Overview

The F3v2 is a simple chip for EEC-based Ford ECUs (~86-04) allowing the stock program to be replaced with a tune of your choice.  This unit was introduced in 2016 and replaces the prior F3 chip, which was discontinued due to parts needed to manufacture it no longer being available.

Chips are supplied blank and must be programmed prior to installation.  To install, simply clean contacts of the EEC connector with carb cleaner and a mild abrasive such as scotchbrite or 220+ grit sandpaper, and slide the module on.

It is critical that the vehicle is fully off before installing or removing anything on the J3 port.  Failure to power-off the ECM correctly can result in frying our hardware, your ECM or both!!!  If you have any doubts at all, remove the keys from the ignition 100% or disconnect the battery.  WARNING WARNING WARNING!

Tunes can be loaded through the via the Jaybird or Burn1 /2 and FA (F2A) adapter.  Flash n Burn, TunerPro RT, Binary Editor, EEC Editor (and other?) software can be used to program these chips.

*IMPORTANT* Firmware 5.15 (or higher) is required on Jaybird / BURN1  / BURN2 to program these chips!  You can visit the firmware update page if necessary.

Switching Setup

The F3v2 supports up to 8 programs.  The normal way to use this functionality is to buy the Rotary Switch which plugs into the black 4 pin connector on the module.  Simply turn the dial to change position on the chip – this works to select a program for the vehicle to run off of and also to select a slot to program with the Jaybird/BURN2.

Things to remember:

• Turn the dial to the spot you want to program before programming.
• “Erase chip” will only erase the current active slot, not all positions.
• You can verify each slot with the tune you desire after programming.  This is a very good idea before actually installing the chip.
• Changing tunes while the engine is running is safe IF you do not change code!
  • No code patches! BAD
  • No strategy changes! BAD
  • Same strategy, different calibration, A-OK.
  • Remember: change calibration not code!

Manual Switching

Like its F3 predecessor, it is possible to manually switch between programs with the F3v2.

Couple things to remember:

• At our sole discretion, custom wiring for switching may void your warranty.
• The connector is a Molex latching 4 pin 0.1″ header with male pins, very common.  You can buy a latching 4 pin female header from the usual sources or buy short cables from us to cut up.
• Do NOT feed voltage into the F3v2!!!  GROUND ONLY!
• The 4 pin header consists of GND, A2, A1, A0. Whenever possible, use the GND provided on the header NOT a chassis ground!
• “1” (high, floating, open, unconnected) is the default state.  “0” (GND) on a pin changes that address bit
• Tunes are binary format, i.e. 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, 111.  “0” on the switch is generally “111” and “8” on the switch is generally “000”
• If you use a switch or otherwise to ground pins automatically (nitrous?) to switch tunes while the vehicle is running, you must also remember to ground the same pin(s) during programming.

Data Masking and Manual Selections

In addition to supporting 8 independent tunes, the F3v2 adds manual masking control.  It is very unlikely that you will ever need to use this, but we’re documenting it anyway.  This is an advanced feature and you should only use it if you know what you are doing.  Incorrect use of this feature can make an otherwise correctly programmed chip cause fault mode operation as would happen if an invalid tune is loaded or worse.  You have been warned.

While you use 256k bin files (0x00000 -> 0x3FFFF) to program the F3v2, the whole memory area isn’t visible to the ECM.  The memory area has other things in it like RAM, I/O and stuff other than code and calibration.  If the F3v2 were to “answer” over the entire address range called out by the ECM, it would effectively crash the system because the brain of the ECM wouldn’t be able to communicate with other necessary peripherals.  By default, the F3v2 doesn’t respond in certain memory areas in order to let other devices answer on those addresses.  This allows the tune to be changed (addresses it answers to) and other peripherals to communicate in the same memory space (addresses it doesn’t answer to).  These areas aren’t the same for EECIV-32k, EECIV-56k, EECV 2 bank and EECV 4 bank (the 3 possible memory layouts) so it can’t just run a hard-coded set of addresses and work on 86-04 vehicles.  The F3v2 chip has logic to try and automatically detect which memory addresses it should answer on and which ones it shouldn’t.  We’d like to think it gets things right most of the time but you can manually control some aspects of the masking behavior if you think it is necessary.

One important piece of information regarding this: if you PROGRAM a F3v2, all masking will be disabled until you power cycle (i.e. unplug from programmer) the chip.  After a write operation, you will always be able to read the entire 256k address space, regardless of jumper settings!  This is done to ensure that any program written to the chip can be verified in its entirety.  In order to see how masking affects the data presented, you MUST power cycle the chip.  Doing a read after power cycling a chip may present different data and fail a “verify” operation depending on the original contents programmed to the chip.  After power cycling the chip, any data in masked regions will be read as “FF” instead of the data originally programmed in order to be compatible with the Ford EEC memory bus.

There are two jumpers on the underside of the F3v2:

For sake of discussion, we’re going to call these “inner” and “outer” as they are not labelled on the circuit board.  In this picture, the “Outer” jumper has been soldered to bridge it and the “Inner” jumper is still open.  (Open = factory setting)

Each of these jumpers controls masking a specific region of memory.  When they are soldered, the F3v2 will always present the data you are programming.  When they are not soldered, the F3v2 autodetection logic is active.

