[bugster_de]

What do you get if you lock the timing in spark settings?

sparksettings.JPG (56.28 KiB) Viewed 317 times

this is the spark settings page.
I have switched off (set to 0) any correction influencing spark angle (e.g. Idle Advance Settings). Also I had created a map completely filled with 10 to verify the effect.

I doubt the engine would actually run with 60* of advance.

I prefer not find out The scale on the engine goes to 40 BTDC and the spark went well, well beyond that point when it started to cut out.

Did you previously use any earlier releases? i have a feeling there may have been some work on basic distributor in 202402

just on the bench but not on the real engine. I had build this speeduino a good 3 years ago with the firmware that was actual back then. I tested the whole setup on the bench also for >24h. I just found time to install things yesterday and I hd flashed the latest firmware (2024-02) yesterday and then installed

[LPG2CV]

How have you determined the trigger angle?

[bugster_de]

How have you determined the trigger angle?

How would that influence the effect?

(1) opened right side valve cover. Rotated engine to make sure, it is at 1st cylinder TDC. Check valve clearance and close valve cover using new gasket). Optionally you can do that on the left side too so you have a proper base engine
(2) made sure the shaft driving the distributor is correct following VW manuals by removing the old distributor
(3) installed new distributor
(4) eye-balling the hall sensor metal pick-up sheet inside the distributor to be after TDC
(5) settled speeduino to fixed ingnition angle of 0° instead of MAP and at 0° during cranking
(6) removed fuel pump and injectors fuses
(7) connect the timing light to Cyl 1
(8) enganged the starter
(9) rotating the distributor until the timing light light at 0°
(10) disengage the starter
(11) fix the distributor in place
(12) check again with the timing light to make sure it's ok
(13) settle cranking angle to 5° BTDC and running angle to use MAP / disable fixed timing
(14) put fuses for fuel pump and injectors back in
(15) start the engine and enjoy first running (yes the engine started on the first shot yesterday)

This is the way I have been doing it on a good bunch of other VW boxer engines with Megasquirt.

[PSIG]

+1, distributor is being used as crank position, so wire to crank input. I try to avoid using 0° for setup (unless the decoder was designed for it) as I've had random issues a couple times. Using TA or distributor position seems to work, although my preference is to drop it in anywhere, then use TA for final adjustment. Silly, but I do it this way so I always check TA and timing as a routine. Do your thing. Perhaps set at locked/cranking 5 or 10° or whatever you have for timing marks. E.g., you can set cranking at 30° only for setup of distributor position and TA if you have marks at 30°. It's not running. I always verify timing when running, and for drift at higher rpm for final set.

To get more info for diagnostics, I might try the following (temporary and others that seem reasonable as I progressed) to see the effects:

• Check timing light for zero, cylinders, waste-spark and rpm setting if digital or dial-back type
• Try different modes for effect (sequential, paired, semi, etc)
• Remove rev limiters or engine protection
• Enable per-tooth timing
• Set idle timing to 8 in higher areas for change in RPM it occurs
• Try Rising vs Falling edge (timing will shift, correct with TA)
• Verify rpm with second tach
• Verify timing with second light

The last two may already be obvious, as the engine should run very differently if the timing really does double suddenly. Does it? Part of all this is to determine if the info you're getting is accurate or actual. You can't do good diagnostics with bad info, which is part of the point of all this, then where the issue is.

[bugster_de]

Good Morning,

I have downgraded to 2023-10 and ignition angle is working as it should. However I need to double the required fuel compared to 2024-02 to make it idle.

[jonbill]

That's interesting. I checked and the changes I was thinking of happened after 202402, so I think it might be informative to try the current master that includes those changes.
also - can you identify more precisely the RPM over which the advance angle was being doubled? speeduino switches how it calculates rpm above 1500 rpm.

[LPG2CV]

Just a word of caution here. When first started, the firmware runs an update routine. It compares the FW version against the tune version. Basically, it checks for older tunes to bring them up to date with newer FW.

There is not a routine to convert tunes to older FW.

[bugster_de]

Just a word of caution here. When first started, the firmware runs an update routine. It compares the FW version against the tune version. Basically, it checks for older tunes to bring them up to date with newer FW.

There is not a routine to convert tunes to older FW.

Thank you! When downgrading, I had started a complete new tune from scratch and downloaded.
Is there any routine, that can clear the FLASH memory to mek sure there are no left overs?

That's interesting. I checked and the changes I was thinking of happened after 202402, so I think it might be informative to try the current master that includes those changes.
also - can you identify more precisely the RPM over which the advance angle was being doubled? speeduino switches how it calculates rpm above 1500 rpm.

Puh, this engine isn't my playground engine. It is in a campervan and needs to get us to week-ends away from home. Hence I prefer not to toy around with it and kill it on the way.

[LPG2CV]

On Speedyloader, in the FW section. Scroll to the bottom of the list, and load EEPROM clear.

Then load the FW and a new base tune.

You will need to recalibrate sensors.

[bugster_de]

On Speedyloader, in the FW section. Scroll to the bottom of the list, and load EEPROM clear.

Then load the FW and a new base tune.

You will need to recalibrate sensors.

Thanks! I will do a clean install of the 2024-02 now. Erase flash, update FW, erase flash again, put an empty base tune in and then put my tune in just to be on the safe side.