INTRODUCTION to RRM Piggyback FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM and FEATURES

Description:

The software is a WindowsTM based software package that provides the user interface for a variety of RRM engine management products. It controls the PSC programmable Calibrator families of Piggybacks. It operates on a WindowsTM 95/98/XP/2000 platform.
An unlimited number of user or customer files can be created. Within these files are the three dimensional maps and settings that are used to control fuel delivery, ignition timing, EGO sensor offset and a variety of other engine parameters.
The primal control input can be boost pressure, vacuum /pressure or voltage. The secondary control function is RPM. The map tables contain cell values that form a third dimension, which is the control output. The array of cell values is edited numerically and can be viewed in 3-D graphical form.
The software provides real time display of the 2 primary control inputs such as pressure and RPM. Additional parameters such as current cell value and corresponding information are summarized on the real time screen. The active cell is also indicated as a highlight on the map table. This is effective in determining the active cell for editing purposes.
The software supports several advanced features. These features may or may not be used by a given end product. These features include 3 controlled outputs, 4 input channels of data acquisition and data recording with numeric and graphical playback.
The software uses the COM port on the PC to communicate with the controller. Connection is made with a standard 9-pin straight-through cable with female DB-9 on one end and male on the other.
Installing the Software:
Insert the CD ROM into your computer. Double click on the setup file contained on the disk. Follow the instructions provided by the installation wizard.
Launching the Software:
To start the program, click on the R4 application located in the start menu. The R4 programmer will display the splash screen, which identifies the version of the R4 software. After about four seconds, the main form will be displayed.

Setting Up A Customer:

If this is a new application, select File then New Customer from the main form to create a new customer. Type in the customer name and save. When you return to the main screen, select File and Open Customer to open the customer file that you just created. Once you open a customer file, the customer name will be displayed at the top of the form.
Once the customer is open, the Maps, View, Options and Help tabs become active. Whenever you write new data to the ECU, all settings and mapping will automatically be saved under the current customer name. You can fill in the various fields such as name, address etc. if you like.
Use different customer names to save different files for the same application. When tuning a vehicle, it is always a good idea to save a file that works well. Do your additional tuning under a different name so if you really mess up the tables, you can get back to a map that works. A simple way to do this is to copy the customer file to a different directory, rename it, then move it back to your working directory.

NOTE: Included with your Piggyback from RRM you will receive detailed printed instructions. DO NOT LOSE THEM. We will not replace them. Any authorized sale of software or software included with piggyback must will include instructions. You must retain instructions. If software purchased legally, then you will have written directions. This is a small measure we must adhere to in order to discourage piracy of copyrighted materials.

Below you will find extensive directions on how to use R4 software included with your RRM Piggyback ECU. IT is important that you use proper tools to assist you with tuning for maximum performance. A Zeitronix Wideband is highly recommended. Maximizing AFR setting is critical to proper performance and safety. Benefit include tuning multiple maps for street or strip, tuning to specific octane fuels, and making changes to adjust for new modifications or performance parts you have added to your car. All RRM Piggyback ECU Management Systems have come with a safe base map. Become familar with the software before making changes. SAVE YOUR BASE MAP!(Including the setup options)We will not send you another one to install if you get off track and cannot run your car.

TUNING TOOLS:

The term programmable calibrator means in line with the ECU. Remember it is installed between the various sensors and the ECU and it recalibrates the tune by altering the signals. Most all of the programmable engine calibrators generally work under the same concept and the techniques laid out here will generally apply to all of them. This guide will focus on the Fuel Timing Calibrator (FTC) by Split Second and it’s R4 tuning software. Tuning cannot be done without the necessary measurement tools. You will need two basic tools to tune your programmable engine calibrator, which we will refer to from now on as the FTC. For tuning the CLOSED LOOP you will need a scan tool that will allow you to interface with the stock Engine Control Unit (ECU). The scan tool to tell us when the ECU is in OPEN LOOP or CLOSED LOOP mode and what the FUEL TRIMS are. For tuning OPEN LOOP you will need a wideband sensor and controller. The wideband unit will give us critical air/fuel ratio information. Scan Tool:RRM has looked at most scan tools on the market. The one that is the least expensive and provides the needed information is the one from OBD Diagnostics (http://obddiagnostics.com). The BR-3 OBD scan tool sells for $88. We also like the DIGIMOTO. The scan tool connects to the OBD diagnostic port on your vehicle. It is located under the dash on the driver’s side. It also connects to your Windows PC via its serial port. You are going to need to connect the scan tool and the FTC to your PC at the same time. They both use the serial port. The newer notebook PCs do not have a serial port, so you will need a USB to serial converter to take advantage of the USB ports to give you enough connections. Another converter choice is a dual serial converter that slides into the PCMCIA or PC card slot on the side of your notebook PC. RRM uses the one from a company called Socket (http://www.socketcom.com). I suggest you get the ruggedized one with two serial cables. This thing has proven to be flawless, but it is much more expensive. You can find one on Ebuyer for about $170. TIP: The more things you have displayed on the scan tool the slower the refresh rate is. When tuning only display the Feed Back Status (ECU mode) and the fuel trims.

