DaveF

i just recently purchased an AEM off another user, back in january... well i put it in my car last weekend to test it out and try to learn a bit about the system.. (i jsut spent the whole day, ******* with it, and i didnt get anywhere)

im having a hard time with it, to say the least. its got so many adjustments, and i pretty much dont know a damn thing about it. ive been reading over the user manuals, and trying to learn a bit more about it.

my problem is the car wont stay running, and i cant seem to get the idle down to where it should be(id like it around 850 or so).... well, i can get it to go down... it will stay there for about 15 seconds, than the car will just shut off. Also, the car is getting alot of ignition errors? im not sure why that is? do i need to line up the ign timing someway? i read on another thread, it could be from ignition noise from the sensors in the distributer? any confirmations on that?

i used the "civic-integra 1020 basemap 1.11v"

the car is a 97 civic, with a b16. stock obd1 injectors.

please enlighten me

i hate the ems already.... sure aint no DFI or speed-pro...


Modified by Dturbocivic at 6:07 PM 4/27/2005

BodyKits NW

You can't really say it's no speed pro when you have no idea what your doing. Dialing the idle in the EMS is the easiest thing in the world.

Did you sync the timing on the EMS? You have a wideband installed and configured correctly? There are a lot of lil things that need to be setup properly before you can really get anywhere.

To adjust idle you just need to setup the Idle Target to the desired idle you want. Then adjust the AF accordingly, then finally use the Idle vs. Target table to stabilize the idle. Sometimes you have to mess with the timing, but it's rare that I ever have to adjust the timing to really stabilize the idle with most injectors.

DaveF

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BodyKits NW &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can't really say it's no speed pro when you have no idea what your doing. Dialing the idle in the EMS is the easiest thing in the world.

Did you sync the timing on the EMS? You have a wideband installed and configured correctly? There are a lot of lil things that need to be setup properly before you can really get anywhere.

To adjust idle you just need to setup the Idle Target to the desired idle you want. Then adjust the AF accordingly, then finally use the Idle vs. Target table to stabilize the idle. Sometimes you have to mess with the timing, but it's rare that I ever have to adjust the timing to really stabilize the idle with most injectors. </TD></TR></TABLE>

1. didnt sync the timing. (cant find my timing light)
2. no wideband.
3. that is my problem, there are sooooo many adjustments. (my IAC is making a buzzing type noise)
4. i have adjusted everything that you said, but the ems overides the settings. the car seems to idle ok sometimes.... with a noticeable "miss" ( and i suppose that is why im getting ignition errors) ???

when i use the idle/vs target table. it seems to help the idle. but the car will cut off for some odd reason, im guessing its because im gettting so many ignition errors?

turbodohcsi

you really need to sync the timing, and also sync your tps sensor or throttle position. chances are if your having a hard time with it then your timing is off

DaveF

my tps is reading .41 closed and i belive 4.5 open. i dont think that is my problem.

syncing the timing on the other hand...(i think that is my problem) but the car drives ok.....

also im only getting ignition errors, on deccel @ low rpm.. it seems to go away on accel, and also with rpm....

093turbo16

iTrader: (2)

I honestly wouldn't be touching it withouth the proper tools.

Drag_On

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 93turbo16 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I honestly wouldn't be touching it withouth the proper tools. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm with stupid.

If you dont have it sync'd that EMS wont do much good. And its hard to hit the target AF for idle with no wideband.

Your just kind of playing with fire. I realize your not beating on it or anything - but you cant come on here and say you hate EMS when you dont have any of the proper tools to be running it.

DaveF

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Drag_On &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I'm with stupid.

If you dont have it sync'd that EMS wont do much good. And its hard to hit the target AF for idle with no wideband.

Your just kind of playing with fire. I realize your not beating on it or anything - but you cant come on here and say you hate EMS when you dont have any of the proper tools to be running it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

ok, . tell me why im getting so many ignition errors on deccel @ low rpm?

my timing maps are reading 17.8, at the same time, on the "real time" thing its reading 16 something... so im not too far off.

i dont actually hate the ems, its just got so much more in the software than an accel dfi or speed pro.... alot to get used to/figure out. thats all. im kinda pissed about it at the moment, cause i dont know enough about it.

Adriano

Go to aempower.com. They have their own ems forum which is very helpful

Adriano

DaveF

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by brryder &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Go to aempower.com. They have their own ems forum which is very helpful

Adriano</TD></TR></TABLE>

been there. that is where i downloaded all my software, wiring diagrams/pinouts. and user manuals. from.

ive been messing with this thing since 1030 this morning.

093turbo16

iTrader: (2)

ask tgreaves. He is the man with AEM.

BodyKits NW

To tell you the truth a lot of those options you never use.

It would be great if AEM had a button that let the user choose between advanced or standard options. With just a click of the button you can hide or display the advanced options. That would be pretty awesome.

Anyways, you really do need to sync the timing and get a wideband if your going to get the car to run and idle properly.

It shouldn't be difficult especially since that map you are starting with is pretty good. The buzzing noise from the IAT happened on my car, and it went away. I forgot if I did something to turn that off. I think I simply just got the car to idle and it went away.

You can try going to the Idle tab then going to Advanced Idle. Then uncheck Idle Invert and see what happens.

DaveF

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BodyKits NW &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">To tell you the truth a lot of those options you never use.

It would be great if AEM had a button that let the user choose between advanced or standard options. With just a click of the button you can hide or display the advanced options. That would be pretty awesome.

Anyways, you really do need to sync the timing and get a wideband if your going to get the car to run and idle properly.

It shouldn't be difficult especially since that map you are starting with is pretty good. The buzzing noise from the IAT happened on my car, and it went away. I forgot if I did something to turn that off. I think I simply just got the car to idle and it went away.

