Anybody ever use a Motec ECU?

[Agent WD-40]

Do yo know if you can upload maps into the motec unit (the M48) or do you have to enter each value manually? www.motec.com It is a pretty sweet unit though.

Do you guys think that it would be possibe to get more power out of the iForce by reprogramming the ECU? Didn't nitrousfed try that? I wouldn't think you would get a lot more power compared to stock just by using different maps etc in a new ECU. Thanks.

[Eddie]

Motec is pricey. Some of their original engineers started a new company called Autronic,the prices are very reasonable considering the amount of features it has.
I've tuned Haltech and installed/tuned DFI,going to start playing around with AEM's standalone (friend's car).
They have base maps so the engine will start and run,but not optimally. The best way to program them is with a chassis dyno and wideband O2 sensor. On-road tuning with a wideband O2 also works,it's a little better for tuning part-throttle conditions compared to a dyno.

[Agent WD-40]

Thanks for the reply. I'm programing (with another guy) a 1.9L Saturn engine in a gas/electric hybrid for Explorer using a MoTec. It doesn't run too bad on the stock maps. Do you have any tips you can give me? Do you know a place where I can gather theroy on engine management with a computer? Like a good book or a website or something. In what way do you tune with the O2 sensor? How would that relate to the Lambda sensor reading?

So far we have played a little with it on the chassis dyno. Yeah, the MoTec is pricey. Were going to leave it in a place where we can disconnect it and take it with us. Thanks.

[Eddie]

Originally posted by Agent WD-40
Thanks for the reply. I'm programing (with another guy) a 1.9L Saturn engine in a gas/electric hybrid for Explorer using a MoTec. It doesn't run too bad on the stock maps. Do you have any tips you can give me? Do you know a place where I can gather theroy on engine management with a computer? Like a good book or a website or something. In what way do you tune with the O2 sensor? How would that relate to the Lambda sensor reading?

So far we have played a little with it on the chassis dyno. Yeah, the MoTec is pricey. Were going to leave it in a place where we can disconnect it and take it with us. Thanks.

Do a search for Raymond T. Bohacz. The man is a DFI and engine theory/tuning guru.

As for hints,start rich. Rich fouls plugs,lean blows motors Don't be very agressive with timing. And don't rely entirely on the O2 sensor for tuning,check the spark plug condition too (taking it back old school hehe)

O2 and Lambda sensors are the same thing,you say "po-tay-toe" I say "po tah toe". Only difference is how values are read. One lambda is equal to an air/fuel ratio of 14.7:1 (stoichiometric). I prefer going by A/F values,it's a little hard to visualize ".9 lambda" compared to say 12:1 A/F ratio.

I usually tune for WOT power since in most situations the base maps work good driveability-wise. We try try to run at least 12:1 A/F,nothing leaner. Idle and part throttle you're looking for that stoich ratio,this is the value where a cat. converter works most efficiently. This is with a wideband O2 sensor,not the usual 1-wire or 4-wire heated sensor,those don't read accurately enough in the richer or leaner AF valuees,it's primarily designed to read stoich ratios. The wideband sensors themselves cost over $100 and you need a special driver circuit to interface them to most standalone systems.

[Agent WD-40]

Hey, thanks a ton for those tips. That will give me a place to start. I'll have to look into getting a wideband sensor. We have the 4 wire heated kind right now. Do you know if the wideband need to be heated too? I don't think it will be a problem getting the team to spring for that though. They spent 100k on batteries, their about to spend 1k on a wiring harness... Do you have any kind of wideband sensor you think is better? Do you know a good place to get them?

[Eddie]

Originally posted by Agent WD-40
Hey, thanks a ton for those tips. That will give me a place to start. I'll have to look into getting a wideband sensor. We have the 4 wire heated kind right now. Do you know if the wideband need to be heated too? I don't think it will be a problem getting the team to spring for that though. They spent 100k on batteries, their about to spend 1k on a wiring harness... Do you have any kind of wideband sensor you think is better? Do you know a good place to get them?

4-wire heated sensors aren't wideband,they're just a basic O2 sensor with a heater circuit to speed up operating temperature.

The DIY EFI site has schematics to build the driver circuit at http://www.diy-efi.org/diy_efi/projects/diy_wb/ Wideband sensors are heated,they also have 5 wires instead of 1-4.