Hi I have a Braineack built MS2 DIYPNP for my 2000 Miata turbo. Now I've had this car for some quite time and recently it started running like poo. By poo, I mean it ran on 3 cylinders at all times. Replaced all kinds of ignition goodies to get the same results.

Progress:
I removed my entire kit and went back to the n/a setup and stock ECU. Car ran perfect and no more 3 cylinder life.

Sent my DIYPNP to Braineack and flashed it with some the latest ms2 release and sent it back to me. A full days worth of work, and hooked up the ECU, all was golden, all 4 cylinders were firing, autotuned again and she was a blast to drive once again.

Well a month and half after that step, I was driving and the car did the ol' 3 cylinder run mode again. It would not go away, it was back to square one.

----So I made a huge mistake and on impulse ordered a MS2PNP from Diyautotune. Only to find my car is still doing the same damn thing. Luckily they are letting me return it with some fees, but that is better than being out $840 on a non-needed ECU.


My request is for a write up on how to properly flash firmware onto a ms2 diypnp. Sorry for the back story but I want to explain why i'm at this point. I tried to flash it myself and failed....... there are all kind of error messages and warnings to fix the problems before trying to run the car.

So the tune I know was working is under the signature: MS2Extracomms330NP

The config of the firmware when it was working from braineack: MS2Extracomms333e2

Yes I know they don't match, but it said I could connect anyways and I did (it's only off by a letter or two)

Can someone help me get back to that "firmware signature" configuration. I have no idea how to flash the firmware and when I search I get all kinds of different methods for different versions, Megasquirts, flashing a brand new or updating one......... etc.


Thank you for any help.
-Rick

 

If I am not mistaken, everytime you add or update a new firmware to the MS, Tunerstudio will ask you which configuration you want to use when you open the program.

I updated to TS 2.6.19v and had a window open up asking me if I wanted to use the new firmware config. The choices were according to the previous firmware number/title and the new one.

You may have to restart from scratch. Reinstall the TS program and update firmware on the MS. I also don't think the signatures are that similar. Seems like firmware version 3.3.0 and 3.3.3 which would mean there are other firmware versions in between those. Anyone else have anything different?

 

I tried to follow diyautotune's instructions online for flashing a MS2 but one step through me off. They said to "press 2 for microsquirt" even though megasquirt was an option during the procedure. I selected megasquirt and after a lot of switching properties, I almost thought I had success.

But TS gives me the following error message when I load/ have car hooked up:

"You have a settings error! on sickmiatabro-idleup. This means there are conflicting settings and the MegaSquirt does not know how to handle them.

The following error was reported by Megasquirt:
Conflict between spare output ports and spark outputs.

Unless directed in the above message, you do not need to reload firmware to fix this problem.

To remove this you need to correct this error in your settings then powercycle the megasquirt."

*that's the whole error message*

Someone please help me out here. I've put the car on hold since this. I can't even attempt to start it because of this.

ttt.

 

Bump please people. Anyone?!

 

Please post the MSQ that's giving you this error.

 

This is the tune I try to open up with the "reflashed" DIYPNP Matt Cramer



I wish I had expanded my knowledge on Megasquirt years ago when I first purchased it. After some looking into it, I believe my TPS is the culprit for spurring on the 3 cylinder running way of things. Even at partial throttle on the stock ECU, I can get the car to miss and sound like a Subaru like it did when the tune would go out of whack on the DIYPNP.

I'm replacing the TPS but now can't confirm I have the fix because of this error message. I only understand the basics of TS like autotune, rev limiter, launch control, warmup enrichment etc for the purposes of getting the car to run. Anything beyond that and it's Spanish to me :(

thank you for any help you can spot me here. My turbo has been mounted and just spooling for 2 weeks now with no actual boost. I haven't put my foot to the floor in some time

 

Please be sure you are using MicroSquirt Module firmware when you flash the firmware on a DIYPNP. You seem to have accidentally selected standard MS2 firmware, which uses different output pins.

 

I dunno how I missed this. Still having issues?

sounds like loaded the firmware for regular ms2 and didnt select "microsquirt (including DIYPNP)"

ALD and WLD are the spark outputs for MS2, but are not for microsquirt--and those are in use for other functions on your setup (a/c and fan).


why did you reflash the firmware? I put you on the latest 3.3.3. That's what you want to be on.

