FAQs

Question :
Is it possible to configure your own CAN bus messages to be sent out on the CAN interface on the MBE 9A9 ECU? Is it capable of receiving CAN messages and acting on them?

Answer :
The CAN Bus data stream is designed for use to transmit data to either external devices, such as data loggers or data to other MBE systems. It would be possible to control other devices that are CAN Bus controlled.

For example, if you have a gearbox that has a CAN Bus system on it, it can indeed control it. The problem you have is that the manufacturer of the gearbox is unlikely to release the protocols required to control the gearbox and the same would go for any other systems fitted to production cars. If you are able to get the protocols, the software could then be written to control them with the MBE CAN data stream and depending on how complex the system, would depend on how much time was required for the software engineer to write it. This may only be a matter of a couple of days of work, which would then need to be charged to the customer requesting it.

Unfortunately, if the data stream information is not available from the manufacturer, it would be virtually impossible to write controlling software to control the CAN Bus of each product, since you have no idea of what the information requires to control it. It is like looking for a needle in a hundred haystacks. It is potentially months of work just trying to decode what is required and the cost would be far too expensive.

Question :
I have Ford Fiesta Mk7 power steering unit (TRW Column Drive EPS CAN control) and I would like to use it on my Fiesta Mk2 Duratec HE 2.0 Racecar. Can any MBE ECU control this unit?

Answer :
The only problem you are going to have is getting the CAN protocols, no manufacturers release their CAN protocols. In the past, MBE have done development work for large manufacturers themselves and even then they would not release protocols outside.

The problem with anything that is CAN controlled, is that you have no idea what the messages should be and even if you discover some messages that get a system working, there may be other hidden safety messages that are being used to check that the system is working correctly. If these messages are either not received or transmitted, the system may appear to work correctly for a short period of time and then simply switch off assuming there is a fault. Hunting for any CAN data messages is like looking for a needle in 100 haystacks, so without the original CAN datastream protocols, it would be cheaper to fit a completely different system.

Obviously in the event of you being lucky enough to get the information required, if you are running an MBE ECU to control the engine then some protocols could be written to do the job required. We also need to know what other functions are necessarily associated with it, to decide which would be a suitable ECU for your needs.

Question :
How do I make a back up on chipfile in my ECU?

Answer :
Simple instructions for making a backup:
1. Power up the ECU, plug in your mapping lead (which must be a proper mapping lead, NOT an RS232 extension lead).
2. Open Easimap 5 programme, this should then identify your ECU and set a real-time view automatically.
3. Select ‘chipfile’ from the drop-down transfer chip data, provided your ECU is powered up ‘ECU’ will be highlighted in dark blue. The words above this in the grey section will be ‘select source device’. Hit the ENTER key, (do not use mouse keys as you can easily double click and send the information back from where you got it).
4. You will then get a screen appears again with ‘select Target device’. With the use of the up and down arrow, highlight ‘other chip file’, hit the ENTER key, you will then have a box appear as ‘save as’ and the file name will have a flashing bar. You must then enter the name you wish to give it e.g. Chris Platt 1. Then hit the SAVE button.
5. The map will then be slowly transferred from the ECU to your laptop. This may take a minute or so.
If this does not work, you would need to reinstall Easimap 5.

Question:

Could you please confirm which input pin would be desired for a pull up or pull down 5v digital signal.

Answer:

The easiest way to confirm which pin is suitable is simply to plug into the ECU with the MBE985 USB/CAN interface (basic mapping equipment MBE-MAP-KIT-3-CAN). Easimap 6 will then automatically select the correct .ec2 file to match the software as the ECU you are proposing to set up gearbox control with. You will then be able to go to programmable pins and look at the drop down option for each of the pins and see if this option is available.

Because software is continually updated and changing, new functions and options will become available over time and there is always a possibility that the software version that your ECU has different functions available and therefore this can only be confirmed by plugging into the ECU or having a copy of the map from the ECU along with knowing the software version the ECU is currently using.

