Power FC Power FC Advice?
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: San Antonio, TX
Power FC Advice?
Hey fellas. I would like some input on this. I just got my Power FC today. Not a bad deal. I got it off of ebay for 850 including shipping. My question is, even though the product claims it is plug and play and you can start it with the supplied map, do you recommend me installing it and then taking it immediatly to a dyno to tune it? I read a lot of the old traffic by using the search function on this forum. I saw a lot of good information but I really want to get the best out of my ride and if I can help it, I want to do it right. What do you guys think?
Thanks,
Quid
Thanks,
Quid
Install it, cut the 4 wires you are supposed to cut (cutting is one way to take care of the 4 wires you don't need going to the PFC), and IMO you will be fine until you tune it if you want to tune it, don't worry about going straight to dyno tuning, unless you have a very large amount of power mods. Let me know if you need more help before or after the install, you may need it unless you do hours of reading on this site, you will likely have idle issues that you may not know how to solve at first.
total newb
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Anacortes, WA
Learning Mode
the Power FC does a REALLY good job "self tuning" on anything from a 100% stock car through basic mods - intake, downpipe, exhaust, even most smaller intercoolers. If you don't have any more mods then that, all you MIGHT have to do in order to have your car running pretty well is increase injector pulse width/duty cycle if you notice a lean condition (You NEED a Wideband o2) and you can drive it fine. In your searching you have probably come across the learning mode so you will know all about that already.
Of course, your car will run BETTER if you take it to a dyno soon, and if you have a big SMIC or a frontmount/vmount/other power mods then for sure, get it tuned immediately.
BTW with most standalones I am usually an advocate of install + trailer to dyno, the Power FC is my ony exception.
Of course, your car will run BETTER if you take it to a dyno soon, and if you have a big SMIC or a frontmount/vmount/other power mods then for sure, get it tuned immediately.
BTW with most standalones I am usually an advocate of install + trailer to dyno, the Power FC is my ony exception.
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From: San Lorenzo, California
Originally Posted by SamuraiSam
the Power FC does a REALLY good job "self tuning".
The PFC does NOT self-tune! It does go through a process of learning the conditions for a stable idle under different electrical loads. It does not self tune for any kind of actual driving conditions.
The base map is fine for basic bolt-ons up to 10 psi or so. Above that, on some cars, the map has started to run leaner than is preferred. The base map is pretty rich, with ok timing settings for stock-ported motor, but it IS leaner than the stock ecu.
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From: San Lorenzo, California
Originally Posted by crosswound
Thanks for the info I'm also looking to get PFC pretty soon so that does that mean that I don't need the commander unless I plan on tuning it myself?
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From: San Antonio, TX
THese are the mods I have already. I am installing the Power FC and Commander. Do I need to have Protech or someone elseput a better base map on the car or should I go ahead and install it for a dyno tune?
Greddy Profec B Spec II electronic boost controller
A/C and all lines taken out
Power steering and all lines taken out
Air pump taken out
Greddy underdrive pulleys on the alternator and water pump
3" down pipe
3" midpipe
3" catback
INtercooler hard pipe kit
larger SMIC, 3x12x18
Greddy RS blow off valve
KKS turbo timer
silicone lines to replace old vacuum lines
I think that is about it. As you can see the car has been a little leaner than I like it to be. As a consequence, I have be driving Ms Daisy in it. I have not been boosting almost at all because I am afraid of sending apex seals through the turbo housing. Let me know what you think and thanks again for your advice. This forum kicks ***.
Quid
Greddy Profec B Spec II electronic boost controller
A/C and all lines taken out
Power steering and all lines taken out
Air pump taken out
Greddy underdrive pulleys on the alternator and water pump
3" down pipe
3" midpipe
3" catback
INtercooler hard pipe kit
larger SMIC, 3x12x18
Greddy RS blow off valve
KKS turbo timer
silicone lines to replace old vacuum lines
I think that is about it. As you can see the car has been a little leaner than I like it to be. As a consequence, I have be driving Ms Daisy in it. I have not been boosting almost at all because I am afraid of sending apex seals through the turbo housing. Let me know what you think and thanks again for your advice. This forum kicks ***.
Quid
Last edited by quid; Aug 27, 2005 at 09:29 AM.
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It would be a good idea to get your car tuned to make sure you won't be running too lean, because you have a mp is one of my main reasons for my opinion, or you can add some fuel like I did. See the link below, I added fuel to match PedroMonzon inj map, that way I would less likely be running lean, I haven't got my car tuned and running similar mods as you, except still old stock cat. And I am not afraid to run a little more than stock boost, it runs good and no problems.
http://opus.bloomcounty.org/~patrick...seMod&SCALE=US
http://opus.bloomcounty.org/~patrick/pfc/
http://opus.bloomcounty.org/~patrick...seMod&SCALE=US
http://opus.bloomcounty.org/~patrick/pfc/
Originally Posted by crosswound
Thanks for the info I'm also looking to get PFC pretty soon so that does that mean that I don't need the commander unless I plan on tuning it myself?
