FM installation and tuning

Miata Installation and setup instructions
for the Hydra Nemesis 2.7 ECU
FM Tech line 970-464-5600
Email [email protected]
Manual Revision 4.8
3/28/14
Contents
Basic Info About the Hydra Nemesis Engine Management System....... 3
Installing the Hydra Nemesis Engine Control Unit.................................3
Setting up the ECU...............................................................................12
Initial ECU Tuning.................................................................................14
Fuel "Auto" Tuning................................................................................17
Tuning Your Timing...............................................................................17
Closed Loop Alternator Control (99-05)................................................19
Variable Intake Valve Timing (01-05, except MSM)..............................19
Electronic Boost Control for turbo cars.................................................21
Other Capabilities.................................................................................21
Appendix A- Emissions.........................................................................21
WARNINGS!
Modifying your vehicle can be very rewarding, but it also has the potential of leading to financial and emotional distress. The Hydra Nemesis ECU is no different- standalone engine management tuning is serious business! If you are not qualified to tune your vehicle's computer,
PLEASE seek out the assistance of a professional. The tech staff at FM will be happy to help
as much as we can with installation and tuning via phone and e-mail, but there are still a number of things that have to be understood & calibrated in person by you or a qualified professional. FM's base maps are good, but it is impossible to account for every variable there is.
With that in mind, neither Flyin' Miata nor Hydra EMS will be held responsible for the results of
bad tuning or bad luck on the part of the end user. Also, when street tuning, use either a copilot or the datalog feature in your laptop in order to make safe tuning changes. Please do not
drive and tune at the same time! We of course recommend dyno tuning for the best and safest
results.
The Hydra ECU will not return OBD-II codes and is not CARB legal. The end user is
responsible for determining if this system is legal for use on public roads in their state.
By installing the Hydra EMS in your car you acknowledge and understand the aforementioned guidelines & recommendations.
Basic Info About the Hydra Nemesis Engine Management System
Congratulations on your purchase of the Hydra Nemesis EMS! This full standalone engine
management system will allow you to tune your 90-05 Mazda Miata to its maximum potential.
It incorporates tuning tools that assist in developing the best engine management map for your
system, and also includes safety features that protect the engine from certain adverse situations. It will allow you to datalog and store map files using a laptop computer, which can then
be used for tuning. This manual is specifically for Hydra Miata installation & setup. Please
read and learn this information for maximum insight on how to operate this system. The
knowledge it contains will be integral to your success and/or the success of your tuner.
We recommend spending time perusing the Hydra software while offline to become familiar
with the interface & where things are. Also know that you should always download the latest
2.7 software & firmware from Hydra at http://hydraems.com/software/. The software package
contains both the main interface software, and also a firmware upgrade tool that you can use
to flash upgrades & new firmware to your unit. Note: having at least a basic understanding of
Windows will make this a better experience. If this is a challenge for you, we recommend you
find a friend or family member to help you that is familiar with computers. Hydra 2.7 works with
Windows XP, Vista & 7 operating systems. It does not work with Windows 8.
Registration & Parent Instructions. Please register your Hydra and read the Hydra generic
instructions here. Also, R34 & newer software has fully embedded help menus in lieu of a
printed manual- press F1 or click the Help menu at the top of the screen.
http://hydraems.com/support/
http://hydraems.com/nemesis/manual/
Parts List. The FM Hydra EMS system comes with the ECU box, an adaptor harness to interface the unit with your factory wiring, a serial cable for connecting the Hydra to your laptop
computer, a vacuum hose for sourcing the manifold absolute pressure (MAP) signal, a NTK
lab-grade wideband oxygen sensor (WBO2), an air temp sensor (except MSM, optional), a
mounting clip for the ECU, a Serial -> USB converter cable & driver disk (FTDI chipset) and
some extra pins & terminals. 90-97 cars will also come with a knock sensor (99-05 Miatas
have one from the factory). Optional items you may need are larger fuel injectors if you are
running more horsepower than your stock injectors can handle, and an electronic boost control
solenoid or a manual boost controller for turbo cars. Note- Contact FM for recommendations
on spark plug heat range and gap. We recommend Magnecor wires and NGK plugs for all applications.
Installing the Hydra Nemesis Engine Control Unit
Location. Start by disconnecting the negative battery terminal. Then, locate the stock ECU.
On U.S. spec vehicles it is: under the dash by the steering column on 99-05 cars; behind the
passenger seat on 94-97 cars; and under the passenger's kick panel on 90-93 cars. Unplug
the factory harness connectors. For 90-97 cars the Hydra will sit in the location that the factory ECU occupied using the supplied clip, so you'll need to remove the stock ECU. Note- For
90-93 cars with ABS you'll have to do what you need to do in order to fit both the ABS module
& the Hydra under the kick panel- it's a tight fit. We recommend removing that padding against
the floor so the computer can breathe better & is less likely to overheat. For 99-05 cars take
the adaptor harness and run it under the dash (above the transmission tunnel) such that the
single connector end is on the driver's side and the three connector end is on the passenger's
side. Then you'll mount the Hydra behind the glove box with the supplied bracket: on 99-00
cars the bracket mounts to a 6mm stud at the bottom, while on 01-05 cars it mounts to a 6mm
stud at the top. To remove the glove box on the 99-05, open it and pull the right side towards
the rear of the car. Once the right side pops out the left side will slide out. Note- For 01-05 cars
with the keyless entry module you can stash it behind the ECU in the blower motor area.
Next (for all cars) plug the stock harness ends into the adaptor harness plug. Attach the serial cable and run it out somewhere where it can be stashed normally but accessed for tuning.
Leave the 3 plug side of the adaptor harness be for now- you'll have to pin in the WBO2 wires
which will be described later. Attach the MAP sensor hose to the barb on the Hydra and run it
out through the firewall to an appropriate signal source (vacuum nipple) on the intake manifold
plenum. The source must be between the throttle body and head when looking at the
direction of airflow- this way the Hydra will see both vacuum and boost. This means no
check valves inline! In fact, we don't recommend sharing this MAP hose with anything other
than a boost gauge. Note- This is the most important hose on the car! A failure, a leak, or
a pinch here can cause poor running and possibly major engine damage. Please maintain this
hose accordingly! Also, on 99-05 intake manifolds there's at least one nipple and also a check
valve that does not see vacuum & boost, so be sure to verify that the Hydra MAP sensor sees
both vacuum & boost when you first drive the car. (In the software "Dashboard" make sure that
the Load values are appropriate for your throttle inputs.) If you download the turbo kit instructions from our website we have photos of recommended places to pick up the vacuum source
on the various year cars.
Extra Grounds. The 2.7's extra processing power has led us to recommend bolstering the
ECU ground wires in some applications where the stock ground footprint is not robust enough
to keep up with the ground demand. Your harness may have the following flying-lead ground
wires that you'll need to crimp a ring terminal to & bolt to a chassis ground point. If it does not
you can add them, just know that it is optional & not required however adding extra grounds
certainly doesn't hurt. 90-93: BC03. 99-05 & MSM: BC03 & GB12. Contact FM if you would like
a copy of your wiring harness diagram.
Note: If you need to crimp on a terminal pin this requires a special terminal crimping tool. Fortunately we know a fellow Hydra owner who sells them. TOOL-01002
will be the cheapest one available, TOOL-01015 is better but much more costly.
http://www.bmotorsports.com/shop/product_info.php/products_id/364
http://www.bmotorsports.com/shop/product_info.php/products_id/2268
MAF Removal. Because the Hydra uses an internal MAP sensor you can eliminate the factory
mass air flow sensor on 94-05 cars (MAF) or the air flow meter on 90-93 cars (AFM) which imposes a restriction on your intake system. This sensor is located at the outlet of the factory air
cleaner assembly. Remove this sensor if you want to increase the flow potential of your intake.
