Haltech Is my E6X Defective?
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 42
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From: Arizona
Is my E6X Defective?
I recently moved from Arizona to California.
For 3/4 of the trip, I got about 21MPG - normal.
The last 1/4 of the trip I got about 14MPG.
It's cooler here, maybe that's it?
The FI should compensate for that.
I installed a wideband (Innovate permanently mounted kit) and saw things were quite rich.
I re-mapped the fuel curves to run (AFR) 12.5 at idle and full throttle and about 16 for cruise.
My MPG went back to 20.
then it just got rich again.
I could be cruising steady (speed and throttle), running at 15.5:1 and then it's like someone flips a switch and the AFR instantly pops to 10:1 and stays there.
(If I lean it out, it will run very lean the next day.)
Sometimes it just VERY Briefly (one combustion cycle?) goes to 10:1 or even 9:1, then returns to normal.
The coolant and air temp sensor seem to be operating normally.
I think my maps are not the problem, since the problem came out of nowhere
I installed a new MAP Sensor, but that had no effect on the problem.
I think it's the ECU - maybe an unstable voltage reference or something like that.
Has anyone seen this before?
Can the ECU basically work correctly but make mistakes like this?
It "seems" like the problem is worse at night - might be a cooincidence
Steve
For 3/4 of the trip, I got about 21MPG - normal.
The last 1/4 of the trip I got about 14MPG.
It's cooler here, maybe that's it?
The FI should compensate for that.
I installed a wideband (Innovate permanently mounted kit) and saw things were quite rich.
I re-mapped the fuel curves to run (AFR) 12.5 at idle and full throttle and about 16 for cruise.
My MPG went back to 20.
then it just got rich again.
I could be cruising steady (speed and throttle), running at 15.5:1 and then it's like someone flips a switch and the AFR instantly pops to 10:1 and stays there.
(If I lean it out, it will run very lean the next day.)
Sometimes it just VERY Briefly (one combustion cycle?) goes to 10:1 or even 9:1, then returns to normal.
The coolant and air temp sensor seem to be operating normally.
I think my maps are not the problem, since the problem came out of nowhere
I installed a new MAP Sensor, but that had no effect on the problem.
I think it's the ECU - maybe an unstable voltage reference or something like that.
Has anyone seen this before?
Can the ECU basically work correctly but make mistakes like this?
It "seems" like the problem is worse at night - might be a cooincidence
Steve
Originally Posted by haltechrx7
I recently moved from Arizona to California.
For 3/4 of the trip, I got about 21MPG - normal.
The last 1/4 of the trip I got about 14MPG.
It's cooler here, maybe that's it?
The FI should compensate for that.
I installed a wideband (Innovate permanently mounted kit) and saw things were quite rich.
I re-mapped the fuel curves to run (AFR) 12.5 at idle and full throttle and about 16 for cruise.
My MPG went back to 20.
then it just got rich again.
I could be cruising steady (speed and throttle), running at 15.5:1 and then it's like someone flips a switch and the AFR instantly pops to 10:1 and stays there.
(If I lean it out, it will run very lean the next day.)
Sometimes it just VERY Briefly (one combustion cycle?) goes to 10:1 or even 9:1, then returns to normal.
The coolant and air temp sensor seem to be operating normally.
I think my maps are not the problem, since the problem came out of nowhere
I installed a new MAP Sensor, but that had no effect on the problem.
I think it's the ECU - maybe an unstable voltage reference or something like that.
Has anyone seen this before?
Can the ECU basically work correctly but make mistakes like this?
It "seems" like the problem is worse at night - might be a cooincidence
Steve
For 3/4 of the trip, I got about 21MPG - normal.
The last 1/4 of the trip I got about 14MPG.
It's cooler here, maybe that's it?
The FI should compensate for that.
I installed a wideband (Innovate permanently mounted kit) and saw things were quite rich.
I re-mapped the fuel curves to run (AFR) 12.5 at idle and full throttle and about 16 for cruise.
My MPG went back to 20.
then it just got rich again.
I could be cruising steady (speed and throttle), running at 15.5:1 and then it's like someone flips a switch and the AFR instantly pops to 10:1 and stays there.
(If I lean it out, it will run very lean the next day.)
Sometimes it just VERY Briefly (one combustion cycle?) goes to 10:1 or even 9:1, then returns to normal.
The coolant and air temp sensor seem to be operating normally.
I think my maps are not the problem, since the problem came out of nowhere
I installed a new MAP Sensor, but that had no effect on the problem.
I think it's the ECU - maybe an unstable voltage reference or something like that.
Has anyone seen this before?
Can the ECU basically work correctly but make mistakes like this?
It "seems" like the problem is worse at night - might be a cooincidence
Steve
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 42
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From: Arizona
I think I found the answer to the problem.
It turned out that I had a bad alternator and my battery voltage was low.
I had the alternator rebuilt, but the problem continued even though the battery voltage was a little on the high side.