Using a wideband unit is a very important tool for tuning your OPEN LOOP map. Just a couple of years ago you would have to spend thousands of dollars for one of these things. The quality has improved and prices have really come down, and they are now very affordable. RRM carries 1 brand of wideband unit, the ZT-2 from Zeitronix Wideband. The wideband sensor is a high-grade oxygen sensor that reads the oxygen content of the exhaust and reports to you with a digital display the air/fuel ratio of the mixture entering the engine. The most important thing is that the sensor should be installed in the exhaust so it can sample the exhaust gas BEFORE the catalytic converter. This is so it can get an accurate reading of what the air/fuel ratio reading really is. The catalytic converter by its very nature will alter the oxygen content of the exhaust and throw the reading off. RRM sells stainless steel exhaust O2 sensor bungs and plugs for welding in the exhaust before the catalytic converter. Do not try to use a mild steel bung from some exhaust shop because it will rust very quickly and you will find it of little use to you. TIP: When welding in the bung for the wideband sensor, do not weld it in the 6 o’clock position or straight down. Condensation in the exhaust will crack the sensor element if it comes in contact with the sensor. 12 o’clock is best, but there usually is not enough room. I usually put them in from the 8 to 4 o’clock position. Data Logging: Data logging is one of the latest things to come along and has become affordable for those that want to tune their own vehicle. Zeitronix Wideband is designed to connect the wide band data logger to your Windows PC or buy the separate display that is offered. It will allow you to log RPM, throttle position, Boost, EGT, and many other things. You can capture and play back enough channels to make NASA jealous. The basic idea with data logging is to capture data that will assist you in identifying specific map cells on your map that could be adjusted for better performance. The chart from a chassis dyno is basically a three-channel data logger. It just logs horsepower/torque, RPM and Air/Fuel Ratio (AFR). Chassis Dyno: Your calibrator should be road tuned before you even think about dyno tuning it. Most chassis dynos are inertial types, like DynoJet, and are only useful for tuning at full throttle. You MUST, completely road tune your closed loop map before you dyno tune full throttle on a dyno. Many tuners will disagree with this, but we have found that the CLOSED LOOP map will have a slight affect on full throttle, and how the ECU applies its internal fuel trims to the full throttle fuel mix. If you tune full throttle first and then go back and play with the CLOSED LOOP, you will find that your full throttle AFR will change, and you will have wasted a dyno tuning session. Another thing we have found is that your truck may perform one way on the dyno and then perform differently on the road. You can dial in an AFR that gives you the best power on the dyno and then go out on the road and find that the AFR at wide open throttle is very different. The trick here is to tune your car on the dyno and find out what AFR gives you the best power on the dyno at different RPMs. Take very careful notes. Now after your dyno tuning session go out on the road and see if your AFR stays the same; if it does you are golden. If not you can then tweak the map to restore the AFR that gave you the best power on the dyno. Now you can be confident you have the best tune possible. TIP: See if you can use an old style glass PC monitor during your dyno run while connected to the FTC. When the run is being made, trace the cursor’s movement with a grease pencil right on the screen. That way you will know EXACTLY what cells were active during that run. Now compare your dyno chart with the AFR graph and you can very quickly target the specific cells that need to be changed. Crude, I know, but it really cuts the dyno tuning time and will save you a lot of money! Dyno tuning is not necessary. We have found that if you road tune your Lancer engine to 12.5:1 at full throttle you going to make very close to maximum power.

