just so smooth.

Can't wait to finish it off and get it running even better.

Baring in mind, the microtech is the ONLY power mod I have on the car, the improvement is just incredible.

Anyway - I have pics, but I've been lazy and havn't downloaded them from the camera yet. I'll hopefully get onto that soon. Shall keep everyone posted as the numbers start to come in

 

[bazooka joe]

cool mate! keep us advised of the progress!

 

[supa saiyan pr5]

I've been lazy and havn't downloaded from the camera yet. I'll get to it right now

thats more like it!!!!hahahah

Jeremy

 

[LordWorm]

thats more like it!!!!hahahah

Jeremy

I would, except i'm at work..camera is at home.

The photos are quite traumatic, 2 engine looms in tatters around the engine bay..... bits torn off, things missing.......

once i've tidied the wiring, it'll be completely stealth, save for the giant coil packs and fat leads

aaaannnnd there might be a AUDM/JDM rocker cover and engine cover combo up for sale in the nearish future

 

[TurfBurn]

Glad another Aussie is using their homegrown system.

 

[twilightprotege]

(and he's loving it!)

 

[03MSP]

Grats on getting it running. A couple things I have to say.

I wired up the idle control valve at one point and could not getting working right at all. The setting changes didn't seem to do what they were supposed to (The PWM settings I think it was). If I got the idle where I wanted it it would randomly rev high after letting off the gas, and it would dip low when dropping down to idle. I'm not sure if this was just my problem, but if you get it to work let me know! I've unhooked the idle control from the Microtech since then.

Also, if you haven't already, buying those black ribbed wire loom thingies makes the enginebay wiring look stock. They are the same plastic loom holders as stock, except the stock ones are hidden under a bunch of electrical tape.

Have fun tuning, it really doesn't take as long as I thought it would, though I am still making minor changes here and there as I go along. It's fun to have full control of your engine (thumb)

edit: Here is an email I got from Steve a while ago when I was trying to get the idle control to work, hope ya don't mind me sharing Steve

Good news/Bad news....

Bad news is that we found that the Microtech has some sort of circuitry issue caused by the unusually low impedance of the IAC solenoid that makes it so that it is ineffective at controlling it. I'm working with microtech and will find a way to reconfigure your unit or provide a simple add on "black box" to correct the issue. We'll definitely be dealing with that.

The good news though, is that you can let the stock computer control the IAC and it works quite effectively. It will actually handle the idle up for the AC and so forth properly. So if you just revert the IAC wiring back to the stock wiring and disconnect the battery to give the stock computer a fresh start it will get that going again for you. Obviously not the ideal that we'd want, but it'll work in the meantime.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions.

This was back in July, I am not sure if there have been any changes since then.

 

[TurfBurn]

Our newer units have a trick in them that makes it so the IAC works... you just have to put a diode across the leads to kill the voltage spikes, but the new ones the IAC works fine, but in general we still lean to letting the stock ECU control it as there is little benefit to the Microtech controlling it in most cases.

Later,

Steve

 

[Run for Cover]

Steve, how much do these run?

 

[TurfBurn]

Which thing... a unit? or the diode? The units are 1160 shipped with tuning support. Only thing not included that we recommend is a wideband for tuning.

later!
Steve

 

[vindication]

cool. I'm looking forward to see what the output of the engine is with no mods except for an EMS. let us know when you will be dynoing!

 

[LordWorm]

Yes I am loving it! just got back from a big trip down into wine country..

A few mountain runs which got the cold air maps ticking over nicely....its amazing the turn of power you get when the temps drop a few degrees!

Theres still a few issues that need sorting out before i get it dynoed.. I want to get VICS control running so i can open it earlier (or at least tune it on the dyno to figure out where the best place to open it is.... right now Mazda is deciding this for me..... bah!), and I want to get the thermo fans controlled by the MT. I'll also have an electronics whiz friend of mine make me a little timer to keep the thermo fans running when the car turns off... right now, if i turn the car off, and walk away for 5 mins, I come back to coolant temps that are right off the chart - not that its causing any damage while the motors not running, but i'd prefer to keep the fans running to help cool it off.

Idle control valve... well... I'd prefer to get the MT controlling it, then its one less thing the standard computer is mucking around with... putting one of these in your car turns you into an absolute control freak......


But yes, when it does get dyno'd (fingers crossed, before christmas), I'll certainly let you all know how it goes...

Pics...I know i've promised pics...i'll be pulling the holiday snaps off the camera later tonight, i'll get the install pics while I'm at it.

 

[Kansei]

Can't believe I hadn't subscribed to this thread yet. I can't wait to see some numbers

 

[LordWorm]

Ok first 4 pics!!!!


