hello all. i just traded one of my jeeps for an '88 S4 FC. i've had two first gens in the past and loved them, so i figured i'd try the second generation. anyway, here's my problem. i have to pass an emissions test, i'm only failing on idle. all other readings are below allowable limits. i know what i should be looking at (airpump, cat, o2 sensor) but this new toy has the SAFC thingie on it. i am mechanically inclined, know my way around cars and engines but have no clue how to use this thing. i dont have a manual, tried to get one off the APEXi website, tried 'sureshot' 's link for the manual, and searched the hell outta this website looking for useful info. i found a few tidbits but i can see nobody wants to give up their settings cause it can harm an engine. it's all based on mods etc.. no two engines are the same. after all that searching and reading i'm pretty scared to touch the damn thing cause as i undrstand, i could tune it into explosion mode.
all i want to know is how can i turn this puppy off? or set it so it dosent alter the stock settings? idealy i'd pull the SAFC off and just run it stock till i know what i'm dealing with, but the SAFC is spliced in, and i figure maybe someday i'll get my hands on a manual, or find somewhere to properly tune this badboy and have some fun with it so why rip it out.
i have no idea what it's set for, if it was ever set, or ever properly tuned. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks, tom.

 

SomeOne help this dud.
I thought S-AFC can actually help you pass emissions.
I think if you 0 the settings, then you go back to stock, then you'll probably fail not just the idle anymore hehe.

I'd like to know as well.

 

#1 if you failed emissions, there is a thread called the FAQ for FC. It is a sticky thread fround at the top of this section and has an emissions table that lists what you need to fix based on what your emissions were. You need to read all the sticky threads before posting in this section. The FAQ for FC sticky thread has the answers to many commonly asked questions and problems.

#2 SAFC has its own section on this board under the Engine Managment section (https://www.rx7club.com/engine-management-forum-37/) of the board.

And finally,

LAN do you know how annoying your posts are with the little font and the blue that you used to use??? You must not.

 

You toggle through the menus with "Prev" and "Next" buttons... just play with it and you'll figure it out. When you get to the "Monitor" "Setting" page... you will not be able to go back any further. To make adjustments, highlight "Setting"... You can make adjustments in 1000 rpm increments for High and Low Throttle settings... you set this % in a Throttle Menu... anything below this designated Throttle % gives you Low Throttle fuel settings... anything above High Throttle % gives High Throttle fuel settings. Just scroll through the Low and High menus and put all of your RPM settings at 0... it's like a bar graph... just use the arrows to scroll through 1-8k RPM... whatever you have set. Set them to 0 and you will not be affecting the ECU signals. Hope this helps. Once you've made your adjustments... hit "Prev" to go back to "Monitor" and you'll just be "monitoring" your settings... pretty neat, but not rocket science.

Josh

 

yeah the apexi website finally let me download the manual without giving me 'file not found' pages. i've skimmed through it and it looks pretty easy to play with. now i just need to get the proper tools (wideband 02, etc..) to set it correctly. my buddy's g-friends dad has this thing that reads exhaust for richness. i used it to set the carbed 304 in my cj-5. passed aircare with flying colors. would this work in tuning the SAFC?
ICEMARK i did read all the FAQ's for emissions, but since i didnt know anything about the SAFC i thought maybe it was the problem, not the other likely offenders. like i said, for all i know the dude before me had it set up to drag race or some ****. all i wanted to know for now was how to pretty much disable it to get a baseline reading from aircare so i'd know where to start from.
LAN i agree, the more i read about the SAFC, the more i can see it helping with emissions. i just gotta get it tuned properly. i'll start my surf for a local place that may have some experience with this thing. by the way, i live in the lower mainland of B.C. Canada. anyone on this board know of a place?
JOSH RX7 thanks to you too, thats all i needed to know.
cheers, tom.

 

wow that hurts

 

well if you set everything to 0 (no increase, no decrease you should be back to the factory ECU settings.

 

thank you. thats all i was asking for. it seemed logical to me, but i dont know the SAFC and i wasnt sure if 0% meant something different to it. from the faq's i learned the rotary engine dosent like to run lean, and i was scared 0% equalled popping my engine. i've since zero'd everything, and it runs fine. i'll throw some 'new to me' love at it with new fluids filters etc...swap out the squeaky airpump and give aircare a shot. if it fails i may have more questions (i promise to read all the faq's) could'ya throw a noob some scraps so one day i wont have to ask, then i can help other noobs so you wont have to? thanks again, tom.

 

you have 2 options, you can adjust the SAFC or the variable resistor for idle enrichment, don't be fooled by the term "enrichment" because you can lean out the idle with either of these tools.

the variable resistor is mounted on the RF strut tower, it has a "L" and "R" stamp, L=Lean and R=Rich. if you choose to adjust the enrichment at idle with the variable resistor you can use this, adjust it as lean as you can until it just starts to become shakey. this as lean as you can get it before it begins to lean misfire, lean misfires can actually increase unburnt fuel vapors and fail you. if it fails at this point then you have other issues such as a weak catalytic converter, improperly working or routed smog pump/ACV, or bad tune up components, vacuum leaks or severely worn internal seals(ie. lack of compression).

if you choose to adjust it with the SAFC2, it is as simple as Setting>lo-throttle> at this point choose the lowest RPM range that is listed by toggling left and using the dial(counterclockwise is leaner and clockwise is richer) to lean out or enrichen the fuel. lean out the tune at the low RPM setting until it just starts to misfire and richen it up 1% from there. see above for failing results from smog.