ECU OPERATING MODES:

There are two main operating modes that the stock ECU operates in, OPEN and CLOSED LOOP. There is a third minor one, called FUEL CUT. These modes deal with controlling the fuel mixture of the engine. The basic difference between two of the modes is whether or not the ECU is using feedback from an oxygen sensor in the exhaust to make fine adjustments to the fuel mixture. When it is using feedback from the oxygen sensor to adjust the fuel mixture it is in CLOSED LOOP mode. When it is not using feedback from the oxygen sensor it is in OPEN LOOP mode. When the ECU completely or partially cuts off fuel to the engine, that is called FUEL CUT.

Closed Loop Mode: The manufacturer programs the stock ECU with a lookup table that it uses to determine how much fuel to inject into the engine. It uses engine RPM, throttle position, the amount of air by weight, the temperature of the air entering the engine, and the engine coolant temperature to determine how much fuel by weight to inject into the engine. This initial amount of fuel is fine-tuned based on the reading from the oxygen sensor. The adjustment it makes to the standard lookup table is called fuel “trimming”. When the ECU is making these fine adjustments to the fuel mixture using feedback from the oxygen sensor, the ECU is operating in CLOSED LOOP mode. When the ECU is operating in CLOSED LOOP mode you do not have control over the mixture with a programmable calibrator. If you try to increase the MAF signal to make it run richer, the ECU will just trim the fuel back out to keep the mixture near the preset 14.7:1 air fuel ratio by weight. It is important that this is clearly understood. For the most part you cannot change the mixture while the ECU is operating in CLOSED LOOP mode. If you try the ECU will resist keeping the mixture where it thinks it is supposed to be. There is a limit to how much control authority the ECU has to adjust the mixture. If the maximum fuel trim limit is exceeded and the ECU looses control of the mixture in CLOSED LOOP mode it will set a check engine light. You must work with the ECU when tuning CLOSED LOOP and not against it. The ECU will win every time. What you can control with a programmable calibrator in CLOSED LOOP is the amount of trimming the ECU has to do. You will enjoy the best drivability when the fuel trims are minimized throughout the CLOSED LOOP region.

Open Loop Mode: When the ECU is not using feedback from the oxygen sensor to adjust the mixture it is operating in OPEN LOOP mode. When you first start the engine, it will start up in OPEN LOOP mode because the oxygen sensor has not gotten hot enough to start the chemical reaction needed to provide a usable signal. Under some conditions during deceleration with the throttle closed it will switch to OPEN LOOP, and finally, when the throttle is advanced to some preset point, usually around 80% or higher, or held at a high throttle position for a given time, the ECU will switch to OPEN LOOP mode and apply enrichment of the fuel mixture. The important thing to know is that when the ECU is operating in OPEN LOOP mode it has no idea at all what the mixture is. It can be richer than it needs to be killing power and damaging the engine and catalytic converters, or way too lean causing serious engine damage in a short period of time. It is OPEN LOOP tuning where you can unlock hidden power or destroy your engine quickly.

Fuel Cut: A third ECU mode is called FUEL CUT. The ECU will cut fuel to the engine in three conditions. The ECU will cut fuel to the engine when you attempt to exceed the maximum safe engine RPM to protect the engine. It will cut the fuel to the engine if you attempt to exceed the maximum safe tire speed rating programmed into the ECU. It will also cut fuel to the engine if you are decelerating with the throttle closed above 1500 RPM. When tuning you are most concerned with deceleration FUEL CUT. You want to make sure that the ECU makes a smooth transition from FUEL CUT deceleration back to CLOSED LOOP, or to a CLOSED LOOP idle if the vehicle is stopped. I tuned a customer’s truck with one of URD’s Supercharger Performance Upgrade Kits on it. The customer was very excited about the dramatic increase in performance, but the next day he called with a concern. He has a PLX wide band unit hard wired in his truck and he told me that his engine was seriously leaning out at high RPM. He said that he tested this about 20 times and it was always the same. This is kind of like hitting your thumb with a hammer. If it hurts really badly the first time, you do not need 20 more times to confirm it, hurt hurts... What the customer was doing is exceeding the maximum safe engine RPM and the ECU was engaging FUEL CUT to protect the engine. The ECU begins to cut fuel to different cylinders and there is no combustion. It just pumps air through the engine and into the exhaust. This air mixes with the exhaust from the cylinders that are firing, making the exhaust stream full of oxygen and causing a very lean display on the wideband unit.