If the removal of this unit creates a void that needs to be filled in your intake system, you will
need to fabricate or purchase a pipe to take its place. Our FM2 turbo kits include a stainless
steel delete pipe for the 94-05 MAF. The section of harness that went to the MAF can be tied
back out of the way- it is no longer used. You will want to tape the end up to prevent a short
since at least one wire is hot.
Upgrading from a Piggyback (optional). If you are upgrading to the Hydra from some other
brand of engine management, you will first need to remove everything associated with that
system and return the car's electronics in effect to stock. This will make the Hydra installation
much more straightforward. You can do this by applying the install instructions for the old unit
in reverse.
Air Temp Sensor. The supplied Hydra air temp sensor will need to be mounted and wired in.
(Except for 04-05 MSM cars that are using the factory turbo setup and the FM MSM intakethey can reuse the stock sensor. The MSM unit is M10x1.25.) FM turbo kits include a bung
for the sensor; other systems will require you to fabricate a 3/8 NPT bung to mount the Hydra
ATS. Note 1- With 99-05 cars you could alternatively remove the upper intake manifold and
drill / tap the ATS hole in it. Note 2- For Naturally aspirated 99-05 cars, you could optionally
use the stock ATS. We have the calibration for it as well.
The Hydra ATS comes with a plug & pigtail that must be wired in
(non-polar). For wiring on the 99-05 Miata (except MSM) you will be
using the two wires that go to the factory air temp sensor which was
mounted in the stock airbox. Remove these wires and splice them
into the connector that is provided with the new sensor. Note- if you
may need to revert back to stock in the future, use spade connectors
here to make the swap easier. The 99-05 cars running on a stock
ECU may not charge the battery without the factory ATS connected.
If you have a MSM & choose to upgrade, the ATS that is mounted
in the throttle body inlet pipe is already wired through the harness to
the Hydra, so you'll use these two wires for the Hydra ATS. (The other ATS in the MSM stock
airbox needs to be secured out of the way and is not used.) 90-97 cars will require one wire
from the supplied ATS run to chassis ground and the other wire to be connected to the power
steering pump wire that runs across the front of the engine- it is blue with a yellow stripe and
has a female bullet connector at the end. Remove the wire from the PS pump and connect it to
the ATS lead. If your car does not have this wire, you will need to run the ATS signal wire back
to BD09 in the Hydra harness (Large blue, bottom row, position 9).
Fuel Injectors (optional). The factory fuel injectors will support up to around 170-200 rwhp on
99-05 cars and around 150-170 rwhp on 90-97 cars, give or take, based on octane, induction
type, and tuning. The Hydra can control both high impedance (saturated) and low impedance
(peak and hold) injectors with a change to the table at 2D Engine Calibration -> Injector Response. This injector dead-time compensation is unique to different types of injector, and will
affect starting, idle, and high vacuum cruising fuel values. FM will program the base map for
your injectors so it is important that we know what you are using. We will have the best calibrations for the injectors we stock. Contact us if you have questions on what injector will best suit
your needs- we offer many different types. One other thing to consider is that if you plan on
running E85 you'll need injectors that are ~50% larger for the same HP level.
To install the injectors on a 99-05 Miata you will need to remove the upper portion of your
intake manifold (including the throttle body) and your fuel rail. For the 90-97 Miatas, you will
just need to remove the fuel rail and the hoses/ solenoids that are in the way. Some injectors
are plug-in, some come with an adaptor harness. (BTW, solenoids & injectors are non-polar.)
Note- After installing fuel injectors make sure to check for fuel leaks immediately after starting the car for the first time! Remember to use a light coating of oil on the upper O-ring before
pushing the injector into the rail to avoid a pinch. Also, cleaning out the lower seat cup can prevent vacuum leaks on a fresh install. Make sure the lower seat rubber is tight enough against
the injector when installed to prevent vacuum leaks. Be careful not to drop any debris into the
engine through the holes while they are exposed!
Boost Control Solenoid (optional). If you are adding a Boost Control Solenoid it will need to
be wired in and mounted. You will want to mount it on the frame of the car by the shock tower
so the signal lines to the turbo will be short. On FMII cars, the air baffle is a convenient location
and holes are provided. On MSMs, you may want to fabricate a spot on the plastic baffle behind the driver's side headlight that holds a couple relays. The boost control solenoid has two
wires (which are non-polar). One wire will go to a B+ (12v) source. The best place to get this is
to T tap into the power wire in the diagnostics box located right in that area. Access the wires
as they come out of the bottom of the box. In 90-97 Miatas it is the white wire with the red
stripe. In 99-05 Miatas it is the black wire with the white stripe. (Both should be coming from
the top right slot if you are looking down at the top of the diagnostics box while standing at the
front of the car.) The other wire from the BCS will go to the Hydra where it will be controlled by
a switched ground at pin BA05 (Small blue, top row, #5). The Hydra
adaptor harness runs this into the factory harness to make it easier to
wire up- it leads to the wire that goes to the TEN terminal in the diagnostics box (right next to the B+ wire you already spliced into). Splice
the ground wire from the BCS to the following wire (labeled TEN) coming out of the diagnostics connector: 90-97 light green with a yellow
stripe, 99-05 brown with a yellow stripe.
Note- if you want to have a switched high and low boost setting, install a toggle switch inline on
the signal wire so that you can switch from mechanical base boost to electronically controlled
boost. Your mechanical base boost should be high enough to provide sufficient pre-load on the
WG actuator. Your EBC pressure should be no more than double your mechanical base boost
for good control.
The following is the vacuum hose routing for hooking the wastegate actuator to the
MAC boost control solenoid: Connect the vacuum hose from the compressor signal source
to the “3” port on the boost control solenoid. Connect the vacuum hose from the internal wastegate can -or- the external wastegate port under the diaphragm to the “2” port. Leave the “1”
port vented to atmosphere. These labels are stamped into the BCS housing.
Extra Wiring for 1990-93 Cars. On 90-93 cars there are extra wires that need to be run.
1) You can run the injectors in sequential since all 90-93 cars except 93 California cars run
batch injection. This is optional, but recommended, and your base map comes set up for
sequential injection. (For the 93 CA cars you can skip this step and ignore the following fuel
injector leads since the sequential wiring is already in place within the harness.) The flying lead
from BA07 (small blue, top row, position 7) will be run through the firewall to injector 3. (Injector 1 is at the front of the engine and 4 is at the firewall.) Find the yellow wire going to injector
3 and cut it (leaving a pigtail in case you ever go back to stock). Connect the injector side of
this wire to the flying lead from BA07. Next, we will be doing the same thing for injector 4. The
flying lead from the Hydra for injector 4 is coming from BC16 (large blue, top row, position 16).
Run it out to the yellow wire with a black stripe going to injector 4. Cut the Y/B wire and attach
the injector side to the wire going to the Hydra.
2) In order to remove the AFM from the car you
will also need to run the flying lead from BA06
in the Hydra harness (small blue, top row, position 6) across the transmission tunnel to the light
green wire in the fuel pump relay plug that is
under the dash next to the steering column. (See
photo) Cut this Lg wire and splice the BA06 lead
to the plug / relay so that the Hydra powers the
relay. Tape up the harness side of the wire as it
will not be used. Now the Hydra controls the fuel
pump relay.
