i've tuned my car for years, i'm just now 3 weeks at a shop that dynos and tunes... i highly recommend finding a competent tuner local to you. if you were local to us we could get your settings straighten out quickly for not as much as you would think. around 3-400 bucks is reasonable... i mean if you're knocking and arent sure what to do or if you want to go down that path.

 

Yeah man, it's either knock or detonation (meaning I'm not sure if it's too lean or there's too much timing), I can't really tell. I have a local tuner, but he can't seem to get it right and all he tunes is Microtech and all he builds is rotary's...? It's incredibly odd. I can't figure out why he can't get my car to behave.

Most of the map is decent enough. So, I think I'm going to start researching how to tune the Microtech myself and see if I can tweak and adjust the map. For ***** and giggles, I'll take a video of the car and the wideband so you can see how bad this is.

Before I last took it to him, it would hit that boost spike like I described in the beginning of this thread and that spike coincided with a spike in AFR to 14-15...at about 4,500 rpm's. I got him to work on that, but there's still the detonation/knock close to redline.

I'll most likely start a new thread in the Microtech section and see who can help me along the way.

Any advice on where to go to learn how to tune the Microtech? Any websites you'd recommend?

Thank you!

Nick

 

I don't mean to leave you in the lurch, but Microtech is basically the only ECU I won't support because I'm confused about the way they handle saving and loading maps and I don't want to invest any time in it. Maybe that's not the best reason, but call it strategic decision I've made. Microtech is off the table for me.

I will ask this question though. Since for various reasons you're on the bleeding edge of something going horribly wrong, are you sure you want to double down on the Microtech and try to self tune? I know switching to a new ECU is expensive, but so is a rebuild.

 

No hard feelings dude. I don't begrudge you one bit. This computer is less than ideal and you've helped me with my boost issue and extended a helping hand with the tuning, it's not your fault I'm running a Microtech. Don't sweat it.

As for your point on getting a new ECU, you're right. But, I don't have the $4-5,000 that it's going to take to get a Haltech Elite 1500 and a new wire harness, tune it etc, shipping to new location etc etc. If I'm going to switch computers, I'm going to go for my power goals of 450-500whp and E85. I will need a new fuel pump, I'm replacing my fuel rails too, so things start to add up pretty quickly.

An engine rebuild is equally as expensive or perhaps a bit less, but I feel like I don't really have any options. Microtech is not a computer that most will tune and even when it is something they support, I then have the issues that come with the change in temperature. It can't compensate for the weather changes and so I'm still presented with potential issues. So, I'm thinking if I can learn how to tune it then I can at least make those critical fine adjustments as needed and sort of live with it.

Nick

 

So, I ask again do you have any suggestions on where I can go to find out how best to tune using a Microtech? Or, am I looking at this wrong and I should be instead looking more at how to tune rotary engines?

Thanks guys!

Nick

 

there is help on microtech out there,
post everything it is doing and has done.. IN thhe microtech sectioning

 

Just want to throw a couple cents of my own in there.

If you end up having to do a rebuild because of tuning issues related to this Microtech ECU, you'll still be in the same boat as you are now, with tuning issues that could wreck yet another rebuild. Seems to me like no matter what, in the end it's likely going to be cheaper to replace the ecu now.

As far as wiring, you should be able to splice a universal harness to your existing harness since really all the same functions are present regardless of brand.

Just my thought.

 

Well from my research, I would need a new harness and then someone would need to install it. I live in a townhouse and have a one car garage. I don't have the space to truly get under the hood and get everything wired up. Thus, I will have to pay someone to wire everything. My guess is someone will want minumum $500 to do that.

Rywire makes a harness for basically a grand and then I could go ahead and purchase the new computer. A Haltech 1500 Elite is about $1400 plus install and tuning time etc.. Again, I'd have to get the car shipped out to a shop I trust (none near me).

What I'm saying is, to replace the computer right now is impossible. There's just way too much cost to do that. Down the road I absolutely will.

The car drives OK for just cruising around and I can get on it, just so long as I short shift. If I don't rev it past about 6k rpm's, I don't have any issues.

My thoughts with tuning it myself is just to simply tweak what's already been done and see if I can eliminate the knock/detonation. If I'm risking too much in doing that, than perhaps I'll just baby it for a few months or a year till I can afford to change the computer.

Nick

 

If you want to post some datalogs in this thread I will give my opinion from general tuning knowledge.

 

Awesome man. Thank you for that. I will update this thread if I actually go through with all this.

Thanks guys!

Nick