RB20 auto converted to 5 speed, using mines chipped automatic ecu questions

[DreadedFist]

So I finally decided to make sure my ECU was stock in my quest to fix my rb20's insatiable desire for gasoline (and lots of it). I was both happy and sad to discover that my ECU is a Mines chipped autotragic ECU, most likely tuned for 100 octane and possibly containing other mysterious changes that I'm not fond of.

My car was originally an auto, but was converted to 5 speed before making its way into Canada. Obviously an auto ECU can run a 5 speed car, but I'm under the impression that the Mines tune could be responsible for my cars thirst.

MY question is this: I don't want the Mines tune that the car has, because it's a mystery and Mines mysteriously refuses to answer my questions about just what it is that they did to the ECU, even when provided with the part number/serial number on their plaque. Can I pick up a used 5 speed ECU from someone and plug it in?

As far as I know, the car came with nothing more than an air filter and catback, which I've since augmented with a new filter, full 3" turboback zaust with no cat and a front mount cooler. I'm under the impression that with my current mines ECU, resetting the ECU doesn't do anything, as it will always revert back to the super rich mines tune. The car also struggled to make 167hp and a mere 147ft-lb of torque last time it was dyno'd, leaving me to believe that it's maybe pulling timing because of the 100 octane mines tune?

Currently, with 100% city driving, I'm getting 300km to a full tank driving like a grandmother. 200 to a tank if I drive like it's a skyline.

Hopefully you delightful gent's can help me out

Edit: The big # on the ECU is 23, and the part # is 23710-04U12, which I've (hopefully correctly) determined to be an auto ecu. Also has MEC-R127 if that helps at all :X

[BrianV8]

So I finally decided to make sure my ECU was stock in my quest to fix my rb20's insatiable desire for gasoline (and lots of it). I was both happy and sad to discover that my ECU is a Mines chipped autotragic ECU, most likely tuned for 100 octane and possibly containing other mysterious changes that I'm not fond of.

My car was originally an auto, but was converted to 5 speed before making its way into Canada. Obviously an auto ECU can run a 5 speed car, but I'm under the impression that the Mines tune could be responsible for my cars thirst.

MY question is this: I don't want the Mines tune that the car has, because it's a mystery and Mines mysteriously refuses to answer my questions about just what it is that they did to the ECU, even when provided with the part number/serial number on their plaque. Can I pick up a used 5 speed ECU from someone and plug it in?

As far as I know, the car came with nothing more than an air filter and catback, which I've since augmented with a new filter, full 3" turboback zaust with no cat and a front mount cooler. I'm under the impression that with my current mines ECU, resetting the ECU doesn't do anything, as it will always revert back to the super rich mines tune. The car also struggled to make 167hp and a mere 147ft-lb of torque last time it was dyno'd, leaving me to believe that it's maybe pulling timing because of the 100 octane mines tune?

Currently, with 100% city driving, I'm getting 300km to a full tank driving like a grandmother. 200 to a tank if I drive like it's a skyline.

Hopefully you delightful gent's can help me out

Edit: The big # on the ECU is 23, and the part # is 23710-04U12, which I've (hopefully correctly) determined to be an auto ecu. Also has MEC-R127 if that helps at all :X

Sounds like you have just a standard mines stage 1 ecu. All it really has is a bit more fuel and timing added over stock. It not anything super special. As far as getting hold of mines on that, it won't happen. I called them up on a stage 3 mines i had kicking around and they don't keep record of anything over 2 years old as far as serial number go according to that guy i talked to.

Long story short i had a mines stage one like you have in my car and it worked SOOO nice. I really like those stage 1 tunes. You don't have to worry too much about them. They are tuned within safe limits of a factory engine with minor bolt ons aka intake/exhaust.

As far as that number goes. The stamp 22 from nissan means the ecu is from a 5-speed, and the number 23 means its from an auto. They are exactly the same not to concern yourself. I ran both styles in my car with no issue. My car was converted to 5-speed in japan and the factory 23 ecu was left in it. I ran 22 ecu's its all the same.

Most mines ecu's are tuned with 100 octane but with my experience 94 is more than enough. The stage 1 ecu is not tuned aggressively enough to need to run anymore than that. If your not knocking your probably ok, IF you have a tiny bit, retard the timing on your CAS a degree or two see if that solves the problem.

End of the day mines makes a good product IMO

Brian

[DreadedFist]

Hmm, so my horrible fuel economy problems could lie elsewhere... Ugh Well looks like I'll start testing out sensors and hope for the best. Any ideas on what could be causing my abysmal fuel econ?

Oh oh oh, I just remembered, I had taken my car into Ztune quite some time ago and they discovered that my timing was at 40 degree's for some reason. They had to do some voodoo to get the timing back to 20 degree's or something. Damnit this slow pos is getting expensive

[Skym]

It looks like a auto ECU. 04U12 is a auto ECU part no.

Remove ECU and get another stock auto ECU (there's only 1x table that auto ECU has but manual ECU doesn't). Then ask Ztune to fit Nistune and get it tuned on dyno (disable that 1x table). If anything it's on the knock fuel map or o2 sensor that hasn't been replaced, which is causing problems.

On my car it was o2 sensor that made engine run rich and pop flames from exhaust. Unplugging 02 sensor temporarily (forced stock ECU into open loop, where it ignores o2 sensor) solved the problem. But some engines can knock when o2 sensor is unplugged, so be aware of this.

