custom13B

Most of those issues are solved now last night a programming buddy helped me upgrade to megatune 717 I believe and muy's new extra code. We also have easy therm on my pc but yet to run that yet. Had a few issues with the innovative LC-1 and the new extra code. we managed to borrow code from another version of extra as it wasnt in the new firmware. I made the rotary changes today and will be going to the garage and attempting a start in a few. The newer version of MT is slick love having the manifold air temp displayed. Helps me know how efficient my intercooler will be. And when to engage water injection. Im hoping Muy finds a way to get the switch point for staged injection to trigger on 2 parameters. Not just RPM based. Im getting better at adjusting things and understanding how each setting affects the engine. I aslo solved my issues with the ZTX688 idle ckt..I had a bad ztx688. Either I overheated it soldering it in..hard to accept but possible or it was bad to begin with. Back to the garage,Shawn

custom13B

Well I tried it and no spark. It has to be a software setting as it just ran 2 days ago with the older version. It shows RPM when cranking but wont go back to 0 it stays at 2 rpm when not cranking. I double checked my settings in megatune and thier exactly as the FAQ suggests. I also know my LM1815 ckt is working and wired correctly as I just had it running sat morning. Must be a mistake during the upgrade?

muythaibxr

could be a mistake during the upgrade... the 2 rpm problem isn't a problem. It has done that as long as I can remember... You shouldn't have had to change the megasquirt code to make msns-extra work with the LC-1. Maybe you're referring to the ini file?

The only thing that I can think of is the outputs... you have to make sure that the outputs in code config->codebase and outputs are set to use the LED's. Other than that... does the LED closest to the serial port flash when cranking?

custom13B

Well theres a serious problem if anyone wants to use a LC-1 with the 026i code...where the issue lies I have no idea. I have a friend who does my megasquirt upgrades for me. I dont have time to mess with it. I cant say if that particular LED blinks or not I will check. Playtime is over for a few days before I'll have time to check that. I have all the codebase outputs set exactly like the FAQ. The erea where its mounted makes seeing the LED difficult so I will have to unmount it to see. Will check back in a few days.

custom13B

It sparks again, why I have no idea it just decided to work...lol. I now have the megatuneb717 running with the 026i mod extra file. Its close to starting but hasnt yet. I now have to figure out easy therm and adjust for the mazda coolant temp sender. Every other value seems to be reading accurate. Letting the battery charge overnight hope to have it running tomorrow after work.

custom13B

Guss Im just talking to myself

muythaibxr

I haven't responded because you haven't said anything that needs a response

I'm still tracking your progress and I'll suggest things if I have any suggestions.

custom13B

Thanks Muy wasnt sure you had time to follow. Tonight I replaced the battery with a 1000cca unit. I also put in #2 guage power wire from the hatch where the battery is to the engine bay and refed everything with power. Its charging overnight. I also went to the junkyard and baught a pioneer cd player for 40.00 so put that in while charging. Currently it wants to start but its fighting me again. I have spark and have the fixed angle set to -5 once it starts I will time the engine and set it back to -10. This is what worked for me before. I have a CPW of 7 ms now and rescaled the ve table based on my 6.4 req fuel. I dropped the CPW from 8 to 7 because I noticed my spark flugs were soaked with fuel. I cleaned them off before reinstalling them. Any tips on settings to help coax it to life would be appreciated guys,Shawn

pmrobert

Shawn, I'm sure you've tried this -but - have you tried deflooding the engine then using new plugs? You know, pull the plugs, make sure the injectors cannot inject any fuel and that no stray sparks will be generated around the plughole side of the engine and cranking it until no more of the excess fuel is seen pumping from the plugholes? In the past, I have chased my tail for hours trying to get things started and idling OK assuming my config was bad when it was just a flooded engine and fuel fouled plugs. The plugs can look just fine but in reality will be firing down the porcelain deep down in the shell, not across the gap(s) - I have several that I've fuel fouled and, 2 years later, they exhibit this same property when tested on the bench. It seems once the porcelain gets really wet it must retain enough carbon to become conductive. All it would usually take is a couple of over-rich stalls during an initial cold startup and they were toast. To be clear, it was/is not possible to clean some of these plugs despite whatever technique I used - various solvents, mechanical brushing, moderate heat application - all no good. These fouled plugs look perfect but the engine will not as much as fart while attempting to use them.


