Apexi PowerFC FAQ
Updated: 11:06 PM 5/03/2006
Unit Information
What does the unit do?
What cars is the PowerFC supported on?
What cars is the PowerFC not supported on?
What does the unit look like?
What are all the menus and functions on the unit??
Does the unit work on my N/A car?
Does the unit work on manual and auto cars?
How much does the unit cost?
When I buy the PowerFC what comes in the box?
Why would I want to buy a PowerFC?
Model Information
Is there an English manual? a PDF copy? English translation?
I have the older PowerFC that did not come with a hand controller can I buy a new hand controller separate and use that?
What is an "AP Engineering model" and do I need it?
What is the "D-Jetro" model and do I need it?
What is the "Power FC Pro" model and do I need it?
Is the PowerFC Pro Discontinued?
Considerations before use
Does the PowerFC run the whole car or do I need controllers for things like Aircon, Lights etc now that I've removed the factory computer.
Does the PowerFC have limits?
What are the basic mods I should have when I get my PowerFC
Are there any cool tricks with the PowerFC? Free mods etc?
How does the PowerFC compare with the Apexi SAFC, AVCR and other Apexi computers?
How does the AVC-R compare to the PowerFC boost controller kit?
Installation
How do I install the PowerFC?
Basic Hand Controller functions and use
Help! My car doesn't start once I've installed the PowerFC
Once the PowerFC is installed can I expect any better performance or does it HAVE to be tuned?
Can I drive around without it being tuned for a few days? Months? ?
Help! My car doesn't idle once I've installed the PowerFC
Optional Kits for the PowerFC
How do I hook up the optional Boost Controller kit?
How do I configure the optional Boost Controller Kit?
How do I hook up the D-Jetro Map Sensor Harness Kit?
Advanced Operation
Are there any hidden/secret features? Stuff you can't access by the Hand Controller
Does the PowerFC have any laptop hook up options or software
What does the PowerFC support in terms of modifications?
What do I need to do when changing my Airflow Meter
Tuning Information
Where can I get my PowerFC tuned and how much will it cost me?
Can I tune the car myself?
What is Map Tracer? Is it useful?
My fuel economy is terrible and I just had a complete tune, Whats wrong?
Self Tuning - Ignition Timing
Technical Issues
What do the strange sensor names mean?
Why does my engine light flash when I drive with the PowerFC
My idle is really crappy and it hunts around a lot when on idle. What can I do
I am seeing on my Map Tracer that I am reaching load point 19-20 on full throttle. I am maxing out the PowerFC! What can I do
Unsupported Features
Airtemp sensor on unsupported car?
Boost display without the Boost Control Kit?
What does the PowerFC look like inside?
Can you reflash the PowerFC with new code and/or different versions of the Apexi code?
Are there any cool custom hacks, hand controller holders, DIY rewiring you can do?
Datalogit System
What is Datalogit?
What does Datalogit do, is there a feature list?
What does the box look like and what's inside it?
Do you really need to have it or is the Hand Controller OK?
Where did you get it from and can I buy one? What is support like?
Notes
Notes
What does the unit do?
The unit is a full replacement ECU for your factory computer. It is not a piggyback system and as such allows full control of the engine and computer controlled systems. It comes with a base map of your cars computer with base map tuned for basic mods such as exhaust, boost controller, air filter upgrade. "The Power FC is a complete, stand alone, total engine management system capable of handling virtually anything thrown in its path." -
www.apexi-usa.com
What cars is the PowerFC supported on?
200sx S14 93/10 - 96/5
180sx RPS13 (Red Head) 91/1 - 93/12
200sx S13 Red Top 91/1 - 93/9
180sx RPS13 (Red Head) 94/1 - 96/7
200sx S14 96/6 - 98/12
180sx RPS13 (Red Head) 96/8 - 99/1
200sx S15 99/1 - 02/7
Honda Civic Type R 97/6-98/8
Honda Integra Type R 95/9-01/6
Mazda RX7 Series 1-3 91/12-95/11
Mazda RX7 Series 4 95/12-98/12
Mazda RX7 Series 5 99/1-00/9
Mitsubish Evo VI 99/1-01/1
Mitsubish Evo V 98/1 - 98/12
Mitsubish Evo VII 01/2 - 02/3
Nissan Pulsar GTiR RNN14 SR20DET 90/8 - 95/1
Silvia S13 CA18DET 88/5 - 91/ 1 Specialized Unit
Silvia S13 CA18DET 88/5-91/1
Skyline ER34
Skyline HCR32 89/5 - 93/8
Skyline HCR32 RB20DET 89/5-93/8
Skyline BNR34
Skyline BNR32/BCNR33
Skyline ECR33
Subaru WRX Ver1,2 92/11-96/8
Subaru WRX Ver5,6 98/9-00/7
Subaru WRX Ver3,4 96/9-98/8
Toyota Celica ST205 3S-GTE 94/2 - 99/9
Toyota MR2 SW20 91/12-93/10 Version 1
Toyota Supra JZA80 93/5 - 97/8 with loom
What cars is the PowerFC not supported on?
Vehicles such as the Nissan Stagea are not supported however the Stage features a Skyline engine (either rb25de, rb25det, rb26dett) engine and standard computer, so a suitable PowerFC for same engine year/model *should* work fine engine/computer.
Vehicles such as the Nissan Skyline R33 GTST that feature the Active-LSD or A-LSD and SLIP function (lights on the dash and vspec diff) will suffer A-LSD compatibility problems. The car will operate correctly and the diff should as well however you will experience "A-LSD" error/failure intermittently. To date there is no known solution for this problem. It appears to be only present on the R33 RB25DET. There was a limited run of R33 known as the GTS25TML spec which is the M Spec with Active LSD. The diff is a skyline GTR vspec diff, electronically controller LSD instead of a normal R33 diff. It features the same finned cover and A-LSD function as the Skyline GTR. The A-LSD and SLIP functions in the Skyline GTR with the Skyline BNR33 PowerFC work fine, only the ECR33 with ECR33 PowerFC is affected. See here for some discussion on the topic.
There is now an unofficial Fix for the A-LSD problem found in the ECR33 Skyline. Please click here to view how to fix it; Link
What does the unit look like?
This is the ECU and hand controller
This is what the settings screens look like
This is the unit's plug layout
What are all the menus and functions on the unit??
Here is a function list avaiable from the Hand Controller.
