Bry's Megasquirt Install

[Bryan]

I have a full standalone and my tach works just fine.


Yippie for non diy engine management.

How much did you pay for it? Did you get to learn how an automotive fuel/ignition controller works in detail? :chug: There's something out there for everyone!

[///schwartzman]

Assuming you are using an S14 engine it doesn't have a 60-2 wheel from the factory. I wish it did. Most of the other 6cylinder and later four cylinders use the 60-2 wheel.
It has two crank sensors. One is a single tooth TDC sensor and the other reads off the 116 tooth flywheel ring gear.

Thanks, I installed mine on Tuesday, it turned over but wouldn't start... so I'd been hacking at the timing and fuel since then & finally got it started last night... I'm gonna use your numbers and see how it works... do some tuning today maybe put it on the smog dyno and see where things are. Sure beats pulling the crank "balancer and fabbing the wheel & sensor though.

:thank you

Bry, James' post re: Tach output worked for me... the key is to make sure it doesn't ground out... I blew a resistor using a metal screw instead of a nylon one.
http://www.s14.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23302&page=4

[Mr Deagle]

How much did you pay for it? Did you get to learn how an automotive fuel/ignition controller works in detail? :chug: There's something out there for everyone!

I know how it works.

[///schwartzman]

Urrrgh!!! DUH! This damn car calculates between the 2 sensors (TDC and Reference) off the flywheel ring gear... I got it to start but it won't accel, back to the drawing board, may have to mount the wheel after all.

[Bryan]

I'm not using EDIS, I'm still using the stock coil, so I don't have a PIP signal to work with. Any ideas on how to get a tach with the stock setup?

[Bryan]

I know how it works.

I'm just messing with ya, I love to see people playing with their E30 M3's. I would have originally gone with a commercial unit, but the low cost was so appealing

[///schwartzman]

I'm not using EDIS, I'm still using the stock coil, so I don't have a PIP signal to work with. Any ideas on how to get a tach with the stock setup?

I'll ask my engineer Fernando tomorrow... why did you stick with the stock unit?

[Bryan]

I'll ask my engineer Fernando tomorrow... why did you stick with the stock unit?

I originally didn't want to wire in a new ignition system (I wanted to get the car running), and I didn't really like the edis. I eventually want to do a COP setup!

[///schwartzman]

I originally didn't want to wire in a new ignition system (I wanted to get the car running), and I didn't really like the edis. I eventually want to do a COP setup!

I feel ya there... Fernando...and I, have been working on this since October I just want it done so I can start the rebuild (the new owner doesn't let us use the shop anymore, so we gotta sneak when we have spare time... we are a dynamic duo like Pinky & The Brain)
I wanted COP too, but the mods to the valve cover was enough to change my mind... at least for now, but they make the S14 look modern.

[indie_wannabe]

more tach circuit possibilities - megasquirt

This relates to the tachometer circuitry that I posted earlier in this thread. I found this info while researching my own megasquirt build. I believe this is the setup that others have used to get a tach singal for their instrument cluster on E30's. I know that it has been used on E34's.

The circuit is built in the proto area and is as follows:



see the link http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ght=megasquirt for the write up on this instl. Warning, there isn't much about the tach circuit instl in the write up. The write up does say to use a 100K pot instead of the 50k called for in the diagram. This agrees with the variable resistor info from my previous tach post.

I was hoping some one could help explain the some circuit wiring to me.

Where should the "12V ignition" come from?

Also, I believe the "to tacho" is what actually supplies the signal to the instrument cluster tachometer. It would actually wire to the DB37 connector (SPR4 for example or IAC1A if a stepper icv is not being used) and then be wired from the connector to the OEM tach.

Finally, I do not understand the "to the selected pin on the pcb." Which pin??? This doesn't make sense to me unless they mean to wire it to a pin on the DB37. I don't expect this is the case because I suspect the "to tacho" is what is wired to the DB37 to supply the tach.

Obviously I'm not sure how this circuit is wired. Can anyone with more megasquirt experience or circuitry/EE experience shed some light on this?

[jimmyC]

12v ignition comes from any 12v on the pcb after the input filtering circuitry.

To tacho goes to any free pin on the DB37

To selected pin on pcb goes to the 5V signal that goes either (1) to the base of the high current ignition driver (if you're using the stock ign coil) or (2) to the EDIS module.

HTH

jimmyC

[jimmyC]

'To selected pin on pcb goes to the 5V signal that goes either (1) to the base of the high current ignition driver (if you're using the stock ign coil) or (2) to the EDIS module.'

Actually, if this signal is going directly out to an EDIS module, you'll have to add a 470 or 1K ohm resistor in line with this signal to the transistor

[Brendan]

Bryan,

Did you ever get your tach working with your setup? Any more observations on your setup after another 8 months or so? Do you think you made any compromises sticking with the stock distributor setup or are you happy with it?

I'm considering pulling the trigger and doing Megasquirt myself - probably the new 3.57 board.

TIA,
Brendan

[Bryan]

Hi Brendan,

To be honest, I haven't messed with the tach at all. With the new firmware updates, I really want to upgrade my MS and at the same time, work on fixing the tach. I also want to play around with launch control functions too!

You should make the plunge for megasquirt. Just make sure you know you will be playing around with the tune for a while. Actually, it kind of makes your whole car a "project" where you are always working on it. I've been having a problem with noise in my TPS signal, so I'm going to try to run a new shielded wire to see if I can fix it.

I am glad that I kept the stock distributor for ease of implementation. It would be fun to have a distributorless setup, but I think the performance increases that it would give me on my setup would be negligible.

[Brendan]

My ideal situation involves Sequential and COP, but I think I should start with the stock distributor and learn what I'm doing first with more basic tuning before I throw even more complications into the mix. As for being a project I'm always working on, well, I'm already there anyways I want to start the engine upgrades at some point, and figure I should get the tuning aspect under control first, and I have a lot of time on my hands now through the fall, so basically Megasquirt makes sense right now...

How much do you know about the 3.57 SMD board vs the 3.0 board? I am not interested in soldering it together myself, and just assumed I'd go with the 3.57, but it is newer with fewer people using it. Any thoughts on that?