-Mike

muythaibxr

I agree with mike. When we were first starting tofuball's car, we fouled his plugs, and the car just wouldn't start.... even though it had been trying to start earlier that day.... he took them out and took a wire brush to them, and they worked ok, although I don't think they ever worked quite as well as they should've.

custom13B

Well I have cleaned the plugs and cramked the engine with them removed and watched the fuel vapor come out. I am definately getting spark. I have 2 sets of plugs and alternate between the 2 sets. Ive been wire brushing them and spraying them with carb cleaner and laying them on a heater to clean them. I should buy another set but for what they cost I'll be damned to fuel foul a third set. I have spark and the setting in MT are correct. Im second guessing my CAS install now. What I did was rotate the engine clockwise until the yellow mark on the pulley lined up with the timing pointer. Then I took the CAS and lined up the marks on it. Then carefully stabbed it in making sure to not move it and keep the marks lined up. Then I set the fixed angle in MT to -5. Is this correct??? Im worried about my starter a few more days of cranking like this and I think it will be dead. Please help.

pmrobert

It's very possible that both of your sets of plugs are dead. I have several previously fouled plugs that will not resuscitate even in the face of oxyacetylene persuasion never mind carb cleaner and wire brushing. Really, if your CAS is even roughly in the vicinity one tooth or another and your numbers are roughly correct, you will run. One think I found was pretty sure to kill them was to try and get a cold start *slow* idle - a couple of rich stalls with non-warmed up plaugs and that was it. Keep that puppy revving a bit until you're warmed up. My RX-8 had trhe same problem before Mazda fixed a similar situation with the 2004s with an ECM flash update.

I might suggest you get a cheap set of Autolite (2526?) plugs from your local parts store to try - they're $0.99 or thereabouts. They're listed for the 13B rotaries in their catalogs as an alternate to the NGKs. I was using these during those halcyon days when I was fouling $$$ of plugs until everything clicked. They're only single gap and probably aren't as effective as the NGKs - but - they are $0.99 apiece and do not foul as easily as the NGKs (or Densos).

-Mike

custom13B

Ok thats a good idea. I agree on the timing I know its damn close. I just got a fresh set of NGK's from pep boys for 5.99 ea. Better than I thought they were havnt baught any in a while. Last set was from ebay. Im going to try them tonight. Will check back in the am,Shawn

custom13B

It started,the new plugs did the trick. I ran it for a hour and have it idling very stable at 1,100 rpm. Then it stalled and wont restart Im thinking it fouled the new plugs. Tomorrow Im going to buy some cheap autolites to use until it is tuned better. I also broke my laptop USB port because of the adaptor for the serial cable. So Im also looking for a pcmcia to serial adaptor locally. I can order one online but have waited long enough for everything else. Shawn

custom13B

Well I had it running with the new plugs. While it was running well it stalled. I put a new set of autolite 2626 cheapy plugs in and still no luck starting it again. I did notice the LED closest to the serial port is not blinking when cranking the engine. The NGK's were fouled. The new NGK's that is. Im waiting on a part for my lap top now so Im looking into why I lost spark. Basically if that LED isnt blinking when cranking I will not get spark correct? I have power at each coil pack and so far the wiring looks fine. Seems like a bad connection to me but a answer on that LED would help me troubleshoot. Oh BTW those autolite 2626 plugs are 2.39 each and advance auto does not normally stock them anymore ,order only but had a few left on the shelf. The 2626 plugs are for 2nd gen engines. Thanks again,Shawn

muythaibxr

If that LED isn't blinking it might still be sparking, but it's unlikely. If it's not blinking you might have some intermittant problems with your VR sensor conditioner circuit (intermittant signal can cause the spark output not to happen).