Note: Some items are not avaiable on various units (ie: PimVolt only on DJetro and Map Sensor versions)
Note: Some factory items do not work - Airtemp on R33 GTST
MONITOR
ATFtemp - Autogearbox Logic Control
AirTemp - Air Temperature
Airflow - Airflow Meter Voltage
BatVolt - Battery Voltage
Boost - Boost Pressure (Bar)
Eng Rev - Engine RPM
GearPos - Autogearbox Logic Control
IgnT Ld - Ignition Leading
IgnTmng - Ignition Timing
IngT Tr - Ignition Trailing
InjDuty - Injector Duty
Knock - Knock Sensor
PimVolt - Map Sensor Voltage
Speed - Speed KM/H
Throttl - Autogearbox Logic Control
TorqCnv - Autogearbox Logic Control
WtrTemp - Water Temperature
SETTING
Acceler. - Acceleration Enrichment
Airflow - Airflow Meter Voltage Table
Boost - Boost Pressure
Cranking - Cold Start Cranking Table
IGL Map - Ignition Leading Map
IGL/T, Fi - Ignition Leading, Ignition Trailing and Injector Temporary Adjust
IGT Map - Ignition Trailing Map
Ig/Ij/VT - Ignition, Injection and Variable Valve Timing Temporary Adjust
Ign Map - Ignition Map
Ign/Inj - Ignition and Injection Temporary Adjust
Inj Map - Injection Map
Injector - Injector Latency
Pim Volt - Map Sensor Voltage Table
Rev/Idle - Rev and Idle Settings
Shift Down Map - Auto Gearbox DOwngear to Speed mapping
Shift Up Map - Auto Gearbox Upgear to Speed mapping
Test Mode Adj - Ignition, Injection and Variable Valve Timing Temporary Adjust
VTexMap - Variable Valve Timing Exhaust
VTinMap - Variable Valve Timing Intake
VariableVlvTmg - Variable Valve Timing Map
Wtr Temp - Water Temp Correction Table
ETC
Prog. Version - Display PowerFC and Hand Controller version
Sensor/SW check - Sensor check page
Function Select - Function Select
02 F/B Control - O2 Sensor Feedback Control - Open/Closed Loop
Airflow Warn - Airflow Meter Warning - 5v Peak (Engine check light)
Boost Cntl Kit - Apexi Boost Control Kit
Full L/U Mode - Auto Gearbox Control
Idle-IG Cntrl - Map Sensor Idle Logic
Ij/Afl/Knk Wrn - Injector, Airflow and Knock Warning (Engine check light)
Inj/AirF Warn - Injector and Airflow Warning (Engine check light)
Injector Warn - Injector Warning (Engine check light)
Knock Warning - Knock Sensor Warning
Lockup Monitor - Auto Gearbox Logic
RegularGAS Jdg - Regular Octane Adjust?
LCD/LED adjust - Backlit display contrast adjust
All Data Init. - Reset to Factory Defaults
Does the unit work on my N/A car?
It has been rumored the work with unconfirmed reports. The model however is still suited for the turbo version of the engine so timing, ignition, maps etc may be unsuitable.
Does the unit work on manual and auto cars?
The PowerFC only supports manual cars. It will work on an automatic car however it will not handle gear changes and simply keep the throttle nailed during a gear change. This will result in jerky gear changes and stress placed on the gearbox. The factory ECU during a gear change will communicate with the auto box and drop timing, ignition to ensure a smooth change. For those wishing to use PowerFC with auto you should consider a mechanical auto gearbox instead of an electronic. The PowerFC should work fine with a mechanical gearbox such as power glide, transbreak etc
How much does the unit cost?
The unit current retail is around $1000 AU delivered from Japan for the models above. For AP Engineering models they are more expensive as they are a custom made model and retail is around $1500 AU or even higher.
When I buy the PowerFC what comes in the box?
The current PowerFC comes with the following items
Apexi PowerFC ECU
Apexi PowerFC Hand controller
Apexi PowerFC Japanese Manual
Apexi PowerFC Japanese Warranty Card
Velcro Sticky tabs for use with the Hand Controller
Is there an English manual? a PDF copy? English translation?
An outdated english manual is available at English ECU Manual and English Commander Manual. The current Japanese manual can be found at Japanse Command Manual (updated)
I have the older PowerFC that did not come with a hand controller can I buy a new hand controller separate and use that?
You may be able to depending on the version of the ECU and hand controller. If the version between the ECU and Hand Controller is different the Hand Controller will boot up the Apexi logo and freeze. Take this as a precaution as a few people have experienced this. For a complete list click here
What is an "AP Engineering model" and do I need it?
"A.P. Engineering Original Power FC units carry the same functions as the regular Power FC units but have been specially adopted for use on car models that the regular Power FCs do not cater for. As they are an item outsourced from Apexi, their pricing is higher than the regular models." -
www.greenline.jp. An example of an "AP Engineering" model is the PowerFC for the r32 gts-t.
What is the "D-Jetro" model and do I need it?
The D-Jetro Power FC units carry the same functions as the regular Power FC units but do not require the use of the factory standard air flow meter and use a mass air pressure sensor. Apart from the unit itself, use of the D-Jetro units requires additional parts that vary depending on the model." -
www.greenline.jp The airflow meter (at least in the skyline range) does not pose a big restriction in terms of horsepower and one would doubt the use of the D-Jetro. If you really need massive airflow you can always change to 2 x Q45 Airflow meters and use those with the PowerFC. The skyline series are optimized for closed loop operation with an airflow meter and oxygen sensor for feedback and measuring. Cars the run on a MAP sensor system can suffer drawbacks such as bad idling, poor fuel economy, problems with cold starts etc
What is the "Power FC Pro" and do I need it?
The Power FC Pro Spec.CPU has been designed for drag racing use. These units have two additional functions over the regular units: 1. Ignition cut used for rpm limiter - Regular Power FCs cut fuel feed when the preset revolution limit is reached. At high rpm, there is the possibility of knocking when the fuel is cut in high-powered cars. The Power FC Pro CPUs cut ignition at the rpm limit to prevent the knocking that could potentially destroy the engine. 2. 0km/h rpm limiter setting - Allows for the setting for an initial rpm limiter that is active whilst the car is not in motion. This allows for mainting a rpm level for consistent launches.
Does the PowerFC run the whole car or do I need controllers for things like Aircon, Lights etc now that I've removed the factory computer.
The PowerFC emulates all the functions that your standard computer did. This includes things like Aircon, Lights, ABS etc.
Why would I want to buy a PowerFC?
There are many reasons for changing to a PowerFC the most common being to extract more power from the current engine setup. Your cars factory computer has many limits and conservative settings to ensure engine reliability and to ensure factory components do not have excess load placed on them. As you upgrade these components the factory computer will not retune itself and therefore you will not obtain your maximum benefit. You can reset your cars ecu (works in most Skylines) and it will relearn your engine setup and adjust accordingly but that is only basic tune settings. There are much more advanced tune settings available with the PowerFC.
Does the PowerFC have limits?
The PowerFC does not have limits such as speed limiter or boost cut the factory ECU has to prevent engine stress / excess load. It has adjustable idle, rev limit and on-load idle. You can set your cars rev limit to whatever you like. 10,000rpm if you like.
Are there any cool tricks with the PowerFC? Free mods etc?
A handy trick PowerFC owners use when they take car in for a service/work to be done they set the rev limit to 3000rpm and remove the hand controller. .This prevents the workshop from taking your car out for a fang on the roads and driving it like they've stolen it as the PowerFC will cut the power at the 3000rpm rev limit interrupting the joy experienced by the joy rider of your precious car. This would be useful at panel beaters, car cleaners, stereo installers etc. This would not suitable for a performance workshop cos if they are tuning your car or fixing a problem they may need to actually rev it out so use this wisely. Another unofficial mod is instead of buying the official PowerFC hand controller extension cord is to use a normal Ps2 extension cord used for a normal PC computer. Its the same cable you just need to break off one of the pins.
How does the PowerFC compare with the Apexi SAFC, AVCR and other Apexi computers?
