Tune Chevy Camaro with Aussie $12P, NVRAM, & Comms

[redcamaro]

... make sure the timing is at the on the balancer/dissy.

not sure what you are saying... about timing the balancer/dissy.

I think 12P is diagnostic mode when D11 is grounded, isn't it? Anyway I disconnected the EST wire.

Currently got about 30 degrees on the crank, and timing reference value set to 9.14, and Tunerpro advanced timing is around 20 degrees.

Car runs a bit better just done it by ear, but is still crap because I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing, and can't find a User Guide or a white paper on 12P - so I don't know what it's doing either...

So I have to keep asking, what is it doing, and how do you get it set right?

[VL400]

I think 12P is diagnostic mode when D11 is grounded, isn't it? Anyway I disconnected the EST wire.

Need to ground the diagnostic request wire, D11 gets data flowing and is a 12P specific thing. The pin names and functions are in a text file in the 12P V111 zip. Grounding the diagnsotic wire is not specific to 12P but the way most aussie delco ECUs are checked. So ground pin A9 and it will fix timing to whatever "EST params - Diagnostic Mode Forced Advance" is set to (default is 10 deg). So if you have a 6 deg mark on the ballancer change the forced advance to 6 deg and adjust the dizzy till it lines up, all you are doing is setting up the engine so the commanded spark is what the ECU is delivering. If you need to bring the revs up to make it more stable, dont exceed "EST params - Maximum RPM for Diagnostic Mode Forced Advance" which is by default 2000RPM.

[redcamaro]

... So if you have a 6 deg mark on the ballancer change the forced advance to 6 deg and adjust the dizzy till it lines up, all you are doing is setting up the engine so the commanded spark is what the ECU is delivering. If you need to bring the revs up to make it more stable, dont exceed "EST params - Maximum RPM for Diagnostic Mode Forced Advance" which is by default 2000RPM.

Right, I understand that in the context of what Holden202 suggested.

I bought two timing lights today incase I blow up another one tomorrow. They keep melting on me

My concern is whether the factory 6° reference is still valid with the Comp Cams XE 08-502-8 camshaft. Reason is that the engine didn't drive at 6° on a stock bin. A Cloyes 9 keyway timing chain is also installed, and I'm wondering whether the machine shop dialled the cam in correctly, or whether the need to advance the (balancer) timing to around 10° is due to (need to compensate for) other variables in the stock tune not being suited to the modifications.

Thanks to you all for your help so far.

[Jayme]

it doesnt really matter. once you have got your reference angle correct and timed it as vl400 said above then whatever advance the ecu is trying to acheive will be what is really happening at the crank. generally, if you have the ref angle at 10 degrees then thats what you should time the dizzy to with the est wire disconnected.
this means the 10 deg static timing will only apply while cranking. once running the spark does whatever the ecu tells it to from "Map A: EST - 20-100kPa Main Spark Advance vs MAP and RPM" so the static timing and ref angle doesnt really matter, as long as they match and as long as the end result timing at the crank matches the advance the ecu is trying to acheive and the engine can start then its all good. then you just need to adjust the timing numbers in the spark map in the tune to suit your cam.

[antus]

Yep thats correct. I would say it this way: The reference angle is an input to the ecu. Its telling it that when it triggers from the relutor inside the distributor that the engine is it the reference degrees. The actual spark is something else and once youve 'dialed in' the reference angle, then you can worry about whatever spark the cam needs to idle properly, which will probably will be more than 6 or 10 degrees.

[redcamaro]

it doesnt really matter. once you have got your reference angle correct and timed it as vl400 said above then whatever advance the ecu is trying to acheive will be what is really happening at the crank. generally, if you have the ref angle at 10 degrees then thats what you should time the dizzy to with the est wire disconnected.
this means the 10 deg static timing will only apply while cranking. once running the spark does whatever the ecu tells it to from "Map A: EST - 20-100kPa Main Spark Advance vs MAP and RPM" so the static timing and ref angle doesnt really matter, as long as they match and as long as the end result timing at the crank matches the advance the ecu is trying to acheive and the engine can start then its all good. then you just need to adjust the timing numbers in the spark map in the tune to suit your cam.

Cool! That also explain's why the engine started, but wouldn't run when I first installed $12P and the ECU reference angle was still set to the VR (distributor type) stock 60°.

[redcamaro]

Can't do RT yet, but I've currently got 30° set at the balancer, and 8° Spark Reference Angle in $12P, went for a drive ...

Injector duty cycle is only 2-3% - is that normal? I'd like to get some feedback on the attached xdl log file?

[VL400]

..but I've currently got 30° set at the balancer, and 8° Spark Reference Angle in $12P..

I hope you mean you set the spark to whatever "EST params - Diagnostic Mode Forced Advance" is on the balancer while in diagnostic mode and now you have 30deg advance (which matches what TP reports while logging, not looked at the log) when in normal mode at idle

[redcamaro]

I did set "EST params - Diagnostic Mode Forced Advance" and flashed the NVRAM, but engine didn't start.

I undid the change and flashed again, it started, ... tried a couple of different SR Angles, reflashing in between - trying to get closer to the stock 6 degrees, best so far was 8 deg.

I broke pin 3 off the DS1245 module while swapping it in and out of the ECU in the darkness under the dash, and had to get another one.

Almost over it, just wanted to get it running again.

Then with the timing light set static timing to where the engine runs best by ear, and that was 30 degrees.

It still runs crap, like before, but at least it runs.

[Holden202T]

something is seriously wrong here, you should set the timing in diagnostic mode (on the balancer) to the same as the reference angle defined in the tune .... if its not running right at this point then maybe worth checking that the mark on the balancer is accurate ....

if it is and its still not running right it may not be a timing issue it may be something else like fuel or spark that the tune is commanding ... but either way if your setting the dizzy to something different to what the referenace angle is your always going to be chasing your tail on spark timing numbers.