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I do really like a lot of things about the maxxecu pro, the software is just nice. The actual engine control is state of the art 2000 but the software lets me alter and add in enough places that I'm sure I can get it working nicely.  The h-bridge outputs (throttle drivers) are just sad at 2A when my throttle (BMW E46) actuator draws 7A so I'd need to keep the external driver I currently use.....but Lana did not approve a $2500 car budget advance.  Maybe for the spring.

The ecu I have has 10 spark outputs, #1 is fried.  With many newer ECU it would be a non-issue as i could just pick a different output but ecu automatically assigns 1-6.  Tonight though I had all 12 cylinders running again.  The software lets me select 12 cylinder coil on plug as if there are 12 outputs because early HW did have 12...mine actually does have 12 too but the softer can't access 11&12 correctly.   But that wouldn't help anyway, output 1 is dead....but it also supports 2-stroke and allowed me to select 12 cylinder 2-stroke so now I can waste spark off any 6 driver I want. The spark is fixed

The down side is I now have 2 fuel pulses per cycle.   I still have 12 outputs so cylinder trim still works.  I set the global fuel trim to 50% but it was still pig rich and idle VE went from 50 to 35...I may put it back to 50 and mess with the global trim more.  It wasn't running great and I realized after I shut down the injection timing table at 360 on a 360 degree cycle it not right.  Also I can't set 2 cylinders to the same crank position, I can but the ECU gets confused and cuts spark.   so I set the pairs (1/6, 2/5, ect) 0.5 degree apart....I think I'll increase it a bit though as I don't know what the ECU is actually capable of and injection angle isn't all that critical so no need to find the ECUs limit.

But it runs again.

Did you open up your ECU yet to see what is broken? Can‘t be that hard to fix.

Not yet. I almost opened it but then has the 2-stroke idea which I'll play with a bit more. Its a 2 sided board and the only way to remove it is to de-solder the connectors so if its on the top side it basically can't be fixed. If its on the bottom I would have to find it....and it still works a little so it won't be fired and obvious. Its also very low output current so not big and likely multiples in 1 chip but maybe not....so it would be a game of read the part number and google it with a 50/50 chance and I just wasn't feeling it.

Honestly its getting pretty cold out so what I should do is just pull the engine and fix whatever is leaking, get the wheel wells fitting, fix the steering, sort out the mess I've made under the dash, while I save my pennies for a new ECU.

Amazing.

There is a fuel timing and spark timing table and I've discovered they have to match or it sparks exactly 1 time.  So I put the channels with spark on the nominal angle, and matched their fuel channels.  Then the non-connected spark channels are offset 10 degrees which is as far as I was comfortable mismatching fuel timing.  It runs pretty good but was wanting to drop cylinders. 

I let it cool and pulled the plugs and average spark plug colors seem to match what lambda is saying.  I have a few plug that are darker and a 3 pretty white which checks out with the lambda reading with the rear bank wanting to go 30% lean and the front 15% lean so I'm pretty sure those are the ones that were dropping.  Sync is a little messed up and I have the cylinder Map fuel correct off.  I'm thinking I'll through some fuel at the lean ones so they stay running and resync the TBs.

The in-line zener fixed the rear axle speed sensor so that reads correctly now....although as I type I'm realizing I didn't confirm the factory speedo is still reading as-was, on the tomorrow list.

The Temp gauge wasn't reading, but the ECU was reading CLT temp from the engine.  not sure what that's about, hopefully not another dead ECU output.

Ok, I added 20% more fuel to 1, 2, 9  and did the TB sync.  At shut down  1, 9 to about the expected color, 2 needs more....something is wrong.   9 has been a problem child all along and all the injectors other than #7 moved to different cylinder so its not that but it does trim.

I have a much bigger issue though, detonation.  It runs fine for maybe 15 minutes then it doesn't.  It seems to idle fine but with random misfires but rev it and well it doesn't rev.  Plug gaps not where I set them.  ECU is now officially ready for the trash.  

Now do I save money and brush up on my C and learn Lua so I can make rusEFI do what I want or save my money until a maxxecu is in reach?

On to wheel wells I guess, that should be time not money.

Many twelve cylinder cars use two ECU each running six cylinders. Perhaps that would open up more ECU options.

I did take a look at that option but it looks like the ECU manufactures did too and its more expensive. Most of the cost is the software but a 12cyl ecu is almost double the price of a 6cyl (or 8). The open software rusefi there cheapest unit is a $210 6/6 sfuel/spark so 2 would be fine but the connectors are awful. The next one up 8/6 has nice connectors at $300, so $600 for a pair case less or $375each in nice case.....then I would need to get into the firmware and fix a few things and assuming I was successful deal with tuning 2 ECUs when for $825 I could have 1 big ecu for $825.

I'm about 90% set I'll go with the maxxecu pro at $2450+connectors. I spent a big chunk of today in there software working through how the major stuff would need to be setup....it seems ok. Now I just need the money ......

Today I'd mostly talked myself into trying a rusefi...the last couple nights I worked out a setup that I think would be fine with the thought that at least I'd be running again and if I hate it I could save for something else.....and tonight I got an email from the owner of enginelab responding to my from a couple weeks ago and asking if what the problem is and if they could help me get it fixed....getting it fixed would make me happy.

That is a step in the right direction. Maybe Engine Labs can fix it.

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Wade Williams
Master Ferrari Tech
Restoration Tech
Engine Machinist
Fabricator
Racecar Driver