The Apexi AVC-R and SAFC are piggyback systems. The SAFC controls airflow voltage and fakes airflow voltage to the ecu. This makes the ecu believe more airflow is present and cranks up the fuel/timing thus resulting in more power. The AVC-R is a boost controller and not really a piggyback as such.
Apexi SAFC - Piggyback Fuel Computer
Apexi AVCR - Boost Controller
Apexi VAFC - Vtech and Piggyback Fuel Computer
Apexi Imoni - Diagnostics display from consult port
Apexi Multichecker - Diagnostics display from consult port
Apexi PowerFC - Standalone Engine Management
How does the AVC-R compare to the PowerFC boost controller kit?
You can obtain the similar functionality from the AVC-R as you can from the PowerFC with the boost controller kit installed. The AVC-R and the PowerFC boost kit use the same solenoid and map sensor parts. It is unconfirmed if you can switch the AVCR solenoid and map sensor to the PowerFC boost kit but it should work. You can make the PowerFC display boost pressure without buying the Boost controller kit by buying the map sensor and using the Boost Kit Harness.
How do I install the PowerFC?
Disconnect your cars battery and discharge all power from the car. You can do this by unplugging the battery and pressing the brake pedal a few times. Locate your cars computer and unplug the factory car wiring harness. The harness is usually screwed into the ECU so you need a Phillips head to undo the bolt in the middle. Once you have removed the factory-wiring loom you need to remove the ECU from its brackets. You can simply unscrew it and pull the ECU out. Once it has been removed put it in a safe place in case you need to go back to your factory computer. Put the PowerFC in its place and plug in the factory wiring loom the same way it came out of the stock computer. Be sure to note which way the ECU came out and match the pins/wiring notation correctly. Once it has been secured with the holding down brackets/screws you are now almost ready to start your. Before you start the car for the first time you should give the ACC key turn power so the hand controller turns on. If you are not using the PowerFC boost controller kit make sure you disable this feature. Go to the "Etc" menu and choose "Function Select" and then choose "Boost Control Kit" and set the option to a Japanese character that looks like a plus sign. This will disable the PowerFC boost controller kit. The PowerFC manual states to start the car, ensure no errors are present and let the car idle for at least 30 minutes. During this idle period wait about 10 minutes, turn on the air con, wait another 10, turn on the demister, wait another 10 minutes or so and then your car is ready to drive. If you short cut the self learn idle procedure once the car is turned off and back on again it will simply stall each time. If this occurs you must factory reset it again and do the procedure from the st.art
Disconnect Power
Unplug stock ECU
Plug in PowerFC ECU
Reconnect Power
Start Car, let it idle for approx 10 minutes before doing anything
Turn on aircon, let it readjust its idle and wait about 10 minutes
Turn on demister, let it readjust its idle and wait about 10 minutes
All done and you are ready to drive with your new ECU now. At this point you should familiarise yourself with using the hand controller and just checking the initial sensors and make sure the basic options are turned on and you know how to read the basic information.
Help! My car doesn't start once I've installed the PowerFC
Check that you've disabled the PowerFC boost controller kit in the step above. Check that you've chosen the right model PowerFC. Check that you've securely fastened the wiring loom and its not loose. Some cars only (for some strange reason) have half gauge wiring running from the battery to the ECU. This works fine for the factory computer but the PowerFC needs the full 12volts. You can simply run new 12volt wire from the battery to the ECU and this should correct this. This problem has been experienced by at least two members previously (both in R33 GTST) If the hand controller displays the Apexi logo and freezes then you have the wrong hand controller version or its damaged.
Does the PowerFC have any laptop hook up options or software?
The PowerFC has an official laptop software hookup but it is only for Power Excel workshops. These are workshops endorsed by Apexi and they will not give out the software. You can now purchase the official PowerFC Cable and Software for around $550 AU. This includes the official cable and PowerFC software. The Software is in japanese and so is the manual. There is an unofficial product called the FC-Datalogit. This is a 3rd party product that includes a dongle/serial cable and software. It's retail is around $520 AU and supports full control of the system just like with the hand controller and supports logging to your laptop for replaying and viewing later. You can also make your own cable/dongle providing you know how. There are diagrams and part lists on my site, check under Diagrams for the powerfc cable/dongle guide. Should cost around $50 in parts, then you can use the PowerFC Pro software from my site. There is a new product on the way due for release in August which is the FC Tune. This appears to have the same functionality as the datalogit however it supports all of the cable types including a custom made one. Retail is rumored to be around $299 USD for the cable. The software is free.
Apex'i FC Pro Software and Cable
FC Tune and Cable
Datalogit FC Edit and Datalogit Connector Box
Are there any hidden/secret features? Stuff you can't access by the Hand Controller?
If you have the PowerFC cable and software or the datalogit kit you can get to a few features that arent supported on the hand controller.
You can download maps to your PC and save them.
You can set the fan temperature turn-on value to below lower then 60deg.
You can set the millisecond values for the engine flash light for AFM, INJ, KNK levels.
You can access and control the air temp correction table.
You can adjust load map points by extended the airflow measure levels.
The follow tables/settings are also changeable
Inlet air temp fuel map
Water temp fuel map
RPM acceleration fuel map
Cranking Injector dwell map
Water temp versus boost fuel correction
Inlet air temp versus boost fuel correction
RPM Load Point table
AFM load point table
AFM voltage table
Ignition versus water temp correction
Ignition versus inlet air temp correction
Ignition dwell versus RPM correction
Ignition versus battery voltage correction
Ignition versus boost correction
Individual injector trim
Injector lag versus battery voltage correction
The following functions can be supported by additional hardware with Datalogit
Antilag via injection
Antilag via ignition
Intercooler spray
A/C and non A/C overheat fan temp switch.
Every standard sensor is logged
Optional logging for (lambda, brake temperature, suspension travel etc)
The PowerFC has a map for inlet air temperature which is not accessible by the Hand Controller but the table is still used by the PowerFC if it picks up Air Temp from the factory sensor. The Skyline RB26 has this sensor and the stock GTST loom can be adapted to support this sensor and allow the GTST PowerFC to read the value.
Once the PowerFC is installed can I expect any better performance or does it HAVE to be tuned?
It is always recommended that you get your PowerFC tuned for your cars mods. This will take into factor things like a lazy fuel pump etc that will be missed with just the factory tune. A full tune will ensure your A/Fs are safe and the engine is not excessively knocking and you are getting maximum benefit from the new ECU. A standard map will have benefit over the stock computer as it wont have built in limits the factory computer has and it also controls things like Variable Valve Timing better (on r33 RB25det at least) and provides more torque in the rev range without a tune.
Can I drive around without it being tuned for a few days? Months?
You can drive the car around as you would normally but you should take care not to put stress on the engine. Basically don't fang around in it, as you could be running unsafe A/Fs etc and just causing more damaged. Best to get it tuned. Make sure you watch the knock levels if you do this to make sure there isn't excess detonation.
What does the PowerFC support in terms of modifications?
The PowerFC can support bigger injectors, larger turbos, aftermarket plenums, superchargers, nos kits, etc. The PowerFC is able to do this by allowing the tuner to adjust all the parameters of the engine on a load vs. rpm map for each of the core components. You can tune the computer to run xyz amount of fuel at 2300rpm on load xyz and to have xyz timing at the same load etc so the combinations are virtually endless. It will also support bigger airflow meters, different and custom meters, larger fuel pumps etc.
