Download Injection details, Upgrades and ECU Re

Injection details, Upgrades and ECU Re-chipping
Rising rate fuel pressure regulators
RPi Family Eprom-Chips
Identifying your injection type
Dealing with fuel maps
Ecu Chip Identification
Injection System Hardware upgrades.
Air-mass Meter upgrade from 3.9 / 4.2 Howire to 4.6 Gems. (20AM)
Tune resistors & more.
Setting Air Mass/Flow Meter & Throttle Pot.
Upgrading 3.9 Air Flow Meter to 4.6 (wiring)
Customer comments
Morgan link
The Rover V8 'Hot Wire' type Injection systems
Hot Wire Type Injection.
Mainly used in the late 80s and most of the 90s
This system is the most common we find now, is
easily upgraded and its efficiency can be improved
by re-mapping (re-chipping) as the std fuel map used
by Rover is very much a compromise. Not only on
the vehicle it was originally intended for, but moreso when this Land Rover engine is used in smaller
vehicles or other applications.
Here you can see the ported
intake & the Carbon Fibre 48mm
Trumpets.
< ---- Carbon Fibre 48mm spread bore trumpets, on
ported and matched intake. It's just one more place
where the rest all fall down!!
Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator
Control of Basic. Fuel pressure ( 'Rising Rate' is not required on the later 'Hot Wire' system)
Firstly, this valve has an adjustable fuel pressure
affected by the movement of an adjustable screw
on the crown of the unit.
New power boost valves are pre-set with a
maximum fuel pressure of 2.5, 3.0 or 3.5 bar,
depending on the vehicle in question, and
similarly (to the original valve) the fuel pressure is
reduced by 0.5 bar approx. at idle. There the
similarities end.
An assortment of fuel pressure
You have total control over engine fuel pressure
regulators. Fitting is very simple.
and the ability to set base mixture perfectly for
Also available for many other EFI
your individual engines requirements.
vehicles.
Complemented with the Optimax or Tornado chip,
this has to be the best of options.
Available for £85.00 (Rover), also available for many other Fuel Injected, Standard ,
Fast Road or Competition engines.
Fuel Maps & ECU Chipping.
Far more important than you may have considered.
Fuel Mapping
Full control of the fuel map is contained within this innocent
looking Eprom (Chip). It contains all the fueling rpm &
fuelling load map information and instructions required to
run your engine.
To understand better how it works you must understand
that although your engine needs to run at varying RPM, it
also has an extra permutation such as 'Engine Load'. Load
can be considered as the difference between part throttle
cruising and full throttle accelerating or pulling.
Optimax Chip and (scrambler)
"sorry" no copying It.
When you are in part-throttle cruise driving, the fuel mixture using Optimax or Tornado will
run slightly lean giving you the best possible economy.
When you demand higher & higher load performance, such as under hard acceleration and
load pulling, the Optimax and Tornado will run richer and give you the best possible
performance, both without losing sight of efficiency.
With over 120 load/rpm adjustments, the Optimax and Tornado are streets ahead of any
competition (most of which just target more bhp with more fuel dumped in at high rpm).
Optimax Chips 3.9 Economy, efficiency and getting
it right for your vehicle's needs.
£ 325.00
Tornado Chips 3.9 4.2 & 4.6Essential for all 4.6
upgrades or higher performance 3.9s or 4.2s.
Power without losing sight of efficiency.
£ 395.00
Why Re-Chip anyway?.
As an essential basic upgrade for engine economy and efficiency
When converting to a large capacity, and/or performance tuning
Seeking maximum engine economy/efficiency
Lowering engine temperature. & avoiding block cracking (See Faq pages
'here')
Whatever the reason, re-chipping should be treated as essential for all capacity or
performance upgrades when made to the 3.9 / 4.2. (hot wire) type engine Apart from
the obvious need to re-chip your ECU when increasing engine capacity, the following
are some of the superb advantages obtainable.
Dealing with Fuel Maps
The Chip that controls the engine's fuel map is easily located and replaced.
The Optimax or Tornado chips will add
substantial increase in economy,
throttle response and added pulling
power to your vehicle, and in most
cases is the ideal upgrade.
If your needs are, however, for ultimate
power (without losing sight of
efficiency), then the Tornado ECU chip
would be more suited. Whichever one
you choose, you are going to be
pleasantly surprised by the huge gains
achieved by such a quick and simple
The Yellow
upgrade. No matter how good your
chip shows this ECU is already fitted with
engineer or local garage, there is no
our Tornado or Optimax chip
way the best will be gained from your
engine unless the ECU fuel map is
considered. and changed to suit.