Note 1- The 90-93 cars have a unique fan / A/C fan / A/C relationship. The A/C fan will not
engage unless the A/C is on. If you find your car overheating, or if you're doing a track day,
unplug the harness from your A/C clutch (under the hood) and turn on the A/C button in the
car- then you'll have both fans on without the A/C clutch running. -- If however your car does
not have A/C but you do have an A/C fan & relay it's relatively easy to re-wire your A/C relay so
that both fans run together. At the A/C relay, cut the black/green & blue/black wires. Attach the
harness side of the black/green wire to the relay side of the blue/black wire. Now both fans will
trigger together & run with temperature. -- Alternatively if you do not have A/C but you do have
the fans & relay, and want to stagger the fan onset temps through the software, you can do this
in the software. Go to Settings -> Output configuration -> INJ5. Change this radio button to "AC
Fan". Next go to BA02 and turn this "off". Same effect as above but now you can trigger the
fans independently.
Note 2- 90-93 manual transmission Miatas come with a TPS that's an on/off switch. With the
Hydra you can install an automatic linear TPS on your 1.6 -or- a 1.8 linear TPS with a 1.8 swap
for better drivability. Contact FM for instructions.
3) 90-93 cars that are automatic OR that have cruise control have a VSS (vehicle speed sensor) wire coming out of the back of the instrument cluster- it's a G/R wire in plug 2 (black plug).
This wire travels to the cruise control module which is behind the driver's side kick panel. Neither end is very easy to access, but the win probably goes to the instrument cluster. Use the
flying lead coming from BB05 in the Hydra harness to T-tap into this wire if you'd like to hook
up VSS. Note: 1993 California cars already have VSS run through 1M in the factory harness,
so on new Hydra harnesses this will already be hooked up to BB05.
Extra Wiring for 1994-95 Cars. The 94-95 Hydra harnesses are all the same. However, 94early 95 use a 4 pin coil pack & late 95 uses a 3 pin coil pack- go count the wires in your harness plug. If you have a 3 pin unit you can ignore this paragraph. If you have a 4 pin unit read
on. The 4th wire is a tach signal, black with a white stripe, which goes to the tach & the ECU.
This is also the wire that the Hydra drives the tach with so if both are connected your tach will
most likely read 2X your actual RPM. If this is the case, simply remove the B/W wires from
both of your coil pack plugs & tape them up. This also means that if your coil pack fails & you
need to replace it, a late 95 - 2000 3 pin unit will work just fine.
Extra Wiring for European Cars. Some European cars have the relay trigger for the fuel
pump going to a different location in the ECU plug. Others may have an immobilizer. We do not
have these wiring diagrams, but we can provide you with the U.S. spec wiring diagrams so you
can determine if / what wire needs to be moved so your car will start & run. Let us know if you
need this information.
Knock Sensor. On 90-97 cars you will need to install and
wire in a knock sensor. (The 99-05 cars have one from
the factory and no additional work is required, so you can
skip this step.) The knock sensor itself replaces the upper
front mounting bolt on the passenger side motor mount.
Remove the 10mm bolt in the upper forward corner of the
motor mount. Replace this bolt with the supplied adapter
bolt and tighten to 20 ft/lbs. Fasten the knock sensor to the
adapter with the supplied 8mm Allen bolt. Tighten this bolt
to 12 ft/lbs, using Loctite on the threads. TORQUE CAREFULLY! Next, there is a long thick coaxial flying lead that
comes out of the Hydra adaptor harness at BD03 & BD05. Run this through the firewall at the
main harness port on the passenger side. Once it is through and run down to the knock sensor,
attach the 2 wire "injector" plug to it- one end goes to the main inner wire of the coaxial lead,
and the other attaches to the shielding after you peel back the insulation and twist the shielding into a rope with your fingers. Finally, plug the harness onto the knock sensor- it will snap in.
Use ties to secure the wiring appropriately.
Wideband Oxygen Sensor.
The wires for the Wideband
O2 sensor will need to be run,
plugged in, and the sensor calibrated. First, run the harness
from the ECU location, through
the shift boot, to the WBO2
sensor location. Next plug the
5 pinned wires into the appropriate locations in the Hydra
harness plugs. Attach the wires
in the following locations by
removing the retaining clip and
sliding the pins into the appro
priate hole until they click in:
Triple check your work here! Replacement sensors are $240 and the heater element is delicate! There is no warranty on the WBO2 sensor- we calibrate them all before shipping
your order to verify it is working correctly. Also, when you insert the pin, make sure that its
up/down orientation is the same as the pins around it.
Note: If you've upgraded from an earlier Hydra & are still using the WBO2 with the flat black
harness plug, you must use the WBO2 wiring instructions from the 2.6 manual as the wire
locations in the two plugs are different.
The WBO2 sensor itself now needs to be calibrated and installed. Until that is done, run everything to where it needs to be, but leave the sensor itself in free air and unplugged from the
harness. Note- with a new kit purchase we will calibrate your WBO2 to your ECU here at the
shop so you can just install your sensor. We do this to verify that they work because there
is no warranty on the sensors themselves. If you have a FM turbo kit there will be an extra
bung for the WBO2 already in place in the downpipe just before the catalytic converter. If you
have something else, you will need to weld in a bung- we have them available. Make sure the
sensor tip is pointed down so that condensation does not pool in the sensor tip. Also, the WB
needs to be after the turbo (or after the collector on non-turbo cars) and still in front of the catalytic converter. Note- in 96-05 OBD-II Miatas, the rear factory O2 sensor (post-cat) is not wired
in with the Hydra. Remove it and plug the hole or it will fail. You can pull the harness plug back
through the body, unplug it & stash it under the carpet.
99-05 Engine Swap (optional). If you are using a 99-00 intake manifold in a 90-97 chassis
you will have to run the wires for VICS. Locating its solenoid, one post will go to switched 12v
and the other needs to go to BA11 (small blue, top row, position 11) in the Hydra harness. If
you have a 94-97 car the FPR solenoid wires already go to 12v and BA11, however the Hydra
doesn't control this solenoid so just run those two wires to the VICS solenoid and you're done.
Finally, while online you'll have to go to Settings -> Output Configuration -> BA11 -> Switch
-> "RPM" "is less than" "5400". Click Apply & then OK. Now, your VICS will pull to ground &
activate when the RPM is less than 5400. Note- The switch-over RPM can be optimized on a
dyno. Do one run on, one run off, and set the RPM where the lines cross. If you are swapping
in an 01-05 VVT head we also have instructions written for wiring this up, contact us for more
information as this is much more complicated.
Trim Map Switch (optional). You can set up a trim map switch so that you can make a second map for different octanes or fuel types. Your base fuel, timing, AFR target tables and start
primer are normally active. When you flip the switch, your fuel and timing trim maps will be
overlaid onto your respective base maps, and your Aux AFR target map & aux start primer will
replace your base AFR target map & start primer. Note- Lambda = 1 is always stoichiometric
regardless of fuel type. Note- If you run Flex Fuel it will take over the trim maps automatically.
You will need to request a Hydra ECU pin from us, which you will attach to a wire and pin in
to the Hydra harness at BC07 (large blue plug, top row, position 7). You will run this wire to a
switch, which you will mount wherever works for you. You will run a wire from the other post
of the switch to a chassis ground. When the ground breaks at the switch, you will be on your
base maps. When the ground has continuity to the Hydra through the switch, your trim maps
will be active. (You can monitor any active requests in the bottom of the Hydra PC screen.) Finally, you need to tell the software what to do. Go to Settings -> Input request types. For Auxiliary Port 8 select Auxiliary Low Request and click OK. Now you can tune your Aux map groups
as appropriate. Note- you can also have a second set of fuel & timing (only) trims by using the
Antilag trim tables, since you're probably not using Antilag. This could work for race gas, but
not for E85 since the start primer requirements are so different. For E85 you would need to use
the standard trim maps. Contact us for custom E85 mapping if you use it, the starting & tuning
requirements are far different than with gasoline.