Where can I get my PowerFC tuned and how much will it cost me?
There are dozens of workshops that can tune the PowerFC you best reference would be a search in your local chapter. For a PowerFC tune you are looking at a price of around $300-$500 varying on mods you have and car etc. For those in Melbourne you can check out these fine workshops (not in any order)
Racepace Motorsport
Ice Performance
Creatd
Protek
Racepace and Ice performance are the most highly recommend workshops
Can I tune the car myself?
You sure can if you know. You can also look up some DIY threads using a lambda sensor and the trial and error procedure. Be warned you are playing with an electronic controlling mechanism of your engine and any incorrect setting could cause bad things. See the below parts on the Map Tracer for some info on Self Tuning. You can self tune the ignition timing yourself with trial and test method but you should not do this for fuel injection as you can lean it out too far and burn the exhaust valves which is permenant engine damage. Self ignition timing tuning can be done quite easily and will certainly aid in more fuel economy. It's not recommend for more power as this should done on a dyno so you can ramp up the load and max out to 200km/h without breaking any road laws / putting yourself at risk.
What is Map Tracer? Is it useful?
Map Tracer can used to work out what map the powerfc is currently using. Each map contains settings that powerfc should apply to the engine. A map is a 20x20 grid each position has a value. There are maps for fuel injection and ignition timing.
The map has 20 load points and 20 rpm points. Each rpm point is 400 rpm. This grid looks like:
A map for the ignition timing values looks like this (rb25det map)
A completed map trace in 2nd gear going from idle to redline looks like this. Please note this is done with full throttle, aka the pedal is to the floor:
Load is based on how much airflow the airflow meter is measuring. Going up a hill in 3rd gear at 50km/h may be represented as load value 13 if the airflow meter is seeing 4.1volts of "air" and an rpm point of 11 if you were at say 4400rpm. The load value (vertical left side) 13 out of 20 represents the amount of engine load being placed on it, which is taken from the airflow meter measurements. The ECU also knows how hard you've pushed the pedal based on the "THRO" sensor. So the powerfc uses these "values" that it's given in real time to work out what cell values to use for ignition timing and fuel injection. This forms the basis for tuning the engine as you can adjust any load point you like how you see fit. It's a little clear when you see the below diagram: If you were noticing an issue when under a certain load or rpm you could run a map tracer see what map cell is being read and then adjust the corresponding map value under ignition or fuel. To have the map tracer save the map its accessed on the map tracer screen press next when in map tracer and as it goes through the maps it will leave them on the screen. Just like if turned on mouse trails in windows, you see the previous trail it has left. This makes it easier to debug what the ECU is doing and what values need to be adjusted to alter how the car runs based on the map values being read in at real time.
Below is a map trace of light and medium throttle. This was done from my car based on a 15 minute drive around my local streets on what I would consider normal throttle. The majority of the time you aren't on full wide open throttle. Most tunes are done based on the car being on a dyno with the throttle wide open to check for safe A/F and tune for max power. This is fine however you will lack fuel economy as the a/f's for low and medium throttle are no where near the full open throttle a'f/s.
As you can see from this most of my time or "operation" is spent on the top left of the Map. Now remembering that load is up and down and rpm is left and right. So based off this trace we can see I'm not hitting much load, the most is about point 10 and rpm the most I'm hitting is point 8. So the max for that trace is load point 10 which is about 2/3 of the airflow meter max on the r33 gtst (The stock powerfc and afm can only show upto 15 points for 'load' reference). The rpm is 8 * 400 = 3200rpm. So I didn't go over 3200rpm and didn't give it lots of throttle but enough to access the lower end region. So going from this my fuel economy is fairly good but I am sure I can get better so we need to drill down to the fuel cell values for those highlighted maps as I am sure they weren't tuned on the dyno as this wasn't a priority for the initial tune. More to come on this topic as I further look into my tune and try and get some better fuel economy. Consider how much time you spend on full throttle vs low or half throttle and you'll realise where your fuel economy has gone. Out the window as the majority of the fuel cells you are reading are highlighted above and they are default apexi map values so they need to be tweaked.
What do the strange sensor names mean?
If you goto ETC and then choose SENSOR CHECK/SW you will see a list of sensors and corresponding values. These report values that the current sensors are returning. This can be useful for checking faulty sensors and to check if a certain sensor is working expectedly. Below is a translated list of the ECR33 PowerFC
What are the basic mods I should have when I get my PowerFC?
You can fit the PowerFC whenever you like however a basic list of mods is a great start as you値l get the most gain out of it from the standard computer
Full Exhaust 3" from turbo back
Boost Controller (Bleed Valve or Electronic Boost Controller - Or you can use the PowerFC boost controller kit)
Air filter upgrade / Pod filter or CAI setup kit
Upgraded Intercooler
Why does my engine light flash when I drive with the PowerFC?
The PowerFC uses the factory engine warning light to alert the user of "upper limit" or ceiling values in the engine systems. Things such as airflow meter max value, injector max duty, excessive knock will cause the engine warning to flash. Usually the engine flash is in a sequence of 3 flashes each 0.5 seconds apart. Should you experience this you should review the hand controller max values (press down when in monitor mode and displaying values to see the max values for each) and consult your tuner immediately. Excessively high knock can cause engine damage. Running on max injector duty can also be fatal so speak to your tuner. Aggressive tunes that are tuned around winter temps/airflow and being run hard in summer may cause these symptoms if the tune is very aggressive and on border line of maxing out the stock components. This is only hearsay but I have seen this from at least one or two members.
See Basic Hand Controller functions and use for information on how to isolate which warning is triggering the engine flash light
My idle is really crappy and it hunts around a lot when on idle. What can I do?
The first step when installing the PowerFC is to let it idle for upto 30 minutes on your car so it adjusts to your engine setup. This includes turning on the Aircon, Demister and Heater throughout the idle stages so the ECU has time to learn the engine setup and idle levels. This can be done by doing an "initialize" on the PowerFC. This will reset all settings back to default (including your tune) and set the PowerFC back to learn mode (for idle only). You should not do this if you have a tune as there is no way to save the tune before it is erased. If you have datalogit or the FC Pro cable/software you can copy the maps. Preform the initialize and then reupload the maps. A few people have seen really screwey idle from the Hand Controller itself being plugged in. The workaround is to unplug the Hand Controller and it idle's normally. This is a very strange problem and certinaly not common. Initial suggestions would lead to an electrical problem somewhere? If you still stuck with a unstable idle, try the factory ECU and does the idle bug go away? If it is still present it could indicate a mechanical issue with the factory idle control (usually the AAC valve). You can reset the PowerFC to factory defaults to "re-learn" the idle control from scratch and this seems to fix most idle related issues, such as hunting at idle and also high RPM surge when coming off a gearchange or throttle acceleration.
I am seeing on my Map Tracer that I am reaching load point 19-20 on full throttle. I am maxing out the PowerFC! What can I do?