The “Inner” jumper controls presenting the region from 0x01E000 -> 0x01FFFF.

• Not 100% sure on use case for this but it’s there. I’m thinking manual EECV-2bank selection perhaps?

The “Outer” jumper controls presenting the region from 0x03FF00 -> 0x03FFFF.

• This is the “top” of the single bank used in EECIV and is known to be used by the CBAZA strategy, in which case it would need to be passed through for all settings in the tune to work on the chip.  F3 (first gen) chip adapters had a “bug” when used on CBAZA applications where some settings wouldn’t work – this is why.  Autodetection logic *should* catch the EECIV use case and pass this memory region through but this jumper allows manual control should it be necessary.
• In EECV 4 bank applications(and maybe EECV2 bank – I’m not sure), this memory area has a special name – the VID block.  The VID block is used to store vehicle-specific settings such as but not limited to VIN, PATS security keys, rear end ratio, tire size and more.  The default behavior of the F3v2 chip is to “pass through” the information programmed in the factory VID block regardless of the data programmed in the chip.  This has been the “standard” behavior for most Ford chips on the market.  If you wished to override the contents of the factory VID block with a F3v2 chip, you would need to solder the outer jumper.  Make sure that you have programmed the chip with a valid VID block from 0x03FF00 -> 0x03FFFF if you solder this jumper!  Failure to do so will cause PATS-equipped vehicles to not start due to invalid anti-theft system data.
• The picture above shows this jumper soldered to override masking in the 0x03FF00 -> 0x03FFFF region.

1. There is a circuit to keep the QH’s memory using power from the Keep-Alive-Memory voltage supplied to the ECM with the key off. This should decrease the amount that the QH’s own battery is used in cars regularly driven.
2. The BR2331A solder-on battery has been replaced with a socketed CR2032 removable battery. (commonly available)

This version of the QH is shipped without the battery installed. You should install it prior to use.

1. Open bags and unpack everything. You should have a loose battery along with a QuarterHorse module:

Quarterhorse and battery unpacked

2. Turn the battery so the “+” side is facing up. Slide it under the metal spring end of the battery holder.

First, slide the QH under the metal clip side of the battery holder

3. Push the battery gently downwards and toward the metal spring. The end of the battery opposite the metal spring should slide under the brown plastic retaining clip and lock into place.

4. Once installed, the brown plastic clip will hold the battery pretty tightly.  Should you need to replace it, the easiest way to remove the battery is to gently pry on the metal clip with a small screwdriver until the battery clears the metal retaining clip and can be gently pulled out.

Logging a wideband in TunerPro RT can be a little complicated because it requires simple algebra and a basic knowledge of how ADCs and widebands work.  While there are a few steps, it’s fairly straightforward.  The steps to do this are going to be virtually identical for all vehicles that TunerPro works with.  This article is going to examine the case of adding a Innovate wideband to a A9L computer but the steps could just as easily be (nearly) the same for using an O2 input on a TPI Camaro.  This article will NOT cover building a datalogging definition from scratch so you will need to start with an ADX that can already log the sensor you want to hook the wideband to, such as EGR or one of the factory O2 inputs.
First off – some “golden rules” to follow:

• You should NOT touch the XDF.  All changes will be made on the ADX.
• You will have to edit the bin/tune before starting this to disable the stock functions that use whatever input you are going to hook your wideband to.
• Before starting, you should have the manual for your wideband handy with the voltage -> AFR data handy
• Before starting, you will need to know how the ECU represents analog to digital (ADC) data.  (Most Ford = 10bits, most OBD1 GM = 8bits, Nissan varies by ECU in most cases 10bit)
• Again, this guide will only cover adding wideband functions.  It will NOT cover creating a datalogging definition.

In our example, you will have to disable the EGR in the tune before hooking the wideband up or unpredictable things may result.  If you were using an O2 input instead of EGR, you would need to force the ECU into open loop permanently so the O2 sensors are never used for fuel feedback.

For the remainder of this guide, it will be assumed that you have your ducks in a row and you have the linear wideband voltage output of your wideband hooked to an available, compatible input on your ECU and that you have made any necessary changes to the bin/tune to ensure the ECU does not freak out.

TunerPro Datalogging Definition Internals

Before actually going through the steps involved, let’s look at how a value you can datalog happens.

Fire up TunerPro RT.  Go to the “Acquisition” menu and choose “Load Definition File” and pick a compatible ADX.

Then, “Acquisition… Edit Definition” and click the + next to “Values”

Next, choose the value that matches wherever you have the wideband hooked up (EGR, O2, etc.)  If the value isn’t yet defined, keep reading but understand that you’ll need to track down all the information that would be on the page.  (This generally involves talking to the person who wrote the definition or getting your hands dirty writing one)

The crucial information on this page:

• Title (not circled, at top of page) – this is the “name” of the item that you will see in datalogs
• Unique ID (Blue) – this is a unique identifier for TunerPro.  It has no meaning other than being required to be UNIQUE among all Values you define.  NO DUPLICATES!!!
• Packet Offset (Red) – this is where the value is located relative to the beginning of a data packet, or group of values retrieved at the same time
• Source Data Size (Orange) – this is how many bytes TunerPro should look for in the packet at the Offset for this piece of data.  Note: this may be different from how the ECU represents the data unless the ECU is also using a byte or multiple of a byte sized chunk.