UPDATE: Newer Hydra harnesses will now have a flying lead coming from BC07 so that you
can enable any low request that you choose under Settings -> Input Request Types -> Aux
Port 8. Popular request options are auxiliary maps, datalog, traction control, valet or immobilizer requests. Scroll through the drop-down list & see what's available. To use this you'll need to
run the lead through a switch then attach it to chassis ground. When you close the circuit with
the switch the request will be active. We are now also including a toggle switch with the Hydra
kit that you can install in a location that suits you.
LS3 Coil Conversion (optional). The Miata runs its stock coils in batch (waste spark) ignition.
While the factory coils are good for most applications, in high boost cars they can run out of
steam. An excellent upgrade in these situations is to upgrade to full sequential ignition using
the much stronger individual coils from the GM LS3 engine. FM has a complete Big Spark kit
including coils, brackets, harness, wires, instructions, etc.- see http://www.flyinmiata.com/ for
details.
Flex Fuel (optional). Hydra 2.7 can control a GM flex fuel sensor so that you can set up the
mapping to seamlessly handle any ethanol content from E0 to E100. If you live in an area that
sells E85 at the pump this gives you the potential for much more power. It is very high octane
stuff- we recommend it. A standard FM2 car going from 91 octane to E85 at the same boost
level will usually pick up around 25-30 rwhp from the extra timing advance, and for high boost
E85 cars octane is no longer an issue. We sell a Big Fuel kit w/ the Flex Fuel sensor included,
see http://www.flyinmiata.com/ for details.
36-2 Trigger Wheel. (optional). We offer a 36-2 trigger wheel that can be fitted to your 2.7powered car for increased timing resolution & smoothness. See http://www.flyinmiata.com/ for
details & instructions.
Upgrading from an earlier Hydra.
1999-05 cars, 2.1/ 2.5/ 2.6. The tachometer in the NB Miata is more sensitive & we've had to
use a different configuration for proper operation w/ 2.7. Without doing this you may lose your
tach over ~5K RPM. You will need to follow these instructions to set it up. 1) In the software
go to Settings -> Output configuration -> Inj 6. Under the Simple tab Select "Tach". Click OK,
and save your new configuration to your PC. 2) At the Hydra harness disconnect the large blue
plug that attaches to the Hydra ECU. Remove the plastic combs on both sides to access the
10
terminal pins. 3) Remove the tach wire that is on the
top row (thumb tab side), position 12. 4) Re-pin this
wire into the same plug, bottom row, position 10.
(This is the output for Inj 6.) 5) Procure a 1K (1000)
ohm resistor. You'll use the resistor to jumper between the following two wires. This is what we call a
"pull-up" resistor. 6) Attach one end of the resistor to
the wire you just moved- bottom row #10. 7) Attach
the other end of the wire to the wire also on the large
blue plug, bottom row, position #1. This is B+. 8)
Cover the jumper so it doesn't short out on anythingit is hot! 9) Re-install the combs on the plug and
re-assemble everything. 10) Start the car, your tach should work properly. Note- if you prefer,
send us your harness & we'll perform the modification for you.
1999-05 cars, 2.1/ 2.5/ 2.6. It is possible that you will need to upgrade your Hydra's ground
footprint for reliable operation. To do this you'll do the following: a) Tee your BC03 wire & run it
to a hard chassis ground. b) Pin a new wire into GB12 & run it to a hard chassis ground. This
is optional & not required, but it certainly doesn't hurt.
All years, 2.1/ 2.5. In your Hydra harness there is a diode between BA02 and BA10 on the
top row of the small blue plug. Remove the diode, leave the wires. 2.7 has new A/C & A/C fan
functions that negate the need for this diode.
01-05 cars, except MSM. 2.7 no longer runs VVT on a RPM / Load spread map. It now has
its own standard map which is covered later in this manual. Your new FM VVT base map will
have the new VVT table in it, but it will need to be calibrated as covered later in this manual. It
is similar to 2.6 but different from 2.1 or 2.5.
All years & ECUs. The dwell in 2.6 ran a little hotter than in 2.1 & 2.5. We had to reduce the
values in the 2.6 Dwell base map ~1ms across the board to account for this. The 2.7 base
maps are now using the 2.5 numbers successfully. So, if you get load based misfires you may
want to go -1ms on your dwell curve & see if that helps. If your dwell output is too hot, you will
feel misfires as you rev out to redline while staying in vacuum or boost. If your dwell was too
cold, you may only get a misfire in boost. Ideally you want to run as little dwell as necessary
to get the job done, to help keep the coils cool. If we provide you with a new 2.7 base map the
dwell curves will be current & correct.
1990-93, 2.1/ 2.5/ 2.6. Previous generations had a relay embedded in this harness to allow the
TPS to function properly, keeping in mind the 90-93 manual trans TPS is an on/off switch. This
is no longer needed with 2.7. If you'd like to remove the relay here's how you do it. 1) Remove
the relay. 2) BC05 at the Hydra now goes to 1N at the factory harness. 3) BD04 at the Hydra
now goes through a 1K resistor & then on to 1N at the factory harness. (Yes, 2 wires in 1N.) 4)
Delete BB08 so it doesn't short out. Note- if you prefer, send us your harness & we'll perform
the modification for you.
11
Setting up the ECU
Re-attach the negative battery terminal. After you have completed the hardware installation it's
time to perform the initial setup & calibration procedures in the software. Note: The ECU must
be installed in the car with the key in the on position to power the system up before you can
connect.
Open Your Map. Install the latest 2.7 software package from Hydra's website & open it. Connect your Hydra to your PC using the cable & click the "connect" button. All Hydras shipped
from FM come with the latest firmware & your custom base map programmed into the ECU.
When you use the Hydra 2.7 software to connect to the ECU it will automatically pull the map
from the ECU onto the PC. Any changes in real-time to the map will automatically save to the
ECU. We do recommend saving a current copy of your map to your PC, so next go to File ->
Save As and save this base map to your PC. Note- The 2.7 software will auto-range for the
correct COM port. Go to Window & click Auto-Arrange. Also, go to Tools -> Experience Level &
click "Guru" so that you can see all of the maps. Any map that is not available at your level will
be greyed out, offering you temptation to upgrade.
Notes- a) The base map programmed into your ECU prior to shipping at FM has settings as
appropriate for your car. This should get your car going, and may even be really close to optimum. However as all cars are a little different, you are in charge of verifying that the fuelling &
timing tables are in fact safe for your octane & the type of driving you'll be doing- this is where
a professional tuner would be a worthwhile investment. b) When you key on 01-05 cars after
installing the Hydra you will get a "blinky key" light. This is the immobilizer function in the factory ECU. It is not an operational issue- you can simply remove the light bulb from the instrument cluster. The Hydra BYPASSES the factory immobilizer. c) If you're using a Serial -> USB
converter cable & the connection constantly kicks you offline, try a different one with a FTDI
chipset. You may have to try a couple different converters, but once you find one that works on
your system it should give you rock solid connectivity. d) If we have emailed you a new base
map you can install it into your Hydra by getting connected & going to File -> Open. Follow the
prompts that tell you you're about to overwrite the current file, choose the file we sent you, and
the software will upload it into your ECU. You can verify the upload by looking at the file name
in the top of the screen.