Load or what is considered "load axis" on the powerfc maps is based on values fed from the airflow meter. If the airflow measure "lots" or air the powerfc moves down the axis on the left and reads the corresponding values. What happens when your AFM is showing the ceiling or "highest" values the powerfc has calibration for then you are stuck with a "flatline" load map which would look something like:
From here you can see it drops the max load points fairly quickly. This would most likely result in being unable to accurately tune from 4000rpm onwards as it just keeps reading the same load values each time (aka end of the map). This issue has only been found to occur with the AP Engineering RB20 PowerFC and using a "high load" setup such as an RB30 bottom end conversion. The issue is correctable by "extending" or "stretching" out the airflow meter reference points. This corrects it by when the airflow meter measures 3.2volts the powerfc matches that to load point 11 as an example. By default the AP Engineer PowerFC looks to reference the max load points a little early with an ugprade intake system and maxes out a little to early. This is not to be confused with the actual airflow meter maxing out at 5 volts. The correction in this case is to obtain the RB25 airflow map refence points and use them instead of the RB20 ones. This then "extends" the airflow meter range and allows it to run around the load point 15 mark on full throttle instead of the bottom of the map. This should allow for more accurate tuning as there is room for "increased" load because there are 5 or 6 "points" to advance in load before its at max again. This cannot be done with the Hand Controller as it requires the FC Pro software, Datalogit or Fc Tune to access the airflow ramp tables.
What do I need to do when changing my Airflow Meter?
When you choose another airflow meter to allow a large opening diameter or a higher resolution meter you need to select the unit from the [SETTING], [Airflow] menu and select it from the list. You should do this before you start your engine to prevent really unsafe mixtures and also to prevent stalling/bad idle. Once you have highlighted the correct model you have fitted to the car you can simply press [PREV] on the hand controller and return to normal [MONITOR] and start the car. It should idle OK (well hopefully) however this does not mean it is safe and ready to go. Selecting the correct airflow model simply loads the voltage ramp table into the PowerFC. This tells the PowerFC at what airflow levels the meter is reporing in its voltage range. You should have your AFR's checked with your tuner and a wideband after an airflow meter change to ensure its not too lean or too rich. If you need to drive a fair distance to your tuner or would like to run around for a few days on the new airflow meter without it being retuned/checked then theres a simple procedure you can follow
1. Let engine warm up and idle
2. Give the engine a bit of a rev in neutral and check to see if smoke comes out the exhaust.
3a. If you see *some* black smoke
-> Then its running rich (preferred) and it should be OK to drive around on light/low load, although your fuel economy will probably be terrible.
3b. If you see *lots* of black smoke
-> Then its running very very rich and you'll need to lean it out a bit. You can do this by going into [SETTING], [IGN/INJ] and then on the right hand side you will see INJ correction. You can then slowly change the ADJ value to a negative value in small increments. After a few adjustments give the engine a rev and there should not be as much black smoke. Repeat until there is a little bit but its not *lots* of black smoke.
3c. If you don't see any black smoke
-> Then its running lean or possibly too lean. Do the same procedure (as above) but add more fuel by adding or upping the ADJ value and after a few increments try a free rev. If you get some black smoke then you are starting to richen it up.
4. You should remember this value or write down the correction number used because if you turn the car's power off you must come back to here each time to put the value back in. This is because its only a temporary test mode and it should not be used all the time. You could also give this value to your tuner to give him an idea of how rich its running.
My fuel economy is terrible and I just had a complete tune, Whats wrong?
A "complete tune" is not always a complete tune. It is most likely just a high power run, that is run the car on the dyno and suck out the most power you can and make sure it doesn't knock. Usually advance the timing, lean it out and make sure its a safe tune. This is done on full throttle usually in fourth gear (as stock diff ratio is 4:11) which is the closest to 1:1. Now think to your driving habits, how often are you on full throttle for the entire duration of your tank of petrol? 5% of the time seems reasonable but your entire tune is based on full throttle and max load, certainly not your ideal tune as far as economy. You should read up on how to use the Map Tracer here before continuing any further as you need to use this as part of the tuning process.
Self Tuning - Ignition Timing
Things you will need:
1 x Friend
1 x PowerFC Hand Controller
1 x Road
This should be done on quiet road with someone else driving your car. This should not be done by yourself, in peak hour, in lots of traffic or anywhere that seems obviously dangerous. Your own private road is probably the most suitable, and we all have these of course. Ok drive around normal load, cruise around 2200rpm ish. Watch the knock value under Monitor (1 Channel). It shouldn't knock excessivly, be sure to press UP so you get a "digital" value as well as the barchart on the hand controller. Knock is a signal picked up by a microphone inside the engine itself. It is not 100% accurate and it can pick up other things that are not "engine knock" but merely things that sound the same. Knock over 60 is bad and will flash the engine warning light, by default. Whilst on low load, light cruise goto Map Tracer and see what values are being read. It should be somewhere around say rpm point 7 (2200rpm) and load point 3 or 4. Just watch it vary around as your driver varies the load (varying accelerator pedal pressure). This is because as soon as the driver varies the throttle the engine loads up and takes in more air. The airflow meter see's this and increases its measured "voltage", which in turn adjusts what cell the PowerFC is using. Ok now goto Setting, IGN/IJN and on the left side you will see IGN Corr. By default it will be 0. Increase this value to +2 and then go back to Monitor, 1 Channel KNOCK and see if the knock goes up a little bit. A little increase in KNOCK is OK and acceptable, values jumping all over the place or constantly hitting 40/50 odd all the time is bad. You can clear the max "digital" knock value by pressing right when it is displayed along with the barchart. If the knock appears to be minimal then get your drive to vary the throttle a little. Try slowing applying more pressure to the accelerator pedeal in 5th gear at say 50km/h. This should throw the map trace down the left axis as the load increases. See if the knock goes up and down much as it's. Don't worry about full load, flooring it as we aren't interested in that. In fact this is not recommended as running advanced timing under heavy load can make stuff go bang. Try going into lower gears such as second and doing very slow takesoffs and very small amounts of load. Keep checking the knock values and make sure it is OK.
At this point you shifted the entire ingition timiing map up 2 degress everywhere. The car should be a little snappier and sharper under accerelation (This is good). As long as there is very little knock or hardly you should proceed to save this adjustment and monitor your fuel economy. It is recommended to do minor adjusments one step at a time to see the effects and also to prevent a big change instantly. +2deg timing increase should give a good increase in fuel economy. See if you can set IGN CORR to +4 and watch how much knock you get, if its minimal then its time to permenantly set the new tune. Again make sure its safe and not knocking before you do this. If you do this incorrectly you may have to either revert every value back or reset to defaults and loose your tune (You've been warned). Set the IGN CORR back to 0 deg and then let your driver have a rest or turn the car off but keep ACC on so you can keep using the hand controller. Have a rest and a drink as your eyes and head will hurt if you suffer motion sickness as watching map trace and knock while someone drives around really sucks. Ok now we wish to move the "light/medium" cells up 4degress. We don't want to move the whole map up as we've already had a max power tune which is fine we just want more economy. See below picture of what I feel are the light load / medium load cells which are used the majority of the time. These are the cells we want to "tune", aka thrown in our +2 deg correction permenantly.
For each of those cells highlighted, or even ones you wish (only recommended to do the first 8x8 as an abosolute maximum at this stage) do the following procedure.
Setting
IGN Map
Nagivate to cell you wish to alter, you can see the rpm points across the top, and load points down the left.
