So...I had to part with the cavalier after I totalled it a whiled back. And after I got my newer car, Protege5, i noticed it had a little better tuning availability. I also noticed that there was a company producing products for the Mazdas with great success, so I looked a little further. Apparently they tuned a Camaro LT1 with the Programmable Signal Calibrator, I'm curious as to what the jbody community's opinion would be. Why does HPTuners have to be the ONLY option besides Megasquirt?
HPT isnt the ONLY option, but for the vast majority on this site it is the best option. For those few who need more than HPT, they already know what they need and what to do.
Tinkles(KGM) wrote:HPT isnt the ONLY option, but for the vast majority on this site it is the best option. For those few who need more than HPT, they already know what they need and what to do.
Oh? HPT and Megasquirt aren't the only options? Could you elaborate? I have yet to see anything...ANYTHING besides those two stand alone units to tune the Jbody with. Why would you say "For those who need more than HPT, they already know what they need and what to do" ...that's counter intuitive. Are these the race teams and master mechanics or what? Yes, the cavalier is limited as to its tuning, but I want to know WHY.
Compare to the Mazda. It takes a reading from the O2 sensor and MAF sensor and supplies voltage between 0 and 1 volt to the ECU. The ECU calculates this current and adjusts fuel supply accordingly.
How does the MAP sensor work in comparison. There are Mazda owners that have swapped to MAP sensors for specific builds. I've been told that a J-Body is unresponsive to piggy back systems BECAUSE of it's MAP sensor...but why? Does it supply constant voltage, but at a certain pulse rate, which the ECU reads and thus adjusts accordingly...if so...how hard would it be to code a microchip to provide the correct pulse rates for a piggyback. I mean my Mazda is tuned from the factory for 4 psi. Not like the cavalier where it MIGHT handle like 5 or 6 psi untuned, the Protege5 that I drive was TUNED for a 4 psi positive pressure difference. The mazdaspeed protege has a much more aggressive tune obviously, but even IT is only running 6 psi stock.
Help me out here, cause I curious, and I'm quick to catch on. What is it with the J-Body ECU or PCM or WHATEVER you need to use that just about requires the need for stand alone?
Sorry to double post, but the reason i've been researching Piggybacks to begin with isn't because I don't support the use stand alone units. Quite the contrary...they are the "proper" way to do it. But when it comes to the Protege5, if you're an automatic...your options are INCREDIBLY limited as far as tuning goes. Building the motor is easy. Building the trans is easy. Hell, I can make that auto trans hold 500+ hp, but it's my ECU that's the weakest point in the P5. No stand alone available for the Protege is compatible with the Auto trans. SO, you must use a Fuel/Timing controller to "trick" the ecu into supplying fuel, and the Split Second FTC does a phenomenal job, allowing tunability at specific RPMs to manage fuel cut in the High Rpm, and can be connected to most data loggers, and since I'm still using the stock ECU I don't have to worry about the auto trans compatibility. And lentec sells a valvebody for the protege trans, with tuning software to actually eliminate that awful shift lag (I have a sportshift...you know, one of those tiptronics?)
For one the MAP sensor in the J-body will not read boost, if that's what you're referring to. Granted there are workarounds for that, but from the factory like you mention.... it won't read boost because it's a 1 BAR sensor. Whatever you have in that Mazda is probably a 1.5 or 2 BAR sensor, thus giving your ECU the ability to see positive pressure.
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum. - Jon Mick
my guess is it'll read boost due to the fact that the mazda runs a MAF sensor instead of a MAP sensor.
what happens if you put a 2 bar sensor in the cavalier? will the ecu recognize it as long as the pulse rates are the same?
The reason that the piggyback doesn't do anything, is the map sensor is not used for fueling.
Map sensor controls fueling at idle only, and then timing. Fueling in stock form is controlled by TPS and RPM.
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Yellow Cav Guy wrote:Tinkles(KGM) wrote:HPT isnt the ONLY option, but for the vast majority on this site it is the best option. For those few who need more than HPT, they already know what they need and what to do.
Oh? HPT and Megasquirt aren't the only options? Could you elaborate? I have yet to see anything...ANYTHING besides those two stand alone units to tune the Jbody with.
im not running either on my car i'm actually running a haltech ecu
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