This applies to all our MBE ECUs

Question:

What is the relationship between Current Faults and Logged Faults in Easimap 6. Presumably a fault will disappear from Current Faults as soon as the condition is resolved, but does it then remain in Logged Faults? How long do they remain in Logged Faults for? And is there a way to clear or reset the Logged Faults?

Answer:

The 9A* range of ECUs has the option to display current faults and logged faults. The current faults will only exist while it actually has that fault and then the status will return to being ok. The logged fault will only log the fault until the ECU power has been cycled.

This way if you wish to diagnose a fault and the fault is intermittent, you may miss it in the current faults section, but it would be obvious in the logged fault provided you do not cycle the ECU power.

Question :
I would like to make some alterations to the standard map to improve cold starting (the car struggles to idle when cold). However, I’ve just realised that my laptop (being fairly current) doesn’t have a serial port. Is it possible to connect the ECU to a USB port (and if so can you supply the Farnell parts list) or do you know if the regular serial coiled leads that you supply can be used with a USB to serial adapter?

Answer :
If your laptop is not equipped with a serial port you will need to purchase an adaptor with the appropriate software from a computer supplier. This will allow you to convert your USB port to run serial.

Once you have downloaded the software & have everything talking correctly, your ECU will almost certainly ask you for a PIN code, all our ECUs are coded with 1111. I would suggest before you attempt to make any adjustments that you look at the device info, as the throttle bodies & fuel pressure must be correctly set and the settings for this are written within this section.

Most importantly of all, is before you make any adjustments make a copy of the maps stored in the Ecu. This way if you make any mistakes you can restore your original map, if you lose your original copy we would have to make a charge to replace it. You should find sufficient information within the help file to carry out any modifications you think necessary & you should familiarise yourself with the system before attempting any changes.

Question :
How do we modify the fuel map? How do we send the modified map to the ECU and have the ECU run that map? How do we know the ECU is actually using the map we have modified? We are trying to do this statically before we run the engine because the map that is currently in the engine if far too lean. Unfortunately when I play with the maps and settings and click on the panels in the system, the information about how to save the data, and how to send that data appears to be missing. I have installed a lot of software in my life, and have taught myself how to use a lot of software, so I’m fairly intuitive about learning the software. I am not used to having instructions in the help manuals tell me to do something and then finding that the software doesn’t have the commands to follow the instructions. It’s a bit frustrating, to say the least.

Answer :
Any ECUs we send out directly to our customers come fully programmed and ready to use, there is information within the device info which normally helps with the set up of the engine. Easimap 6 has all the icons that are normally required across the top of the software, as you pass your mouse across the icon it describes what each function does. Because the software is continually evolving on almost a daily basis, it is impossible to make the help file anything more than a basic guide as improvements are added to the software itself, the information is added to the .ec2 file next to each new function added.

If you can give us more information as far as an invoice number when the ECU was purchased and any relevant information will help us to help you. We try to give as much help as possible to our customers but unfortunately with the many thousand of ECUs that we sell every year, it is impossible to have engineers available to give detailed free support as the cost of the initial ECU is literally the price of the ECU itself.

When you install Easimap 6 from our website, it should install correctly. We have occasionally seen some firewalls block part of the installation and therefore not all files are installed correctly. You could reinstall Easimap 6 as many times as you wish without any problems. When first downloaded, it is in its basic form and this is for the beginner so as to make things as easy as possible. This should normally be all that is required for any ECUs that we have programmed since the most that should normally be needed is to set the throttle pot. If the engine has been tuned, then access to the fuel and ignition maps would be needed but this is available even in the basic access. As you become more skilled you can access the advanced level by clicking on the profile at the bottom of the screen and then Master level has a password which is only normally required by accessing more complex functions, not normally associated with the running of the engine.

