I was wondering if anyone could break down how to tune a utec cause im trying to learn the basics of tuning.... just seeing if anyone wants to help me down that road??

 

tuning is an artform that is put together with years of knowledge of how engines work and why things happen when you do certain things.

best way is to just do it. you might blow some stuff up but at least the second time around you will know....

 

I was just looking for some help on what the numbers mean on the airfuel and timing!!!! how they convert to afr's and timing!!!

 

I am no pro tuner and I agree with Audible Mayhem I am just doing a lot of trial and error on my Haltech plugging in different numbers to achieve a certain goal. Shoot me a PM as I have worked with the UTEC and maybe I can help you out.

 

Try this http://www.wrxhackers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2469 even tho its for the WRX Utec, it gives you an idea of where to start. Then after that practice makes perfect... In the end nothing beats a good professional dyno tune backed by a professional street tune, however knowing more about your car is always better since you its not always feasible to get a new tune after every mod/weather change/etc.

 

get a TXS tuner wideband to go along with your UTEC. YOu'll need/want it if you are planning on self tuning.

 

I disagree to some extent. Tuning is not an art. Tuning is a scientific activity which requires good engine knowledge, patience and understanding of what the tools do and how they work that are used during tuning. I don't see it as an art as there's nothing artistic about it

Before you start tuning, you need to know certain things about engines and they are controlled by EM. Make sure you understand these concepts first before you start tuning:

1. How does the car know how much fuel to add
2. What does AFR mean and how does it impact engine operation
3. What is ignition timing and how does it relate to engine operation
4. What happens when ambient conditions like air temperature change
5. What is volumetric efficiency of the engine and how does it relate to timing
6. What is detonation/knock and why is it bad
7. What is octane and why is it important to know about it
8. EGTs and what they mean to you
9. What tools you will need to get your tune done safely and efficiently

That's just a start. Just jumping into it is not a good idea. My rule of thumb for beginners always has been: if you don't know what it does, do not change it or you may regret it later. I am all for DYI tuning and I have had a lot of success doing it myself but if you don't have the proper scientific foundation behind you, your results will be disappointing or even disastrous to your engine. Good luck.

 

While we are on the subjest on UTECH tuning, how safe is it to buy a used one. I see them on this site alot. Or should I just buy a new one. Is there anyway you could answer this questions for newbies or direct me to somewhere to answer them.

1. How does the car know how much fuel to add
2. What does AFR mean and how does it impact engine operation
3. What is ignition timing and how does it relate to engine operation
4. What happens when ambient conditions like air temperature change
5. What is volumetric efficiency of the engine and how does it relate to timing
6. What is detonation/knock and why is it bad
7. What is octane and why is it important to know about it
8. EGTs and what they mean to you
9. What tools you will need to get your tune done safely and efficiently

 

+1

You can't tune AFR's without a wideband.

 

1. The VQDE likes about 12.8 ~ 13.2 AFR (for NA). Down to about 10ish ~ 11ish in the upper rpm's if you're FI.
2. See Number 1. Air / fuel ratio.
3. Advance timing as far as you can without getting knock, then back it off a degree or two so your EGT's don't go too high.
4. You'll need to adjust your tune accordingly.
5. Cylinder volume.
6. Knock can be detonation or pre-detonation. Both are bad things as they can chip ringlands, pistons, ruin bearings, bend rods, etc...
7. Octane is how quickly, completely, and effeciently a fuel burns. Higher is better.
8. EGT = Exhaust gas temps. If they go too high, you'll ruin exhaust valves.
9. UTEC, Tuner (wideband), laptop, safe stretch of open road to do some pulls and logs.

You'll want to use the same stretch of road and do your pulls in the same gear each time for consistancy sake. That way when you start comparing logs, you'll be able to quickly see meaningful patterns and be able to adjust your tune accordingly.

Here's an example of a recent self-tuned NA MAF log (about a week ago). I logged this tune with UTEC + Tuner (reg).