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: San Antonio, TX
Those of you who have the PFC and commander, what mods do you have and what did you have to do make everything all right? I still have not installed mine yet. I am just curious if you guys can give me a few lessons learned to help me out. Also, did you guys do all of the adjustments yourself or did you take it anywhere for a more specific base map or tuning. Please let me know.
Also, do I need to buy a specif mounting device or is there something I can pick up locally to mount my Commander. Do you guys have pics of where yours is mounted. It seems like everyone is mounting theirs on the other side of the center console. That looks good but I like to see what other people may have done.
Quid
Also, do I need to buy a specif mounting device or is there something I can pick up locally to mount my Commander. Do you guys have pics of where yours is mounted. It seems like everyone is mounting theirs on the other side of the center console. That looks good but I like to see what other people may have done.
Quid
You can see my mods in my Vb Garage.
My recent posts below about idle issues.
The idle speed control ISC white plug/wire connector - It needs unplugged to get rid of the idle surging after hitting the gas, the car will idle good after you start it, but not good after hitting the gas if the white plug is connected, that is how my car was.
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?p=4689607
I did all the adjustments myself, and you should read the manual and read as much as you can on this forum and then do the basic adjustments yourself. The base map in the PFC should be fine until you want to get it tuned and make sure you are not running lean, or you can add fuel like I did.
I just used the velcro that came with the commander and stuck the velcro above the A/C button, I like having the commander there because I can see the numbers on it, and I can pull it off to hold it when I want, and it has never fallen off the velcro. I don't know why anyone would put it anywhere else where you can't see the readout good when driving without holding it in front of you. My location is super easy, easy to run the wire to the commander, and you can read it good, best location and easiest setup IMO. See pictures:
My recent posts below about idle issues.
Originally Posted by tom94RX-7
It sounds like you are having the exact same problems I was when I installed mine. It would idle perfect after starting, but as soon as you hit the gas and let off, it starts to idle surge. The best thing to do that makes the biggest difference is to unplug the idle speed control plug under the UIM, it is inbetween the UIM and the firewall, it is the only white plug. You can see it and unplug it without removing anything, it's alittle tricky to unplug the first time you do it. After you do that your idle bouncing/serging should stop like mine did. Then you may need to make other idle adjustments on the TB, like the one on the TB under the elbow, it is a flat head screw, I only had to adjust that one, I think I had to do it to raise or lower the idle, sorry don't remember exactly. I spent many hours doing all the idle learning process many times which would not help, so save your gas money and stop trying that.
Unplug the white plug/wire connector now! Don't worry about it being unplugged. Then test it out, I think it should be better. Then go into the PFC RPM (idle) settings, and raise all 3 of the "F/C" settings to above 1200 or 1300 rpms, then you should not idle surge after letting off the gas when driving. I did all of the above and it works great. After you do all this let me know if it is all good, and there is more to do because the car is alittle hard to start when hot, then you may have to adjust the "Cranking Fuel Injection" settings like I had to do to help the hot starts.
Hope this helps, let me know how it's going.
Unplug the white plug/wire connector now! Don't worry about it being unplugged. Then test it out, I think it should be better. Then go into the PFC RPM (idle) settings, and raise all 3 of the "F/C" settings to above 1200 or 1300 rpms, then you should not idle surge after letting off the gas when driving. I did all of the above and it works great. After you do all this let me know if it is all good, and there is more to do because the car is alittle hard to start when hot, then you may have to adjust the "Cranking Fuel Injection" settings like I had to do to help the hot starts.
Hope this helps, let me know how it's going.
Originally Posted by tom94RX-7
it also helps to take fuel out of the "Inj Map" Fuel Correction Map cells where you idle at, go to the map tracing mode in the monitor section to see what map cells you idle in. It helped my car to lower the numbers in the first two columns and the first 8 rows, this helped my hot starts the most and I am pretty sure the exhaust does not smell as rich during idle. I made all of them the same number which helps to smoothen out the idle, they are 110. Don't touch anything else on the maps. I did this before adjusting the "Cranking Fuel Injection" settings.
The idle settings are in the "Rev/Idle" settings menu.
The idle settings are in the "Rev/Idle" settings menu.
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?p=4689607
I did all the adjustments myself, and you should read the manual and read as much as you can on this forum and then do the basic adjustments yourself. The base map in the PFC should be fine until you want to get it tuned and make sure you are not running lean, or you can add fuel like I did.
I just used the velcro that came with the commander and stuck the velcro above the A/C button, I like having the commander there because I can see the numbers on it, and I can pull it off to hold it when I want, and it has never fallen off the velcro. I don't know why anyone would put it anywhere else where you can't see the readout good when driving without holding it in front of you. My location is super easy, easy to run the wire to the commander, and you can read it good, best location and easiest setup IMO. See pictures:
Last edited by tom94RX-7; Aug 27, 2005 at 12:43 PM.
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