Signed/LSB (Green) – this is information about how the data is represented.  This needs to be correctly configured for the data item by whomever wrote the ADX.

After taking note of these values, click the “Conversion” tab (Circled in Yellow in above picture)

The conversion tab controls how TunerPro gets from the “raw” value that you’ve specified on the “General” tab with the Offset, Size, Data type and changes it into the value you actually see.  At the top, the “Equation” visible defines the math relationship between the raw data and what you actually see.  You can click the ‘Set’ button to change the equation.

You can also specify a transfer function for further conversion of data by looking up raw data within the transfer function to get a result.  This is most often used for things like Air Temperature sensors which have an extremely non-linear output that is hard to fit with a formula.  We are NOT going to cover this further but you should be aware of this function should you have a wideband with non-linear output.

At this point, you’ve seen behind the scenes of how TunerPro handles data logging.

Configuring Wideband Logging

After having a brief tour of behind the scenes of TunerPro logging, you should still be really confused about how exactly to log a wideband.  There are several ways to get a wideband outputting a 0-5v signal to work with TunerPro:

• Edit the existing item corresponding with where the wideband is physically hooked up to use a formula that matches the scale of the wideband.  This essentially “deletes” the original senor and permanently changes it to wideband readings.
• Create a “duplicate” item with a new unique ID that uses the same Offset, Size, Data type as the value corresponding with where the wideband is physically hooked up.  Createa formula to match the output of the wideband.  The original sensor AND the new wideband value will both be available.
• Create a new item with a unique ID that has nothing defined in the data packet but instead uses a linked input where the input is the existing channel data where the wideband is hooked up.  The original sensor AND the new wideband value will both be available.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these approaches.  There isn’t just one “right” way of doing things.  Instead of trying to cover everything, we are going to cover creating a “duplicate” item because this method allows us to work with the raw sensor data when building formulas.  Arguably, this is one of the better ways of handling things because you start with RAW data from the ECU, before it has been wrung through god only knows what other formulas.   In the interest of keeping things simpler, we are going to assume that the wideband is putting out a *linear* output.  The original sensor AND the new wideband value will both be available.

Now, it’s time to gather some information:

• Raw datalogged ECU value at 0V input
• Raw ECU value at maximum input voltage
• ECU maximum input voltage
• Number of steps in ECU’s ADC.
• Wideband AFR value at 0v
• Wideband AFR value at maximum output voltage
• Wideband maximum output voltage

You should be able to consult documentation to find “theoretical” values for most of these.  (Note: reality is a bitch and you may need to further tweak “literature” values).  It is generally a good guess that a raw logged value of “0” corresponds with 0 volts.  It is a good guess that the largest number able to be represented by the ADC of your ECU corresponds with 5 volts.  i.e. for a 10 bit ADC, 2^10 = 1024 but we start counting at 0 not 1 so 1023 is the maximum value.  For a 8 bit ADC, 2^8 -1 = 255.  Almost all widebands specify their AFR output at 0V and 5V but you should still carefully pay attention to how these values are specified.

At this point, it’s simple algebra…  Y = mX + b

1. Calculate Wideband AFR range. (Wideband AFR max – Wideband AFR min).  This gives you “rise”
2. Calculate Wideband voltage range. (Wideband spec max volts – Wideband AFR min). This gives you “run” and is usually “5.0”
3. Calculate the ADC voltage range.  (Subtract the max ADC voltage from the minimum ADC voltage)  This is usually “5.0”
4. Calculate the change in AFR per raw ADC tick by dividing the result from #1 by the ADC value range that the ECU can generate (i.e. 1023, 255, 4095, etc.)
5. Calculate the corrected AFR per tick, if necessary.  If the values from #2 and #3 are not the same (common on Nissan – 5.12v max not 5.0v), you will need to multiply the AFR per ADC tick (#4) by Wideband Voltage Range (#2) divided by ADC Voltage range (#5)
6. The equation to plug in to TunerPro to convert raw data will be (X * Corrected AFR/tick) + (AFR at 0 volts)

Concrete Example: A9L with Innovate MTX-L

In this case, we’re going to pretend that we are using an Innovate wideband with a A9L ECU.  First off, we need to create a “clone” of the channel we are going to hook the wideband to, in this case EGR Valve Position.  Look at the original:

Next up, we need to click “Add New Item” (circled in Red) to make a new item and fill it out with the same information as the original EGR Valve Position but with a DIFFERENT unique name.  In this example, you can see I chose a meaningful title (i.e. the name of the item you’ll see in a list while logging) and a minimal description:

In order to figure out how to set up the ‘Conversions’ tab, we need to do math.  Going back to the previous section, our answers to the important questions are something like this (with an explanation of how we know in parentheses):

• ECU value at 0v = 0 (good guess)
• ECU value at maximum input voltage = 1023 (10 bit ADC maximum value, knowledge of ECU hardware)
• ECU maximum input voltage = 5.0 V (good guess, knowledge of ECU hardware)
• Wideband value at 0v = 7.35 AFR gasoline (page 4 of MTX-L manual)
• Wideband value at maximum output voltage = 22.39 (page 4 of MTX-L manual)
• Wideband maximum output voltage 5.0v

