Can't connect to MS after going MS-1 to MS-II
#63
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I am using an Acer notebook with Windows XP. It's tiny and even fits in my igloo lunchbox so I can keep it in my locker during work and can MegaLog View stuff at break time.
I forgot to mention last night.
I drove the car to work yesterday, I leave my house at 2PM and leave work at 11PM. On the way to work I noticed the car do it's "pulse" or "reset" feeling that I was talking about before. It's not so bad when it does it at just cruising speed, but when it does it in boost it sucks. I was boosting about 5psi, and it felt like I hit the rev limiter. My car runs good, but I think my valve guides are shot, and my turbo might also have leaky CHRA seals. When I hit this rev limiter feeling in boost, I looked in my rear view and there was a HUGE cloud of black smoke behind my car. This winter I want to get my head redone and maybe even bolt on a brand spankin new GT2560. Not sure if it'll happen, but we'll see. Another thing I noticed while viewing a datalog, was my TP. There were a few times where it read -1. How is that possible? If the throttle blade is against the idle screw, it should be no lower than 0 right? Looks like I have more to calibrate than my Wideband.
1 more thing...ABE. I got an envelope in the mailbox today, and inside were 2 transistors, fully intact and undamaged. THANKS! Marc, did you swap transistors yet? If so, how is your idle now?
I forgot to mention last night.
I drove the car to work yesterday, I leave my house at 2PM and leave work at 11PM. On the way to work I noticed the car do it's "pulse" or "reset" feeling that I was talking about before. It's not so bad when it does it at just cruising speed, but when it does it in boost it sucks. I was boosting about 5psi, and it felt like I hit the rev limiter. My car runs good, but I think my valve guides are shot, and my turbo might also have leaky CHRA seals. When I hit this rev limiter feeling in boost, I looked in my rear view and there was a HUGE cloud of black smoke behind my car. This winter I want to get my head redone and maybe even bolt on a brand spankin new GT2560. Not sure if it'll happen, but we'll see. Another thing I noticed while viewing a datalog, was my TP. There were a few times where it read -1. How is that possible? If the throttle blade is against the idle screw, it should be no lower than 0 right? Looks like I have more to calibrate than my Wideband.
1 more thing...ABE. I got an envelope in the mailbox today, and inside were 2 transistors, fully intact and undamaged. THANKS! Marc, did you swap transistors yet? If so, how is your idle now?
#64
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Didn't swap transistors yet. I haven't had time or the nerve to pull out the MS. I will get to it this week and let you know. Maybe you can test it for us? ![wink](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/wink.gif)
When I do pull it out, Im going to be doing a bunch of mods to the board, i.e. bluetooth. I just have to make sure I have a surefire backup plan just incase the bluetooth installation doesnt go well. I haven't even gotten to flash the beta firmware yet, but I will tomorrow morning. Then I'll try playing with the CL idle again.
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When I do pull it out, Im going to be doing a bunch of mods to the board, i.e. bluetooth. I just have to make sure I have a surefire backup plan just incase the bluetooth installation doesnt go well. I haven't even gotten to flash the beta firmware yet, but I will tomorrow morning. Then I'll try playing with the CL idle again.
#65
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My car left me sit tonight. Me and my fiance went to visit some friends about 65 miles away. We drove the turnpike and my battery light was dimly lit the whole time. This was around 6:30pm. We left their house about 10:45pm and when I started the car, the battery light came on and was BRIGHT. I drove the car up the turnpike about 1/2way to our exit, the LC-1 gauge dies. Then the stereo goes out. Then the dash and the headlights go really dim and the engine (running on the MS) starts to misfire a very little bit. I pull off onto the shoulder of the road and shut the car off. I go to turn the igniton and no crank, the only thing that kept was my stereo clock. So I got it towed home and it's on the battery charger.
As I mentioned before, even with the stock ECU I would notice headlight dimming at RPM's above 4500. The day I went to fire the MS, the battery was dead, so I charged it. Once charged, I put about 100 miles on the car with no problem. I think cause I was running my headlights the alternator just couldn't cut it anymore, and it finally went. That left the car to run off the 1/2 charged battery, which lasted next to nothing. So either I F'd something up when I did the alternator jumper on the PNP board, or my alternator is trash.
As I mentioned before, even with the stock ECU I would notice headlight dimming at RPM's above 4500. The day I went to fire the MS, the battery was dead, so I charged it. Once charged, I put about 100 miles on the car with no problem. I think cause I was running my headlights the alternator just couldn't cut it anymore, and it finally went. That left the car to run off the 1/2 charged battery, which lasted next to nothing. So either I F'd something up when I did the alternator jumper on the PNP board, or my alternator is trash.
#66
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I drove the car to work yesterday, I leave my house at 2PM and leave work at 11PM. On the way to work I noticed the car do it's "pulse" or "reset" feeling that I was talking about before. It's not so bad when it does it at just cruising speed, but when it does it in boost it sucks. I was boosting about 5psi, and it felt like I hit the rev limiter.