 

well......there are no set rules for tuning. 2 tuners can achieve the same results, wuth different tuning methods. Some tuners will make the engine pig rich in an effort to run more timing, while other tuners may choose to tune for leaner, better burning mixtures , yet sacrifice total ignition timing.

You find alot of tuners use similar methods, but no 2 are the same........like artists.

This is just WOT tuning that I am talking about. IMO, it is the part throttle tuning that truly separates the tuners. most tuners don't spend enough time working on part throttle accleration and throttle response.

 

subscribed

 

Excellent points and all quite true. :-)

Sometimes tuners will also run pig rich in an effort to cool the cylinders down with extra fuel. This is one way to address knock & EGTs. The other way is to retard timing a bit.

 

Indeed. It's a common practice to do this and the balance between timing and fueling, especially on an FI car is a compromise between the 2. I also don't believe in fixing timing issues with fuel. I believe that fueling always comes before timing and excessively wasting fuel to cool the cylinders is just an attempt to achieve high timing for the sake of high timing. Normally, tuners will know roughly what AFR to target at any given load and RPM range. Once the fueling is established, that's when I usually fine tune the timing based on whatever I can push it to with the gas I have. If it's 20 degrees at any given point, it's 20. If it's 15, so be it. I would not richen up the mix significantly just to get to 20 degrees at that point in the map and feel good that I got 20 degrees but had to go down to 10.5 AFR to get there. That's not right in my mind. Significant fueling fluctuations in the map usually feel odd when you drive the car. Power delivery can feel lumpy and you could see odd dips in power on the dyno. For me, smooth power delivery is key and nature generally likes smooth transitions as well. A smooth fuel and timing curve will feel like a well mannered beast when you drive it and drivability will be fantastic. That's basically my approach

I'm glad someone mentioned part throttle tuning. Seems like all pro tuners do is tune for WOT. Last time I checked, my foot was not binary Part throttle tuning is something a few people do well. Maybe it's because it requires more time and patience.

 

Benefits of part throttle tuning are? Can you perform this on an inertia dyno or does it take a load dyno or street driving?

 

load based... like a dyno dynamics. Or the tried and true road tune. :-)

 

Tuning a UTEC (or any engine management system, for that matter) is all science and engineering....up to a point. Experience and intuition are also needed by the best tuners (that's where your art comes in, Jeremy).

Some good books to help understand all of the mystery and to get started on;

Engine Management-Optimizing carburettors, fuel injection and ignition systems by Dave Walker; Haynes High Performance Tuning Series. ISBN-1 85960-835-3 Published 2001

Engine Management-Advanced Tuning by Greg Banish; CarTech SA Design books. ISBN-13 978-1-932494-42-6 Published 2007

How To Tune And Modify Engine Management Systems by Jeff Hartman; Motorbooks Workshop. ISBN-13:978-0-7603-1582-8 Published 2003

And for the Forced Induction crowd............

Supercharged! Design, Testing and Installation of Supercharger Systems by Corky Bell; Bentley Publishers. ISBN 0-8376-0168-1 Published 2001

Forced Induction Performance Tuning-A Practical Guide To Supercharging and Turbocharging by A. Graham Bell; Haynes Publishing. ISBN 1-85960-691-1 Published 2002

Supercharging, Turbocharging & Nitrous Oxide-Performance Handbook by Earl Davis and Diane Perkins-Davis; Motorbooks Workshop. ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-0837-0 Published 2001

These are all current, well-written by respected tuners and available on Amazon. Best to know all that you can, as a mistake in this area can lead to the big KERBLAMMO (it's cheaper to let guys like Jeremy have the headaches, in the long run, but that's just my humble opinion)

 

/\ True. I think the first full tune should be done by the Pro since they have more tool in their disposal to tune your car properly. I still believe that the owner should still know the basic know how and do some of their own logging. There are still spot that a tuner will miss and having the basic know how to make minor changes is a good way to take car of your car. I'm talking about being able to pull some timing or add fuel at a certain load point if constant knock is being detected. JMHO

 

Thanks, good info

 

I just bought one of those books. I want to learn how to tune.