Throttle Position Sensor Calibration. Next, you need to calibrate your Throttle Position Sensor for closed throttle and WOT. Key on but do not start the engine. While connected go to
Tools -> Calibrations & follow the prompts. Note- You should re-check the closed throttle cal
once the engine bay is heat-soaked. If you notice your closed throttle cal values floating more
than a point or two after initial calibration you may need to replace your TPS.
If your ISC is healthy & does not float when it gets hot the current calibration spec is good. If it
does float you may improve drivability by manually entering the calibration to account for the
float. Go to Tools -> calibrations and move the TPS zero cal slider bar +1 or +2 to achieve the
desired results. Do NOT hit the calibrate button if you do it manually- just hit the Done button at
the bottom. Reason being if your TPS does float up with heat you may get stuck in open loop
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ISC control & your idle speed will raise or oscillate. The Hydra will run closed loop ISC only
when the TPS = 0 & your RPM is < the value in Decel Fuel Cut Lower Limit.
WBO2 Calibration. While in the Tools -> Calibrations screen you'll also calibrate the wideband
O2 sensor if we haven't already. If your battery is not between 12.5-14.5v with the key on you
may want to hook a charger up while doing this- Miata batteries are weak, and the WB heater
circuit needs a lot of juice to make full temp. However, if the voltage goes over 14.8 the heater
circuit will shut down & it also won't calibrate properly. Note- new Hydra kits from FM now have
your WBO2 calibrated to your ECU before we ship the kit to you. So, if we indicate that this
has been done at the shop, you can skip this step & install your WBO2 sensor. Also, these
calibrations stay onboard the ECU so write them down in case you ever load in a different map
& have to enter them manually- for example if we send you a new base map. You can see the
calibration numbers in the software when you're online by clicking on the cal slider bar pointer.
**My Zero cal is _______
My Gradient cal is _______**
First for the UEGO Zero cal you'll leave the WBO2 unplugged. Second for the UEGO Gradient
cal you'll plug the sensor in but leave it hanging in free-air. Note- a) When setting Zero cal, the
relationship is actually inverse. b) During gradient calibration the sensor will get very hot- so be
careful! When these steps are complete you can save your calibrated base map & then remove the key from the ignition. Install the WBO2 sensor in the exhaust pipe once it has cooled
down. Note- as the sensor ages it is a good idea to repeat the free-air calibration procedure.
You can easily check to see if it is off- your AFR (WBO2) should read around 14.7 when your
O2 (NBO2) left bank is dithering between 0-1 (assuming the front NBO2 is still in the car).
Hint- as you make alterations it is a good idea to save the files to your PC so you have a running log of changes. This way, if a map error occurs you always have a place to go back to. If
an * appears at the end of your file name at the top of your screen, there are changes in the
ECU that have not been saved to your PC map file.
Switching from WBO2 to NBO2. The base map comes set up for the Wideband O2 sensor.
(linear 0-5v, 5 wire) We do recommend leaving your factory primary narrowband O2 sensor
(non-linear, 0-1v, 1 or 4 wire) installed so you can a) reality check the WBO2 calibration since
the NB will only effectively tell you stoichiometric (14.7 for gasoline) or b) switch back to the NB
if the WB dies. Also, NBO2s are technically better for stoich & emissions testing. The sensor
type can be changed by going to Settings -> AFR target settings -> Left module sensor source.
The Miata application only uses the left module.
Note- the only times you would run Open Loop (no O2 sensor feedback at all) are a) if you had
a failed O2 sensor causing the car to run poorly, b) if you are dyno tuning and want to see your
A/F ratios and injector pulse width straight as they are in the map without any O2 closed loop
trim applied, or c) if you have a well tuned track-only race car.
If your car is a track car that spends all its time at full throttle, keep in mind that WBO2s are
fairly temperature & pressure sensitive & may lose accuracy (and lifespan) under sustained
WOT driving conditions. In this case you may consider confirming your fuel mapping before a
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track day (or during warm-up) & then racing under open loop.
Initial ECU Tuning
Starting. Once you are confident that everything has been installed correctly & there are no
fuel leaks let's try to start the car. Get connected to your laptop & make sure all of your sensor inputs are giving correct readings. Make sure there's no magic smoke when you key-on,
and check for fuel leaks if you did any work to the fuel system. CTS & ATS should be close to
ambient temperature. The MAP sensor should be around 100 kPa at sea level, and lower at
altitude. Your TPS & WBO2 calibrations should be done. Take a deep breath & turn the key.
Hopefully it fires right up! If not, look at the following. A) Is your battery voltage good? B) Is
your MAP sensor pulling some vacuum under cranking? If it does start, is the map pulling to
somewhere in the 30 kPa range? C) Does your screen show 200-300 RPM during cranking?
D) Are your spark plugs fouling out (way too rich) or completely dry (way too lean)? E) Does it
feel like it's firing 180° out of time when you crank? (backfires & coughs)
Here are some analysis tools you may need if the base map doesn't fire right up & run well. A)
Go to Tools -> Ignition Advance Trims & Fuel Trims. This shows how all your base tables plus
trims are stacking up in real-time. B) Go to Tools -> Trigger test, and run this test. Save it &
e-mail it to us for review. We have examples of what the trigger test should look like, we can
e-mail them upon request to you if you'd like to make the comparison. C) Check your sensor
inputs to make sure their numbers look reasonable. If ANY of your sensor inputs are not working properly this will need to be addressed first. D) Datalogging this issue, or any issue really,
is definitely your friend when it comes to troubleshooting. We're happy to review datalogs with
you- we need a short log showing the problem & also your current Hydra map file. Let us know
if you need help choosing which variables to datalog for a given problem.
If everything else is good to go you may just need to massage your starting fuel numbers.
Pull your plugs after cranking, see if they are dripping or dry, and then alter your cranking fuel
table in the appropriate direction to get it within range where the car will start. You need to get
it started & warmed up before you can really dial in the fuel numbers, so good enough to run
decent is good enough for now. Note- you can select multiple cells by holding down the Shift
key while arrowing around, and you can apply math to selected cells by hitting the M/ D/ A/ S/
Enter keys. Standard Windows keystrokes such as Ctrl A, X, C, V also work in your 2D & 3D
maps.
Important Note- Once the car is idling smoothly & warming up, make sure your fans are coming on at the correct temperature! (Settings -> Output Control Settings) It is important to verify
this first so you don't get involved in other things & find out the hard way they didn't come on &
the engine overheated.
Side Note- There have been a few cars that have an issue where the AC clutch & AC fan relay
chatter when engaged. We’ve been discussing this with Hydra for a while now- while they have
not been able to come up with an embedded solution they have come up with a work-around
that does solve the problem. Where are these relays you might ask? That’s simple. They’re
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under the hood. If you turn on the AC fan & a relay starts chattering, that’s it. If you turn on the
AC clutch & a relay starts chattering, that’s it. If you turn these things on & no relays are chattering then you don’t have the issue & you can forget these paragraphs & move on. That said,
here are the work-arounds for solving the issue should you experience it.
AC Clutch work-around. Go to Settings -> Output configuration -> INJ 5. This is your AC clutch
output. If its relay is chattering do the following. Click on the PWM tab. Choose an available
PWM map that you are not using (most folks are using none), say for example PWM 2 Map.