Armed with this information we can do math:

1. Max AFR – Min AFR = AFR range.  22.39 – 7.35 = 15.04
2. Wideband Max spec voltage – Min spec voltage = Wideband volt range.  5V – 0V = 5V
3. ADC Max spec voltage – ADC min spec votlage = ADC volt range. 5V – 0V = 5V
4. AFR/tick = 15.04 / 1023 = 0.0147018572825024
5. Result #2 and result #3 are the same so no further correction is required
6. Equation for TunerPro RT = (X * 0.0147018572825024) + 7.35

Phew.  Save.  Go log your minty fresh wideband.

Reality Bites

As was mentioned earlier, reality can often differ considerably from how things “should” be.  So far, you’ve only managed to configure TunerPro for how things “should” be.  Analog to Digital Converters are plagued with issues that affect accuracy.  (Most of them can be solved/greatly improved in the analog realm by having the ECU and Wideband grounded at the same location.)  However even with the best of installs, it’s still very common for things to not end up quite as they are supposed to.  Fortunately, there are a few simple things that you can do to try and increase accuracy:

1. The first step is going to be to make a data item for the ADC channel the wideband is connected to that displays the “raw” channel value – this can be done by changing the item’s formula to simply “X” with no further math.
2. Next, try to get the wideband to display the LEANEST mixture (i.e. maximum AFR) that it possibly can.  This can usually be accomplished by letting the sensor hang in free air.  When the wideband is pegged lean at its maximum voltage output, observe the raw ADC reading for the channel it is hooked up to and the reported AFR of the wideband.  It is not uncommon for the voltage from the wideband to fall a few tenths of a volt (and corresponding ADC tick difference) short of the theoretical maximum voltage.
3. Next, try to get the wideband to display the RICHEST mixture (i.e. minimum AFR) that it possibly can.  This can usually be accomplished by flooding the sensor tip with a torch (doesn’t have to be lit), CO2 / argon bottle, etc. to displace ALL oxygen.  When the wideband is pegged rich to its minimum voltage output, observe the raw ADC reading for the channel it is hooked up to and the reported AFR of the wideband.  It is NOT uncommon to see a couple tenths of a volt (and the corresponding ADC ticks) in the form of a ground offset.
4. Compute the difference between the observed minimum and maximum ADC values.  It will likely be less than the “theoretical” maximum, i.e. 255, 1023, 4095, etc.  Re-calculate the slope based on (Displayed AFR Max – Displayed AFR min) / (observed ADC max – observed ADC min)
5. This process boils down to the same thing as the “paper” version above but instead of making assumptions about how things “should” be you are taking measurements of how they really are.  Using “real” values versus theoretical values can often make the values you log match more closely with the values on the gauge.

You can use our tools to “clone” a 1986 – 2004 Ford ECM, without needing any definitions or tuning software.

There are a few caveats:
1. ECUs must have the same hardware ID. You can’t mix and match tunes from different hardware IDs without having unpredictable (i.e. FAIL) results most of the time.
2. Our chips do NOT touch the VID block. Things like PATS codes, tire size, rear end differential configuration, blah blah blah are stored in the VID block. The tune and calibration may change but the original VID block items will NOT and you will have to either otherwise program these or change tune configuration to override/ignore them.

What You Would Need

BURN2 (programmer), FA (chip interface), FE (reader), F3 (one F3 for each ECM) *OR* QuarterHorse(reader), Jaybird(programmer), F3 (one for each ECM)

Be aware that reading ECMs will require the ECM to be powered on when using a QuarterHorse(always).   The BURN2 can sometimes provide enough power on the bench to read without issues.

The Flash n Burn software that is available on our website would be the weapon of choice for this.

Addresses to read/write: 0x030000 to 0x03FFFF for EECIV, 0000000 to 003FFFF for EECV

There has been one major firmware upgrade for the QuarterHorse.  There is minimal impact for EECIV users (i.e. Foxbody, 94-95 GT) but EECV users will see a much bigger difference.

What changed?

• EECV 2 bank operation completely changed (affects 96-98 vehicles ONLY)
• Fix to data presentation and corruption during large numbers of incremental updates in low memory pages and program switching (affects EECIV in select modes in Binary Editor ONLY)
• Added support for reading ECMs (All vehicles)

How to Tell If Your Unit Has Been Updated

The easiest thing to do is try and read a PCM, particularly if you already have a stock program read from it to compare to.  If the read operation succeeds, you have 1.6 or newer firmware.  If the read operation fails or does weird stuff, you probably should look into the firmware upgrade.

Upgrading Firmware

Unfortunately, QuarterHorse firmware CANNOT be upgraded in the field.  You can contact support to arrange for an upgrade.  All units with older firmware are encouraged to upgrade, but in many cases (single bank EECIV, for instance) there will be little if any impact to daily use.

On some vehicles, the QH doesn’t work well due to an excessive amount of electrical noise or ground potential differences.  In these cases, the optoisolator module we sell provides electrical isolation between your laptop and the QuarterHorse.  While not a solution to electrical noise issues on the vehicle, it certainly can help.