Once you give us further information as far as the ECU software is concerned, which will appear at the top of the screen in the panel marked ‘no device’ when the ECU is not connected. Easimap 6 will identify the ECU software and then automatically load the closest matching .ec2 file (for example if your ECU id is #9A4bd600, the .ec2 file it will load will be 9A4bd60a [could be anything from a to z depending on release]), which will then appear in the box to the left. If no ECU is connected, it will remember the last .ec2 file that was loaded by Easimap 6 which may not match the ECU you have connected. Once the ECU is connected If you confirm this software version, if it is later than the version on the website, we will email you a zipped copy for you to install into Easimap 6.

Question :
I made changes across several maps and then chose “Transfer All Data”. The transfer seemed to work successfully, but now it appears that the reverse voltage TPS curve for this Cosworth engine has been lost. Prior to making the changes, TPS was at site 5.1 at idle. Now, it is showing site 14.9 at idle, and voltage sweeps *downward*. It appears that something was lost when I transferred all of the maps. I did *not* change the throttle index map.

Answer :
You say you used “Transfer All Data” this tool allows you to move a chip file from one place to another, my guess is that instead of taking a copy from the ECU. You have taken a map from somewhere else and loaded it into the ECU. This means that you have not only loaded a different TPS index map but its setup as well and the rest of the map may also be different.

Hopefully, you made a copy of the map you had been working on previously and you can now reload that. If not I have attached a copy of the map loaded into the ECU when it was first sent to you. Use the 2 Chip Icons on the top left of your screen to save a copy of data in the ECU and send the new map if you need to that I have sent to you.

When mapping an engine I always make a copy of what is in the ECU and then make a copy of that to save changes to at the same time as to make changes to the ECU( use the send but on top of each map to send to map and then ECU). I can then compare changes made with the “ Compare Device Data” to see is I have missed anything or made a mistake. I can then fix or reload earlier maps if needed. I will also keep making copies as I go along so I am only one step away from the last version I was happy with.

Use the “Import Files” function in Easimap 6 for the attached map, it will then be in the correct place in Easimap 6 ready for you to download if needed.

Remember safety first.

Question :
I have a CAN based MBE ECU and I was wondering if you hade a base map for a K8 GSXR 1000 Suzuki. Any help would be appreciated, just want enough to get it up and running to make sure the loom is ok?

Answer :
Within Easimap 6 there are 3 sample base maps for each type of current model of MBE ECU (9A4, 9A8, 9A9), select the most suitable map and then load into your ECU and make small changes to suit your engine specification e.g. sample bike map is 24-1, yours maybe 24-2. All the information you require is detailed within each section relating to trigger wheel type and offsets.

If the ECU was supplied by us, it will normally be provided with a base map which is as close as possible to your engine specification or contact your supplier, if you require further help. We can provide more detailed support but this is chargeable at a rate £50 per half hour.

Question :
How does the Async fuel factor come in to play, this is per throttle site and an exponentially curving slope. I am really tempted to play with this (increasing it) but wanted to check in with you first.

Answer :
The chances are your AFR will read lean. You do have to be a bit careful because if you make the mixture too rich, the AFR will read lean again because the fuel will not burn correctly if the spark is put out and then you will have excess oxygen showing a lean AFR again. Slowly increasing the value as you have done is the correct way to do it. As you experiment further you may find certain areas e.g. speed sites require extra fuel, the Async Accel Pulse Width map is actually temperature vs speed, not throttle vs speed.

The other map you have found the Async Accel Fuel Factor, which shows an exponential curve is actually the rate of throttle change, the column running down the left shows the percentage of fuel that will be added to the overall fuel pulse width. This basically takes the value you have in your Async Accel Pulse Width map and then applies the percentage from the Async Accel Fuel Factor e.g. if the map has 10% whatever the map ‘TPS vs Speed Fuel Map’ has let’s say 10ms so for example 10% of 10ms is 1ms, then depending on the rate of throttle change would depend on the percentage of the 1ms that is added to the overall fuel pulse width. If the throttle is moved extremely fast, it will look at the right-hand end of the Async Accel Fuel Factor map which says 100% currently and therefore 1ms will be added. If the throttle is not moving at all, then the left-hand end of the map is accessed and the percentage is zero so therefore no fuel is added. If the throttle is moved at a rate between these 2 points, then the fuel quantity would depend on the percentage applied. Although you can modify the Async Accel Factor it is normally best to modify the pulse width of Async Accel Pulse Width map as this is easier to understand and simpler to experiment with as each engine will vary. If you then wish to experiment later with the Async Accel Fuel Factor, do so after you have experimented and understand what effect you can achieve with the information described above.