As there are also a few variations of this ECU type, we will need to know what family
type yours is.
Chip Identification and replacement details
.
All the following information assumes you have the Hot wire injection system.
Locate your ECU: on Range Rovers this is normally under the drivers seat (passenger seat,
LHD models); with Discoveries, it's mounted in the front foot well side panel and later ones are
mounted under the dash; with Westfields it's under that awful air filter box; and MG RV8s have
them on the passenger foot well.
(if you know of any other locations please let us know.)
As you can see from this picture (below), the ECU lid is removed by removal of the four Torx
T20 screws securing the lid. Lift off the lid taking care not to damage the gasket, position the
ECU with the main connector to the right. Now, to the left , there are 4 components (chips) in a
square. You will notice a chip that has a white colored sticker, this is the position of the one that
contains the fuel map and is the one we will replace. But first we need the numbers off the
smaller chip located directly behind (with the red markings).
If the chip (with white label) as shown has a black plastic cover over it, it means it has an
Eprom socket (the chip is underneath). This is the easiest type as the Tornado or Optimax chip
will simply plug straight in. If not (if it looks like this) then you will need to have it socketed
(see below). All chips (Eproms) are now dual fuel and have revised fuel maps for both Cat, and
non Cat at no extra charge.
Hot wire type variations.
Some ECUs that do not have an EPROM socket will be subject to an additional
socketing charge of £40.00.
Please check if your ECU type is 14CU, or 14CUX (14CU, is normally American
export only).
Fully tested for almost all V8 engine needs
Our Tornado & Optimax ECU Chips have
been extensively developed on Vehicles under
exacting Rolling Road conditions thus
ensuring perfect fuelling throughout the rev
range of almost any V8 Engine profile and
should be seriously considered as an important
part of your Vehicle's needs.
When do you need to re-chip?
All Rover V8 hot-wire type systems need re-chipping especially with any engine
changes upgrades or engine swap outs. Apart from the obvious gains as detailed
above, any engine upgrades you use on the Hot wire Engine will not gain you anything
without having the appropriate fuel map changes. Even something as simple as a KN
filter upgrade will further strain the engine's fuelling, and losses are more likely than
gains.
Please do not Confuse Optimax & Tornado Chips with inferior products seeking only
bigger numbers (BHP) at the high rpm range, thus sacrificing important low end and
mid range power as this is where 98% of fast road and cruise driving is apparent.
Power boost valve (fuel pressure regulator).
As with the Hot Wire system, fitting the adjustable fuel pressure regulator will give you
complete and necessary control over the fuelling of your engine. The difference with
the Hot wire injection is that there are no gains with the rising rate of fuel enrichment
due to the better fuel control of this system, however, it is always recommended to
have control of the base fuel pressure settings on all EFI systems. So for the Hot Wire
injection we offer the 'Flat rate fuel pressure regulator' At £85.00.
The following are just a few advantages and adjustments you can expect to have
gone into all our ECU Chip upgrades
Engine Temperature
Decreased cold and warm-up fuelling to reduce the risk of flooding
Map
Throttle Response
Quicker throttle response
Airflow Meter
Scaling
Vital for good driveability and fuel economy, especially on large capacity
engine. Allows correct control of part throttle fuelling
Re-profiled Fuel Map
Provides good fuel economy on part throttle, and allows engine to rev more
freely (standard profile reduces fuelling heavily after 4000rpm)
Idle Speed
Lifted to give smoother idle
Throttle overrun
braking
Increased engine braking
Removal of road
Standard 113mph road speed limit removed (Range Rover only)
speed limit
Cranking Fuel
Reduced risk of flooding, starting delay to allow oil pressure to build before
starting
Separate manual & automatic versions available for optimum idle speed control and stability.
Non catalyst, catalytic converter type, Dual tune versions as standard.
Customer comments.
Dear Lisa and Chris, I have found a correct socket here in Italy and I have successful
installed the Optimax Chip on the ECU, It is great! My Range Rover is really much
better than before. Thank you for your advice, Regards Osvaldo Italy
Identifying your injection type
Air flow/mass Meters
There are basically three types of production Rover V8 Injection systems with some variations.
This section is designed to help you decide what injection system you have, so we can advise of
the best upgrade for you.
The following information is for all systems pre 4.0 and 4.6 gems, this being the third option it is
covered elsewhere on the web pages.
Gems upgrades 'Click here'
Which one is yours?