 

aaaaahhhhh that makes sense. That's why I made the thread because I knew it had to be that simple, I was just thrown off because the site directions were saying to select "microsquirt" but ms2 was an option and I assumed maybe the directions were out of date.

Braineack I reflashed the firmware because I couldn't for the life of me figure out why after you sent it back to me, not even 4 weeks later the car tripped into running 3 cylinders and no spark at all in cylinder 1.

I was still blaming the ECU at this point for my problems and figured, ok if I have to reflash it every 3 weeks to keep it running smoothly I would.

I then flashed it improperly and for a quick fix, purchased a brand new ms2 pnp for $800+. I thought for sure I would be golden then, but 3 days into running that one........ I was hit with the three cylinder life again and confirmed my "braineack built" diypnp was not the problem lol.

So now I am nearing the end of my troubles, new tps is going in tomorrow. (I'll make sure I run the codes to see if the tps one goes away) And once that is done, I'll reinstall the diypnp, flash it the proper way and hopefully be in the clear. I should have seen this coming since every time I tried to calibrate the TPS for closed and fully open, the bar was always flickering around and my closed reading was between 92-95 and fully open was around 736.

Thank you for all the help. I'll post up results tomorrow night.

 

Yeah that one gets me every now and again. I like to rush through the firmware install and use all the defaults, but for the DIYPNP you need to hit (3), IIRC, for the Microsquirt firmware. Otherwise you'll get errors once you load the map becasue the inputs/ouputs are different between the two mainboards.


Are you still on stock coils or are you using COPs?

Have you run the car with the TPS completely removed? I could see if it was leaking 5v directly to ground it could cause issues. But those readings you mentioned dont sound out of the ordinary--unless those numbers were never repeatable.

 

I am still using OEM coils, and OEM ngk blue wires (both are brand new since 2 months ago during my "troubleshooting") That's where I started along with replacing the alternator (it had failed the test at a local oreilleys) and I've cleaned up any grounds I could find on the harness that runs with injectors, coils etc. Also replaced the camshaft positioning sensor, have not replaced the crankshaft sensor but I have one on stand by.

I just find it odd that I put together my kit back in 2011 and the car ran amazingly until the hiccup it had some months ago now. Dyno'd 180whp when the wastegate would spike 10 and drop to 6 psi and hold. This is was on the stock fuel system. I upgraded to rx8 yellow injectors when I installed a boost controller to bandaid the "drop" and the car would pull it's *** off (est 220whp) and hold 10psi solid throughout every pull. I hope to be back on this "solid" running life soon. I'm currently on brand new OEM injectors (replaced those too lol) and no controller so she'll be quick again soon.

And if those #'s are the usual readings, I'll take that. But with the stock ECU in I'm throwing a code for my tps. And partial throttle accel or decel I get crazy misfiring on the stock ecu with this code being thrown. Its kind of mind baffling but I'll figure this out by tonight I hope. Thank you !

 

Check the plug wires, specifically where they fit over the spark plug. I've had cracks in mine on cars that give intermitent spark and got worse once warm. The crack opens up and the spark goes to the head and not the plug. But sounds like they are new and shouldnt be an issue.

your logs never showed sync loss, so I wouldn't touch the cam/crank sensors.

 

Okay so reflashed the firmware!!

Good and bad news.

#1 The only error message I have now is a tacho output conflict. I went to the settings for tacho output and the option for D14 was no longer there?? I'm pretty sure this is what it was set to prior to everything going haywire. I selected to turn this function off so the error message would go away as it did.


#2 My air intake temperature sensor is not working. In tunerstudio when I have the gauge up for manifold temperature it reads 0 degrees and about every 15 seconds, it will jump up a few degrees and then the needle will go down 0 degrees again. Is it terrible to run the car without the sensor??
I calibrated the thermosister table according to diyautotune's site but nothing changed.


I did start the car up and even though without my wideband hooked up (I had repin'd it for the other MS2 and haven't wired the other serial port up to it yet) It ran pretty damn good, I took it for a quick drive down the street but was not amused by my tach reading and then cutting out whenever I would give it throttle.

