This could be the placebo effect, but I ask anyway... I installed my stage 1.1 today. My local dealer said that according to my VIN I should have the latest PCM calibration (which is BS, as M came out long after I bought my car, but thats another story) so they werent going to update me. I said fvck it and came home and installed 1.1 anyway on K flash. It hesitated on startup but proceeded to idle alright. I took it out for a drive, felt alright gains (i was told after 50 miles it picks up better) but when I got back I got out I listened to it idle. The engine was whisper quiet but the car trembles and the exhaust pops and shakes like a scared red headed step child. Its not something I couldn't learn to live with, but is it normal? I thought this mod didnt touch the idle

 

Ok, I removed the unit and the idle returned to normal. However I think it's worth mentioning that it's very warm and humid here today and I didn't notice the idle before I went out and drove hard on the motor. The motor was warm, but I hadn't been on it hard like I had been after I installed the unit. The popping and resulting vibrations could just be from an exceptionally hot exhaust system thats igniting unburnt fuel in the exhaust gas.

 

have you talk to maurice and ask him why i thought he mention that it would work for all ecu settings l, m ,k

 

im gonna call him tomorrow...but it works just fine, the idle is just a tad rough. could be because its freshly installed or because I drove it very hard and it still hadnt cooled down to normal temps.

 

regardless, seems to me like it shouldn't make the car idle rougher than normal under any circumstances...

 

It would idle rough if it was hot and your ignition coils were heating up.. there's a mod to the CZ unit where you remove 2 resistors and reduce load.. maybe that's the prob.. I just modified mine today but havent put it back in yet..

I had problems with idle and low speed operation in hot weather.

 

Resistors are disconnected from his unit. The box doesn't affect the idle. It does nothing until around 2K RPM I think.

 

what could it be then? i discussed this at length with Maurice today, but I didn't get to the bottom of it really.

Does K flash run rich at idle? I didn't think any calibrations did, but if mine does it would explain the popping. Unburnt gas in the exhaust is being ignited by the hotter than normal cat. This just makes sense to me, as I know the unit doesnt touch anything near idle and it's not like I have a bad solder or connection inside the unit, as it runs wonderfully off idle.

I dont think it's my ignition packs, as the car ildes fine until I go out and drive it for awhile. Even if I drive it easy it eventually gets a rough idle. Once the motor cools fully it will idle normal once started back up and be smooth all the way through when the fan kicks in only getting rough after a drive.

 

So far, in my experience, all the flashes have been rich at idle. I don't think that's it, however. Do you have your engine cover on? You may be heating up the coilpacks. Try removing the box and running it hard and see if it induces a rough idle. Remember, the hot rad. air is blowing onto the coil packs. BTW, the last units of the first group buy are done. I think they go out Wednesday. Didn't finish testing them till noon today, and that's too late to ship.

 

yea, I always run with a cover. I noticed today that for the most part the engine isnt choppy at all, it's smooth. all the vibrations appear to be coming from the exhaust.

i really think it just gets too hot, and with the horrid humidity here, that's even less air to mate with gas which happily explodes in the hotter exhaust tract.

at any rate, it seems to be getting better.

 

Maybe it just had to learn.

 

Yeah, think so. I think the PCM didnt like to be reset in the hot weather and then flogged on immediately :P

With K flash, should I be expierencing a "wavy" torque curve? I noticed tonight that the upper RPM's aren't as smooth as they were. The power is definately there, its just not consistent. Seems like a logical by product of running an M tune on a K PCM.

Man, I'm gonna get a big speeding ticket soon, I can see it now...80 comes up pretty damn quick now.

btw rx-8 friend, what's your name? I always have to use your e-identity when your name comes up in conversation. lol