Please take great care when modifying the Async Accel Factor map.

Question :
Do you have a manual for MBE ECUs?

Answer :
There is a Help file within Easimap to guide you through the basic parameters. With this information you can learn to manipulate all the maps within the ECU. All the maps are constructed in a similar way so once you have learnt how to manipulate one map, you will be able to do the same with all the others. Because all the ECUs and software are developed continually over time as new maps and parameters get added, this information is added to the software version which you will be able to see within Easimap when you plug into the ECU itself.

Question:
From what I can tell, there is about a 10deg discrepancy in ignition timing, as in the mechanical timing is 10deg more advanced which is why we’ve had to retard the ignition timing map by 10deg. I believe it has to do with me adjusting the crank angle last night. With most engine management system software, there is a parameter to lock the timing at a user specified value so that ignition timing synch can be performed accurately without any trims affecting the specified value. Easimap doesn’t seem to offer that so we are assuming it is taking the value at ~1000rpm x Site 0. Setting that area at 10deg let us to adjust the crank angle to synch but the ignition map still looks wonky. For example at WOT the ignition map is set to 10deg but mechanically it’s operating at about 20deg. The car made 146whp my setup should be in the 200whp range

Answer:
If you are not familiar with MBE ECUs. I will try and keep it simple to explain what I believe you are seeing and why you don’t understand it.

The MBE system is designed to run on many production and pre-production vehicles and for this reason, it has many features to allow the engine to run perfectly even with a large number of sensors failed. I will explain below what I think they are seeing and not understanding.
1. The MBE ECUs do not require the cam sensor to allow them to start, this helps to prevent engines from not starting where they have to have a cam synchronisation before firing any sparks.
2. When the engine starts, it starts in wasted spark mode because it does not know which cycle it is on until synchronised from a cam signal, so during this time if you are checking the ignition with a strobe, the ignition value would appear to be double e.g. 10-degrees would appear to read as 20-degrees. It could be misunderstood to be an error of 10-degrees.
3. The software allows the user to configure when the cam signal is looked at to synchronise, this is called a ‘Cam Synch Window’ in most cases, this is set up not to happen at idle due to the fact that if there is fault with the sensor or ignition offset is 180-degrees out, if the wrong information is seen the engine could simply stop because of the synchronisation on the wrong cycle.
4. Most of the synchronisation windows are set around 2500-6000rpm at zero throttle. This means that the only way the engine will synchronise is if the engine is revved, the throttle is then closed and the engine will then synchronise at that point. This is a useful tool for fault finding with no equipment. If the owner of the vehicle calls up to say my engine starts but as soon as I rev it, it stalls then you have a pretty good idea there is a cam signal error, you would then ask them to remove the cam sensor connector and repeat the test. They can then use their engine quite safely as it cannot damage the engine, it will simply mean that the coils are in wasted spark mode and the fuel synchronisation may be synchronised to the wrong cylinder but this at worst would have a small performance loss on a port injected engine.

So the information given, it looks like the timing has been checked on start up, moved the offset thinking it is synchronised, then ended up with an error of the amount the the offset has adjusted by. Unfortunately, everything that has been done will have to be reversed and then everything re-checked, hopefully this will be where all your power is going but obviously there could be something else causing an issue, so this must be kept in mind.

Powershift set-up issues

Question:

One of our trade customers was having problems with a powershift set-up on one of their customers cars and asked for some help, he had set up the map using the settings from another car which has worked well.