Another thing I noticed while viewing a datalog, was my TP. There were a few times where it read -1. How is that possible? If the throttle blade is against the idle screw, it should be no lower than 0 right? Looks like I have more to calibrate than my Wideband.
...If so, how is your idle now?
...If so, how is your idle now?
Well, TP = -1 COULD signal an error, but I doubt it. More likely, your calibration is just SLIGHTLY off, the throttle might not have been ALL the way closed when you did it. Just subtract one from the bottom value, it should fix it.
BUT: Check the logs. If it's doing it at random times, that's bad, it's losing signal. If it's doing it when it's reasonable for the TP to be close anyway, it's probably just an off calibration.
A jumpy/noisy TPS can cause all sorts of havoc when you're running, including skipping from it getting very rich, so it's worth paying special attention to. It'll show in the logs no problem.
#67
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My car left me sit tonight. Me and my fiance went to visit some friends about 65 miles away. We drove the turnpike and my battery light was dimly lit the whole time. This was around 6:30pm. We left their house about 10:45pm and when I started the car, the battery light came on and was BRIGHT. I drove the car up the turnpike about 1/2way to our exit, the LC-1 gauge dies. Then the stereo goes out. Then the dash and the headlights go really dim and the engine (running on the MS) starts to misfire a very little bit. I pull off onto the shoulder of the road and shut the car off. I go to turn the igniton and no crank, the only thing that kept was my stereo clock. So I got it towed home and it's on the battery charger.
As I mentioned before, even with the stock ECU I would notice headlight dimming at RPM's above 4500. The day I went to fire the MS, the battery was dead, so I charged it. Once charged, I put about 100 miles on the car with no problem. I think cause I was running my headlights the alternator just couldn't cut it anymore, and it finally went. That left the car to run off the 1/2 charged battery, which lasted next to nothing. So either I F'd something up when I did the alternator jumper on the PNP board, or my alternator is trash.
As I mentioned before, even with the stock ECU I would notice headlight dimming at RPM's above 4500. The day I went to fire the MS, the battery was dead, so I charged it. Once charged, I put about 100 miles on the car with no problem. I think cause I was running my headlights the alternator just couldn't cut it anymore, and it finally went. That left the car to run off the 1/2 charged battery, which lasted next to nothing. So either I F'd something up when I did the alternator jumper on the PNP board, or my alternator is trash.
#68
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Uhg! Really sorry to hear that. Car problems suck, but even more so when there's a girl to explain it all to. Hope it didn't ruin the night.
Yet, from the sound of it, you were already having issues, and since the car had been able to run, I'd say the circuit is ok. You can look at your logs and see what voltage you had been at all this time. Keep a close eye on it with your new battery, if it's really high (above 15, 15.5 volts) or really low (below 13, 13.2 volts) don't drive it and check in for some advice. If it's 14.x volts, you're in good shape, and it was just a tired alternator not able to keep up with a bad battery.
Check the logs and see what was going on.
Yet, from the sound of it, you were already having issues, and since the car had been able to run, I'd say the circuit is ok. You can look at your logs and see what voltage you had been at all this time. Keep a close eye on it with your new battery, if it's really high (above 15, 15.5 volts) or really low (below 13, 13.2 volts) don't drive it and check in for some advice. If it's 14.x volts, you're in good shape, and it was just a tired alternator not able to keep up with a bad battery.
Check the logs and see what was going on.
#71
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I am going to get a new battery and new alternator, as I am pretty sure they are both the original ones. As for those transistors...MS or PNP board? I was thinking PNP board, but in a few posts I rear something about MS, which one is it?
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Oh yeah, when I did that alternator jumper wire, I tested it with a voltmeter and it was wired up properly. Also, what would happen if I didn't nick that trace enough on the original circuit? Would this cause a problem like I am having?
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I'm still not super clear what that line does. I've certainly stared the Mazda's diagram a bunch.
I DO know I had a friend hook his up wrong and his alternator DID die. Of course, it was making crazy whining sounds, etc.
Anyway, just measure resistance (or, continuity) from the pin you soldered to to the pin the trace originally went to. If you get an open circuit, everything is ok.
You should always make it a habit to check that stuff you cut is open, and things you solder have a connection. I also like too check stuff near/under places I've soldered (for instance, sometimes the insulation on wire goes soft when you solder a wire, and pins beneath it can poke through).
(If you're interested, that wrong trace goes to some coil inside the alternator. Not sure what it's for, I'm thinking maybe the OEM computer could check how hard the alternator was working or some such...)
I DO know I had a friend hook his up wrong and his alternator DID die. Of course, it was making crazy whining sounds, etc.
Anyway, just measure resistance (or, continuity) from the pin you soldered to to the pin the trace originally went to. If you get an open circuit, everything is ok.