If you are a little concerned
about what type of injection
system you have, identifying the
Air flow/Mass Meter will
determine it for you. This
applies to all EFI V8s except the
later 4.0 and 4.6 models, these
use the later 'Gems' Engine
management.
See below for Gems type 4.6 Air Flow Meter
Almost all including TVR, offer big capacity upgrades to the 3.5 & 3.9 Efi engine
but what's the point when it still has to breathe though already restraining Rover
stock parts. As well as the obvious lacking in the Air Mass Meter, there are major
upgrades available for almost all other injection system areas
'Special Tornado' 3.9 to 4.6 conversion chip
With the same goals in mind as with the Optimax chips, the Tornado chip is not only suitable but
essential for all 4.6 conversions, delivering fast road performance with endless torque. Special
Hybrid variants of this chip are available to produce efficient fuelling on engines up to 350bhp
and in some case beyond, so whether you want high efficiency - High Torque - or you are not
happy with the power of your TVR 500, then the Tornado is available to fully satisfy your
requirements.
Bhp and Torque gains through the entire rev range
With power figures like these, don't underestimate the value of a well set up and configured
engine.
You will notice from this 4.6, Stage 3 Tornado Engine Dyno, that we have not only big gains in
torque and bhp, but at no time do the power figures drop below that of the original engine
configuration. So no losses, all gains and very substantial ones at that!
Injection System Hardware upgrades.
Seeking maximum Power? Or perhaps Your TVR 500 just doesn't reach The 'Mark'?
The following pictures (below) show additional improvements that are available for
achieving maximum power from the standard Rover Injection induction systems.
Although not necessary for standard or most fast-road engines, these induction
enhancements would be essential for higher performance rebuilds and will vastly improve
the power attainable at engine revs beyond 4500rpm, allowing the V8 to climb up to
7500rpm & beyond 350Bhp.
You've seen Jeremy Clarkson's Grin, as he exits the cockpit of a TVR 500, but he ain't
seen nothing yet!!
Extensively ported manifold &
shortened trumpets
Big throttle body plenum 70, 75 or Close up view of the shortened &
78mm
polished trumpets
Modified & ported injection
manifold (top view)
Flowed, shortened & polished
trumpets (top view)
Carbon Fibre 48mm spread bore
trumpets, on ported and matched
intake
The total cost of these performance improvements is from as little as £675.00 (excluding special
Tornado Chip) & can be utilized with both 'Gems', 'Hot Wire' & 'Flapper' type injection systems. All
parts are supplied on an exchange basis, and an upgrade to carbon fibre trumpets is an additional
£65.00
V8 Fuel Injectors.
Shown with protective caps fitted
Brand new 3.9, 4.0 4.2 and 4.6 Injectors, less than 1/2 list
price. One of the main reasons for poor fuel consumption
on all 3.9, 4.0 and 4.6 models is old injectors. At only
£240.00 (You change you plugs every 6,000 or 12,000,
when did you last change your injectors? For a set of 8,
these have to be the best value anywhere.
At last Now Back in Stock.
(recon Injectors also available)
Some ask us how can we possibly make things better than the original Rover Spec.
Well, just take a look at this 3.9 intake, and perhaps you may start to understand
just how easy it is.
Stock Cylinder head ports with
intake gasket shown
This shows just how badly the std. engine is
port-matched & the exhaust is not much
better.
Airmass Meter upgrade from 3.9 / 4.2 Howire to 4.6 Gems. (20AM)
To get the best from you higher Performance upgrade, it is worth noting the big
advantages of up-grading the Air flow/mass meter. As you can see from the upgrade on
this TVR 500 Griff, the 3.9 Airmass meter (retained by TVR) has a very restricted aperture
and should be upgraded for maximum power benefit.
TVR 500 Griff.
20 (Gems 4.6) Air Mass Meter
Fitted.
You can see the substantial air
flow advantages of this upgrade.
Gems 4.6 & Hot Wire 3.9/4.2 AMM.
There are many improvements available for the Injection hardware on all the systems, and it is attention to
detail such as this that helps gain the power claimed but missed by most users of this engine .
Suitable for all type of Rover V8 injection systems. Further upgrades and power figures for all our
highest spec injection systems and large capacity engines can be found here (Engines 4.6 to 5.2) If
you are really serious about power, this is the page you should visit.
The maximum potential of the Rover Injection System and other induction methods is always
pegged below 400bhp due to the limitations of Rover original head castings. Ask about 'Ultimate
Big Valve Heads' if you want to push the limits beyond comprehension, but beware, these heads
start at £1,250.00 per pair.