I haven't installed the new tps either. But now my closed is 101. So it's slowly climbed over time.


So I need help in the following areas:

What do I change to get my tach working properly again?
How do I get my GM IAT to work again or should I replace it?
Where can I find the pinout for the DIYPNP serial so I can wire my wideband correctly for power, ground, and serial (whatever the third wire is called on AEM UEGO widebands)/??

THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP!!! She's almost back to what it was.

 

1. should be tachout.
2. calibrate all your sensors.

I wire the DB15 like so:

1. 12v 2. ground 3. sensor ground (for use with older LC1s only) 4. WBo2 in 15. EBC out

 

Got it, repairs are going down today. I don't remember where I saw D14 before. I do see tachout is an option so I will select that. When it gave me the error message it was on "IGN".

I'll recalibrate all my sensors after getting the wideband hooked up.

I also have a new IAT sensor on standby if I can't get a reading just to see if it's the problem.

Hopefully I'm solid by this weekend.

Thank you sir for all the help.

 

I'm seriously almost about to lose it with this car.

Yesterday I thought I had made some progress:
Car was running and I was able to see 3 psi only to let off because I feel like its good to be true and it is lol.


Tunerstudio is reporting "NOT SYNCED" as it did yesterday but at least yesterday I could scoot around town and just take it easy.

Well this morning not even 5 minutes into driving it, the familiar 3 cylinder mode took over again. It's ironic because I was in such a good mood that I almost had this deal figured out and here it is again.........no spark cylinder 1 at all times now.

Now here's my state of mind on this:

I've replaced the CAS and even swapped back in the original one,
NEW coil packs, wires, plugs, alternator, injectors, and fuel filter.

And just 3 weeks ago I went as far as buying a MS2PNP only to have it do the same thing........

I returned that, reflashed my DIYPNP and it only took a day for this problem to occur.

Why the **** does it run semi-okay after a flash and then return to **** soon after??

Why can I put in my stock ecu and the car runs as it should, with no ******* problems?

I still have no IAT reading in tunerstudio in "manifold temp." IS this a problem?! Is this reading required for the damn megasquirt to function??

Is there some kind of bug out there in firmware? Is there a setting that can trigger this at random?? Seriously, I'm so close to starting her up (all 3 cylinders and what boost it will make) and having my foot to the floor until it runs no more.


I want to believe it is something in the car.......but the stock ECU firing all 4 the second it is installed is a red flag to me.

If I do not have this situated by Monday...... I just quit.

ANY ******* IDEAS ON WHAT IS GOING ON? WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. THIS IS 6 MONTHS INTO HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND I'M REEVALUATING MY CHOICES NOW.

 

Update*

Got iat working.

Swapped coil packs, connectors, wires, all around and everything...... Megasquirt is not firing cylinder 1 at all. It does not matter the orientation of them. Coils are still good.

I plug the stock ecu you in literally 30 seconds after this test.......and all 4 fire up No problem.

This is blowing my mind.

 

Here is my project folder and tune.

Feel free to check these out as something is not correct. I have nothing else to try anymore. There has to be a bug in my tune because this is getting out of hand.

 

wasn't it cly-2 having the issue before?

is the spark not firing on #1 or the fuel?

do you have anyone else local that has a 99-00 that you can just test output function on? (you do know about the output test mode right? so you dont have to run the car to test the spark and/or fuel)

 

Cylinder 1 is the one that's always giving problems. And sadly I do not have anyone around with a 99-00 here in North Dakota lol.

I know of the output test mode but have never used it before.

I'm not getting spark. When this condition takes place, I know from experience because I had driven the car on 3 cylinders for a short period of time, fuel will eventually be prominent on the side of the block as it is getting through the manifold gasket and also into the turbo. When I pulled the manifold the rubber for #1 was drenched in fuel. Keep in mind that had been building up for a while, but I hope I'm getting my point across.

The megasquirt will not fire cylinder 1.

It's not a car issue, it's the actual megasquirt. I put the stock ECU in 5 seconds after shutting off the 3 cylinder Miata, and she fires right up on all 4