Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Tuning, troubleshooting and the nitty gritty of using rusEFI to make your engine run nicely!
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Simon@FutureProof
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Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by Simon@FutureProof »

Lets kick this section off at the beginning.

Share your tips and tricks for getting a good first start here.

I will try to think of some over the next few days and drop them here.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by Dron_Gus »

0) Check that fuel tank is not empty.

1) Make sure battery is properly charged.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by Simon@FutureProof »

That's a good one, "is there fuel in it?" is one I see too many people, right up to professional level get wrong.

I think my first tip would have to be "make use of the bench test functions"
On a new board I like to check that all channels are responding and set to the correct inputs by powering up the ECU and probing the analogue inputs with a 3v probe, this warns me if I have set any of the pins incorrectly as you should see the corresponding TS gauge move when probed. Do this for the TPS, CLT, IAT, MAP etc so you know they are working.

Before trying to actually start the engine I like to check the injection and ignition is working, I test the ignition FIRST (or you get massive back fires once the fuel is present) and listen for each plug click as its fired. Then I do the same with the injectors via bench test.
This means I can be sure the fuel and spark work right.

Then I turn the fuel and injection off in the ECU settings and crank the motor, logging the trigger pattern and checking i have good RPM signal, this also clears any fuel out from testing the injectors.

At this point if all checks pass then I know the only thing stopping a good start up is the tune.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by Gepro »

You are right !

And normally, at cold, the IAT and CLT have the same values.

Personnaly, i remove the sparks and try them with the bench. I can see if the dwell time is fine, if the order is fine and IF they work properly. With injectors, you can feel and hear them more easily.

On my car, I have a fuel pressure sensor, I put the circuit on pressure and I take a look of the pressure drop with each injectors. That give a little idea if they aren't shitty. But that was because my engine stays 6 years without running.

After that, I don't reinstall the sparks before controlling the VR signal. The starter runs better and the signal is stronger.

After the start, it's REALLY important to control the ignition angle with a strobe light.

(I speak for megasquirt, but I will do all of this with a microrusefi <3 )
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by Simon@FutureProof »

The comment about using the bench test is a good one, I had to do that recently to figure out the wasted spark wiring on a car I was struggling to start had been done wrong so 1 was 6 and 2 was 4 etc etc.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by duhafnusa4 »

Ask Matthew to help fix my setup issues :lol:

But seriously. First thing, check all your physical connections (ecu to harness and sensors). Eliminate that as a problem and youll save time otherwise wasted. Then
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by MgFoster »

I would say to use google to the best of your ability. Many times you can find tunes for your exact engine from a megasquirt or other ecu's that will give you the best baseline possible.
Look for things such as injector deadtimes, cranking settings, trigger settings, dwell time, injector size, ve tables, ignition tables, warmup enrichment curves, idle air control valve settings, etc. Usually, the more of this that is filled out with known working values, the easier the startup.

Battery health is a huge one for sure. You can end up doing a lot of cranking while dialing in a standalone, so make sure its on a charger, your grounds are clean, terminals are tight, and the voltage has a clean and clear path to the starter (good cable, crimps, ring terminals, etc). Grounding is huge as well. Make sure the engine has a nice big ground to the frame, and battery has a nice ground to the frame. Many sensors are using the engine as a ground loop, so they can be very off if you do not have good grounds.

Use the fuel pump bench test button over and over again to prime the fuel system before you begin cranking. Many times a long first crank is just because the fuel pump is playing catchup to fill your fuel rails and lines.

And when you've done all that you can, join the slack! Actually, do that first.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by Simon@FutureProof »

Something that has just come up, checking the fuel pump is running is really worthwhile.

May have just been diagnosing a non-start log that is hopefully due to a non functional fuel pump.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by AndreyB »

https://github.com/rusefi/rusefi/wiki/Installing-a-PnP-rusEFI-unit-startup-and-test is a great page - I am planning to put a printed version of that one with Miata MRE48 units.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by mk e »

OrchardPerformance wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 11:44 pm
Something that has just come up, checking the fuel pump is running is really worthwhile.
Definitely a checklist item.....that's how I do a first start, a check list.

Sensors reading - and list each, EACH one and the check....like a MAP I put a vacuum on it and see it read, temp sensors a hot air gun and so on. Each and every one you need to see reading correctly.
RPM and correct sync - make a log

Physically confirm each injector is firing.
Physically confirm each coil is firing
Physically confirm timing at EACH cylinder is correct.....yeah I've messed this up more than once.
Fuel pressure - record value this is last, learned that the hard way a few years ago when I set the shop on fire because I had the fuel pump on and an injector wire shorted and filling the exhaust system with fuel any time the power was on. Didn't realize it beyond I caught the injector wasn't working and fixed it.....but I figure between 1-2 gallons blow out the exhaust on first "fire".....close to $60k in damage to the house/car. you turn the fuel on LAST and turn it off (fuse out) anytime stuff like the initial ECU setup. lesson learned.