The main workflow change that this creates is a need to have the QH powered on whenever communicating using the opto cable.  If you need to load a base tune on the bench, you can still plug in to the USB cable directly but you will not have any isolation.  Then again, you shouldn’t need it on the bench.  Please don’t try to have both the Optoisolator interface and the standard USB interface plugged in at once.  It shouldn’t break anything, but it also shouldn’t work.

Install

In order to use the optoisolator interface with the QH, you must solder a 4 pin right angle latching header.  You should have received one with the optoisolator kit.  Email us if you require extra latching pin headers.

First, place the pin header in the QH, oriented as shown here:

Viewed from the bottom:

Next up, solder the 4 pins.

View of completed QH with header for Optoisolator module:

Once the header is installed, simply connect the supplied 4 pin latching header between the QH and the optoisolator module.  Plug the USB end of the optoisolator module in your laptop and get back to tuning.  The isolator module uses the same USB drivers as the QH.

Calibrated MAFs are something you are almost guaranteed to run into sooner or later tuning EECIV Fords.  Although largely an artifact of yesteryear when tuning tools were not available, “calibrated” MAFs will work just as well as any other if you understand them.  Few of the websites out there will really give you the information you need to use them effectively in current golden age of EECIV tuning.

How They Work

The factory ECM has a table that tells the computer that it has a certain amount of air when there is a particular MAF voltage.  (i.e. “MAF Transfer Function”)  The computer also has a configuration for a set of injectors. (i.e. “high slope / low slope / breakpoint / offset”)  The factory ECM is going to deliver a certain amount of fuel based on the size of the injectors, MAF transfer and amount of air / voltage coming from the MAF.

So pretend for a moment that the ECM is off limits.  You can’t do anything with the MAF transfer function or any of the internal configuration.  But you need to be able to support a larger engine that makes more power than factory 19# injectors can support.  So you install 24# injectors that flow more fuel.  Paired with a stock MAF, 24# injectors are going to make the car run really rich!  Mass air flow (output from MAF transfer) x injector slopes get’s you pulsewidth, pulsewidth determines fuel flow.  You can’t change anything on the computer in this game, so what do you do to fix fueling?

Enter the calibrated MAF.

Say you start with a system that uses 19# injectors and you have installed 24# injectors.  Your injectors flow roughly (24# / 19#) or 1.26 times too much fuel.  What’s the other side of the fueling equation?  Airflow.  If you can make the MAF output 1.26 times LESS air, the net amount of fuel will be about the same as when you have a factory MAF and factory injectors.  “Calibrated MAFs” diddle with the voltage->airflow output of the MAF in order to try and make a factory ECM provide the correct amount of fueling without needing any of its program being altered.  Essentially, hardware modifications to the sampling tube and electrical tweaks are used to produce a specifically reshaped output to fool the ECM into somewhat behaving.

So What Does This Mean?

There is an unintended consequence to using a “Calibrated MAF” setup.  In addition to being used for fueling, the MAF is also used to calculate timing at part throttle.  Less air means less Load.  Less Load generally means more timing at part throttle.  Fortunately, the WOT timing model of factory fox body cars removes most of the danger inherent with changing Load values without changing the rest of the tune.   It’s an imperfect system, at best.  There are generally errors here and there in the airflow curve.  Hopefully, they’re small enough to be corrected by O2 sensors.  Remember, this whole matching calibrated MAF thing dates to when there weren’t tuning options commonly available.

In the golden age of EECIV tuning ushered in by the QuarterHorse, you can make effective changes to the calibration on the ECM, removing the need for MAFs to be “Calibrated” in hardware.  Instead, the quality of MAF calibration will depend on how closely the values you have programmed in the MAF transfer function match the actual airflow values required to produce given voltages.  Being able to independently change the MAF transfer function and injector configuration using our tools removes the need for the “calibration” to be done in hardware and instead lets you do it in software by tuning the vehicle and modifying its calibration.

Bottom line: when tuning with a QuarterHorse, the flow test or flow sheet from the MAF is 100x more important than the MAF being “calibrated” for whatever injectors are being used.  The MAF and injectors can be independently calibrated in tuning software.

References

C+L on Calibrated MAFs

Need more refs…

We probably get 20 emails a week of the form:

“Dear Moates,

My name is ________ and I have a _________ Ford.  Can I use your products to tune my car/truck/van/etc. ?”

Identifying J3 Port ECMs

Our Ford products (F3 chip module, Quarterhorse) will work on pretty much any ECM that has a J3 port.  This is 95% of 87-2004 vehicles.  Most ECMs have a black plastic protective cover over the J3 port.  The picture below shows what a J3 port looks like with the protective cover removed:

Again, our hardware products will work on any 1, 2, or 4 bank EECIV or EECV ECM that has a J3 port.

Software Support

I bet you thought that was too easy!  It is…

Our HARDWARE works on just about everything Ford ever made with a J3 port,

***BUT software support for Fords is not as guaranteed***

There are three applications that are known to work well with our hardware – TunerPro, EEC Editor and Binary Editor.  Each application supports different vehicles.  Some vehicles are supported by all three, some vehicles are supported by only one, some vehicles are supported by NONE.