The car was an Escort with a VX and Elite IL300 box and the description of the symptoms was; “Just been out in the car and it still isn’t working correctly, it’s very harsh when it comes back on power, not a nice smooth cut at all. It all seems too harsh and needs smoothing out. The setup is just using an ignition cut, cutting the spark, so it’s very on and off. The setup allows for torque reduction + recovery, can you tell me a bit more about these settings and also why these aren’t been used? There isn’t any information available about the MBE settings and if I fiddle with them without knowing their functions, it will end up causing issues.”

He also asked: When we have spoken in the past you said you had not found the need to use the torque recovery and that ignition only worked very well. Hence my using the same options. Could you provide any advice as to possible solutions. I notice on the paddle shift set ups I have looked at the “Finish Upshift Drum Rotation Threshold” is at 70% but on the flatshifts its 100% – could this be the issue?

Answer:

Always make sure you are using the latest software, please check our website.

I suspect you have 2 potential issues; the first problem will be how the power shift is triggered. Quite often some of the gearboxes have an adjustable switch or sensor and what the manufacturer quite often does to ensure the powershift works is to make the switch trigger too early. This means that when the gearstick is pulled that instead of triggering just at the point of disengagement, it is triggered much earlier, this effects both single cut time set ups and full closed loop set ups. When used in the single cut time, it means that the time has to be extended to cover the fact that when the driver pulls the gearstick, there can be quite a length of time from the spark being cut before the dogs of the gearbox are actually disengaging and by the time the gearbox has completed its change, the driver will be able to feel this huge delay making for quite often and uncomfortable gear change. When using the closed loop version the same issue applies, the trigger again will be too early and although the gear change time is able to vary due to the ECU knowing the drum position and able to complete the gear change when it reaches a pre-programmed position, it is extended due to the early trigger.

In order to alter the trigger point, you will need to discuss with the manufacturer of the gearbox how this is done and experiment with the trigger point according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This could be done by shims or adjustable screw to move the switch.

Once you have sorted the start point, then you will be able to adjust the cut time if using a single cut set up but because no gear changes are ever the same, care must be taken not to shorten the cut time too much. A single cut is also not suitable for cars that could potentially be wheel spinning during gear change. It is always best to use closed loop set up using the trigger to initiate the gear change and drum rotation to complete the gear change. This way the MBE system self-adjusts to the variation in time taken for each gear change.

Due to the fact that every manufacturer of gearbox works slightly differently, therefore the gears drum rotation will also vary. You should experiment with the percentage of drum rotation for completing the gear change. When set to 100%, the power will only re-instated once the gearbox drum has completed its rotation. You can experiment with shortening this value and it will speed up the gear change. Again great care must be taken if the value is set too low, although the gear change would become very fast, if the dogs have only just engaged there is a possibility that damage will occur due to the fact that the power is being re-instated too early. We find that most car gearboxes can go down to 70% of drum rotation and bike gearboxes down to 79%, but it is suggested that you start at 100% and slowly reduce this value due testing. The difference between cut and retard; cut simply removes all the sparks and retard will retard the ignition so the engine produces no power. Cut is simpler and if all the above are set up correctly, the gear changes should be very nice. If you use retard, it can be smoother but produces other issues; whilst retarded the engine will be producing more heat and if the engine itself is prone to any issues, it could amplify an inherent problem with the engine. Also when the ignition is in a retarded state, the fuel is no longer ignited in the combustion chamber, it will be ignited in the exhaust producing additional noise because of this. A combination of cut and retard can be used but more information, as far as suggested settings are concerning, are within Easimap 6.

Question:
From what I can tell, there is about a 10deg discrepancy in ignition timing, as in the mechanical timing is 10deg more advanced which is why we’ve had to retard the ignition timing map by 10deg. I believe it has to do with me adjusting the crank angle last night. With most engine management system software, there is a parameter to lock the timing at a user specified value so that ignition timing synch can be performed accurately without any trims affecting the specified value. Easimap doesn’t seem to offer that so we are assuming it is taking the value at ~1000rpm x Site 0. Setting that area at 10deg let us to adjust the crank angle to synch but the ignition map still looks wonky. For example at WOT the ignition map is set to 10deg but mechanically it’s operating at about 20deg. The car made 146whp my setup should be in the 200whp range

Answer:
If you are not familiar with MBE ECUs. I will try and keep it simple to explain what I believe you are seeing and why you don’t understand it.

