Hey guys,

I got my MSLabs MS3 Basic installed in my 1994 Miata with the stock motor, and lucky me! It started on the first turn of the key after I had gone through the initial setup, and we have the timing set at 10 with a timing light and the Trigger Wizard. It then softly dies over a couple seconds. The engine sounds like it starts and runs normally and relatively healthily, but it's not running for long. I'm really new to this and could use some help.

I've installed the MS3 Basic with the MSLabs CAN Module, the Innovate MTX-L gauge and wideband, and have wired both the digital and analog inputs to the ECU, the former through the CAN module and then CANH and CANL pins on the accessory plugs, and the latter through the stock O2 plug wire. I've removed the stock sensor and plugged the bung for it. It started with the base tune from MSLabs and I haven't touched it. Log of a start and my current tune are attached, your help is appreciated.

2017-02-21_19.56.28.msl
1994MiataRunsThenDies.msq

 

Have you tried blipping the throttle to keep it alive? I haven't dialed my cold starts in yet (installed about a month ago) and it can take a couple of blips before it idles smoothly. Otherwise it just idles straight down to dying.

 

Heh, can't claim I have...I was being too cautious to attempt it! I guess if the car starts and basically runs I should be fine to prod the throttle a bit?

Also, is there any significance to me having a "RPM Not Synced" warning? It appears to be the only warning lit up on my TunerStudio.

 

I'm no authority on the subject as I just got into this a month or so ago, but considering the car cranks and you don't have a lost sync count until the motor dies it seems like you should be good to at least get it idling. Looks like ambient temp is about 60 degrees based on CLT/MAT? That's about where I start having to blip to keep the RPM's up for a moment, then it's a ok. You can see as the RPM's drop it goes back to cranking, so I think you just need to keep it alive for now and sort out the cold start later.

 

Definitely, I went downstairs and started it up with a little throttle...didn't get the laptop out like a fool, but bounced it around 2000-2500 for a bit and then held it at 2k for another 5 seconds or so, the gauge was holding steady at 14.7, then I let it idle for awhile and the gauge was reading like 15.6...I shut it down though because my old motor is really starting to smoke on startup, hence the new motor coming soon, hence the MS3 install now...

So with the MS3 installed and working, i think the car will get parked and left alone until it's time for the new engine Thanks for the help!

 

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No go learn to tune on the old smokey motor. At least get your head wrapped around it a bit more. This way if you mess up something in your tune you give zero ***** about the motor.

 

I'd like to attempt that, but it's not smokey as in "it's burning oil" (that's how it was several months ago), now it's smelly like "metal things in the valvetrain are rubbing against each other and binding and it sounds and smells terrible". I'm not sure I could run it up long enough to reach operating temperature in its current state...

 

I agree with Shuiend here. I am having this same exact issue, but my engine is a 70K 1.6L that i wanna keep pristine.