So I've acquired a KS3 to fit to my kjet powered ABF. I've got the software although I don't fully understand what it all means. I've ordered some shielded cable, a 9 pin rs232 plug and a 4 pin plug to make a cable up to connect it to the laptop but I'm struggling to understand what the software does. There isn't too much info about it online (that I've been able to find) I'm guessing that's probably pointing to the fact that no one uses it and instead SEM setups like megasquirt ha e taken over. Probably for good reason. However, the kstar was far cheaper than converting to efi and there's nothing wrong with the kjet (as in, it works. I realise that it will always be a compromise) so I fancy giving the kstar a chance. It will at least reduce the compromise a little. Megasquirt is on the cards for the car at some point, but not for this engine I dont think. I'm not necessarily looking for higher bhp figures, I like the idea that the engine will always be fuelling correctly and it will reduce the possibility of pinking at the higher revs whilst giving me the freedom to run a more aggressive spark advance at lower rpm. It's got to be better than nothing! So anyway, I was wondering during if anyone actually knows anything about the system? If anyone has a wiring diagram for the ecu, that would be very helpful! Ive found one on Google images that seems to have come from the forum but it's a bit small to be able to read anything. I'm pretty sure I've got one for the laptop cable. When I start playing with it, where should the dizzy be? Do I put that to 6*btdc as per standard and then use the kstar to set the advance? Is there any point in offsetting the advance through the dizzy? How does the fuelling side of it work? does it just dump more fuel in at set rpm values? Or is it intelligent enough to use a MAP sensor? I know the turbo technics from stealth used a map sensor but what about NA engines? I'm guessing that side of it is best tweaked on a rolling road? I know ultimately I'll have to take it somewhere to have it tuned properly but I'd quite like to get the kstar installed and running first and then pay someone to tweak it for me. Would it be worth adding a wideband and afr gauge and having a go at it myself? How would that work? Is it a case of setting the ignition advance, driving it, adding fuel to get it too a desired afr reading, then adjust the ignition until it goes faster? Thanks in advance! (no pun intended)
I've no experience or information personally, but if you get really stuck perhaps it would be worth using the services of Vince at Stealth Racing? I'm pretty sure he was the person to go to for KStar back in the day.
Thanks gentlemen. A trip back to stealth for a little tune up was on the cards anyway having fitted a ported head recently so perhaps I'll give him a ring and have a little chat. I'm going to fit it into the car even if it's only temporary once I've made the cable up just to see if the unit it actually works
Thanks for the replies! That ecu pin out is the one I'd found on Google, it's a bit small and blurry so I'm struggling to make some of it out. Maybe because I'm looking at it on a phone, I'll try it on the pc and see if it's any clearer The bits to make the cable have turned up so that'll give me something to do on Saturday. So it looks like pin 2 and 3 are tx/rx. Pin 4 going to pin 5 on the rs232 is ground, I'm not sure about pin 1. From that diagram, it looks as though it's a grounded screen in the cable?
Got k-star on mine (16v) didn't think anyone still had the means to tweak it. Good to know Stealth can.
So, progress has been halted lol I made up a cable following the above diagram, connected the ecu to the car, the cable to the ecu and plugged into a laptop and not much happened lol. All I get is a comms error from the software asking if the ECU is connected and powered up. The car runs with the ecu connected so I'm going to assume that the Kstar lives and that the problem lies elsewhere. Either because: I'm using an emulated version of DOS on windows 7 OR That I'm using a USB-Serial adapter OR I have no idea what the Baud rate etc for the ECU is Or a combination of the above. I really need to find an old laptop with a physical serial port on it. This is annoying as I actually threw 2 of them away last year thinking there was no way I'm EVER going to need these again... They seem to be selling for >50 on eBay which is silly. There's no way I'm paying that just to see if it works! I reckon an email to stealth will be on the cards as suggested above.
Right, I managed to get an old laptop from eBay for the sum of 7.50, got the kstar software running using a freedos live cd and after a little while of messing with the com port settings through dos, the kstar lives! However, the next hurdle is that it requires a password to read from/ write to the unit. Huge thanks to the contributers to this thread http://www.clubgti.com/showthread.php?248978-KStar-not-holding-maps/page2 Particularly fthaimke for the diagrams and password suggestions. Unfortunately none of those passwords allow me to access the unit, I know it's a long shot but does anyone have any other suggestions for passwords that might work? I'm guessing the eeprom is locked with this password, is there any way around it? Even if it is a pointless modification, I'm determined to get it working! Eventually, it'll be going back to stealth for mapping (hopefully!) but I need to be sure it's working before I take it there. Can anyone help?
Kstart software hello I have just got a replacement k-star and would be great to get a copy of the the software, any chance of supplying to me. 406401]So, progress has been halted lol I made up a cable following the above diagram, connected the ecu to the car, the cable to the ecu and plugged into a laptop and not much happened lol. All I get is a comms error from the software asking if the ECU is connected and powered up. The car runs with the ecu connected so I'm going to assume that the Kstar lives and that the problem lies elsewhere. Either because: I'm using an emulated version of DOS on windows 7 OR That I'm using a USB-Serial adapter OR I have no idea what the Baud rate etc for the ECU is Or a combination of the above. I really need to find an old laptop with a physical serial port on it. This is annoying as I actually threw 2 of them away last year thinking there was no way I'm EVER going to need these again... They seem to be selling for >50 on eBay which is silly. There's no way I'm paying that just to see if it works! I reckon an email to stealth will be on the cards as suggested above.[/QUOTE]