It turned out that the alternator regulator failed when I started the car and let the rebuilt alternator recharge the low battery. (I never knew this was bad to do)
When the alternator regulator was fixed again, the ECU acted normally.
As an electrical engineer - I wonder about something.
It seems the ECU is very sensitive to the automotive electrical system.
It operates on 5V, even a very low battery of 8V is PLENTY of voltage.
It also seems like the ECU is very sensitive to voltage spikes (when the battery voltage was high, but the alternator was still bad - overcharging)
Voltage spikes are so easy to filter out.
I guess I'm asking this:
Is the E6X known to be sensitive to voltage level and other power bus transients?
Any filtering that is suggested?
This is because the problem I described always (and still) existed to a small degree.
Maybe I need a filter.
I have a very clean electrical installation, E6X power wires coming directly from the battery.
But I do have 4 MSD Ignitions in the car that can produce radiated and conducted electrical noise.
I am using Magnicore Spark Plug Wire (It is EMI Suppression wire, but the lengths are short since I go from the coils directly to the plugs (no distributor).
Steve
It turned out that I had a bad alternator and my battery voltage was low.
I had the alternator rebuilt, but the problem continued even though the battery voltage was a little on the high side.
It turned out that the alternator regulator failed when I started the car and let the rebuilt alternator recharge the low battery. (I never knew this was bad to do)
When the alternator regulator was fixed again, the ECU acted normally.
As an electrical engineer - I wonder about something.
It seems the ECU is very sensitive to the automotive electrical system.
It operates on 5V, even a very low battery of 8V is PLENTY of voltage.
It also seems like the ECU is very sensitive to voltage spikes (when the battery voltage was high, but the alternator was still bad - overcharging)
Voltage spikes are so easy to filter out.
I guess I'm asking this:
Is the E6X known to be sensitive to voltage level and other power bus transients?
Any filtering that is suggested?
This is because the problem I described always (and still) existed to a small degree.
Maybe I need a filter.
I have a very clean electrical installation, E6X power wires coming directly from the battery.
But I do have 4 MSD Ignitions in the car that can produce radiated and conducted electrical noise.
I am using Magnicore Spark Plug Wire (It is EMI Suppression wire, but the lengths are short since I go from the coils directly to the plugs (no distributor).
Steve
Originally Posted by haltechrx7
...But I do have 4 MSD Ignitions in the car that can produce radiated and conducted electrical noise.
I am using Magnicore Spark Plug Wire (It is EMI Suppression wire, but the lengths are short since I go from the coils directly to the plugs (no distributor).
Steve
I am using Magnicore Spark Plug Wire (It is EMI Suppression wire, but the lengths are short since I go from the coils directly to the plugs (no distributor).
Steve
I only know that to keep the haltech happy you need to have 12v or more all the time. Cranking under 10v is risky, and bellow 9v is asking for trouble, ive seen cars not want to start with 9v while cranking. Specially if you dont have a proper tune on it, with battery voltage compensation properly dialed in. Look at what happens to the actually injector flow when you drop the voltage, fuel pump flows less, there's less power for the inyectors, that is important.
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From: n
Originally Posted by haltechrx7
As an electrical engineer - I wonder about something.
It seems the ECU is very sensitive to the automotive electrical system.
It operates on 5V, even a very low battery of 8V is PLENTY of voltage.
It also seems like the ECU is very sensitive to voltage spikes (when the battery voltage was high, but the alternator was still bad - overcharging)
Voltage spikes are so easy to filter out.
I guess I'm asking this:
Is the E6X known to be sensitive to voltage level and other power bus transients?
Any filtering that is suggested?
This is because the problem I described always (and still) existed to a small degree.
Maybe I need a filter.
It seems the ECU is very sensitive to the automotive electrical system.
It operates on 5V, even a very low battery of 8V is PLENTY of voltage.
It also seems like the ECU is very sensitive to voltage spikes (when the battery voltage was high, but the alternator was still bad - overcharging)
Voltage spikes are so easy to filter out.
I guess I'm asking this:
Is the E6X known to be sensitive to voltage level and other power bus transients?
Any filtering that is suggested?
This is because the problem I described always (and still) existed to a small degree.
Maybe I need a filter.
-Ted
Reading this thread brought a question to mind...
When Im wiring my E6X, what provisions should I make to ensure the EMS sees the most voltage possible while cranking? My battery is relocated to the right storage bin, so the wires to the starter are longer than stock - but to the EMS will be shorter than stock.
I have an optima yellow top, but would having something else (have no idea what...perhaps a 9v and 2 1.5v batteries in series
) keep the EMS happy and start up problems to a minimum?
When Im wiring my E6X, what provisions should I make to ensure the EMS sees the most voltage possible while cranking? My battery is relocated to the right storage bin, so the wires to the starter are longer than stock - but to the EMS will be shorter than stock.
I have an optima yellow top, but would having something else (have no idea what...perhaps a 9v and 2 1.5v batteries in series
) keep the EMS happy and start up problems to a minimum?
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