You should always make it a habit to check that stuff you cut is open, and things you solder have a connection. I also like too check stuff near/under places I've soldered (for instance, sometimes the insulation on wire goes soft when you solder a wire, and pins beneath it can poke through).
(If you're interested, that wrong trace goes to some coil inside the alternator. Not sure what it's for, I'm thinking maybe the OEM computer could check how hard the alternator was working or some such...)
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I always use a voltmeter with an audible tone to verify continuity. The one I cut the trace on didn't beep (no connection) the jumper wire I soldered did (good connection). So I just went in the garage and tried something. I opened the trunk and tested the battery voltage: 12.6volts. Then I started the car with the MS and tested across the battery terminals again. 14.3 volts. Wtf. Battery light was also on very dimly. Perhaps my alternator is so worn out, that as the RPM's increase it causes it not to charge?
I actually thought about plugging the stock ECU back in and startig it just to see if the battery light would still be on, and what voltage I get then.
I actually thought about plugging the stock ECU back in and startig it just to see if the battery light would still be on, and what voltage I get then.
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So I put a new battery and a new alternator in my car a few days ago. I didn't have a chance to drive it for the past few days due to shitty weather, but I had it out tonight. The car ran and drove great, no headlight dimming as RPM's increased. The battery voltage on my tuner studio desktop showed 14.4-14.5 at idle and as RPM's increased, the voltage never dropped.
1) My battery light is still on very dimly. If I plug the stock ECU back in, it does not stay on, so therefore this is a MS issue. Not a problem, more like an annoyance.
2) I felt that little jump again, and it did it while I was datalogging. In fact, it did it in the exact same place on the road where it did it before...weird. It's like I start the car in the driveway, let it warm up, drive down the road and it happens when I hit cruising speed. It does it a few minutes after cold starting. If the car is warm, like I go to a gas station and start it back up, it doesn't do it.
1) My battery light is still on very dimly. If I plug the stock ECU back in, it does not stay on, so therefore this is a MS issue. Not a problem, more like an annoyance.
2) I felt that little jump again, and it did it while I was datalogging. In fact, it did it in the exact same place on the road where it did it before...weird. It's like I start the car in the driveway, let it warm up, drive down the road and it happens when I hit cruising speed. It does it a few minutes after cold starting. If the car is warm, like I go to a gas station and start it back up, it doesn't do it.
#78
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So I put a new battery and a new alternator in my car a few days ago. I didn't have a chance to drive it for the past few days due to shitty weather, but I had it out tonight. The car ran and drove great, no headlight dimming as RPM's increased. The battery voltage on my tuner studio desktop showed 14.4-14.5 at idle and as RPM's increased, the voltage never dropped.
1) My battery light is still on very dimly. If I plug the stock ECU back in, it does not stay on, so therefore this is a MS issue. Not a problem, more like an annoyance.
2) I felt that little jump again, and it did it while I was datalogging. In fact, it did it in the exact same place on the road where it did it before...weird. It's like I start the car in the driveway, let it warm up, drive down the road and it happens when I hit cruising speed. It does it a few minutes after cold starting. If the car is warm, like I go to a gas station and start it back up, it doesn't do it.
1) My battery light is still on very dimly. If I plug the stock ECU back in, it does not stay on, so therefore this is a MS issue. Not a problem, more like an annoyance.
2) I felt that little jump again, and it did it while I was datalogging. In fact, it did it in the exact same place on the road where it did it before...weird. It's like I start the car in the driveway, let it warm up, drive down the road and it happens when I hit cruising speed. It does it a few minutes after cold starting. If the car is warm, like I go to a gas station and start it back up, it doesn't do it.
But the cruise issue is still under diagnosis. It may be for my car, I haven't had time to adjust the sensor yet (even though its only a 3 minute job).
And yea, I have the dimly lit battery light too. I just got used to it, although it is a bit annoying at first.
#79
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We should run that by Jason, its his circuit which he was cool enough to give me. We would just like "off" to be "off" instead of low. I'll bug him about it.
Interesting on the alternator. My car was acting funny on long highway cruises, too, if the stereo's on high, fans on, and the HIDs are sucking juice. Maybe my 10 year old alternator is on the way out as well.
Interesting on the alternator. My car was acting funny on long highway cruises, too, if the stereo's on high, fans on, and the HIDs are sucking juice. Maybe my 10 year old alternator is on the way out as well.
#80
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So Marc, I got those caps you sent me. Thanks. It's supposed to be nice all week, so I won't put them in until the weekend or next rainy day.
As for the battery and alternator, I'm sure they were both original. My car has 139,000 miles on it. The battery cranking amps were tested lower than they should be, and the logs show my alternator giving up, so it definately was time.
As for the battery and alternator, I'm sure they were both original. My car has 139,000 miles on it. The battery cranking amps were tested lower than they should be, and the logs show my alternator giving up, so it definately was time.