So I am building up a turbo KA and am going to need to tune it obviosly. But I dont understand some of the tuning stuff. Like I just read the thread called “the idead behind tuning” but I’m still a little confussed. I am going to get someone to tune it for me but can you fully tune a stock ECU? Or do you have to get a chipped ECU and then somone can fully “open” all the options in tuning an engine. Thanks.
u have to unlock it, with a basic map were u can tune the ecu yourself. NIStune is a good one, but there are power restrictions they hold, for example, injector sizes are limited for NIStune. for my build, i used Jim Wolfe tech in cali. they are great, respectable, because they basic tune ur ecu for the inector size, turbo size, type of MAF, and start a estimated map for ur build, plus u can tune it from there. Most of the time you dont even need to tune it when they are finished. You need to send your ecu off to them, and they build it from there.
Interesting… I’m going to be diving into this mess soon enough too. At least i have an tuned ECU to start with.
One thing im going to do is get a wide band gauge and a Apexi SAFC. This will allow me to tune it further and de-tune it for emissions testing. Also get a knock light a guy on the forum here told me about it. cos we are running such high compression using a NA engine you have to be careful of knocking.
So you send your stock ECU to Jim Wolfe and they do a basic tune and then you can “finish” the tune when you get it in your car?
I have a an ECU that enthalpy tuned for the setup I’m going to run. I bought it as a package. all though the turbo is kinda messed but ill run that till it blows up.
The thing about the ECU’s is I am sure they are great but the AFC can just make sure your running the right mixture at all times. im sure you can get away with not running one but for about 500 bucks you can install a widband and a AFC. and this should allow you to pass your next emissions as well. from what im told anyways.
Guys, if you spend good money on a mail order tune, and are not happy with it…get them to fix it.
Trying to fix a bad mail order tune with a AFC is very dangerous. AFC’s do more than correct fueling issues. they actually also alter timing.
So, if hte tuner of your mail order tune didn’t get the fueling right, why thing they got the timing right, and why then go and blindly make timing changes? That is the formulae for a lost motor.
I dont know about S14 KAs But S13 OBD 1 KAs have a distributor so the timing is all mechanical. There is only one output from the ECU. The AFC is used to detune your car during emissions test and to make sure it runs the way it should at all times. I have little faith in someone tuning an engine half way around the world. each engine runs a little different and i don’t fully trust any company to do it right with out tuning the car on the spot.
So for Johner it might work to use the tuned ECU but for me it wont. Ill use it as a base map and work from there.
Dan’s point was that an S-AFC can and will change your timing advance - usually in unpredictable ways. I would listen to him.
The timing on your OBD1 KA is not “all mechanical” at all. Just because it uses a distributor does NOT mean your timing is fixed.
(Your motor simply would not run if your ignition timing was set to 15’ BTDC at all rpm and load points. )
Your ecu has a timing map that it refers to, to control timing advance, as conditions dictate. Your timing jumps around all over the place from 15 to, i dunno, 35 or 40 degrees BTDC.
You might have little faith in “tunes from halfway around the world”, but before you start tinkering around with a crappy S-AFC , you need to do yourself a huge favor and learn how EFI works so that you don’t pop your motor.
LOL @ fixed timing. The distributor is just to set your base timing. Nothing more.
You are misinformed, stock ecu or nistune can support 1000cc injectors and up. S-afc is complete garbage dont even look there. i tune oem nissan ecu’s all day long and they are by far the most reliable compared to any other system.