I am trying to learn about mapping a car having a little problem getting it right.
The car is a rs turbo with a 2.1 zvh in, using Haltech management.

Im just concentrating on getting it ticking over at the min trying to set the air fuel ratio around 16-17 afr but when taking that much fuel out the car seems to run a little lumpy and the manifold starts to glow red. I have set my ign timing at 10 degrees before tdc.

I was thinking the timing was to advanced but have read that if your manifold glows red then your timing is to retarded is this right?

Thanks Lee

 

retarded = more heat.

think about the way the engine works with valves opening and closing and youll see why, as youre making your burn occur later in the cycle so more heat is getting let out of the exhaust valve.

for idle dont worry too much about giving it some ignition, youre not going to melt the engine ticking over.

have you got a baseap to work off of? even if its another ECU and you can manually copy the map?

 

put some fuel in, have it idle at 13.5 to start with. Check your timing with a strobe.

 

Too lean for sure

 

14.5 for idle is a good point to aim for but as crazy cage said, check the timing with a strobe first as what your seeing on the screen may not be whats actually in it. Haltech should have offset options if you need to see corelating numbers.

 

Hello Bram,

I am using an older Haltech E6X setup.
10 degrees advance at idle does seem very low. Have you verified the timing marks on the engine - 0 degrees is actually at piston TDC? Sometimes there is quite a difference.
Also once timing marks are accurate, make sure management advance (10 degrees) is the same as indicated on pulley.

I think you are using a preformance cam? Newman?
A performance camshaft definitely requires much more initial advance than a stock cam.
I would start out at 14 degrees advance at idle. Probably end up with 16 to 18 degrees advance at idle.

 

Thanks for the replys.

Yeah we have calibrated the timing using the timing strobe, set it to 0 on haltech and locked it and then checked with the strobe all seems ok.

This is the first time we have done anything like this so just abit unsure.

So 10 degrees seems to retarded so we need to advance it a bit to maybe 16 is this right?

Thanks again Bram

 

thanks again. i think we have just had a bad day and couldnt get my head round it.

thanks lee

 

Guys, with all due respect, please go and do some research on spark lead and air fuel ratios before you destroy this engine.

 

this is worth a read

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Engine-Manag.../dp/1859608353

 

Ha ha cheers Stu i have been reading your articles last night and think im starting to understand more now, its harder than i thought it was going to be to map a car but will only learn by just doing it so we just jumped in at the deep end and bought the management.
We will get there hopefully without melting anything.

Cheers Bram

 

Cheers Jay looks like its worth a read thanks.

 

Do what makes your engine happy, forget the "official" figures, too many variations.
tabetha

 

You will be fine mate, but research some basic info first so that you dont damage things while learning.

As a rough guide, "HOT" idle and cruise fuelling i would set to around 13:1 AFR and then full load around 11.5:1 AFR.

Spark wise:
Idle at 14 deg, cruise at 20deg and full load at 5deg will allow virtually any averagely powered petrol 4 stroke to be driven at part throttle with no real problems bar some retard.
Det cans are still adviseable just in case your compression is 19:1 not 9:1 as you thought. LOL

These figures will work and be safe for almost all petrol 4 strokes. You can then go about tuning from there.


Ah well, he best ignore my advice then. Doh.

 

BANG

 

thank you stu like we have said we are wanting to lean. so the more info we get the better

 

If that happens then il just build a new engine and start again

 

And twist for good knows how long

 

If you can afford to, then why the hell not!

Good way to learn is to jump in the deep end, but only if you're willing to accept that there's a good chance it won't go to plan and it's potentially very dangerous mapping a car on the road!

 

it will be ok mate the car has'nt come off the drive so dont be thinking am just going to start driving it about. ive lean'nt more in the last few days by working on the car than what i had reading info about mapping for the last month or two. Also when we get the car going its going strate to sitech to get looked over and to check the work we have done on the map.
I think we are getting there now, well i hope we are

lee