Press NEXT to enter the adjust cell screen which will show what RPM point and LD (load) point you are editing
Press NEXT to edit the value and then you can press UP to increas the value, in this case do it 2 times. The value will go from say 20 to 22.
Press NEXT to save the value change
As you can see by the above procedure it takes a bit of time to edit all the cells, the quick method is start at 1,1 and then press NEXT,NEXT,UP,UP,NEXT,RIGHT and repeat until you reach RPM point 8 or 9 and repeat for each load point upto around 8 or 9.
How do I hook up the optional Boost Controller kit?
The optional boost controller kit for the Power FC consists of the pressor sensor, pressure sensor harness and solenoid. The solenoid should be plumbed between your manifold and the wastegate actuator (internal wastegate setup). For external wastegate setup it should be plumbed between the manifold and your external wastegate pressure line. The pressure sensor should be plumbed in parrallel with the factory MAP sensor which is used by your standar boost guage. It can be T'eed into the plumbing with its included T piece fitting.
Boost Controller Kit Type #1
3 wire plug, Solenoid runs to stock boost control loom on stock ECU wiring loom.
3 wires in Apexi loom are for Map sensor - Signal, Ground and Power
Boost Controller Kit Type #2
5 wire plug, Solenoid runs to map sensor harness which runs to Boost Controller port on PowerFC
3 wires are for Map sensor - Signal, Ground and Power. 2 Wires are for SOlenoid Power and Ground
Skyline RB25DET PowerFC Uses Type #1. Skyline GTR RB26DETT uses Type #2
The pressure sensor has the main wiring harness directly attached to itself, one end plugs into the 5 pin port on the PowerFC. The solenoid piggybacks off the Pressure Sensor wiring harness which leads to the PowerFC connector port. The wiring is shown below.
MAP Sensor
Red = Positive
Black = Negative (earth)
Green = Signal
Solenoid
Pink = Positive
Black = Negative
When the solenoid wiring meets with the Map Sensor harness the colours for the Soneoid change as follows;
Pink = Red
Black = Brown
Boost Control Kit - Parts Inventory
Boost Control Kit - Complete Kit
Boost Control Kit - MAP Sensor
Boost Control Kit - Solenoid
Apexi PowerFC - Plug Layout
How do I configure the Optional Boost Controller Kit?
Once the harness and sensors have been connected you need to turn the Boost Controller Kit on under ETC, FUNCTION SELECT. You need to set the Boost Kit option to ON. The OFF Symbol looks like a plus sign in Japanese so be sure its opposite to this. All that is left is to the set the disired boost pressure, SETTING and then BOOST. On this screen you will be presented with 4 options.
Each option is a preset boost pressure and duty item, the currently selected one is the active "boost profile".
The first value is Boost Profile Number.
The second value is the maxmium amount of boost you wish to run.
The third value is duty cycle
The fourth value is unused (always 255).
Boost Pressure
1. 1.00 kg/cm2 40 255
2. 1.10 kg/cm2 46 255
3. 1.20 kg/cm2 52 255
4. 1.30 kg/cm2 60 255
Choose boost profile #1
Set target boost pressure
Do a test 3rd gear drive and see what boost it reaches
Adjust duty cycle as needed
Lower number if boost is too high over target boost or if safety cut is reached.
Increase number if boost is too low or it doesn't reach desired level.
If the map sensors detects that boost pressure is 0.25kg/cm2 over the set boost pressure then it will do a safety cut to protect itself. If you find the car is unable to make the pressure you desire, increase the duty cycle value. If you find it makes it to easily or it's having trouble maintaing a stable pressure or keeps hitting the cut limit then turn the duty value down. You can also set the other 3 boost profiles here if you wish so that you can select these later on allowing you to quickly change preset boost on the fly. The current selected profile (option 1,2,3 or 4) is active when you it's highlighted and you press PREV to navigate to the other menu's.
How do I hook up the D-Jetro Map Sensor Harness Kit?
There are various installation methods for the Djetro Map Sensor depending on the Car Model. For example Evo Lancer CT9A do not have to do anything as the car runs a factory Map Sensor. Skyline RB26 customers must splice twin Map sensor into the Airflow meter harness wiring. Nissan S15 customers must also manually splice a single Map Sensor into the harness. Below are instructions on how Skyline RB26 customers should connect up the Djetro kit.
It appears that D-jetro customers must splice the twin map sensors into the Boost Control Kit harness (or at least use the sme port) to extract positive and negative power.
The signal for each MAP sensor is then connected to Cylinders #3 and #4 based on the Apexi diagram below
For a more in depth diagram and guide please view the correct manual for your car's Djetro version as it will have correct Map Sensor wiring.
Basic Hand Controller functions and use
Basic hand controller use is very simple and you can check and ensure your engine and system is running happily.
Monitoring Values
Highlight "Monitor" on the menu and press NEXT and then select how much values you wish to view and then press NEXT.
You can now select which items you wish to monitor from the menu below
InjDuty - Injector Duty / How busy the injectors are
IgnTmng - Ignition Timing - Camshaft timing
AirFlow - Airflow meter voltage
PimVolt - Map Sensor voltage
Eng Rev - Engine revs
Speed - Road speed
Boost - Boost Pressure (requires optional boost kit fitted)
Knock - Knock sensor reading
WtrTemp - Water temperature or engine temperature
AirTemp - Air inlet temperature (sensor is not fitted on ECR33 skyline, DO NOT attempt to make this work)
BatVolt - Battery voltage
(Standard ECR33 Skyline menu options shown)
If you want to monitor your injectors and airflow meter select both of them after you choose 2 channel and then press next. You will then see them in their digital output mode on the hand controller. You can press UP to show their maximum values at any one time. You can press right to clear their maximum values. Any max values you see are cleared when you turn the cars power off.
The knock sensor when you view it by itself (1 channel) will give a bar graph like display showing knock. The Knock value is not number of knocks per second or knocks per engine turn, its just a number. The factory knock sensor is a microphone in the engine that listens for a certain frequency. When it detects this frequency it registers this as a knock, the higher the value the worse it most likely is.
Airtemp will always display --- on the ECR33 skyline as there is no air temperature sensor on the RB25. GTR / RB20 uses will have a value displayed which should show the air intake temperature. On the RB26 this sensor is located next to the throttle body inlet.
when viewing values via MONITOR you can also press NEXT and it will alternate between digital display and graph mode. When in graph mode you can use the "replay" function by pressing up and then PREV / NEXT
Checking Functions
Highlight "ETC" and then choose "FUNCTION SELECT".
BOOST CNTL KIT - Enable/Disable optional boost controller kit
AIRFLOW WARN - Enable/Disable airflow warning
INJECTOR WARN - Enable/Disable injector warning
KNOCK WARNING - Enable/Disable Knock warning
02 F/B CONTROL - Enable/Disable 02 feedback
If the boost control kit is turned ON and you are not using it (not plugged in) the car will not start.
If the AIRFLOW WARN is set to ON the engine light will flash when the airflow value gets near its ceiling limit of 5 volts.