The MBE system is designed to run on many production and pre-production vehicles and for this reason, it has many features to allow the engine to run perfectly even with a large number of sensors failed. I will explain below what I think they are seeing and not understanding.
1. The MBE ECUs do not require the cam sensor to allow them to start, this helps to prevent engines from not starting where they have to have a cam synchronisation before firing any sparks.
2. When the engine starts, it starts in wasted spark mode because it does not know which cycle it is on until synchronised from a cam signal, so during this time if you are checking the ignition with a strobe, the ignition value would appear to be double e.g. 10-degrees would appear to read as 20-degrees. It could be misunderstood to be an error of 10-degrees.
3. The software allows the user to configure when the cam signal is looked at to synchronise, this is called a ‘Cam Synch Window’ in most cases, this is set up not to happen at idle due to the fact that if there is fault with the sensor or ignition offset is 180-degrees out, if the wrong information is seen the engine could simply stop because of the synchronisation on the wrong cycle.
4. Most of the synchronisation windows are set around 2500-6000rpm at zero throttle. This means that the only way the engine will synchronise is if the engine is revved, the throttle is then closed and the engine will then synchronise at that point. This is a useful tool for fault finding with no equipment. If the owner of the vehicle calls up to say my engine starts but as soon as I rev it, it stalls then you have a pretty good idea there is a cam signal error, you would then ask them to remove the cam sensor connector and repeat the test. They can then use their engine quite safely as it cannot damage the engine, it will simply mean that the coils are in wasted spark mode and the fuel synchronisation may be synchronised to the wrong cylinder but this at worst would have a small performance loss on a port injected engine.

So the information given, it looks like the timing has been checked on start up, moved the offset thinking it is synchronised, then ended up with an error of the amount the the offset has adjusted by. Unfortunately, everything that has been done will have to be reversed and then everything re-checked, hopefully this will be where all your power is going but obviously there could be something else causing an issue, so this must be kept in mind.

Question:
Is it possible to change a map on a Cosworth or Caterham MBE ECU?

Answer:
All Cosworth & Caterham MBE ECUs are locked during manufacture, which means they cannot be modified in any way. You can only use our CAN mapping kit & Easimap 6 software for Real Time Viewing as an aid to diagnosing faults with sensors & replacement or setting up of throttle pots.

The easiest way to discover whether the ECU is locked or not is that when you connect to the ECU using Easimap 6 and the basic CAN mapping kit, if you look at the device information which is selected from one of the icons across the top of Easimap 6, if the box comes up blank, then the ECU is locked. The same will happen if you try to access any of the maps.

Warning under no conditions, should you attempt to download anything into locked ECUs, they are designed to permanently crash and are irrecoverable.

Question:

Could you please confirm which input pin would be desired for a pull up or pull down 5v digital signal.

Answer:

The easiest way to confirm which pin is suitable is simply to plug into the ECU with the MBE985 USB/CAN interface (basic mapping equipment MBE-MAP-KIT-3-CAN). Easimap 6 will then automatically select the correct .ec2 file to match the software as the ECU you are proposing to set up gearbox control with. You will then be able to go to programmable pins and look at the drop down option for each of the pins and see if this option is available.

Because software is continually updated and changing, new functions and options will become available over time and there is always a possibility that the software version that your ECU has different functions available and therefore this can only be confirmed by plugging into the ECU or having a copy of the map from the ECU along with knowing the software version the ECU is currently using.

This applies to all our MBE ECUs

Question:

What is the relationship between Current Faults and Logged Faults in Easimap 6. Presumably a fault will disappear from Current Faults as soon as the condition is resolved, but does it then remain in Logged Faults? How long do they remain in Logged Faults for? And is there a way to clear or reset the Logged Faults?

Answer:

The 9A* range of ECUs has the option to display current faults and logged faults. The current faults will only exist while it actually has that fault and then the status will return to being ok. The logged fault will only log the fault until the ECU power has been cycled.