Tune resistors & More
And for the more Technically minded.
Tune resistor info (for those that want to know)
Please note that although the information below is still correct it has been updated
here.
All Efi 'Hot wire' systems will incorporate a Tune resistor. Its function is to make sure the
vehicle runs the correct Fuel map in the ECU for Cat or Non cat vehicles. If you cannot
locate yours the following may be relevant.
There were definitely some EFi looms made after 1990 with the tune resistor taped
inside. From 1990 onwards (14CUX systems) they all have to have one, but you've got to
find it first!
If there is no tune resistor, then the vehicle will run on the default 'Limp Home' map.
Where the resistor is fitted externally, it will be where the relays sprout out of the loom,
not by the ECU. PRC9060 is a normal ECU with the regular set of maps in it.
A Green tune resistor (green referring to the color of the wires) will always give a non-cat
tune, and White is always a cat tune. By the way, the default (Limp Home) tune is a cat
map, so this usually makes a non-cat car run very rich.
You need to run the correct tune resistor to get the correct fuelling from your ECU and
you need to re-chip all Hot wire ECUs if you have upgraded your engine spec. in any
way. Especially if increasing capacity or changing cam, and even for stock engines, the
Optimax chip will refine your efficiency, economy and performance.
For those 'Even More' technical. A tune resistor should be connected between pins 5
and 27. The wire colors are Black/White and Black/Grey (where the first color is the
primary color, and the second is the trace). The Green tune resistor value is 470 Ohms,
and White tune is 3900 Ohms. Ordinary 1/2 Watt resistors are just fine, although the
original is a Metal Oxide 2% item (which I always use anyway). In this location I
sometimes use a 1 Watt resistor, because the larger physical size makes them easier to
handle.
Setting Air Mass/Flow Meter & Throttle Pot.
Any competent garage should find this very easy indeed.
Switch ignition on but do not start.
You require a digital multimeter to carry out the adjustments.
Air Mass Meter
Throttle Pot
Find the Throttle pot on side of plenum. There are three (3) wires coming from this unit
to a multi plug. Do not disconnect. Wire colors are Red, Green, Yellow. Red from volt
meter to red wire of pot. Black wire from volt meter to Green of pot. Volts should read .33
to .35 volts if not, loosen the two (2) screws that hold it in position and turn it to get the
correct voltage. If you cannot get the correct voltage setting, undo and remove the throttle
pot, make the fixing holes elongated and you will be able to get the right voltage.
Please note that the following air flow meter settings should be made when the
engine is warm.
The air flow meter wires can be accessed by pulling the rubber boot carefully backwards
along the cable. Under here you will find the following wires. Red with Black trace =
Sensor ground, Blue with Green trace = air flow signal, Brown with Orange trace =
Ignition live 12 volts and Blue with Red trace = CO trim value. A digital multi meter should
be used and connected to the sensor ground and CO trim value wires. The values that
you are trying to achieve are below and these are adjusted by the screw on the side of
the airflow meter.
Air Mass meter setting (non cat). The voltage reading on the CO value here should be
between 1.0 and 1.5. If you have the Tornado ECU chip fitted then 1.5 volts should be
aimed for.
Air Mass meter setting (cat). The best setting for the CO value here is 1.8 volts.
When setting your Throttle potentiometer and Air Mass/flow meter, you should also check the
resistance scaling, using an Ohms meter and checking from highest to lowest resistance, smooth
scaling is essential for the correct basic workings of all these units.
All High performance and big capacity Hot Wire V8s should consider upgrading to the 4.6 Air
Mass Meter as shown above.
Upgrading 3.9 Air Flow Meter to 4.6 (wiring)
WHAT TO DO UNDER THE BONNET:
Ensure your ignition is switched off.
Disconnect the Fuel Injection ECU
Disconnect and remove the old Airfolw Meter, then fit the new one
in place.
Cut off the old airflow meter plug (4 wires). Tape back the Blue/Red
wire (CO Adjust signal) as seen in picture, which will not be
connected to the new Airflow Meter.
Put the new rubber connector boot or silicone seals over the wires.
Crimp the new connectors onto the wires.
With reference to the diagram on the right, make
the following connections to the new Airflow
Meter (Note: Incorrect connection will destroy
the airflow meter and invalidate the warranty)
1 - Brown/Orange (+12 Volt Ignition Switched)
2 - Blue/Green (airflow Signal)
3 - Red/Black (signal Ground)
Copyright Mark Adams
INSIDE THE CAR:
Remove the rubber seal inside the ECU plug, then
remove the two securing screws. Then slide back the
connector shell.