If the INJECTOR WARN is set to ON the engine light will flash when the injector duty values gets to 98%
If the KNOCK wARNING is set to ON the engine light will flash when the knock level exceeds 60
If the 02 F/B is set to ON the engine will utilise the factory oxygen sensors to save fuel
If you see your engine light flash whilst driving then goto MONITOR, 4 channel and then select
AIRFLOW
INJDUTY
KNOCK
IGNTMNG
Then repeat the same process and then press UP on the hand controller once you see the engine flash to check the max levels of each sensor you are monitoring. You can then work out which is causing the engine light to flash. On a stock ECR33 with the basic mods fitted youll find that you are maxing out all the factory sensors so in that case I turned my AIRFLOW and INJECTOR warnings to OFF and leave the knock sensor warning to ON. So if you see the engine light flash its a kNOCK warning and should be taken as a true "warning". You should speak to your tuner if you see high knock levels and the engine light flashing. A knock level of 60 is considered quite high.
If you have 0/2 Feedback turned off the PowerFC will not enter its closed loop feedback mode and will waste fuel and be very un-economical. Expect bad fuel economy
Checking Sensors
Highlight "ETC" and then choose "SENSOR/SW CHECK"
If you goto ETC and then choose SENSOR CHECK/SW you will see a list of sensors and corresponding values. These report values that the current sensors are returning. This can be useful for checking faulty sensors and to check if a certain sensor is working expectedly. Below is a translated list of the ECR33 PowerFC
BOST will show voltage if you are using the optional powerfc boost control kit
Airtemp sensor on unsupported car?
Some PowerFC's have support for the AirTemp sensor under MONITOR but the car itself does not utilize a factory air temp inlet sensor. I attempted to hook up an airtemp sensor on my ECR33 PowerFC and fried the powerfc and damaged a sensor on my car. The concept was to look at which pin on the BNR33 PowerFC the air temp sensor was connected on and then try and replicate this on the ECR33 PowerFC. I tried this and it did not work, I tried an adjacent wire and it fried the PowerFC. It has since been fixed and all is working but I do not recommend you try to get this working. It may work out costly like it could have been in my case.
What does the PowerFC look like inside?
Here are some pics of what the Apexi PowerFC looks like inside. This is from my unit, you can still see the burnt / damaged track for the air temp experiment that went horribly wrong.
Can you reflash the PowerFC with new code and/or different versions of the Apexi code?
The newer model Apexi PowerFC's have a different model NEC processor and also feature an onboard connector, possibly for reflashing internally by Apexi staff and / or authorised dealers etc.
For more information on this check out the thread on the RX7 forum by FastHatch. He has done some extensive research on this and found that they are reflashable and can be altered providing you know how. Some good news possibly :)
Are there any cool custom hacks, hand controller holders, DIY rewiring you can do?
There are a few custom mods you can do some clever, some not so clever. The pictures contained below are mostly taken from the Rx7 forum and other forums found in google. Some show some clever hand controller holders you can get, generic mobile phone holders should work fine. See below pics for some cool ideas:
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blue-powerfc2.jpg
Button-LEDs.jpg
Display-LED-Crop.jpg
DSC00951.jpg
IMG_0226_1.jpg
IMG_0232_1.jpg
IMGP0598.sized.jpg
IMGP0601.sized.jpg
IMGP0602.sized.jpg
IMGP0603.sized.jpg
IMGP0605.sized.jpg
IMGP0608.sized.jpg
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pfc2.jpg
pfc3.jpg
What is Datalogit?
Datalogit is a 3rd party system for the Apexi PowerFC. The system/kit includes of a dongle box and software. The dongle box plugs into the Hand Controller port on the PowerFC and the software runs on a laptop connected to the dongle box via a serial cable. The dongle box has a Hand Controller port so you can keep the normal Hand Controller connected whilst using Datalogit. The Datalogit dongle box translates the PowerFC signals from the Hand Controller to signals to the COM port on the dongle box which are used by the software running on the laptop.
What does Datalogit do, is there a feature list?
The software has many features as to does the Dongle box. The dongle box has the following "external" features for use with the software. The Dongle box supporst Anti Lag, Boost Scramble and Wideband 02 Input. The software has the following items which are not accessible via the Hand Controller:
You can download maps to your PC and save them.
You can set the fan temperature turn-on value to below lower then 60deg.
You can set the millisecond values for the engine flash light for AFM, INJ, KNK levels.
You can access and control the air temp correction table.
You can adjust load map points by extended the airflow measure levels.
The follow tables/settings are also changeable
Inlet air temp fuel map
Water temp fuel map
RPM acceleration fuel map
Cranking Injector dwell map
Water temp versus boost fuel correction
Inlet air temp versus boost fuel correction
RPM Load Point table
AFM load point table
AFM voltage table
Ignition versus water temp correction
Ignition versus inlet air temp correction
Ignition dwell versus RPM correction
Ignition versus battery voltage correction
Ignition versus boost correction
Individual injector trim
Injector lag versus battery voltage correction
You can choose to log values from the sensor list that you see in "SENSOR/SW CHECK" and also the ones in MONITOR so you can log some of the engine items that you can't normally view in MONITOR but are visible in "SENSOR/SW CHECK".
Once of the most useful features I have found is the "Advanced Logging" system which logs a selected "item" and plots it's min/max/avg values on a map tracer field. So you can log KNOCK against a map tracer view and it will plot min/max/avg KNOCK for each map tracer cell in real time. This allows you to quickly identify which cells are knocking more than others, so you can adjust the timing for that particular cell. Below is an "Advanced Knock" watch that was done for a quick run around the block in my ECR33 RB25DET Skyline. You can quickly see which cells are knocking more than others, so I would easily know which cells I could afford more timing and other cells where I would need to take out some timing due to excessive knock as an example. This method of loggin and map trace is aviable for any of the loggable items.
If you wish to see a log run or an example of the data logged then please click here to download an Excel Spreadsheet of a run my car did just around the local block.
What does the box look like and what's inside it?
The dongle box has a very simple circuit diagram to translate the communication between the PowerFC and the software. The PowerFC protocol has checksumming and error correction in the protocol so I assume this is what the PIC processor is used for. The Dongle box also analog and switchable inputs which can be used for 3rd party tools (as listed above). Below are some pics of the Dongle box. Note: I do not proomote disassembling or reverse engineering the box but merely took some pics for "curiosity" sake.
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IMGP1138.JPG
IMGP1141.JPG
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unit.JPG
Do you really need to have it or is the Hand Controller OK?
Datalogit is not required for normal use and even tuning. Things are easier with datalogit and you can much easier (as addressed above) when correcting knocking and other tune based issues as you can quickly find what cell has the min/max/avg of any value. It also allows you to save your tune to a .dat file in case you reset your unit or it gets damaged somehow. I found it very handy to plug datalogit into a laptop and use the laptops video out to my built in TV screen to preform Advanced Knock log whilst driving around, very helpful but certainly not required. The Datalogit kit is required when you move to a Q45 airflow meter or other unsupport airflow meters as you need to alter the airflow voltage ramp table. Selecting VH41 from the menu does allow it to run but it usually needs to be fine tweaked via the voltage ramp table.
Where did you get it from and can I buy one? What is support like?
Datalogit can be purchased from
http://www.fc-datalogit.co.nz/ (Brand new its about $500 AU) or from a 2nd hand user on the forums or even a group buy. Support so far is non existant, I brought my datalogit in November and I am still waiting to join the usergroup for support (Dec 11th today, so about 3 weeks and waiting). Support is formed as an open community user group as opposed to a phone number or online web page.