This way if you wish to diagnose a fault and the fault is intermittent, you may miss it in the current faults section, but it would be obvious in the logged fault provided you do not cycle the ECU power.

Question:

Can I put one of your ECUs on my road car?

Answer:

The standard management system on your road car not only controls the engine, but a mass of other accessories fitted to the car such as electric windows, central locking, lights, etc. The system is continually monitoring to see if the car in every aspect is performing correctly and if anything is picked up by the standard ECU that is not operating as it should, as a minimum it will turn an engine warning light on and normally put the engine into ‘limp’ mode. Finding all the information that the stock ECU requires is a massively complex job, taking many thousands of hours to decipher with possibility that the next time your car is serviced, Ford update software and maps completely changing everything you have already deciphered. Although there are companies out there that offer that option, the reason we don’t do anything like that on road based cars is that you can spend many of thousands of pounds, if not tens of thousands of pounds for something that only has a short life before the manufacturer stops producing it or change the design. This means that you have little if any chance in re-cooping your development costs, which has to be spread across the number of kits you sell.

All of our systems are now only motorsport based due to the complexity involved of interacting with the standard management systems. For motorsport we replace the standard management system completely then we can control every part of the system and not be hampered by what the evermore complex road based systems.

Question:

I have a serial based MBE system currently on my engine, which I understand is out of date now. Which system should I use now and can the existing wiring loom be used with the new ECU?

Answer:

The current type of ECU is the CAN based MBE9A* series, if you look on the web site under Management systems, full details are shown there. Unfortunately, it is not possible to simply transfer the existing map within your serial based ECU to the new CAN based ECU. It may be possible to transfer a small amount of data e.g. ignition map, normal rev limiters and throttle index map. The structure of the software and maps are so far advanced in comparison with the older serial ECUs that it is either not possible to transfer it or the amount of work required even it is possible means it would be more cost effective to provide a good base map to allow your engine to be started and then have it professionally mapped. You will need to change the wiring harness to accommodate this new ECU.

Question :
Is it possible to configure your own CAN bus messages to be sent out on the CAN interface on the MBE 9A9 ECU? Is it capable of receiving CAN messages and acting on them?

Answer :
The CAN Bus data stream is designed for use to transmit data to either external devices, such as data loggers or data to other MBE systems. It would be possible to control other devices that are CAN Bus controlled.

For example, if you have a gearbox that has a CAN Bus system on it, it can indeed control it. The problem you have is that the manufacturer of the gearbox is unlikely to release the protocols required to control the gearbox and the same would go for any other systems fitted to production cars. If you are able to get the protocols, the software could then be written to control them with the MBE CAN data stream and depending on how complex the system, would depend on how much time was required for the software engineer to write it. This may only be a matter of a couple of days of work, which would then need to be charged to the customer requesting it.

Unfortunately, if the data stream information is not available from the manufacturer, it would be virtually impossible to write controlling software to control the CAN Bus of each product, since you have no idea of what the information requires to control it. It is like looking for a needle in a hundred haystacks. It is potentially months of work just trying to decode what is required and the cost would be far too expensive.

Powershift set-up issues

Question:

One of our trade customers was having problems with a powershift set-up on one of their customers cars and asked for some help, he had set up the map using the settings from another car which has worked well.

The car was an Escort with a VX and Elite IL300 box and the description of the symptoms was; “Just been out in the car and it still isn’t working correctly, it’s very harsh when it comes back on power, not a nice smooth cut at all. It all seems too harsh and needs smoothing out. The setup is just using an ignition cut, cutting the spark, so it’s very on and off. The setup allows for torque reduction + recovery, can you tell me a bit more about these settings and also why these aren’t been used? There isn’t any information available about the MBE settings and if I fiddle with them without knowing their functions, it will end up causing issues.”

