Tuning necessary?
 

I currently have, SMIC, catback, downpipe, and intake. So at the momment i'm pushing the 3 mod rule. I'm planning on getting the Power fc and commander. I'm also installing a midpipe. I was wondering would it be fine to run the stock map powerfc with midpipe, downpipe, catback, intake, SMIC? Would leaving the stock map risk running lean etc. Or would the car be pretty safe.

I would not chance it. A tuning session is a lot cheaper than a new motor.

BTW. Isn't the stock map for power fc ...Full exhaust, upgraded intercooler, and exhaust? Because that would fit my car perfectly.

^^ Not all exhaust, IC are the same. Usually the factory setting are pretty rich, but i wouldnt chance it; even though you would be able to drive around with the preset map, you might not be able to extract the most out of it.

Get it tuned, that is most important key, to keep a rotary alive.

The stock PFC map is there to be able to start the car and start tuning it. It's not really intended to be used as an everyday driving map. While there are some people who have driven quite a bit on the stock PFC map and not had a problem, others have done it and not been so lucky.

The question is, do you like your motor? If the answer is yes, plan to get the PFC tuned as soon as possible after the install (if you decide to purchase one).

I have a downpipe, intake, smic and the PFC on factory settings. The car has run like this for about 2 years (about 30k miles). It has about 75,000 miles on the original motor. Everything still feels strong.

But..... I think I would be better off if the PFC were tuned. I think I run richer than necessary, the car does not start as well as it might, gas mileage is not as good as I think it should be and a leaner trim might be easier on the primary cat (I think I risk clogging it up).

The key is to get the tuning done properly. IMO there are very few tuners that really know what they are doing. The rest make as good a guess. I do not have easy access to a good tuner and I don't want to pay money for a guess so I leave things as is and so far I have been lucky.

Personally, I think driving on stock ecu with those mods in far more dangerous than stock map in pfc. I purchased my car with a downpipe on it and that was it. It boost crept like a sob, if you creep then you have fuel cut, that isn't a good thing you know. I intalled my full exhaust and intake and pfc, ran for 3 months, rac the piss out of it, no issues at all. Then I tuned my igniton only, ran the piss out of it, and still runs fine. I think you will be ok, unless you have well recognized tuners in your area. Do not travel out of your area (couple hundred miles) to get tuned. Sea level and humidity will cary from place to place obviously, that isn't a good thing. I think you will be fine.

Ty

Fuel cut is actually a good thing as it saves your motor from an unsafe condition. As far as the PFC map, you might want to read this thread:

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/stock-powerfc-maps-safe-w-5-mods-256912/

With the base mod map and dp,rb duals and stock intake-main cat,i was running(at 10 psi) 12.5:1 AFR according to the LC1 wideband.So IMHO,no its not safe...

The base map that ships with the PFC is significantly leaner than the stock ecu fuel map. It also has more aggressive timing.

Running a full exhaust+intake on the stock ecu is safe PROVIDED that boost is fully controlled -- no spiking, no creeping. This has been proven through numerous wideband tests.

I would definitely richen up the PFC base map a little bit when running a full exhaust, especially on our 91 octane.

what if you are running stock turbo set-up, intake, dp, medium smic, and stock cat or high flow cat-back? Race Fuel at least 101 octane and I also have a manual boost controller on there. Still don't run on the base map of the PFC? I am ready to get one of these from jappartsspecialist off of ebay and I KNOW I don't have anyone that can tune it up here in the mountains! I will have to learn to tune it myself or do something?

I was just talkin with my friend that has the same set-up and PFC. He was talking about how us FD owners in the high altitude run a littler richer than at sea level, and with his set-up (stock twins, DP, HF-cat, intake, medium smic) the base map could actually stand to have some fuel pulled out of it. Does anyone care to throw in their .02 on the altitude-PFC base map- lean/rich AFR and how that would play out? I was also maybe wanting a 12-10-12 max boost pattern and would be content staying at 10-8-10? so what do you guys think about this?

thnx for the info. Was just wondering because the powerfc comes with an upgraded map so i thought that would do. Also reading threads on tunning people that tune seem to be doing some extreme mods like upgraded turbos.

oh btw. Everyone says that you need ecu so you don't spike or run lean/rich. What if my lean/rich ratio is fine. Couldn't i just use a boost controller to regulate spike. Well with the PFC also installed.

"While increasing airflow but staying at the same boost level does increase performace as well as change your A/F ratio, the stock ECU is rich enough to sustain bolt-on mods at 10 PSI (proved by the above link). The main problem is controlling your boost to keep it at 10 PSI.

However, the problem here is that the base map of the PowerFC is leaner then the stock ECU (I'm only going on other's hearsay on this part as I don't use a PFC). In this case, even 10 PSI can be more dangerous than the stock ECU. The PFC base map is not really intended to be used, it's just there to allow the car to start and drive so it can be tuned.

A programmable ECU is ONLY a good mod if you have it tuned, on your car, for your car's mods." - MAHJIK

So i guess i answered my own question. I could ride on full exhaust, SMIC, intake as long as my air/fuel ratio is fine. Just need to get a boost controller and leave it at 10psi