Boost display without the Boost Control Kit?
By default as the PowerFC will not show boost pressure as it has no method of reading it in via the stock ECU loom. If you purchase a suitable map sensor and connect it to the PowerFC boost control kit port then the hand controller will display boost pressure. The boost control kit uses a Denso map sensor which is part #DPS 310 2000a - Denso 949940 6270 5V and the wiring loom cable/plug can be brought from Apexi which is around $40 AU. The cable is listed as the 3pin boost control harness. Nengun has this listed under Electronics -> Apexi -> D Jetro Option Parts
Is the PowerFC Pro Discontinued?
Apexi have discontinued the PowerFC Pro model which was the special version of the PowerFC that had IGN cut instead of Fuel cut and also had a REV LAUNCH function holding the rpm at a set value at 0km/h. For some cars the PowerFC Pro model exists (RB26, RB20, WRX) but for most models it has been discontinued. Apexi have not released any information as to why the model's have been discontinued or if there will be a new model coming out. Those customers who must have the Pro models should look for a 2nd hand unit instead.
Help! My car doesn't idle once I've installed the PowerFC
Your car should idle straight off the bat when it is installed on your car and you start it for the first time. Make sure you complete the idle procedure correctly and let it idle for 10 minutes in each stage. If you rush the idle self learn procedure you may end up with a car that doesn't idle. If this happens simply reset it. You should also check to make sure your AIRFLOW meter is selected correctly under SETTING, AIRFLOW (you can do this before you start the car).
Self Tuning - Fuel Economy
Things you will need:
1 x Friend
1 x Wideband Sensor
1 x Wideband AF Guage or Digital Guage
1 x PowerFC Hand Controller
1 x Road
1 x Workshop with Datalogit or a Pen + Paper (Get your tune saved before you fiddle - Either have a datalogit owner save the tune, or you write down each cell value into an excel spreadsheet for the INJ map as you will be adjusting those values and if yo do it wrong, you should at least have the option to go back to how it was)
!!!!! Before you Begin !!!!!
Turn off 02 Feedback under ETC, FUNCTION SELECT
14.7 AFR means an Air/Fuel Ratio of 14.7 parts to 1. 14.7 is 1.0 Lambda which is ideal AFR for fuel economy and power. A richer AFR such as 13.0 will use *more* fuel as it is richer, ie there is less air to the mixture and it will make less power, however it will have less exhaust heat. The leaner the AFR the more exhaust heat there is and the more power you will make. It is NOT safe to have say an AFR of 14.7 at max/full load as there will be too much heat. Generally full throttle or max load AFR's are around 12.0 as this keeps the exhaust heat down considerably and is often referred to as a "Safe" AFR as its richen'ed up to make sure its safe. Freeway cruising at 100km/h you should have an ideal AFR of 14.7 as this is safe enough to keep the heat down but good enough for economy. An AFR of 15.0 at 100km/h is not safe as you will generate too much heat
Lean - More Power, More Heat, Less Fuel Usage
Rich - Less Power, Less Heat, More Fuel Usage
Light Load - Leaner (use less fuel and make resonable power)
Full Load - Richer (use much more fuel to keep exhaust gas temperatures safe and make good power)
You may find a factory ECU when you go on the dyno and do a full load run that it may drop into AFR's of low 10's/11's. This is because the factory ECU is just dumping fuel to protect itself and make sure things are cool and hunky dory. The factory ECU's main priority is not to make max power at 5700rpm unlike a max power tuned ECU. A piggyback controller on the factory ECU that allows to ECU to see altered airflow meter signals make's the ECU run leaner in areas so you can make power usually.
This should be done on quiet road with someone else driving your car. This should not be done by yourself, in peak hour, in lots of traffic or anywhere that seems obviously dangerous. Your own private road is probably the most suitable, and we all have these of course. Ok drive around normal load, cruise around 2200rpm ish. Watch the wideband sensor and get a feel for what the values are and how quick it reacts to throttle and load changes. The sensor should react almost instantly to throttle changes and should be no more than 1 second off real time.
Whilst on low load, light cruise goto Map Tracer and see what values are being read. It should be somewhere around say rpm point 7 (2200rpm) and load point 3 or 4. Just watch it vary around as your driver varies the load (varying accelerator pedal pressure). This is because as soon as the driver varies the throttle the engine loads up and takes in more air. The airflow meter see's this and increases its measured "voltage", which in turn adjusts what cell the PowerFC is using.
Ok now pick a cell area and get your driver to keep the throttle pedal the same so that you sit on the same Map Cell in Map Tracer. An easy one is say 60km/h which should dial in you at RPM cell 6 and load cell 3. Watch the Wideband AFR (lets pretend its 13.2 AFR). We now know that the AFR is 13.2 which is fairly rich and we can certaintly dial it out a bit leaner to get some better economy (14.7 is ideal).
Now goto Setting, INJ Map and navigate to the cell that map tracer was showing you, 6x3 is the area in this example. Lets pretend that the cell is 1.012 in the INJ map for that cell. Now we want to "lean" it out so we simply take some fuel out of the cell, so press NEXT and the press down say 5 times. This should now make the value around 1.000 or 0.995. Once you are done press NEXT and the value will be saved. Now check the wideband sensor and the AFR should have dropped a little. Hopefully it has moved towards 13.6 ish by those simple adjustments.
If it hasn't moved check
1) 02 Feedback is OFF
2) The car is still using map cell 6x3, check Map tracer again, 6 should be REV point and 3 load point (or whichever cell / area you are editing)
Keep watching the wideband sensor output and take out a few more cells, keep repeating this until you reach your desired AFR for that cell. Once you are happy with the AFR dialed in for that cell get your driver to say drop 10km/h off the speed and this should move the REV cell down to say 5x3. Then make sure its the same in map tracer, check the AFR value off the wideband and goto INJ map and edit it's value until desired AFR is reached. You should repeat this step for all cells in the 7x7 area and this is the majority of your light load / cruise economy.
For each of those cells highlighted, or even ones you wish (only recommended to do the first 7x7 as an abosolute maximum at this stage) do the following procedure.
Setting
IGN Map
Nagivate to cell you wish to alter, you can see the rpm points across the top, and load points down the left.
Press NEXT to enter the adjust cell screen which will show what RPM point and LD (load) point you are editing
Press NEXT to edit the value and then you can press UP to increas the value, in this case do it 2 times. The value will go from say 20 to 22.
Press NEXT to save the value change
As you can see by the above procedure it takes a bit of time to edit all the cells, the quick method is start at 1,1 and then press NEXT,NEXT,UP,UP,NEXT,RIGHT and repeat until you reach RPM point 6 or 7 and repeat for each load point upto around 7.
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This FAQ has been written based on various opinions, resources and information found on the web, Skylines Australia forum, SAU members and other unmentioned car forums. This document is supplied as a "FAQ" or Reference guide only and should only be used as an informative guide. It is by no means a "spec" sheet or product manual. You should always consult your tuner before making changes. No warranty is implied or provided with the information given here, use it at your own risk.
This document was written by Paul Rivoli (paulr33) for the Skylines Australia car club (
http://www.syklinesaustralia.com/).
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