Zeitronix connection to RPM & MAP

[WinRice]

Originally Posted by aseem

I have tried both sides of the coil AND directly from the tach. Tach itself works fine until I unplug the black/violet wire to connect directly to the Zeitronix.

Now I'm playing around with the grounding for Zeitronix. I first led +12V and ground from the fusebox in front (a grounding point under the vacuum booster. Now I've picked up ground from the CDI without any better result. There is a signal ground on the CDI connector that is used for the coil, but I don't if I should try this.....

I not sure about this, so you might check with Zeitronix, but if you hooked up the ZT-2 directly to the coil with a CD ignition it could have fried the driver inside the ZT-2 with the higher CD voltage and you may never get the tach to work. If it doesn't have some type of isolation.

I've seen this happen before, on tachs and other devices. I not sure about the stock CD, but some put out 400V on the primary side of the coil.

[aseem]

You know, I think you are right........ I'm waiting for feedback from Zeitronix at the moment......

[aseem]

I have finally solved this problem of reading the RPM signal.

There was two layers to this problem. Since I uncritically connected the RPM input to both of the connectors on the coil, I fried one of the input components in the Zeitronix. So all of the time I was trying the tach RPM signal, I was doing so with a broken Zeitronix. When I eventually opened the box, it was obvious that the input circuit was burned bad. I ordered a replacement op-amp from my local electronics dealer, but could still not get the RPM signal to work.

Since I needed this data logger setup for my tuning project, I ordered a new Zeitronix box. When I still could not get an RPM reading on the Zeitronix, I was almost at the point of giving up. It's been more than two years now. Every time I tested a new idea to get this to work, I had to pop out the speedometer to get to to the RPM wire. Unplugging the wire from the tach and connecting it to a wire going to the Zeitronix RPM input.

I decided to make a three way connector, so that the RPM wire could be connected to the tack and the Zeitronix simultaneously, like it would in a permanent installation. And presto, the damned thing FINALLY got an RPM reading!! About time! Why I ask my self, and can find no answer. Purple/black wire to Zeitronix: no reading (on tach nor Zeitronix) Confirming that this was actually the tach signal wire. Purple/black wire to both tach AND Zeitronix: reading on both.

It even works with my old repaired Zeitronix box.

Thought I'd share, to help others in the same situation.

One down side to the Zeitronix when I bought it, was that it had no flash memory for internal log storage. You had to have a laptop connected to collect data. Now Zeitronix have made a small logging device; a dongle with micro SD card reader that connects to the serial port on the Zeitronix.

[axl911]

I have that small dongle loggind device. It has just 1 button. Press to start logging. Press to stop. It creates a new file each time. Works pretty well.

I am thinking of putting in a switch so it automatically logs upon full throttle or once boost reaches a certain threshold.

[moneymanager]

Thanks for doing this. I'm tackling this install next week I hope. I'm going to wire their controller to their new data recorder (uses SD card) and see if I can stand just to record data and analyze it without actually watching the a/f ratio bounce around on a gauge!

[aseem]

That data recorder is really nice. You can make as many recordings as you like, just by pressing the button, and you can see the little diode blinking when recording.

I was on the way to make one myself, but never got around to package the electronics. Since my project took so long, and Zeitronix came with their own, I took the easy way out....

[aseem]

Just an update to my old data logging thread. After my engine upgrade last summer, I installed two air temp sensors to monitor the charge air temp before and after the IC. The plan was to do this first on my old setup, and then measure the effect of the new TurboKraft IC, and also see any effect of possible shrouding for the IC. Never got around to do this before I rebuilt the engine, and having ordered an extra bung in the charge pipe from TK, I just installed both. After trying to analyze the data from the MAP and O2 sensor, I find it hard to see the data in relation to what I'm doing with the throttle. I got a TPS that I'm trying to position at the moment.

With two more sensors I needed much more wiring to the engine (both MAP and TPS need three wires) so I needed a total of 5 pairs. I hate odd wires around the car, and have previously cleaned out everything that previous owners have flimsily laid around the cabin and up front. Also, it would be nice to easily be able to disconnect the sensors in the event of an engine drop. I decided to get a 5 pair cable that was temperature resistant, and hook it up to some automotive connectors in the engine room. A bunch of connectors lying loose is not much better, so I casted together four connectors (two 2-pin and two 3 pin) into a single connector block. Then I made a clamp of some scrap alu profiles I had, and screwed that next to the shock tower. The harness for to the individual sensors are twisted wires and shrink tubed.

Not bad for a days work. I'm pretty happy with the result. The clamp could use some improvement, but it will do for now.

[moneymanager]

Nice work!

[aseem]

I forgot a picture from under the passenger seat. Not as tidy as before, but I needed an extra sensor reference ground block for all the sensors.