Click its radio button. Under Frequency click 6Hz. Click OK Go to Tuning maps -> PWM maps
-> 2D PWM Map 2 In the drop down menu click, clear it out & start typing “AC clutch” & choose
it. Under 0 enter 0.0 Under 1 enter 100.0 It should now operate without chatter.
AC Fan work-around. Go to Settings -> Output configuration -> BA 02. This is normally your
AC fan, although in some cars this may have been swapped to GB 06. If its relay is chattering
do the following. Click on the PWM tab. Choose an available PWM map that you are not using
(most folks are using none), say for example PWM 3 Map. Click its radio button. Under Frequency click 6Hz. Click OK Go to Tuning maps -> PWM maps -> 2D PWM Map 3 In the drop
down menu click, clear it out & start typing “AC condensor fan” & choose it. Under 0 enter 0.0
Under 1 enter 100.0 It should now operate without chatter.
Fuel. Start the car and let it idle. Once it is warmed up, if it is obviously rich (spitting) or obviously lean (hunting or stalling) you'll want to make an initial adjustment to the idle fuel areas
(Tuning maps -> Base Fuel Table) to get it smoothed out so that you can set the idle speed &
base timing. The base map that you were provided is based on cars tuned at FM with similar
setups to yours, so it should get you going. You will need to determine if your fuelling is in the
ballpark with good drivability so that the auto-tuning (Long Term Trim) can start working. If it is
not close enough you will need to set it to open loop & manually set up your base fuel values
such that the car is safely drivable before turning closed loop back on & letting auto-tuning do
its thing. If you have a custom setup, your mapping should be pretty close assuming that we
knew about it before we shipped you the ECU. FWIW, if you're using a fuel injector that we
sell you will have a lot less work to do here than if you're using some other injector that we
don't have tuned maps for.
Idle Speed. Once the car is warned up & idling smoothly you may need to adjust your idle
speed. You'll find the controls under Tuning maps -> Base idle speed target, Settings -> Idle
Speed Control Settings, and also more advanced mapping under Tuning maps -> Idle speed
control. The only mechanical control you have here is the idle air bypass screw in the sheath
on the side of your throttle body, and usually this is all you need to set up. We recommend
starting out by warming up the car, turning electrical loads off, and rotating the mechanical
bypass screw on the side of the throttle body until your ISC% as seen in the Hydra real-time
display is in the 30-35% range. Make sure to do this to calibrate your ISC before thinking about
making adjustments to the ISC mapping in the Hydra. For troubleshooting, if rotating that
bypass screw in does not reduce a high idle and your ISC % is bottoming out around 14.9%,
the car most likely has a vacuum leak that you'll need to fix before proceeding. (You can also
test your ISC motor to see if it's working by unplugging it & seeing if the idle speed changes.)
Realistically, the base map settings should be pretty close. Note: The lighter your flywheel,
15
the more challenging idle speed control will be. Superchargers will also have more difficult idle
speed control & need to be idled higher.
Base Timing. Once the car is idling smoothly with a reasonable AFR you'll need to set the
base timing- that way what the ECU says for timing advance and what the car is actually doing
are the same thing. We have seen some base timing variance when just strapping the Hydra
onto a stock car, so this step must be done on 90-97 cars & should be done on 99-05 cars.
Setting the base timing will require a timing light. With the car running and at a smooth idle,
look at the top of the real-time number display on the right of the home screen. The box labeled "Advance" is your ignition advance output in degrees, according to the ECU. This value
is determined by taking the value from the ignition map and applying to it any ignition trims.
(see Tools -> Ignition advance trims) Next, under the hood of the car hook a timing light up
to the #1 plug wire and flash the light at the timing marker (around 1-2 o'clock) on the main
(crank) pulley. What we want to see is the following: the timing marker on the pulley lines up
with the value on the backing plate that corresponds to the displayed ADV reading, in real-time.
If it does not you will need to adjust your base timing. Note: if your timing gun has an advance
dial, set it to 0.
For example- if the value in ADV is 10, it makes the procedure easy. If your main pulley has
one timing notch (90-93), we want this notch to line up with the "10" on the backing plate. If
your main pulley has two timing notches (94-05), you want the "driver's right" side notch to line
up with the "10" on the backing plate. (Always ignore the "driver's left" side notch.) If the value
in ADV is more or less than 10 you will use the idea behind the procedure in the last sentence
while making sure the backing plate marker value that you line the correct timing notch up with
is the same as the value you see in the ADV screen. Note- each notch on the backing plate is
2 degrees! Therefore, if the real-time ADV value says 12, line the appropriate timing notch up
to the notch on the backing plate one "driver's right" of the 10 marker. If it says 9, line it up inbetween the 10 and the next notch to the "driver's left". The following explains how to do this in
the software. Note- If you have an ATI damper you'll use the timing marker that's farthest to the
driver's right side. It's slightly removed from the grouping of other notches.
Adjustments to your base timing will be made in the Timing Reference Angle box under Settings -> Ignition Triggers. Lowering this number will advance the base timing and raising the
number will retard it. Alter this number as necessary and re-check it with the timing light until
the ADV value matches the pulley value in real-time. Once it matches, the base timing is calibrated & all future timing changes will be made in the Hydra's base ignition table.
For 90-97 cars you may run out of adjustment in Timing Reference Angle (There is a floor and
a ceiling) and will have to rotate your Cam Angle Sensor to get it back in range. To do this,
loosen the 12mm bolt that locks the cam angle sensor (CAS) in place and rotate the sensor
until the timing marker on the pulley lines up with the appropriate marker on the backing plate.
Remember to re-tighten when finished. The CAS is at the back of the head: behind the intake
cam for 1.6L engines and behind the exhaust cam for 1.8L engines.
VVT calibration. For 01-05 VVT engines, see pages 19-20. Yes, you need to calibrate your
VCT Intake Target to your VVT mechanical base so the engine & computer agree.
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Fuel "Auto" Tuning
Hydra 2.7s purchased as a kit from FM come with a WBO2 that runs short term trim (STT) and
a self-learning long term trim (LTT). This is part of your ECU, so you can use any compatible
PC to tune the ECU (no more passwords required). The Hydra will automatically "Auto-tune"
while you're driving by saving consistent STT changes to the LTT table. This will occur with or
without a laptop hooked up, so the more you drive the better your fuel table will be. You can
access these parameters through Settings -> AFR Target Settings, and you can see your LTT
table at Tuning maps -> Closed loop -> Left bank long term fuel trim when connected & online. Before you begin LTT tuning you'll want to go to Tools -> Zero long-term trims so that any
trim in the base map gets reset to 0. Note- We still recommend tuning your full throttle zones
in open loop on a dyno to optimize power & safety! At the very least you should take & review
some datalogs of full throttle running to make sure the tune is safe & appropriate. WB-LTT now
works at all throttle & load inputs so it is capable of dialing your base map into a custom fuel
table for your car relatively quickly. Note- We do have an Excel spreadsheet that allows you
to "port" your LTT back into your base fuel table or your aux fuel trim table as appropriate, but
you really need to be careful that it doesn't make your fuel map choppy. When in doubt use the
"interpolate" feature to clean it up. E-mail us a request if you'd like a copy of this spreadsheet.
Tech note- The maximum number of milliseconds that can be injected into the engine at any
given engine speed is defined in the equation [120 / thousand RPM]. Therefore, for a 7500
RPM redline the time available is 120 / 7.5, or 16 milliseconds. If the base fuel plus any added
trims exceed this amount at that RPM, the additional fuel will not richen the AFR & you should
consider a larger injector / bigger fuel system. Also, in the latest mapping if your injectors exceed 90% duty cycle your CEL will illuminate.