TUNING:

The very best way to start your tuning is to learn how your vehicle operates while STOCK. Before you start making substantial modifications and installing larger injectors, fuel pumps, and a programmable calibrator, take some time to learn how your vehicle operates. Hook up the scan tool and wideband unit, drive the vehicle normally and monitor the fuel trims, air/fuel ratios, and most importantly how the ECU switches from OPEN LOOP to CLOSED LOOP operation. A few of the troublesome areas are how it transitions from OPEN LOOP cold and hot starts to CLOSED LOOP idle, and how it transitions from OPEN LOOP deceleration and stopping to CLOSED LOOP idle. Generally we want to mimic much of the stock operation in these areas. By observing these things before you start installing all your modifications, you will learn valuable information and greatly speed up your tuning time. However, most people install everything first, and then try to figure out how to tune, or hope it will not need tuning. Hardware Checks: Before you get started tuning your vehicle, you should check some things first:

1. First, verify that the throttle plate is opening all the way when the accelerator pedal is all the way to the floor. If it is not opening all the way, the engine will not make full power, and it will delay the ECU switching into OPEN LOOP mode. You would be surprised how often this occurs.

2. Inspect the exhaust system. It must be leak free in the area before the catalytic converter. If it leaks in this area, it can cause faulty readings by the oxygen sensor and your wide band unit and can really frustrate you and your tuning efforts. If you have erratic fuel trims this is one thing that can cause it.

3. Make sure the vacuum line on the FTC is properly connected to a port that will allow both positive and negative manifold pressures to be read.

4. Examine the overall health of the engine. If you see oil coming out of the engine breather, smoke, or general state of disrepair, this engine might be on its last leg. You do not want to be the one operating or tuning it when it comes apart. You will get the blame every time.

5. Check the engine oil. If it is low or looks really cruddy, think twice about tuning this vehicle.

6. Make sure that the main air induction tube is secure and leak free. If air is allowed to enter the engine that does not go through and get read by the MAF sensor, you will have a very frustrating tuning session.

7. If the engine is equipped with the old style switching type O2 sensor check the waveform with the scan tool and make sure it nice and healthy. An old, tired, or bad O2 sensor will result in a poor CLOSED LOOP tune that maybe very erratic. If you find that a replacement O2 sensor or air/fuel ratio sensor is needed, you can find them for a very good price on the URD website.

8. Check the air filter and the MAF sensor. If the filter is cruddy, replace or clean it. If one of those cotton gauze type filters has been used, you may want to inspect the MAF for contamination before tuning. If it is dirty it will throw your tune off and cause erratic operation. The MAF sensor can be cleaned with non-residue electronic parts cleaner. When using a filter that is recharged such as a K&N, be sure to use a minimum of oil to avoid contamination of the MAF sensor element.

Start Tuning: Before you go any further you should stop and locate the technical manual that came with the programmable calibrator that you have installed in your vehicle. Read it completely so you have a clear understanding of its operation as well as the manual that came with the tuning software you are using. Taking a little time here could save you a lot of heartache down the road from a very costly mistake.

What is the best Fuel Mixture for making power?
To this day engine tuners still cannot agree on which air/fuel mixture is the best. We believe to achieve max power without damaging the engine, the desired air/fuel mixture would be around 13.0:1. Forced induction motors should be run at a more rich setting for safety. . TURBO ENGINES SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR 11.0:1 ratio.

VARIOUS PIGGYBACK SETUP SCREEN SHOTS FOR OZ/ES and RALLIART

Follow the guide supplied below for details for tuning. See our setup screens for model specific SETUP OPTIONS! IF you are unsure of what you are doing, see a professional. RRM is in sno way responsible for misuse of these products. You are on your own and we cannot phone fix or tune your car from here! Enjoy this fantastic product. With the R4 Software it is a powerful tuning tool, far superior than AFCs and Basic Emanage. It is also the only Programable ECU designed specifically for your LANCER! ENJOY and MAKE SOME BIG NUMBERS!

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