We need to know some information about your ECM in order to be able to tell whether there is support for your vehicle.  This information is the “Strategy” (or “operating system”) that your ECM uses, which can usually be determined from the “Box code.”  Your “box code” can normally be found in the center of the label with the barcode where the wire harness connects to the ECM.  See picture below.

Once you have found your box code, you can take a look at the box code-strategy cross reference to determine which strategy your ECM uses.  The list of supported strategies will then tell you which (if any) software supports your ECM.  If you can’t find your ECM, please email [email protected] and remember when you contact us inquiring about vehicle support, please include the “box code” pictured above!  Without this information, we cannot provide you with accurate information about software support.

Although you can use our Ford hardware ( F3 Jaybird QuarterHorse ) on just about any 86-2004 Ford, software is much more lacking.  Currently (2021) there are three primary software packages that support our Ford hardware – Binary Editor, TunerPro RT, EEC Editor.  Each software package has a different set of ECMs that it works with, although there is quite a bit of overlap on more popular strategies.  US ECMs are best supported – Australian ECMs and European models are quite lacking in comparison.

There is a section of this site dedicated to answering what you need for some common specific Ford vehicles.

Note that most of the information about software support on this page will deal with STRATEGIES not processor codes.  We also have a box code-strategy cross reference.  If you don’t see your box code listed there, we will generally be able to help you figure out which strategy your ECM uses most of the time from its box code – send an email to [email protected].  Worst case, you will have to read the stock computer (with QuarterHorse or F2E ) and do the reverse engineering work to make a definition yourself.

The following information is REASONABLY up to date as of 2020.  (I will try to update it periodically)

Binary Editor Supported Strategies

The best way to find out if your strategy is supported in Binary Editor is to download the software and install it!  Let it update itself.  It should download the latest and greatest strategies available.   You can also take a look at the strategies download page at EECAnalyzer.net for more information. Strategies are stored in “C:\Binary Editor\DEF” in a unique folder for each definition.

Please note: datalogging and editing are controlled by the same definition file in BE.  You will have to load the definition along with a tune file to get an accurate idea of what exactly is supported.

Please also note: some definitions (that end in “.xls”) can be used by anyone with the software.  Other strategy files (those with the “.cry” extension) require additional registration with their author to use them. Derek Fenwick is a particularly excellent strategy author to look for.

Supported Strategies:

(This list last updated 1/3/2018 – always check http://www.eecaalyzer.net for a current list!!!)
Free strategies (vehicles) included “out of the box” with standard version of Binary Editor:

CBAZA (94-95 Mustang/Cobra V8)
CDAN4 (96-97 Mustang and Cobra 4.6L V8, others)
ELK1 (? – check)
U2L1 (? – check)
FBJR3 (? – check)
GUF1 (Fox body MAF – auto)
GUFA (Fox body MAF – Cali?)
GUFB (Fox body MAF – manual)
HWAD4 (? check)
KMAK6 (? – check)
LA (? check)
LA3 (? check)
LB2 (? check)
LHBH1 (? check)
LUX0 (87-88 Mustang 5.0 speed density)
NVMG8 (? check)
PE (? check)
VEX1 (94-95-ish MAF trucks)
VHAF7 (? check)
VP1 (? check)

(This information was gathered from looking at http://www.eecanalyzer.net/index.php/strategies-calibrations and is provided without any guarantee for fitness. You should always check compatibility with your application before purchase. This is simply a list of free strategies available for download. They were not checked, validated or otherwise examined in any way. Do not assume that these files have all the parameters you require to change or have complete logging capabilities before examining them yourself, which can be done with the free trial version of BE)

Binary Editor – Core Tuning Strategies:

Core Tuning offer (arguably) the most comprehensive support for a wide range of vehicles out of all the software which works with the QuarterHorse.  Many definitions for popular EECV applications which are not publicly available otherwise are available on a paid commercial basis from Core. You can purchase them from www.coretuning.net if you are interested.

Here is a list of their supported strategies:  http://www.coretuning.net/index.php/strategy

Important: it is almost always cheaper to buy a “QuarterHorse bundle” from CoreTuning directly versus buying hardware from us and then software from them.