Pic number 1: my mate working out the template for the coil pack bracket out of cardboard - we made about 3 cardboard prototypes to get the shape just right then cut it out of 2mm aluminium.

pic number 2: aluminium bracket test fit. Brackets were riveted to this to hold the coil packs in place

pic number 3 and 4, test fit with coil packs. Once we got this on the car we found some limitations in the design. basically it broke, and the coil packs rocked around enough to shake a few rivets loose. I'm getting a 3mm aluminium bracket laser cut which will include the brackets bent up out of the same piece of metal for more strength (no rivets), and then some retainers on top of the coil packs to stop them moving around. Right now its all held down with a ridiculous amount of cable ties....ghetto, but it works!

oh yes, the coil packs are big. a shock from one of these would kill a fully grown moose, I wouldn't mind betting!

 

[LordWorm]

various pics of stuff in pieces..... oh the humanity! haha..

the wiring is pretty messy at this stage...we pretty much just did a "make it work" install... tidy up to come, when the new bracket, new valve cover, and assorted powder coating happens.

i dont have a pic of my leads (thought i did...but obviously i dont)... they are custom made things I had done locally. All equal length, and very VERY low resistance (they run at 2000 ohms a metre from memory....mine are like, 20cm long or there abouts.....do the maths ).

Only annoying thing is I can't get the JDM/AUDM engine cover to fit without cutting the back out of it, and i can't bring myself to do that....and without it the valve cover looks horrible....so it looks like one of you lot will get the valve cover and engine cover once i source something from a 626.

once i've got the bracket for the coil packs worked out, i'll be happy to share the cad file (once i am sure it works!) in case anyone else wants to emulate the setup.....I can probably swing together a set of leads as well....

I'll take some more pics once everything is together cleanly.

Oh, by the way, the microtech dash ROCKS....as does the wideband addon... I cannot recommend these 2 options highly enough. the dash does the job of about 20 gages when all is said and done, and whilst its not the best looking thing, the amount of information it puts literally at your finger tips is amazing. Wideband makes tuning, and driving around for the first little bit on a new tune that much easier - Twilightprotege tuned my car for power and economy in a total of about 2 hours....and alot of that is down to the fact that he could log wideband A/F

 

[khaosman]

Awesome! Your coil setup looks sweet. I'm very curious to see your results with controlling VICS. Man, I really need to get mine in

 

[02p5]

Our newer units have a trick in them that makes it so the IAC works... you just have to put a diode across the leads to kill the voltage spikes, but the new ones the IAC works fine, but in general we still lean to letting the stock ECU control it as there is little benefit to the Microtech controlling it in most cases.

Later,

Steve

If the Microtech is wired in to control almost everything is it still possible for the stock ECU to control the IAC cause the stock ECU won't have signals for thottle position for example?

Also does this apply for the Lt8s series as well?

 

[LordWorm]

If the Microtech is wired in to control almost everything is it still possible for the stock ECU to control the IAC cause the stock ECU won't have signals for thottle position for example?

Also does this apply for the Lt8s series as well?

the way i understand it, the stock computer still knows how many rev's the motor is doing, and will still try and maintain it if the IAC is connected. The crank angle sensor are spliced into the standard ecu, so it still has *some* idea about whats going on, its just no longer controlling spark or fuel.

I don't have my idle control plugged in, so it has a habit of stalling especially when cold.

Twilightprotege has the LT8S with the standard computer looking after idle control, and it still idle's up when the aircon is plugged in - it just lags a bit if i recall.

 

[LordWorm]

Awesome! Your coil setup looks sweet. I'm very curious to see your results with controlling VICS. Man, I really need to get mine in

I'll just do what twilightprotege has done.... a normally closed relay on the signal wire I believe....connected to one of the outputs...

then disconnect the standard ecu so it can't have a crack at opening it.

---

as an aside, i'm having some issues with the pump settings.... though i'm not 100% sure its pump1 thats to blame...Its either pump1 or fuel pressure, but when i give it a squeeze at low RPM it bogs down before it gets going, but pump 1 flashes up *after* the lurch....so it goes lurch - pump1 start - pump1 stop - power.

Anyone played with this and know whats going on? anyone running these with the standard fuel pressure regulator? just trying to chase down probably the last tuning related gremlin.

---

interesting edit: well, interesting for some.

Just put the car in "test mode" (basically tell the microtech you have 0 cylinders, and it fires everything at 1000rpm, minus the fuel...to test everything except injectors).... the spark is RIDICULOUSLY loud...crazy..haha

 

[TurfBurn]

what is happening on the pump1 setting is you need to make it trigger sooner... reduce the pump1Trig value down.

The IAC is best left to the stock ECU. It doesn't need/care about the TPS, just needs to see the CAM and crank sensor the way we wire it etc and then it will control it fine/perfectly.