You can try going to the Idle tab then going to Advanced Idle. Then uncheck Idle Invert and see what happens. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i did that earlier today, i checked and unchecked both of those little box's and the idle shoots way up, when i do that.

i agree with ya on the "advanced settings" there is just simply too many things to adjust...

my coolant fan wasnt turning on either... that took me like a half an hour to figure out... i just set that from the LS8 output. and it seems to work fine now.

BodyKits NW

You can also try to adjust the Idle PW frequency from 488 to 977. It's rare you have to go do that. You couldn't even get the fan to work, that's weird. You have a weird engine harness or something, cause it should work without having to mess with anything.

DaveF

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BodyKits NW &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can also try to adjust the Idle PW frequency from 488 to 977. It's rare you have to go do that. You couldn't even get the fan to work, that's weird. You have a weird engine harness or something, cause it should work without having to mess with anything. </TD></TR></TABLE>

ya, all the pinouts match up and everything... i was getting worried seeing my temp getting up to 210.....

i will try that with the iac. i was lowering the voltages on it, thinking the aem was overworking the iac, causing the buzzing noise. ill post more tommorrow, im done with it for tonight.

thanks for everyone's help

underpressure02

dave don't you know you should just sell aem and get neptune. We have the best tuner on the east coast right here in PA.

If you need my timing light I can bring it to work tommorw just let me know.

DaveF

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by underpressure02 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">dave don't you know you should just sell aem and get neptune. We have the best tuner on the east coast right here in PA.

If you need my timing light I can bring it to work tommorw just let me know. </TD></TR></TABLE>

any help would be appriciated, thanks chad

cant go c.o.p with neptune, yet

JDogg

if you have timing errors there is nothing you can do in the tune. that means the ems is not getting proper signal from your distributor.

you should get a few timing errors on startup, thats normal, but if you have errors while the engine is running then you have problems.

DaveF

yes, its while the engine is running. (ignition errors) any idea's whats causing this? mostly if i rev it, and let the engine come back down.....mostly gets errors while "decceling)

i recently replaced my ignitor, and blew out my distributer(with compresed air), to make sure there wasnt any particles inthere, that could possibly give a false reading or anything? i belive the ignitor was from a 92-95, it works, but doenst fit in the dist housing like the one that was previously in there.

maybe i should just hook up my cdi/hall effect/954 coils, and see how that goes.....


is it possible that my mechanical fast idle valve could need to be tightend a bit? the engine seemed to run fine with a chipped ecu. .... but than again, i never checked the timing or anything. but the car never threw any codes or anything...... hmmmmmm

JMcDB18C

All I can say is if you read your startup calabirations it says in the manual to make sure everything is as stock as it could be, like make sure your timing is ON....I mean ON. Then after you load your basemap....it SHOULD run fine until you start changing stuff...fooling with the Ignition breakpoints is another thing on its own, same as fuel .....Are you using a wideband???

racerxadam

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dturbocivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">my timing maps are reading 17.8, at the same time, on the "real time" thing its reading 16 something... so im not too far off. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't think this means what you think it means, most likely the difference you are seeing between what is shown on the map and what is displayed by the parameter ignition timing is because of some timing trim based on Air Intake Temp or Coolant Temp. The parameter is showing timing that the ecu is sending to the distributor based on where it "thinks" the engine is. Syncing the timing is letting the ecu know exactly where the piston is in relation to where it "thinks" it is.

JDogg

its not the IGNITION stuff causing errors, its the cam and crank pickups inside the distributor.

do you have an aftermarket distributor? dizzy king etc. those are notorious for causing timing errors.

basicly, the ems knows what it SHOULD be seeing from the cam/crank sensors, if it dosnt see the right thing it cuts fuel and spark and registers a timing error. the stock ecu will "quess" at what should be happening when it sees a slight error.

do an internal log of T2PER and Crank Tooth Period

if you see any dips or fluctuations in those then you deffinatly have some odd signals coming in from the distributor.

also check the bering in the distributor and make sure it "locks" into the cam properly

DaveF

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDogg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">its not the IGNITION stuff causing errors, its the cam and crank pickups inside the distributor.

do you have an aftermarket distributor? dizzy king etc. those are notorious for causing timing errors.

basicly, the ems knows what it SHOULD be seeing from the cam/crank sensors, if it dosnt see the right thing it cuts fuel and spark and registers a timing error. the stock ecu will "quess" at what should be happening when it sees a slight error.

do an internal log of T2PER and Crank Tooth Period

if you see any dips or fluctuations in those then you deffinatly have some odd signals coming in from the distributor.

also check the bering in the distributor and make sure it "locks" into the cam properly</TD></TR></TABLE>

im not sure if the dist is aftermarket, i also purchased that off another user on h-t. everything looked stock and the ignitor was "nec" i belive, it didnt look "aftermarket" under the cap.

i will check all of those things tommorrow

thanks jdogg

thanks to everyone else who is helping me out.

DaveF

jdogg, i messed with the internal logging today for about a half an hour or so...

i didnt quite understand, how to "enguage" the logging. and also, would i be able to save the file. than later open it in the aem log?

thanks

-dave

Darin D.

to setup internal logging just set your thresholds. make sure log always and log switch are not checked, and you can check loop logging if you want it to overwrite itself when it runs out of space. You don't need to set a log switch input unless you are using a log switch. if you want it to start logging when you start the car just set load at least to -14.69 and rpm 500, everything else leave at 0.

open a parameters window and watch the LOGPNTW parameter. when you start the car it should start scrolling, that means its logging. to retrieve the log shut the car off turn the key to the on position and go to ECU&gt; download log data, let it download then save it. from there you can view it with aem log.


Sounds like you have a trigger problem. If it misses a ref or sync signal at low rpm it will usually shut off instantly.