what would you do? EFI conversion issues
 

On Dec. 23rd I removed my CIS injection system and started the install of a ITB EFI setup. This setup uses a Megasquirt ECU. I have been trying to get this setup running for aprox. 2 months with no success. The company I purchased this from has been excellent in responding to try and get this running but so far no success. I have posted on the Megasquirt forum my issues and the best efforts of the folks there have not worked. I have a few more things to try this weekend and if it doesn't work at that point I have to do something else. If you guys were in my shoes would you try a different brand of ECU or would you chuck it all and convert to PMO carbs? This is for a street driver 83SC and I don't have emission testing to deal with. The problem I am having with the EFI setup is no matter what we do we can't communicate from the laptop to the ECU and it seems like we have tested/tried everything. All the experts say it should work but it won't. Any advice is appreciated as I am going nuts without my car!

Have you asked the company to replace the ECU....perhaps it's defective....

I had some trouble connecting my laptop to my megasquirt but I eventually solved it by trying all the ports until one of them worked.

Have you tried another laptop? Another USB adaptor? Another serial cable?

Otherwise Iwould be trying to get another ECU. Maybe the company you bought it from woul swap you 1 for 1.

I've gone thru 2 relay boards and 2 ECU's already. Each time the ECU was tested at the facility that built it. I hook up the cable from the relay board,hook up my laptop via DB9 cable and try to power up and communicate and the firmware in the ECU gets scrambled/lost and I get a error message stating "can't communicate". Thanks for the comments................keep them coming.

No ideas on the problem, but let me know if you are going to sell the EFI pieces.

If it were mine, I would have put my CIS back on long ago and dealt with whatever issues it may have had which I doubt would ever be as complicated as the EFI nightmare you are about to create.

Cheers,

Joe

ms has allot of buges quirks ect. if you run another ecu that should solve the problem, ive seen this so manytimes with the ms systems.

You know DB9 Serial communications are a real PITA on modern day laptops, first have you changed the port address in the BIOS? Did you disable any infrared devices that may be taking up necessary IRQ's?

The next step is to go to Radio shack and get one of these:

http://home.comcast.net/~sramnit/P1010151.jpg

This connector comes with some simple usage instructions to help you make the "hand shake" between devices.

I would also add that if you don't already have one get a USB to Serial adapter, they are much more user freindly than the onboard ports, and are not restricted to the original 4 IRQ's.

If you can't find one of these I'll mail you mine, I have a few.

Don't give up! Megasquirt is pretty capable once its up and running. So I'm told.
I built a MSII for my datsun using only the directions and some help from the forums. Has anyone suggested that you build or buy a STIM to check out your setup? I had all kinds of problems getting my MS to talk to my laptop so I flashed the memory of the CPU with a different version of firmware. The hard part was going into Megatune and configuring it to work with the version that the CPU was using.

Our problems were most likely similar but what helped out so much was having a STIM board to check everything. Your MS is probably ok but it takes some trial and error to get the laptop and the CPU on the same page so to speak. The stim just makes things a little easier. The kit is 40 bucks or 90? assembled.

I am learning as I go and yes some of this megasquirt stuff is difficult to understand but it is the future. Find Lance on the Megasquirt forums and you have a good chance sorting this out.

FWIW, yes its pretty scary taking apart a car thats running great( my 260 Datsun with su's) and swaping a MSII controlled turbo motor in its place. Wish me luck
Chuck

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1141950561.jpg

I'm in similar boat - I'm putting in Megasquirt to replace my CIS in the next month or so (engine being assembled as we speak).

Megasquirt can be temperamental IMHO - firmware on the board has to match approrpriate release of MegaTune so that might be one of your problems. In my case, the vendor I bought my unit from is very helpful so I have full confidence so far of making it work as I know (think) I'll get appropriate support when I need it - something you'll want/need no matter what brand of ECU (or products) you buy.

The minimal I would try if nothings works is to ask you vendor about connnecting the unit to a known good (or his) laptop....

Hey, are you guys buying your stuff from this guy?
http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/index.php

Good guy

DIY Auto Tune is who built my equipment. I received a stimulator today from the company I purchased this setup from so I hope this weekend will achieve great things. My laptop is a 2-3 year old Dell Lattitude running Windows XP and I am hooking a DB9 cable directly to the DB9 port on the back of the computer, from what I was told this is preferred vs. a USB port and a adapter at this point I don't know. As far as the suggestion by Scott R to change the bios, not sure how to do that but I'm all ears as I'll try anything at this point. And no I won't be selling this setup,it will run or go back for a refund. Keep the suggestions coming!!

Did you tried connecting with the same laptop and same DB9 cable to a different application and it worked.
The problem may be in the PC or the cable..

When purchasing a USB-to-Serial shop around for one that has internal buffering and that uses a good well known chipset.

MSI or II? Probably ver 3 board. Just asking so I can go over to http://www.megasquirt.info/ Somewhere in the directions it specifically shows how to configure megatune to run with your CPU. Ask me how I know. I had some problems the first 10 times that I did it.

Chuck

Sorry, fixed the link

I don't have anything else to try my laptop/DB9 cable on but I did try a DB9 mouse and when I plugged it in XP recognised and installed and the mouse worked so I know the DB9 port works in that application.

If I was to change brands of ECU what would you guys recommend? I am trying to stay within a budget but will listen to all suggestions. Preferably one with good phone support or possibly support in Orlando Fl. I really hope the stim will determine the problem.

If it were me I would find someone with a working set up and try my parts on their car. Is there someone local that is running MS? If not mail your crap to someone who is willing to help you out. Or you could try a new cable first if you haven't done that yet. Are your port configure correctly?

Dean

I don't know about mega squirt but where I work we use Serial
com to set up various PCB's and network boxes. Make sure the cable your using is the correct "flavor". That is do you require
straight through or null modem. There are even different
varieties of null modem cables as well. Are you using hyper-terminal to get in? If not try it and see what happens. It's in the accessory folder under communications if you have MS windows. In there you set the Baud rate stop frame and some other info then AT.

niner11 it is a MSII version 3.0 running firmware 2.33. I had Jerry from DIY Autotune walk thru my config files step by step and he said it all looks fine and was perplexed why it didn't work. I will try to figure out if my DB9 port is configured correctly. It sure sounds like my problem is laptop config. problem vs. a hardware/miswiring type problem.

Check out my above link to megasquirt. Go to step 40 letter f under assembly of ver 3 board (msII)

That is where I had a problem and it might be a good read for your issue as well. Its telling you how to configure megatune to interface with the MS ecu. I'm no expert but your problem is likely in how megatune is configured. Just my guess. Good luck.
Chuck