[DreadedFist]

It looks like a auto ECU. 04U12 is a auto ECU part no.

Remove ECU and get another stock auto ECU (there's only 1x table that auto ECU has but manual ECU doesn't). Then ask Ztune to fit Nistune and get it tuned on dyno (disable that 1x table). If anything it's on the knock fuel map or o2 sensor that hasn't been replaced, which is causing problems.

On my car it was o2 sensor that made engine run rich and pop flames from exhaust. Unplugging 02 sensor temporarily (forced stock ECU into open loop, where it ignores o2 sensor) solved the problem. But some engines can knock when o2 sensor is unplugged, so be aware of this.

Hmm, I replaced the 02 sensor about 2,000KM's ago. I was hoping that would solve my problem, and I saw maybe an icrease of 20-30km a tank before filling up.

I also cleaned my AAC out a while ago and replaced the gasket. When I did that I also increased the idle with the AAC valve screw, because coming to a stop and putting the clutch in would make the rpm's drop to 350 or 400 and I'd have to give the pedal a quick jab to keep the car alive. I've noticed since increasing the idle (to about 900rpm) that if I drive around with the heater on, when I come to a stop and put the clutch in, the rpm's shoot up to like 1600 or 1700rpm and then slowly get back down to around 900rpm. I was thinking I need to adjust the idle on the ECU as well as the AAC to prevent that from happening.

Driving with no heater or radio on, the RPM's will jump to around 1100 when I come to a stop and put the clutch in. Could this be the result of the aac valve and ecu idle not being in tune with one another, or that I'm just potentially driving around on the knock fuel map?

Oh man another question About a month ago when it was REALLY freezing cold one night, I decided to see how the car would accelerate with such cold winter air. It absolutely hauled ass, but hit a major flatspot at about 5000rpm, and then would slowly accelerate after recovering from the flat spot. At the time, I had 91 octane in the tank, as I was to lazy to find a gas station with 94 octane around me (the one I'd always used had gotten rid of 94 at that point). I'm guessing this is the result of the car pulling timing from knock with 91 octane in the tank with an ecu tuned for 100?

[Skym]

The kicking up in rpm is due to that table I told you about (see post above). Common problem when using a auto ECU in a manual conversion. Auto ECU needs to be retuned to solve the problem (disable that table, etc) or use a manual ECU which has the correct tune.

After 5000rpm is probably the knock fuel map, as it runs engine really rich above 4400rpm. I think it pulls ignition timing at same time.

A ECU retune with Nistune + another auto ECU should solve your problem. You need to tune to the octane of gas your using to prevent knock and extract a good amount of hp.

[DreadedFist]

The kicking up in rpm is due to that table I told you about (see post above). Common problem when using a auto ECU in a manual conversion. Auto ECU needs to be retuned to solve the problem (disable that table, etc) or use a manual ECU which has the correct tune.

After 5000rpm is probably the knock fuel map, as it runs engine really rich above 4400rpm. I think it pulls ignition timing at same time.

A ECU retune with Nistune + another auto ECU should solve your problem. You need to tune to the octane of gas your using to prevent knock and extract a good amount of hp.

Once again, I bow before you Skym, as you've just allowed me to learn even more about my car! You truely are the bestest poster

[Skym]

Thanks for the kind words.

Ztune have a Group Buy thread, so good time to get Nistune for a good price -

http://forums.gtrcanada.com/group-buys/t-official-nistune-group-buy-50623.html

[BrianV8]

haha i've yet to see a skyline that gets good mileage.

[Skym]

I can get good fuel economy on my car, if I keep off boost. Having a fairly laggy turbo (compared to stock turbo, it's laggy) helps.

[love_boost]

check your fuelpressure, or change your fuel filter at first, it sounds like your running out of fuel .
i have brianv8's old mines ecu and i can say im impressed with it, the engine is alot more responsive compared to the stock ecu, wether it adds hp im not sure :S.

as for the mileage thats the same i get lol. i dont think its that terrible my honda with a hondata system only gets around 400.

[DreadedFist]

check your fuelpressure, or change your fuel filter at first, it sounds like your running out of fuel .
i have brianv8's old mines ecu and i can say im impressed with it, the engine is alot more responsive compared to the stock ecu, wether it adds hp im not sure :S.

as for the mileage thats the same i get lol. i dont think its that terrible my honda with a hondata system only gets around 400.

Hmm, I have a 300zx fuel filter somewhere, but I spent like 3 hours trying to get the old one out with no luck, because I swear the fuel lines have become ONE with the old filter. Should I just cut the lines and then make a trip to the autoparts store? I felt dirty about cutting fuel lines the last time so I gave up, but I think it might be neccesary

[BrianV8]

for how much effort that fuel filter is i'm really considering a relocation or just getting rid of it completely and just push injector cleaner through it regularly. Such a pain in the arss

[DreadedFist]

for how much effort that fuel filter is i'm really considering a relocation or just getting rid of it completely and just push injector cleaner through it regularly. Such a pain in the arss

Hmm, relocating sounds like a hell of an idea... WHy didn't I think of that? lol, time to make a bracket, me thinks!

[BrianV8]

haha ya but the first trick is getting it out. I am kind of kicking myself now for not doing it when the motor was out