Tuning note- Your car may still have the original (old & tired) fuel pump. It is entirely possible
that it cannot keep up with the fuelling requirements of your new boosted system. If the base
map spools up at a reasonable AFR & then goes very lean on the top end, odds are you need
a new fuel pump & filter. We have high performance pumps, rails, filters, and complete systems in stock. See http://www.flyinmiata.com/ for details.
Tuning Your Timing
The timing table that came with your base map was developed using cars tuned at FM on
91 octane gas. The off-boost spark timing is pretty good- there is no real reason to change it
unless you have an exhaust gas analyzer and wish to dial it in for emissions. It approximates
newer cars such as the NC which are running a lot of cruise advance. The on-boost timing can
be tuned using datalogging, or preferably on a Dyno for optimum power & safety. If you're running 93+ octane, race fuel or even E85, you'll likely be able to get some more advance in there
with tuning. You always want to run at least a couple degrees away from any advance level
that could produce knock.
Note- If you have a well tuned map & then on a really hot day or on track you hear some pinging, you should look at making your air & coolant temp fuel & ignition trims more conservative
in those hot areas rather than altering your base fuel or ignition table.
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Knock Threshold. When you are ready to boost go to Tuning maps -> Knock Threshold. Here
you will see a stream of "x"s that represent the real-time voltage output from your knock sensor, as well as your threshold line. The threshold level is user adjustable & should be calibrated for your car. The way to set it up is to monitor the "x"s while you rev the engine out to
redline while staying deep in vacuum (less than 10" on your boost gauge). Without load there
won't be knock. Therefore, any "x" activity is engine noise. Set your threshold a couple tenths
above this noise level that occurred during this test. Then, it is reasonable to assume that any
"x" outlying from the group while driving under load will be knock. Also, test noise by performing some snap-decelerations at varying RPM to see if the sensor is picking up decel noise as
knock. Make sure the threshold is contoured above any noise. If you find that your sensor is
very "quiet" you can go to Settings -> Knock control settings & enable the Knock 1 Amplifier,
and then re-profile your knock threshold to match.
Note- If you exceed your knock threshold or your excessive knock threshold as defined in the
knock threshold settings, your CEL will illuminate & you'll go into your spark backup map which
is basically an across the board advance cut. 2.7 knock retard is very fast & effective, you will
feel the engine get soft it if it happens. Make sure your threshold is properly calibrated for your
level of engine noise.
Diagnostics. Hydra has implemented a diagnostic panel under the Tools menu. Here it can tell
you if say you have a bad sensor or have had too much detonation. The idea is to give some
basic failure mode feedback similar to the factory OBD system which you no longer have. If
your check engine light comes on, leave the car running & go view this panel to learn why. If
you turn off the car you will lose the code!
Datalogging. The best way to tune your timing (and everything else, really) is by running a
datalog of the car being driven and then analyze the data after the fact. While it is best to do
this on a dyno, it is possible to run a datalog on the street if it can be done in a safe, legal
manner with a passenger running the
laptop. Hydra 2.7 has
an internal datalogger
that you can export
to your PC. Towards
the top of your Hydra
software there's a box
that says "Internal
Data Logging". Open
it and up will come the
screen where you can
define what channels to log, change
the logging rate, run
the logs, and also
upload & save them
to your PC for viewing
or e-mailing to us. To
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define channels simply start typing what you want to log in the box & options will pop up. The
log variable list is huge, we can e-mail you the list upon request. If you'd like to save a log you
can save it in the native format which is great in 2.7. When sending us a datalog please also
send your current map file for a more complete review. Here is the datalogging screen with the
default parameters which are optimal for horsepower tuning.
We recommend that if you are not experienced with tuning standalone ECUs that you
hire a qualified professional to do it for you. Optimization in many aspects is key to a
good experience and a safe, reliable car. The tech department at FM can assist you remotely to a certain degree- feel free to call or e-mail us if you have any questions. Closed Loop Alternator Control (99-05)
While the 90-97 cars have voltage control built into the alternator, the 99-05 cars have ECU
regulated voltage control. This means that the Hydra is responsible for maintaining a set voltage range within the system. If in your 99-05 car your system exceeds 15v, your Brake & ABS
lights on the dash will come on and the radio will cut out. Note- the Hydra software will not
read over 15v! This means that your system voltage could be dangerously more! Your controls
for this parameter can be found in Tuning maps -> Closed loop -> Alternator Voltage Target
and also Settings -> Alternator Voltage Control Settings. The default charging target is 14.0v- if
the voltage goes below 11.3v or over 14.8v the WBO2 heater will shut down. Note: Keep in
mind that a 94-97 internally regulated Miata alternator will bolt on to a 99-05 car and work with
a couple wiring changes, negating the need for ECU alternator control. Contact FM for instructions on how to set it up if you'd like to do this.
We recommend calibrating your voltage control since some cars have a variance between
voltage measured at the battery & what is displayed in the Hydra screen. Therefore, alter your
Alternator Voltage Target until the voltage measured at the battery is at your desired voltage
target- we recommend 14.2-14.3v. If this variance seems excessive you may want to remove,
clean & reinstall all of your chassis grounds in case corrosion is causing resistance in your
voltage flow. In addition, if your voltage oscillates too much (you'll see it in your lights) you will
need to reduce your Alternator Voltage Control P-term value from the default of 200. Try going
down 10 points at a time until you achieve stable voltage, or at least stable enough that your
lights don't oscillate. If you do have to reduce the P value to damp the oscillation it's a sign that
your alternator is getting tired. Note- Factory NBs run around 14.7v at the battery, but we recommend the low 14s so you're not too close to the WBO2 shut-down voltage.
Variable Intake Valve Timing (01-05, except MSM)
On 2001-2005 Miatas (except MSMs) there is a hydraulic assembly on the intake cam that
allows for real-time adjustable cam timing between two end points based on a 3D map. Having control of your valve overlap is an excellent tool- it allows for the user to realize optimal
flow rates for both cruise, full throttle, and all points in-between. Without this there is always
some compromise involved in cam timing. Warning- improper cam timing can cause increased
EGTs, detonation, and also bent valves in interference engines. This variable is not for the
amateur tuner! This is a powerful tuning tool that can potentially have an even greater power
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effect than fuel & timing fine tuning.
To access the cam timing map, go to Tuning maps -> Engine trimming -> VCT Intake Target. In
this map you set the amount of intake cam advance & retard in relation to the "zero" position
of a non-adjustable cam. In our testing the factory engines tend to have 44°- 45° of total cam
range, so for our purposes let's say that the effective range is from -22° to +22°, with 0° being
as-if the car had a fixed cam. This -22° full-retard point is where you want it to park for idle &
low RPM so that's what we'll calibrate your map to. Note- stock Miata engines are non-interference. If you have a head shave, aftermarket pistons, high lift cams, or oversized valves you
need to determine if your engine has become an interference one. If so, incorrect tuning of this
map (too much advance) could put a piston into a valve! If you have an interference engine,
or are not sure, unplug your VVT from the harness so the cam is locked at full retard.
Wait to activate the VVT & tune the map until the car is in the hands of a qualified tuner.
Calibration. Fortunately there is an easy way to calibrate the FM base VVT map to your car.
Once your car is up to temp & idling pop your hood & un-plug your harness connector to the
VVT assembly (top front of the intake cam). When you do this the cam will sit at full retard.