Binary Editor – Derek Fenwick’s definitions

1DEB – Australian EB series 5.0l XR8
1DGA – Australian EB series 5.0l XR8
2DCA – Australian EB series 5.0l
A4A1 – 94 Lincoln Towncar
AHACB – covers a variety of trucks, e.g. VEX1, WAY1. HOG0
ANY1 – covers a variety 4.0L ’93/94 Explorers and Rangers
C1A1 – ’92/93 2.3L Mustang (C1A1 and D1L1 catch codes)
CAW0 – ’91/94 F series TCM (CAW0 catch code)
CBAZ0 – ’94/95 5.0L trucks and 3.8L Thunderbirds
CBAZA – ’94/95 5.0L Mustangs
CCAQA – ’94/95 4.6L Thunderbird, Cougar and 3.8L Mustang
CCAQE – ’94/95 4.6L Thunderbird, Cougar and 3.8L Mustang
CDAN4 – ’96/97 4.6L Mustang, Thunderbird, Cougar, Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria, Towncar and 3.8L Mustang, Thunderbird, Cougar
CDAN6 – ’96/97 4.6L Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria, Towncar
CNAB1 – ’98 4.6L F series
CZAJL – Lincoln Mk VIII
CZAW0 – ’94/95 3.8L Thunderbird
DC – ’87 5.0L Mustang (DC and DE catch codes)
GHAJ0 – 2.0L Escort Cosworth
GSALC – ’91 3.8L and 5.0L Thunderbird
GSALI – ’92/93 3.8L and 5.0L Thunderbird
GURE ’89/90 3.8L Thunderbird, Cougar
LHBL0 – ’93/96 covers a variety of Lightnings and other trucks
LHBL1 – covers some trucks (e.g. P2Y0 catch code)
LHBL2 – covers some trucks (e.g. ALT0 catch code)
LUX0 – ’87’88 5.0L Mustang
NVAF91 – a variety of Australian EF series 5.0L
NVMG84 – a variety of Australian EL series 5.0L
NVMG85 – a variety of Australian EL series 5.0L

To purchase a registration to use any of these definition files for Binary Editor contact him directly.
be sure to include your machine code from Binary Editor’s Register >> Strategy Menu, type the “Strategy Name” just as its listed above
in the “Name of creator of the Strategy file” type in “Derek” with no quotations.

Strategy files are $25 each and gives you the ability to tune an unlimited amount of vehicles with that ECU strategy.

TunerPro / TunerPro RT Supported Strategies

TunerPro RT supports the QuarterHorse as of version 5.0 but QH and strategy support is still sparse.  There is extremely solid support for GUFB (A9L / Fox body) and CBAZA (T4M0 / J4J1 / 94-95 Mustang). You can download the TPRT5 specific files here from our site.

Most of the EECV support has been done by Michael Ponthieux.  EFI Dyno Tuning has a wealth of information and definitions for using TunerPro for tuning.  There is a comprehensive list of definitions along with starter bins for various conversions.

EEC Editor – Supported Strategies

The best way to find out what strategies are supported by EEC Editor is to download and install it!  After you have updated the software, you can see all supported strategies by looking in the directory “C:\Program Files\EEC Editor\definitions”  which contains a file for each strategy EEC Editor can open and edit.  You can see which strategies support datalogging with the QuarterHorse by looking at the directory “C:\Program Files\EEC Editor\dlms”  Please download the software and play with your computer’s definition / DLM prior to purchase as not all strategies are equally complete.  EEC Editor is not currently (2021) very actively developed but it does have support for some vehicles that none of the other software packages do.

Supported strategies:

1990F250.DEF (edit only)
1DDB.DEF (edit only)
1deb.def (edit AND datalog)
1dec.DEF (edit only)
1dga.def (edit only)
2dbd.def (edit only)
2dca.DEF (edit only)
2dda.DEF (edit only)
3dea.def (edit only)
a9u2.def (edit only)
AGANF.def (edit only)
AKAM9.def (edit only)
akama.def (edit only)
AKAMH.def (edit only)
akc0.DEF (edit only)
AOAG3.def (edit only)
ATAN0.def (edit only)
bnaf9.DEF (edit only)
boae4.def (edit only)
c3p2.def (edit only)
C3W1.DEF (edit only)
cbaz0.def (edit only)
cbaza.def (edit AND datalog)
CCAQA.def (edit only)
CCAQE.def (edit only)
CDAN4.def (edit only)
CDAN6.def (edit only)
CDAP3.def (edit only)
cdba4.def (edit only)
cfak7.DEF (edit only)
cmai3.def (edit only)
cmai7.def (edit only)
cmai9.def (edit only)
cmba0.def (edit only)
CNAB0.def (edit only)
CNAB1.def (edit only)
cqab1.def (edit only)
crai8.def (edit only)
CRAIA.def (edit only)
CRAIB.def (edit only)
CRAIC.def (edit only)
craj0.DEF (edit only)
ctbae.def (edit only)
cvae6.DEF (edit only)
cvae7.DEF (edit only)
CVAF1.def (edit only)
cvba0.DEF (edit only)
cvba2.DEF (edit only)
d9s.DEF (edit only)
DA1.def (edit AND datalog)
GVAKA.def (edit only)
gvakb.def (edit only)
gufa.def (edit AND datalog)
gufb.def (edit AND datalog)
gufc.DEF (edit AND datalog)
gure.def (edit AND datalog)
hug02.DEF (edit only)
HWAD3.DEF (edit only)
icy1.def (edit only)
kmak6.def (edit only)
kqad2.DEF (edit only)
kraf5.def (edit only)
LA3.def (edit only)
LB3.DEF (edit only)
m2y.def (edit only)
maag4.DEF (edit only)
MMAH0.def (edit only)
MPAM1.def (edit only)
mrad2.DEF (edit only)
mrad3.DEF (edit only)
odal1.DEF (edit only)
ODAL1.def (edit only)
OMAD3.def (edit only)
OMAD4.def (edit only)
OMAE1.def (edit only)
OMAE2.def (edit only)
p2y0.def (edit AND datalog)
PCAG2.def (edit only)
PCAG6.def (edit only)
pf3.def (edit only)
pybd3.DEF (edit only)
pycl5.def (edit only)
PYCL7.def (edit only)
QAAC5.def (edit only)
qbaa0.DEF (edit only)
rbadb.def (edit only)
rbaed.DEF (edit only)
REAC3.def (edit only)
reac4.DEF (edit only)
RGAF2.def (edit only)
rhagb.def (edit only)
RQAD6.def (edit only)
rtai0.DEF (edit only)
rtai1.def (edit only)
rtaj0.DEF (edit only)
RVAF1.def (edit only)
RVAF3.DEF (edit only)
rvafa.DEF (edit only)
rvafb.DEF (edit only)
rvai1.DEF (edit only)
RWAI2.def (edit only)
ryae0.def (edit only)
RYAF0.def (edit only)
RYAF1.def (edit AND datalog)
ryak1.DEF (edit only)
RYBE2.def (edit only)
RZAN0.def (edit only)
RZAO1.def (edit only)
rzao2.def (edit only)
RZASA.def (edit only)
rzaso.def (edit only)
tauf0.DEF (edit only)
VET1.DEF (edit only)
way1.def (edit only)
X2S2.def (edit only)