Please make sure that in the next step you The arrow on this diagram represents the order of the
find the correct wires (by tracing them
back to the pin number on the plug).
pin numbers.
Please see the diagram to the right for
relating to the pin numbers.
Identify the following wires in the ECU
plug
(as seen in pictures)
Blue/Red on pin 22 (CO Adjust)
Red/Black on pin 25 (Signal Ground)
Connect the CO Trimmer between the above two wires (see diagrams to the right) by tapping into
them.
Do Not cut either of these wires.
Plug in the ECU and turn on the ignition, but do not start the engine. Adjust the CO Trimmer until
a reading of 1.3 Volts is obtained across the terminals. (Note: higher Voltage gives higher CO)
Switch off the ignition. Insulate all connections. Reassemble the ECU connector, and re-fit the
ECU.
The CO Trimmer may be located inside or outside the ECU connector shell. Outside gives easier
access for idle CO adjustment.
The Engine will not run untill matching ECU EPRom chip has been installed.
Customer comments
Defender 90 4.6
We fitted the RPI chip to our modified Defender-90, which it fitted with a warmed over 4.6L Rover
V8, and it made it come alive! It also cured the rich running problem at cold start-up that it had
since new.
Michael Green@West Coast British. USA.
Follow up:Just returned from eastern Nevada, our trip was some 1500 miles over the weekend in the 4.6L D90; Chip
made huge gains on and off road... cruised at 90+mph on freeway with no trouble and pedal left over... did
over 100 for fun! In the mountains where 4th was the key, big gains yet again! Great set up now. MG
Range Rover Optimax Upgrade
After having a good drive back to Northampton last night, the differences made by the chip
became very apparent, and the car has been measurably improved in both performance and
driveability.
Cheers, Bill Barclay. Scotland.
TVR Tasmin 400se 1991 - 4.0L
Chris, Just a note to let you know how the EPROM change went. History of car: TVR Tasmin 400se
1991 - 4.0L hotwire. Big Valve Heads and uprated camshaft (origin: Wedge Automotive, but spec
unknown). The car is also fitted with big bore 3" exhaust. The car was over fuelling and was
generally uneconomical. It was subsequently found to have the 4.5L EPROM in the ECU - obviously
to try to increase fuelling after mods. I purchased one of your Optimax chips and am generally
pleased with the results. It has cured erratic idle problems and given me an increase in mid-range
torque. It also makes the engine a lot more flexible - with the ability to pull from lower rpm.
Range Rover Discovery Chipping.
I've now had my Disco at SAC (www.steves.co.za) who must rate as the most reputable tuning
house in SA:
Here are my findings as measured at the wheels with 2 wheel dyno by SAC on both occasions:
With 3.9 + Unichip + 245/70/16 tyres: 82KW @ 4300 / 250Nm @ 3300
With 4.6 +Unichip + tornado chip +245 / 75 (!!! NB !!!) / 16 tyres: 111Kw @ 4300 / 307Nm @ 3400
Above figures were measured at 1500m above sea level. SAC found the TORNADO was running a
little lean at low RPM and a little rich at high RPM but acknowledged that it was one of the best
chips they've come accross.
This (and timing) was corrected with the UNICHIP. Before they tuned it, it was idling rough, and
backfiring on overrun. Now she idles smooth, and the backfiring is limited only to a very abrupt
"parp" immediately after releasing the throttle - must be for less than 0.25 seconds. The rest of the
overrun is clean. My conclusion is that I am very satisfied with the result and I feel I got my
money's worth. PS: I'm already saving for a 5.2 for the HSE - yet to be purchased ;-)
Kind regards Philip Lochner South Africa.
TVR 4.3 Griff. T Wolk. Germany
Hello Chris, First of all I wish you a happy and succesfull new year. I plugged in the Tornado chip
and did a little test driving. The road conditions were not good the last few weeks so I could not
run at full power, but I felt that the engine ran much better at low revs. A rather uncomfortable
behavior which in german is called "Schieberuckeln" (when the car starts rocking after RPMs fall
under 1500 and the throttle is closed) is nearly eliminated. I look forward to the improvement of the
RPM range above 5000...
Reply.Assuming no engine component wear, this may be down to you ignition system, Want to
upgrade it next?
Disclaimer
Prices do not include local EU.Tax.(VAT).
Prices & stock are subject to change without notice. Information and advice, as always, is free.
© Copyright RPi Engineering 1999.e-mail: Copyright RPi Engineering 1999. contact: using our new form
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