Tuning Problems

[ArcticChill22]

Ok so I am trying to tune my car with my SAFC 2. It thought I had it running ok but my settings seemed to be EXTREME. like all my Hi-Throttle was in the -20's. Then I turned up my boost and tried adjusting again, now it seems like all the settings I change have no affect on the vehicle. Like when my car is idling and I adjust my 1000 rpm lo range... no matter how much I adjust in either direction it just idles dangerously lean. Also now when I push my clutch in the rpms fall all the way down and die instead of idling around 1 grand. It seemed like that car was running better without the SAFC but even when I zero out everything, it idles all wrong and doesnt run the same now. Whats the deal and I know I need to have it tuned professionally but I want to do this myself ( plus their is NO one that tunes modified cars around me ) I know im getting a #1 cylinder misfire and I really dont know why. Im getting oil on my valve cover at the top where the plugs are and I just replaced all of them. I can hear electricity somewhere when I have the car running and the hood popped but all my wires are good...sooo. Could my coil pack be bad, causing my wideband to read lean because 1 of my cylinders is misfiring, thus causing my SAFC settings to not even matter?

 

[GooeyGus]

What do you mean by 'dangerously lean' at idle? What are the AFRs?

I'd say it's pretty hard to get dangerously lean at an idle... the car will just die if it's too lean. You'd be hard pressed to do any damage from running too lean at idle.

Now, under load is a totally different story.

I would say keep your SAFC where the fuel mixture wont be too lean while it's under load, figure out your random missfire code, and go from there. No sense in tuning if you cant get it running right.

 

[ArcticChill22]

Ok so you learn something everyday. Didnt know that about lean on idle. But my AFR at idle was 17-18. And I turned my SAFC 1000 trim all the way to +50 and still no change so. Does anyone know where I could be hearing electricity from under the hood if it isnt my wires?

 

[GooeyGus]

Ok so you learn something everyday. Didnt know that about lean on idle. But my AFR at idle was 17-18. And I turned my SAFC 1000 trim all the way to +50 and still no change so. Does anyone know where I could be hearing electricity from under the hood if it isnt my wires?

I would check all the plugs, wires, and connectors for the ignition system. Make sure your grounds are good.

I know that some wires are pretty hard to get to seat all the way into the coil. Are the wires pretty new?

Do you hear any alternator whine in the stereo when you have music on?

 

[ArcticChill22]

No stereo whine. My plugs and wires are only a month old...just covered by oil from whatever is leaking on my valvecover.

 

[GooeyGus]

oil can cause the spark plug boots to swell and cause spark shorting issues, but I would think it would take longer than a month.

Did you say you changed the valvecover gasket? Did you change the little spark plug ring gaskets?

If not, I would do that first. It's only a few bucks and doesn't take too long, and your ignition system will thank you. Just make sure to not over-tighten the valve cover bolts, I think they are only supposed to be around 2-3ft/lbs

 

[ArcticChill22]

Yes I replaced the spark plug tube gaskets. And yeah, I found that out the hard way about overtightening so Its not my gaskets, it COULD be my oil cap gasket

 

[jeffo]

You should really only attempt to tune the idle, or any closedloop for that matter, if you have a logger to see the fueltrims. The ECU controls the AFR in closedloop, so it is going to fight any changes you attempt to make.
Where is your wbO2 mounted? Are you sure that its just not cooling off too much at idle, and giving you a false lean reading? What is the narrowband voltage doing at idle?

 

[ArcticChill22]

My Wideband sensor is mounted in my rear o2 sensor housing. Are you talking about my karman reading from the SAFC? ### I think it was around 80 if thats it

 

[#40Fan]

You should have the WB up closer to the head.

 

[ArcticChill22]

Well I dont have a cat so Its actually closer to the front of the car than if it had the cat. Wouldnt throw it off being there would it?