My First attempts at reading my ECU and maybe.. Remapping it myself

You only nead to scale your MAF if you change the MAF housing away from stock size.

 

Some want to learn but have absolutely no knowledge or know how to go about learning so I'll do this one last example to help - believe me, download the translated ols files from the links and convert them from German to English in winOLS manually, that's the first thing (if you want to learn the ecu functions). Then...

The function sheet, or funktionsrahmen as the Germans call it, is the entire ecu basically. Let's see what a certain function does. At this point, I am on about the engineering terms and how the ecu works rather than the software to read bins etc, I'm sure there is plenty of info on the net, even youtube vids, but if you want to know how it works this is it.

In my post above I showed you a link to a German ME7 function sheet. Here is a link to an Alfa one that is cropping up on the net - download it if you're serious about learning how it all works;
http://nefariousmotorsports.com/forum/index.php?topic=1883.0

Let's take a function that is in both of the function sheets then, ergo on both variations of ecu;

ACIFI - This, as you can see, means; "Output for cylinder - individual injection" according to the English Alfa one you have downloaded. The German 1.8T file if you translate it will be somewhat similar due to the translators but it's essentially the name of the main function.

If you want an English version of that function sheet for your ecu you generally have to be in the trade and buy them, usually with a software/tuning company like EVC, so for all of those that can't afford it, let's use what we have to hand as there is plenty of info on the net that people are learning from.

The abbreviations can be seen in the lists, in English in the Alfa one so that's a good place to start. With the German 1.8T one you are going to have to use translate or there are a lot of translated bits on various forums, plus Google. A lot of functions will be the same, but some will vary slightly and some main areas won't even be there, in the above cases, the Alfa is NA so no boost controls unlike the 1.8T which is FI. I know that the Germans name for boost control is Ladedruck (again download the ols files and translate them) and I know also to look for LD in terms of functions to see if it is NA or FI. In short, anything to do with boost control or pressure will have LD in it's abbreviation as that is based on the German word for it.

So, how does the ACIFI aspect of the ecu work?

Well, if you scroll down the English Alfa FS there is "Function Definitions" - this tells you what everything does (in engineering form which may confuse you). For example the Alfa one starts with;
"The output stage component includes 4 output stages (ES) resp. 14 ES (on CJ920). The input level and the output level are checked
in each ES for plausibility by monitoring the hardware. Any detected fault is stored in a shift register (SR) as 2-bit information
for each ES (see Table FDEF for coding) and can be read out from here via a serial interface."

So, if things confuse you which you don't know what they mean, use the worlds largest library and Google it. It's talking about inputs and outputs and that CJ920 looks like a serial code for something (or the "on CJ920" is a big clue), so a quick Google brings up-

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=l...0l3.2023j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=CJ920

So, it's a Bosch semi-conductor then, it seems Bosch have placed the details in pdf form on the net so have a read of that first of all to learn a bit more about it.

Then you go through each and every part like that bit by bit.

As another example, a common term you will come across will be Hysteresis if you translate the ols files as I said;
Quick Google results in;
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=hysteresis&spell=1

And so on and so on.

So, if you're a newb and you want to learn, that's the best way to go about it IMHO.

Hope that helps

 

You don't have to buy a larger MAF housing necessarily, you can also re-scale the axis values within your ecu if you have gone through it all in the functions as I have mentioned - values are values at the end of the day, you just trick the ecu into thinking it is reading a set of values when it isn't. There is not always a need to upgrade your MAF, as an example the Audi RS4 is 83mm (or could be 73mm, I'm doing this off the top of my head) would flow the equivalent of 42lbs/min so good for somewhere in the region of 450hp. If you re-scale it,you can bump it up to 63lbs/min (I think, don't have the workings in front of me but axis values are axis values).
However, there is a reason that air filters are measured in cfm or hp levels which is simple gas dynamics, at certain air flow speeds you will introduce turbulent instead of laminar flow, so then you need to get a larger housing, or likewise, the orifice dimensions are too small which again is gas (or fluid) dynamics.

This can be a reason why some MAF problems exist, say if you are doing an R32T or VRT, the sensor has too much turbulence and sometimes it's introducing a straight pipe where your MAF housing is or perhaps a laminar flow screen if your air filter is in the wing for example, or you simply need to upgrade to a larger size as the mach speed is too much.

 

p.s. HFM means hot film meter or MAF in the ecu so if you get the ols file and look through each area, those that say HFM relate to the MAF
More things to learn when you translate them;
NW = nokenwellen or camshafts, usually with an E (einlass - inlet) or A (abgas or exhaust)
LD - Ladedruck
Sol - target
AGR - EGR
Moments - torque

etc - you'll learn these better if you translate one of the ols files

 

Slimwadey how are you getting on?

 

Hi Adlai , things have stalled on this at the moment. I still have all the stuff but no time to read and learn , I have decided to get my car sorted first and try to attend a Cgti event this year
First up is some brakes and put the 020 box in

 

Keep her lit slimwadey ..enjoying your topic

 

I'm looking forward to seeing this bench rig (y)

 

New to the forum...I am in the same boat, was a Electronics Technician ~14 years, then thought I would learn something about programming ECM/ECU's so I went to GM ASEP mechanic school and was a Tech for ~8 years (It was a side track) and didn't learn much about ECM's, So I got a computer A+ NET+ and Oracle degree. Sad to say I am back at square one. I also want to learn how it all works. I have a 95' Golf and a 1.8T sitting in the garage, and drive a 92 GTI (a little misleading Suzuki GT/Gti) and I put together a bench (will post pictures soon). I have some missing pieces in the equation also.

PS Hope to read more.

 

EDIT: Oops already posted the links!

 

It seems my Dev ECU is Kaput , mainly due to me accidentally dropping a 12v live onto a terminal inside ??
So I will need to find another, I went to my local yard and found one from an AUM but did not buy it as I'm looking for the same as I have
I have also been having trouble reading my own 20vt and clearing codes, a closer inspection shows my lead has a burn mark on two terminals , so time to buy a new one
More info when the new goodies to continue turn up

 

Hmmm... interesting