You may have a ground issue (where the ms is grounded) or some other intermittant wiring issue.

custom13B

Ohh thats not good news. I know my ground connections are good but I may still have a problem. Maybe I need to ground things seperately? I have 2 grounds from the MS. I would have to look at the db37 pinout but there is like 5 wires on the top of the db37 that all go to ground. I soldered all 5 together and ran a single wire from that to ground. The second ground is also shared with the 02 sensor ground. I've checked 95% on the wires in the engine bay and they all look fine. I have 5% to go but the GF is here and holding me up. I also fixed the laptop today so as soon as she's gone I'll get back to work on the car..prolly tomorrow. I did find a sweet pcmcia to serial port adaptor on compgeeks.com for only 12.95. Eliminated the need for a usb to serial adaptor. Just helped me as I had no serial output on my laptop. Will get back to work on the 7 tomorrow,Shawn

muythaibxr

Almost all the pins across the top are ground... on a v3 board only 4 of them aren't.

doing the 5 wires to 1 should be OK as long as that 1 wire was thick enough to carry the current from your injectors without causing any voltage differentials. Also, the place you chose to ground the MS makes a big difference. I hope you didn't just ground it to the chassis..... or if you grounded it to the engine, make sure that the spot you grounded it doesn't also have a wire running straight from it to the chassis.

Ken

custom13B

Ken,
I did ground it to the chassis. I soldered all 5 of the wires to 1 heavy #12 guage wire and grounded that to the chassis. I have the battery in the hatch erea and have 2 very heavy #4 grounds from that to the chassis. I also have a #10 ground from the battery straight to the engine. My engine isnt isolated from the chassis with bubber mounts,I have solid alluminum motor mounts. I am sure I have great chassis ground as I seam welded the unibody. I also have those 3 cables from the battery. If you think this is a problem please tell me why so I can change it. The power wire from the battery to engine bay is #2 so voltage drop is very low. Its 11 degrees here today so I have my portable heaters going in the garage and will be out there working in a bit. Thanks in advance,Shawn

custom13B

I removed the ground wire from the engine to battery and another that went from the engine to chassis. Please tell me how you would ground it from here when you can. Thanks for your time,Shawn

pmrobert

A dedicated ground back to the battery itself is fine. If you're using a wideband it's probably not a bad idea to give it it's own power and ground seperate from the MS - the sensor heater on them can transiently draw a lot of power especially at startup. It doesn't take much to introduce noise and resets into a microcontroller; luckily there are established ways to manage these problems when they pop up. Keep your sensor wires as far away from high voltage or high current wires; if you do have to route near them, try to cross them at a right angle, never parallel; if using shielded wire, only ground the shield at one end and make sure the other end cannot accidentally find ground on it's own; etc., etc....

-Mike

muythaibxr

no, a ground straight to the battery can also cause problems. ddub had problems when he did this with his vr sensor conditioners not working properly; he couldn't get a tach signal when he did this.

The way I've done it and had good luck with in the past is to ground the engine to the chassis, the chassis to the battery, and the MS to the engine.

Also, depending on the wideband, you might HAVE to ground it to the same place as the MS if it doesn't have a signal reference ground that you can hook to the MS.

I agree with everything else pmrobert said though.

custom13B

Thanks guys,
I did only ground one side of the shielded VR sensor wires from the CAS,I also insulated the other side to prevent accidental grounding. Im going to remove my air to water intercooler tonight and check all my wiring under it. I am going to loom the sensor wires seperate from the injector wires etc. As of now they are all together in one loom. I also plan to put a #10 wire in a large ring terminal and ground that to a rotor housing and use that for the MS ground. I have a Innovative LC-1 wideband and think I remember Muy suggesting I ground that to the same point as the MS. The LC-1 is newer and has a white,green and I believe another color for ground. Im thinking I'll ground the heater portion of the LC-1 to chassis and the outputs to the MS ground. Any tips would be great I'll be tackeling this tonight,Shawn

muythaibxr

I think your plan sounds good... since your LC-1 has the reference signal ground, I think your plan is good... ground the power ground to someplace else other than where the MS is grounded, and run the ref ground to the MS itself or the place where the MS is grounded.

Sounds good man.

pmrobert

Let me clarify - Ken is absolutely correct in the WB wiring thing - I've never used a WB that didn't have a signal ground, my bad. Ken, is the thread on that still around (ddub's problem)? That's quite strange and still sounds like he had multiple grounding points somehow, somewhere or induced voltage from an RF/EMI source due to the long ground, etc. Remember my trials and tribs with the AM radio station nearby making my 1815 psychotic? I've scoped various grounds and voltage offsets between various places on several vehicles and it was quite scary. I'm sure there are several ways that will work sufficiently well, I'm just trying to reduce the number of potential places where unexpected resistances, etc., can pop up. I have seen definite trouble when people try to get 12V at the alternator, wonder why....!

-Mike, not hijacking the thread, just pontificating on related items.