Unichip piggyback ignition tuning?

[niky]

Just throwing a wild question out here...

Am currently getting the current-generation "universal" Unichip installed on my OBDI car... we've finally got her to idle with the intercepts, and we've got decent control of the fuel maps.

With fuel maps alone, we're getting about 3-5 whp up and down the map.

Unfortunately, we lost some midrange power when we refilled the tank with what was supposed to be 96 RON, but which I'm now convinced is goat's piss mixed with food coloring.

Anyway, we just started playing with the ignition maps, and all we're seeing is 1-2 whp at 10 degrees timing advance (yeah... WTF...)...

Question: is it the gas? This car is supposed to require 95 Octane, but after all of this, I'm not sure that local gas is even close.

Or is it the stock ECU doing its best to neuter my new toy?

Anyone know if there's a way to keep it from going into Open Loop mode (or whatever the hell it's doing, if it's countering about half the timing advance we're throwing at it...) at full-throttle? Or is the point moot if we can't figure out the gas problem?

I'm just a gnat's hair away from getting the car back, and this is pissing me off, big time.

 

[niky]

Hahaha... sound of crickets. Problem solved anyway... just changed the tapped leads...

 

[P-Funk!]

But to answer your question - yes at WOT the ECU goes open loop and runs rich. People have tried to figure out how to keep her thinking she is 'part throttle' at WOT, but without success that i am aware of.

This is why the unichip isn't generally accepted here and people bite the bullet and go full stand alone.

Good luck, though! If you crack the code - please tell us!

 

[niky]

We've actually gotten some power from juggling fuel on the dyno, so we've got the WOT problem down (I think).

Right now the car's running. Problem is, some dolt filled the tank with low octane gas, and that's put a hole in the power between 4000-5500 rpm. My motor's the 142 hp Asian spec FS, and it requires 95 octane to run happy. This was actually the first time we've confirmed this.

It pulls great at 3000-3500 rpm (+11 on the dyno), and it chirps when you short-shift it, even with my sticky Neovas. We've got a lot out just over VICS changeover, but we won't know till we redyno and retune with some real gas.

The only big issue is that due to the bad gas and my solid motor mounts, the ECU is holding idle to its stock, crappy map. There's a tug of war between open loop, closed loop and piggyback maps for control of AF and ignition as you tip in from idle when the car isn't up to temps (understandable) or when it's cold outside (weird). But once past 2000 rpm, the new maps assert themselves.

We're still experimenting, though... this is the first FSDE that this tuner has done, so we're sort of just making things up as we go along...

 

[P-Funk!]

Good luck! It is tough!

Persevere!

 

[niky]

No duh it's tough. Our local club's "guinea pig" has moved on to off-roading his damn Ford Everest (Ranger based 4x4 SUV) after getting stalled on his engine rebuild and mods and he seems to like off-roading more than racing now...

Oh well... I've always wanted to be the crazy one on our boards... :lol: