Hey all,

I've had an Apexi SAFC-ii wired up (not tuned yet though, so no changes to the Air/Fuel ratio made yet). Since wiring it up (battery was disconnected for a couple of hours) the car is stalling at low revs, and also appears to missfire from time to time.

I figured its just the ECU re-tuning itself (as it did a similar thing - without the missfire tho) after I fitted a POD filter and had the battery out about a week ago.

However, its been 2 days and it has not improved. So - heres what I've concluded.

1) The ECU has re-tuned itself incorrectly. I'll try disconnecting the battery and resetting it again.

2) Air intake problems. I've put my intake resonator boxes back on - made no difference. I've run cold air pipes up to the POD - made no difference (car runs cooler though). Maybe it's the POD filter - however this is strange, as I had the POD filter for a week before fitting the Apexi, and had no problems after the ECU retuned itself). I can try putting the panel filter back in though.

3) The Apexi gets RPM from the coil - so maybe the Apexi draws too much power from the coil causing the missfire?

Any other ideas?
Kim

Take it off before it does any damage

You need to have it Tuned properly when installed........

the default MAP on the Apexi's is +/- 0, so it is not altering the air/fuel ratio's at all.

I've also disconnected the Apexi to see if that makes a difference - and it didn't. So perhaps it is something to do with the wiring... (I had it installed professionally). I'll reset the ECU and take it back in there if it is still causing problems I guess.

Howcome you had it installed, but not tuned ?


take it back, tell them its kained your car, it needs to be tuned asap.

i'm splitting up the fitting/tuning cost over 2 pay-cheques. Having it wired up but not tuned shouldnt be causing this problem because it is not altering the air/fuel ratio's at all... the problem still occurs when I have the Apexi disconnected.

I want to troubleshoot this problem before I spend money having it tuned - just incase its wired in wrong or something.

i've fitted my Panel filter again, and re-set the ECU (disconnected the battery for a minute or so) - and nothing has changed, it still stalls on low revs and misfires every now and then.

Also - disconnecting the Apexi SAFC-ii (when the car is off), then starting the car makes the car idle very rough and the check engine light comes on.

I've gone back to the mechanic and they will check it out with the scan tool to see which wire is causing the check engine light to come on, and then they will check all their wiring. It sounds like something is not right, because when the SAFC-ii is disconnected the car should run as normal...

Kim

because when the SAFC-ii is disconnected the car should run as normal...

Kim
Are you sure about that? All interceptors must intercept something by definition.

For example, with my Haltech, both the MAF signal wire and the crank angle sensor wire are physically cut before the ECU, then wired via the Haltech.

I'm not sure if the SAFC-ii can do timing adjustments or if it's limited to load only.. if that's the case then when you remove the SAFC-ii you'd be depriving the ECU of it's normal load signal and forcing it to use the TPS.

Are you sure about that? All interceptors must intercept something by definition.

Thats what I was told... but yeah, I reckon you are right. It would effectively be breaking the air flow sensor and knock sensor wires going into the ECU... hmm. I'll get the guys to look into it tomorrow. Hopefully they can figure out what is wrong easily.

Kim

the throttle body and isc motor were all clogged up, so they have been cleaned and the car is not stalling anymore.

There seems to be some sort of fuel delivery problem (the car runs a little lean) causing it to splutter every so often. For some reason having the apexi on - even with 0% changes to the air/fuel ratio causes the splutter to be more noticible... (more lean). I guess tuning the car now will fix all that...

Or would using the apexi to bump up the air/fuel be like putting a bandaid over another problem? Should i work out what is causing the car to run lean? The o2 sensor is new, etc. Maybe injectors. Hmm.

your meant to clean your injectors a bit less than once a year....
everyone with a 2nd gen shouldve done it by now....
just get the thing tuned and dont eat; i had to the last time i bought something for my car; well i had some bread

i know whats happening

its interupting the ecu's rpm feed, disconnect it to double check but i assume thats the problem. there is a setting in the safc to set the ign type, yours is set wrong.

we are grabbing the RPM signal from the coil, so it could be interrupting that.

I don't think there is any igniton-type setting in the SAFC-ii? Only airflow signal (karman) and cylinders (6)?

bloody thing :( I think I'll just cut my losses and take it off. The engine keeps cutting out - for some reason taking the RPM signal from the coil seems to upset the car.

That's weird.. cos you only splice into that wire, not cut it completely. I wonder if an earthing problem could cause this. Does the SAFC-II share a common earth with the ECU?

My Haltech draws power and earths to exactly the same wires that the ECU uses.

yeah it is earthed (edit: spliced into the ECU's earth wire); and gets its power by being spliced into the ECU wires too...