After that you pretty much know any issue is with the ECU setup or tune and I don't know rusEFI stuff you guys can fill this part out....but a similar list that checks each setup item and table content is best. I like to disable all none critical items, set most corrections to 0 and such then load them 1 by one, again this all depends on the ECU itself and how its configured....sometimes you can't go 1 by 1 and I but that scheme is the key to getting a good tune in a DIY world vs the OEM matlab knows all and will tell what to do world.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by Simon@FutureProof »

mk e wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 5:05 pm
OrchardPerformance wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 11:44 pm
Something that has just come up, checking the fuel pump is running is really worthwhile.
Fuel pressure - record value this is last, learned that the hard way a few years ago when I set the shop on fire because I had the fuel pump on and an injector wire shorted and filling the exhaust system with fuel any time the power was on. Didn't realize it beyond I caught the injector wasn't working and fixed it.....but I figure between 1-2 gallons blow out the exhaust on first "fire".....close to $60k in damage to the house/car.
I think I remember that, you were floating around on speed talk when that one happened right?
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by mk e »

perhaps.....led to me building a new DETACHED shop. Its just a bad idea to do a first start inside....and even worse idea if its inside your house.
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mck1117
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by mck1117 »

An alternative solution to help mitigate such fiery problems: HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER NEARBY AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by mk e »

mck1117 wrote:
Fri Dec 04, 2020 1:29 am
An alternative solution to help mitigate such fiery problems: HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER NEARBY AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT
had 3...making it work in the smoke, dark and panic (I was on the wrong side of the flames) is another matter. No way they would have put it out anyway, way too much fuel. Luckily there was a hose by the door that I literally tripped over trying to get out as I couldn't see anything, with that I prevented any structural damage to the house. A gallon or 2 of gasoline makes a HUGE fire almost instantly....whoosh! and there are flames floor to ceiling and by the time I could get out of the car there was so much smoke I could no longer see the ceiling lights, only flames. That pic was take...an hour? after the event once the smoke had cleared enough for me to go in and find my phone, my actual cameras was on the car near the car and destroyed.

no, the solution is don't try 1st start inside.

Years ago I was in the air force, when they installed a fresh engine there was a special run cell, literally a couple miles from the main hangers and ramp area. After my little episode a couple buddies told me, "Oh yeah, I once......xxxx.....and I'll never start another engine in the garage again!". It's way more common than I (or you) might realize. The insurance guy told me attached garage fires are the single most common cause of house fires...there is a reason there are special building codes (that I avoided by not installing a garage door)....and why my shop is now detached. The first question the car insurance guy asked was if the car was modified....cuz yeah, that is the most common cause of car /garage fires.

Push the car out really should be on the 1st start check list, I can assure you its on mine, its right up there with "don't play with matches" :cry:
Last edited by mk e on Fri Dec 04, 2020 3:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by mck1117 »

Oh yeah, it wouldn't help you with a big fire like yours, but it'll help with the time you accidentally catch the undercoat on fire while welding on the car.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by mk e »

mck1117 wrote:
Fri Dec 04, 2020 2:58 am
Oh yeah, it wouldn't help you with a big fire like yours, but it'll help with the time you accidentally catch the undercoat on fire while welding on the car.
Yes, fine for that day, been there too....a couple times...welding and undercoat just don't mix well.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by Simon@FutureProof »

One thing that has just come up is possible a dodgy coolant sensor making for a hard first start - Solution was to temporarily flat map the CLT fuel corrections just to be sure that it was not causing issues with the first start up and fix the CLT after we knew it was all working otherwise.

Also something that has come up is first start on ETB can be a little confusing, it requires that the max idle angle be increased to around %15 and the IAC position during cranking be set to something like 60%.
The max idle position of the ETB is actually the max angle for the IAC during cranking as well, this means with too little available angle then the ecu cannot open the throttle enough during crank to start correctly.

As this thread goes on we can compile this into some better wiki pages.
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Re: Your First ever rusEFI start tips

Post by mck1117 »

OrchardPerformance wrote:
Wed Dec 23, 2020 5:28 pm
As this thread goes on we can compile this into some better wiki pages.
More importantly I think we can change some defaults in the firmware to give people an easier time.
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