VEC2 Tuning Tips: Tips for how to help someone help you tune

[Joseph Dell]

Extracting this from a thread that no one wants to ever refer back to, I thought I'd post my suggestions for tuning and (more specifically) REMOTE tuning of the VEC2. I would also welcome other posters to put their ideas and suggestions out here so that anyone who wants help with their tuning knows what information to share with the tuners (or the ameteurs, like me).

Yes, this can apply to AEM or any other system, but VEC2 is the most common w/ y'all right now.

Here are JD's tips for remote tuning a VEC2 (aka: things I insist people tell me before i start working a problem):

1 - You must have an air/fuel meter. Innovate, techedge, autometer, wideband commander, aem, or whatever. But you NEED to have one of these. It is also cheap insurance in case something goes wrong with your car.

2 - You must have a boost gauge (if super/turbo charged). VEC2 as well as AEM reference air/fuel off of RPM and BOOST tables. w/o one of these, you are guessing.

- At what RPM did *** occur?
- What did the boost gauge read at ***?
- Does *** stay this way or does it go away?
- What is the A/F ratio at ***?
- What color was the smoke (if any)?
- What temp was it outside when *** was occuring?
- Describe the symptoms in terms of what happened at what RPM and what boost level.

These are just STARTERS. But with this info, one can BEGIN to start to remote tune a car. No A/F meter and no boost gauge = NO REMOTE TUNING. Or it ='s crazy/stupid remote tuning.

What else do y'all recommend?

JD

 

[KenH]

Seems like the best tool of all to tie these items together is a laptop so that you can log your A/F, boost, fuel, timing, etc through your VEC2. Though the gauges help, it's pretty tough to get a full read on them while WOT in a supercharged Viper (or maybe it's just me. )

If no laptop, then at least get a card reader for your PC so that you are emailing programs and not having to physically mail cards back and forth them.

BTW, thanks for the tuning help in the past JD.

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

JD has my thanks as well!

Great idea about the laptop....JD and I both use the same laprop mount in the car which REALLY makes things easier when on the road (i.e. no laptop nestled in the passenger seat....and you can actually have a passenger if you need one).

 

[GTSnake]

Any pictures of the laptop mount?

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Any pictures of the laptop mount?

 

[Mr Hemi Head]

JD I don't know how anyone could remote tune effectively without logging data from VEC2 and A/F.

Even with this, remote tuning the W/M system with Sean Roes expert guidance was a challenge.

The only additional tool I can think of would be the Ease scan tool to zero out the adaptives.

I don't know anything about tuning the AEM system.

 

[SUN RA KAT]

I wish someone had posted this before or at least advised me to have this stuff before I had my car worked on by a famous tuner.

Thanks for posting it to save other people grief.

 

[Schulmann]

Good advises but I have nothing to tune.
My viper is just perfect.
It was running so well that I was getting bored.

So I ordered a new pulley and just installed the 8lb one.
I think I souffer from a sever HP dependence.

The boost is getting scary high and the sound it even louder than before.

I also ordered new tires from TireRack but stupid UPS lost them. The Kumho V700 is again available.

On 94 oct fuel I have to give about 6 degrees retard at 2500rpm and I only run 2 degrees advance at 4500rpm.

I have 10gl, 109oct race fuel waiting in my garage.
My new Vec2 race program will be really wild. I hope my pistons and transmission will resist the pressure.

By the way you can use an infra-rayed temperature gun to check the header's temperature. It gives a very good indication on the fuel distribution between the cylinder.

 

[Mccarlin]

I like the suggestion for the AF meter in the car. Right now i have the steering wheel gauge pod and a boost gauge going in there (for the Roe setup). Any suggestions on where i could mount an AF gauge in the car? I really didnt want a pillar gauge mount.

Thanks! and nice write up JD.

 

[GTSnake]

Here's how I installed my gauges.
I have a boost, A/F and Fuel pressure gauge.

 

[GTSnake]

Where is the mount attached to? Is it bolted into the trans tunnel?

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Where is the mount attached to? Is it bolted into the trans tunnel?

It uses not-so-easily-endable "arms" that have mounting feet on them. I have them bolted to the seat mounting bolts and the anti-sub bolt for the 5-points.

 

[Shelby3]

Here's how I installed my gauges.
I have a boost, A/F and Fuel pressure gauge.

Those have to be hard to look at under WOT.

 

[Joseph Dell]

Not that hard. Tony used to close his eyes. Now he just looks down to see if he is peeing his pants!

[sorry... couldn't resist!!]

JD

 

[GTSnake]

Those have to be hard to look at under WOT.

Yeah they are a little difficult but I did't have many alternatives. I just make sure I'm on an empty road before I go WOT.

 

[plumcrazy]

id like to see other options on where to mount the gauges.

anyone else ???

 

[GTSnake]

The only other alternative is on the A-pillar. The problem with that is if you have a mechanical boost gauge. The vaccum line would be difficult to hide when you run it through the IP.

I may be re-doing mine and keeping the boost gauge down low and relocate the other two gauges up by the A-pillar.

 

[Shelby3]

I have mechanical boost and fuel pressure on the A pillar and the A/F on the steering column. Still hard to look at under WOT.

 

[GTSnake]

We need to have someone make a HUD

 

[GR8_ASP]

I have mechanical boost and fuel pressure on the A pillar and the A/F on the steering column. Still hard to look at under WOT.

Exactly what I have, even the positions, except mine are all electric.

 

[Jack B]

McCarlin:

lets take joe's advice one step further. When joe talked about the a/f, he meant you had to log the a/f. An A/f gauge is merely icing on the cake, you need to log. It is impossible to make sense out of a gauge, especially on a high hp car. The Innovate gauge (XD-1) is attractive and can be used to start the logging.

In addition to logging the a/f, you must also log the TPS and the IAT. In a SC car you also need to log the boost. It is also nice to log fuel pressure, this can tell you quite a bit about engine issues.

 

[ViperBing]

I agree that you have to log if you want to make viable and accurate changes. You have to know exactly what your A/F was at what RPM and what boost level. From there, you can add or remove fuel as needed to maintain a steady A/F ratio at the desired level.