Note: if this calibration is way off base you may have to unplug the VVT solenoid before the
car will start & hold an idle. Next go to Tools -> VCT Target vs. Actual where you can monitor
the intake cam target advance vs. actual advance. Then go to Settings -> Ignition Triggers ->
VCTi Offset. Alter this number until your actual advance lines up with the target of -22°. After
this is done plug the VVT harness back in, and go monitor VCT Target vs. Actual while freerevving to make sure the target & the actual are tracking each other.
Note: The VCTi offset value moves the calibration 1° at a time, which is perfect for fine-tuning
on most cars. In some cases your actual may be way off base of your target & you first have
to use the Left VCTi Sequencer, which moves the calibration 10° per point, to get the target vs.
actual within 10 points. Common situations where you may have to do this are with the 36-2
timing wheel, or with autocrossers that have the problem where the pressed-on cam trigger
wheel rotates on the cam from over-revving all the time. Autocrossers will often tack-weld this
wheel to the camshaft to stop this from happening.
For idle and low RPM, there is not enough oil pressure in the system to reliably hold advance
in the cam gear, and therefore you should leave the value in the chart at full retard so that it
does not even try to advance the cam. Trying to advance it can result in a bad idle or jerky drivability. This poor behavior can come from a few different things including the VVT or the AFR
being lean, so if you experience it, you can rule VVT in or out by simply unplugging the connector from the solenoid and see if the problem goes away. If so, try holding the fully retarded
limit to higher in the rev range before you allow any cam advance. (If not, your idle may be
lean.) Remember, when you're done tuning this map make sure that the transition points are
smooth- large, abrupt changes to the cam advance under load can damage the valve train in
the long run and cause poor drivability.
Note- You can retrofit a VVT head or engine to a non-VVT 1.8. It is a lot of work, but it may be
worthwhile for your project. Contact FM for the VVT wiring & Hydra settings info you'll need.
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Electronic Boost Control for turbo cars
Starting in the R34 Hydra software (with the help menus) there is an excellent tutorial on Hydra
EBC at the bottom of the help menu list. Please refer to this for information on how to properly
set up this function. Given that, here's a "quick start" guide for EBC setup. You need to start out
by dialing in your Tuning maps -> Boost control -> Min / Max boost solenoid duty cycle curves.
For now make both curves the exact same thing so your control is in effect open loop. You now
need to determine what duty cycle it takes to hit each boost level break point- determine this
manually through experimentation and develop your curve. Once the curve is developed, the
ECU will use this duty cycle curve as a reference for whatever value you plug into your Tuning
maps -> Boost control -> Boost target map. Also, under Settings -> Boost control settings you
can calibrate the solenoid operating parameters as well as the map scale resolution. There is a
lot more to setting this control up in closed loop but this will get you going. With that said, keep
in mind that EBC does take more work to set up & maintain and it is affected by weather &
elevation changes. If you want the "easy" button we recommend using a quality manual boost
controller such as the Turbosmart unit we offer.
Other Capabilities
The Hydra system is very powerful & gives you lots of potential for peripheral & custom setup
& programming. It comes in 5 levels (Alpha / Beta / Gamma / Delta / Epsilon), and each level
unlocks new capabilities. (http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/Hydra_levels.php) There are some
things built in to the various levels like auxiliary maps, launch control, Flex Fuel, CAN bus, gear
based controls, EGT trims and various other trims. There are also extra inputs & outputs that
will allow you to get creative using its various capabilities. We even have FM custom options
like our 36-2 trigger wheel & sequential spark system. Some of these things we have used &
have base maps for such as our Flex Fuel kit, others we have not but could possibly get you
set up in the right direction. Let us know if you need assistance exploring what else the system
can do.
We know that while many owners want to “set it & forget it”, we have other customers who like
to tinker with the system & explore its capabilities. If you are the type of owner that likes to try
out different things in the calibration, and you would like to be on a special email list of owners
to whom we will send new things for you to beta test alongside us, let us know & we’ll add your
name to this “tester” list. Thanks!
Appendix A- Emissions
The Hydra ECU does not have the ability to return any OBD-2 information for 1996 & newer
cars. If you have occasion to need the car to return to OBD-2 functionality then you will need
to go back to your stock electronics. This includes the following components: A) The stock
ECU. B) The stock fuel injectors. C) The stock ignition coils (if you have switched them). D)
The stock mass airflow sensor or airflow meter. E) The stock air temp sensor in NB cars. F)
The stock post-cat O2 sensor (assuming you left the pre-cat sensor in the downpipe). G) The
stock EGR if you have removed it. (The Hydra does not run EGR.) H) Any other stock electron21
ics you have manipulated. I) You must also remove the Hydra WBO2 sensor to prevent damage from running it without power. J) Stock N/A heat-range spark plugs (NGK BKR5E-11). K)
If you have a turbo / supercharger you may want to wire your wastegate / bypass valve open
to reduce the airflow to the engine. -- Once you are running on the stock components you
must complete the necessary number of drive cycles for the stock computer to declare all the
required codes as "ready". This readiness is not very straightforward so you'll just have to keep
driving until it does. Also, and this is important, if your car is turbo or supercharged stay out of
boost! If it is high compression N/A stay off of full throttle!
The Hydra-powered engine does have the ability to produce clean tailpipe emissions when
it's properly calibrated. The fact that Hydra-powered cars generally get as good or better gas
mileage than stock cars underscores this. The basis of this is that first you must have your
base fuel table dialed in as close as you can so that any day-to-day variances in fuelling can
easily be trimmed out by the closed loop O2 sensor system. Beyond that, here are some hints
to improve your engine's emissions. Start by saving your working map before making all these
changes for your emissions map so that you can revert easily after the test. A) The factory
NBO2 sensor is better at regulating stoichiometric emissions than the WBO2 sensor is. Switch
the Hydra control back to the left narrowband sensor under Settings -> AFR target settings ->
Left module sensor source (assuming you still have the NBO2 sensor installed). Make sure the
left module closed loop & long term trim are both enabled. B) In your AFR target table, assuming you are doing this for tailpipe testing & not for normal driving, set your target to 14.7 across
the board. This will ensure that no matter what the worker at the test station does with his right
foot the computer will be trying to trim it for stoichiometric. C) Set your throttle pump fuel trim
table, throttle tip-in fuel trim table, post-start fuel trim decay & your post-decel cut fuel trim
tables to 0 across the board. This will prevent the worker's digital right foot from throwing rich
spikes into the test. Also drop your Closed Loop Start Delay table to 0. D) Drop your base idle
speed target down to the target RPM on the emissions sticker under your hood. E) Drop your
maximum boost down to around say 4 PSI / 128 kPa so that the ECU won't let the engine go
into boost. F) Turn off air conditioning (including defrost on 2001-05 cars) and other electrical
loads. G) Zero out your post start idle speed target trim, post start fuel trim, post start throttle
pump fuel trim & (closed loop) start delay maps to keep it from being rich when the operator
runs the test immediately after stalling your engine & restarting it. H) Make sure the car will still
hot restart smoothly after doing all of these things. I) Set your fan temperatures hotter so that
the engine runs hot, say 105°C / 221°F. J) If you have a well-developed LTT table you should
apply it back to your base fuel table, and zero out your LTT table. We have a spreadsheet
available for doing this manually- email us if you need a copy.
While emissions test results can never be guaranteed, these things can help hedge your bets.
To take it any farther than this you would really need access to a 5 gas analyzer so you could
really dial in your ignition advance & cam timing in VVTi cars for the lowest possible emissions.
Note- while our FM high flow catalytic converters are high quality 3-way cats, they are also
high flow. A healthy factory cat will produce better emissions test results so you may want to
keep yours on hand, just in case.
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