He also asked: When we have spoken in the past you said you had not found the need to use the torque recovery and that ignition only worked very well. Hence my using the same options. Could you provide any advice as to possible solutions. I notice on the paddle shift set ups I have looked at the “Finish Upshift Drum Rotation Threshold” is at 70% but on the flatshifts its 100% – could this be the issue?

Answer:

Always make sure you are using the latest software, please check our website.

I suspect you have 2 potential issues; the first problem will be how the power shift is triggered. Quite often some of the gearboxes have an adjustable switch or sensor and what the manufacturer quite often does to ensure the powershift works is to make the switch trigger too early. This means that when the gearstick is pulled that instead of triggering just at the point of disengagement, it is triggered much earlier, this effects both single cut time set ups and full closed loop set ups. When used in the single cut time, it means that the time has to be extended to cover the fact that when the driver pulls the gearstick, there can be quite a length of time from the spark being cut before the dogs of the gearbox are actually disengaging and by the time the gearbox has completed its change, the driver will be able to feel this huge delay making for quite often and uncomfortable gear change. When using the closed loop version the same issue applies, the trigger again will be too early and although the gear change time is able to vary due to the ECU knowing the drum position and able to complete the gear change when it reaches a pre-programmed position, it is extended due to the early trigger.

In order to alter the trigger point, you will need to discuss with the manufacturer of the gearbox how this is done and experiment with the trigger point according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This could be done by shims or adjustable screw to move the switch.

Once you have sorted the start point, then you will be able to adjust the cut time if using a single cut set up but because no gear changes are ever the same, care must be taken not to shorten the cut time too much. A single cut is also not suitable for cars that could potentially be wheel spinning during gear change. It is always best to use closed loop set up using the trigger to initiate the gear change and drum rotation to complete the gear change. This way the MBE system self-adjusts to the variation in time taken for each gear change.

Due to the fact that every manufacturer of gearbox works slightly differently, therefore the gears drum rotation will also vary. You should experiment with the percentage of drum rotation for completing the gear change. When set to 100%, the power will only re-instated once the gearbox drum has completed its rotation. You can experiment with shortening this value and it will speed up the gear change. Again great care must be taken if the value is set too low, although the gear change would become very fast, if the dogs have only just engaged there is a possibility that damage will occur due to the fact that the power is being re-instated too early. We find that most car gearboxes can go down to 70% of drum rotation and bike gearboxes down to 79%, but it is suggested that you start at 100% and slowly reduce this value due testing. The difference between cut and retard; cut simply removes all the sparks and retard will retard the ignition so the engine produces no power. Cut is simpler and if all the above are set up correctly, the gear changes should be very nice. If you use retard, it can be smoother but produces other issues; whilst retarded the engine will be producing more heat and if the engine itself is prone to any issues, it could amplify an inherent problem with the engine. Also when the ignition is in a retarded state, the fuel is no longer ignited in the combustion chamber, it will be ignited in the exhaust producing additional noise because of this. A combination of cut and retard can be used but more information, as far as suggested settings are concerning, are within Easimap 6.

Question:

Is it possible to change a map on a TVR?

Answer:

The MBE ECUs fitted to TVRs are not like the aftermarket ECUs, they are completely different in design & construction. Even if you could access the maps, adjustment to them would not have any long term effects. All TVR ECUs are designed to run in closed loop lambda control all the time, they have a non-adjustable target of Lambda1 & if you make an adjustment to change this, the ECU will automatically correct any changes back to Lambda1.

You must ensure that all your sensors are working correctly including lambda sensors, because if any of these have become faulty the ECU will not be able to work correctly. There was some software that TVR dealers had for this diagnostics & as far as I’m aware, it is readily available within the TVR community. If you have confirmed that everything is working correctly & your car is still having an issue, then your ECU may need to be repaired, this is still possible in most cases even with the earlier ECUs. The ECUs have a special flash memory, which is used to store the lambda corrections, eventually these wear out & cause running issues.

If you have problems with TVR ECUs, please contact Powers Performance, 339 Bedworth Road, Coventy. CV6 6BN. Telephone: 02476 366177.
Website: www.powersperformance.co.uk