How can I safeguard my car with dsmlink?

[1G90AWDTsi]

I have lots of mods and machine work. I am currently running 750cc injectors with the stock FP and no APFR. The injectors have been scaled supposedly with dsmlink. I know my car is running rich too. My ECU is rechipped for full tuning.

Can I just make a couple of adjustments with DSMLink to take care of the "running rich" and getting proper Air/Fuel without hurting other components (like getting knock) in my engine?

I really don't know a lot about dsmlink and never tuned a car before in my life and I don't want to blow up my engine.

 

[1G90AWDTsi]

PLUS: what should I have to get proper A/F and tuning my car the right way?

I have the injectors, the rechipped ECU, and Dsmlink.

I do not have a 190lph FP, (don't need the afpr cause I'm not going to boost past stock psi), re-wire the FP, wideband O2 kit, is that all? I do have a tiny crack in my exh. manifold and the bung on my O2 housing was relocated (long story) so I intend on replacing that with a new one from PR.

 

[FonZ454]

You set the global fuel % and deadtime appropriately for the injectors? That should bea ll you need to do, other than the fine tuning.

 

[assault187]

With a good front 02 sensor and proper global and deadtime settings for the new injectors idle and partial throttle fuel curve should be good. For W.O.T. I would shoot for around 11.3 A.F.R.'s , some may say different but its always worked well for me and its safe. Best thing to do is log your wideband while whoopin on the car (some 3rd gear pulls) and take it from there. Play with the fuel sliders in the mid-high rpm range untill you see you A.F.R.'s start falling where you want them throughout the rpm range. Take your time with the whole process to prevent any mishaps, Do everything in small increments unill you familiarize yourself with DSMLink.

On the DSMLink site there are very useful forums for setting up with DSMLink and making it do what you want, Are you registered yet?
Also download the users manual, There is alot of usefull info in there to get you set up as far as properly setting your global and dead times and making fuel and timing adjustments. Stick with the A/f adjustments untill your used to the process then move on to timing if need be.

Good luck.

 

[1G90AWDTsi]

Thanks for the info guys, a fellow dsmer has offered to help out with setting it up too. As far as the "fine tune" goes...what is that?

 

[FonZ454]

Thanks for the info guys, a fellow dsmer has offered to help out with setting it up too. As far as the "fine tune" goes...what is that?

Fine tuning as in adjusting the RPM based fuel and timing sliders. Once you get your deadtime and globals adjusted, do some 3rd gear pulls. Depending on how the car is you may be able to take out fuel or add fuel to get your desired air fuel ratios (Really need a wideband o2 sensor to do this right). You can also add more timing the logs are clean (no knock) or boost, But I really would stick with the stock timing curve, or actually make it less agressive.

Make sure you have your CEL triggered to come on when the car knocks.. and when it does, get out of the gas. Light coming on for 2 counts is nice and safe, but my knock-happy car I usually have it come on at 3+

 

[1G90AWDTsi]

That's awesome info, thanks. I know knock is bad...but what does it actually do to your car and if you were to keep running it when it was knocking, what would end up happening? Are there symptoms to look for?

 

[FonZ454]

That's awesome info, thanks. I know knock is bad...but what does it actually do to your car and if you were to keep running it when it was knocking, what would end up happening? Are there symptoms to look for?

If you're making enough power, knock can lead to big engine damage (blowing up pistons and rods)... but on a stock car, usually it will kill the timing enough to keep the car safe. Basically knock is the spark plug firing when it shouldn't be... which causes a large increase in cylinder temperature and pressure... which if high enough will start hurting parts. Symptoms of too much knock could be an actual knock noise in the motor, blown headgasket, etc...

 

[DirtyBirdRacing]

Hi,

In normal operation, when the sparkplug fires the fuel burns as the flame propagtes through the combustion chamber. Note the fuel burns it does NOT explode.

When an engine experiences detonation, or knock, this means that after the spark plug fires, some of the fuel in the combustion chamber away from this initial flame kernal starts to explode instead of burn. This explosion causes areas of very high pressure and temperature in the combustion chamber, and hence the knock or pinging sound. Signs of knock are things like broken connecting rods, broekn ring lands, holed pistons (looks like they have been punched through), and broken insulators on spark plugs. Things that can cause detonation is high intake temperatures, hot spots in the combustion chamber, high boost pressures, low octane fuel, A/F ratios that are too lean, compression ratio that is too high, and ignition timing that is too advanced. Note that detonation happens after the spark plug "fires."

An engine can also experience pre-ignition. In pre-ignition the fuel starts to burn before the spark plug fires. This causes very high temperatures in the cylinder/combustion chamber due to the flame being trapped in the cylinder/combustion chamber so long. Signs of pre-ignition are things like melted insulators on sparkplugs, and holed pistons (this time melted holes instead of punched through holes). Pre-ignition usually occurs due to hot spots (carbon build-up) in the combustion chamber. Note that pre-ignition happens before the spark plug "fires."

When tuning you are shooting for a couple of things.
1.) An A/F ratio of 11.0:1 (or around this as noted earlier)
2.) Zero counts of knocks
3.) A ignition timing advance that increases steadly towards redline

I would first work with fuel, as was mentioned previously.

Sorry that I couldn't give you DSMLink specific advice, becasue I dont have it yet. But you should definietly hit up the DSMLink boards, becasue I have heard that they are really helpful. Hope this helped to explain some things.

Bill

 

[90laserRSfwd]

yeah, what everyone else said. I'd get a fuel pump and FPR too. The stock pump (even rewired) can't flow enough fuel to support the 14b, @ 7k rpm's, above 15 psi. The stock 450cc injectors (if you have a 5 speed car, or swapped the blue top injectors) aren't great parts either.

 

[1G90AWDTsi]

I do have a high compression head as well as pistons and a 16g turbo set at stock boost and 750cc injectors. Nothing has been tuned yet and my car runs rich, I hope there isn't any knock issues, I will be getting the car tuned this spring, right now it's not being used until then. Guys, thanks for all the info.

 

[dsm-onster]

One of the beauties of dsmlink is the coolant temp offset. Get a 160 degree thermostat from napa and offset your coolant temp the ecu see. Now you have a very cool head that will resist preignition. Or you can now get away w/ more boost, if you're not as concerned about precaution as you lead on .

 

[1G90AWDTsi]

One of the beauties of dsmlink is the coolant temp offset. Get a 160 degree thermostat from napa and offset your coolant temp the ecu see. Now you have a very cool head that will resist preignition. Or you can now get away w/ more boost, if you're not as concerned about precaution as you lead on .

Could you go into more detail on that? What are the dangers?

 

[dsm-onster]

Could you go into more detail on that? What are the dangers?

Lower head temperatures reduce the likelyhood of knock. We all know what knock does. Your wondering about safeguards. And this certainly allows a more aggressive tune, or helps prevent knock with bad gas or an ameture like me running way too lean trying to tune his car.

 

[1G90AWDTsi]

so if went to a reputable dyno shop and asked them to tune my car and more specifically I wanted to offset my coolant temp with the dsmlink (after installing a 160 deg thermostat)...they would do that and tune accordingly?

I have no dyno experience but I've heard horror stories about engines just blowing up right there on the dyno because the tuners sucked or something.

 

[dsm-onster]

DSMLink nore anything on this earth can guard against the tuner that 'sucks or something' . Do your "due dilligence" and find a decent shop to take your car or find out how to tune yourself.