Australian EEC Support list

Tuner Pro seems to be the weapon of choice for most Australian EECs.  You can get more info and an updated list of supported cars, box codes and strategies here:

Australian EECs : http://www.tiperformance.com.au/technical.html

PCMHacking.net also has some Ford information.

If you purchase Binary Editor 2012 with a dongle from us, it will come pre-activated for Binary Editor and the Innovate Wideband logger.  If you purchased EEC Analyzer, you will need to gather and send some information to Binary Editor’s author so an update can be issued for your dongle.

Procedure

1.  Fire up Binary Editor 2012 with your dongle connected.
2. Look at the top of the screen.  It should say “Registered to Moates 1234”
3. Fire an email to [email protected] :

“This is John User.  My dongle number is Moates 1234.  Please send me a dongle update for EEC Analyzer that I purchased through Moates.  Thanks!”

All electronics will fail with age.  A significant chunk of the failures are due to electrolytic capacitor failure.  These components are virtually guaranteed to fail eventually, even under normal use circumstances.  There are even calculators that can help you estimate how long a given capacitor will last!

So why do manufacturers use these components if they know they will eventually fail?  There really aren’t a lot of good alternatives that have the necessary specifications AND are inexpensive.

Bottom line: all electronic devices that have power supplies generally have electrolytic capacitors that fail.  Ford ECMs are no exception.

A9L Capacitor Replacement

Note: all of these pictures are fairly high res.  If you click them to view the original, you will be able to zoom in for much more detail.

There are three capacitors that typically need replaced in an A9L / Fox Body MAF ECM.

1. First step: Take off all the A9L’s clothes.  Both upper and lower case will need to come off.  These are TORX screws!

   
   

2. Next, locate the capacitors that need to be replaced.
3. 
4. Here is one of the cans, close up:
   

   Even in this extreme close up shot of the base, it is hard to see anything OBVIOUSLY wrong.

   

5. Next step: de-solder the old capacitors.  Like always, we recommend that you use a high-quality de-soldering tool such as the Hakko 808 or a Xytronic 988.  You’ll have a hard time if you try to use a de-soldering braid.  I had to apply a lot of heat and go really slowly in order to achieve solid results.
   Bottom:
   
   Top:
   
6. Next, it’s time to solder in a replacement.
   Bottom:
   
   Top:
   
7. And sometimes when you look a little closer you will see that those caps that looked OK from a distance really had more serious issues…
   
   
8. After you get it out of there, you can see the true mess:
   
   The capacitor really isn’t much better.  It pretty much fell apart being removed.  You can see that it was leaking pretty severely:
   
9. When you have goop on the circuit board, you should clean it up nicely before replacing the cap.  A Q-tip and rubbing alcohol was used here:
   
10. Once everything is cleaned up, solder away with the replacements.  This ECU pictured took about 30-40 minutes to split, de-solder caps, re-solder caps, clean J3 port and re-assemble.

The QuarterHorse Ford tuning tool is supported by TunerPro RT version 5 and newer.  This document will briefly cover the steps necessary for using the QuarterHorse with TunerPro RT.

General Setup

First, the QuarterHorse must have its drivers properly installed.  The QuarterHorse uses the same FTDI device drivers as most of our other products.  Please see the USB Device installation article for more information on installing drivers.  Having the driver’s latency settings set to one will make a difference in how the QH behaves.  Visit the USB Troubleshooting 101 article to for screenshots of how to configure latency in the advanced driver options.

TunerPro Setup

Once the drivers are configured properly, launch TunerPro RT.

TunerPro should make a “beep” to indicate that it found the QuarterHorse and you should see a notice indicating hardware was detected in the lower-left information bar:

If you do not see “Found QuarterHorse vX.XX” go back to the USB troublehshooting guide.  TunerPro will need to have found your QH to continue with this guide.

Next up, we need to configure TunerPro to use the same port for datalogging and emulation.  Go to the Tools menu and select preferences.  Once you are looking at the preferences, select the Data Acq./Emulation tab:

In this screen, there are three options you need to set.  First, choose “Use Plug-in” for the interface Type.  Second, click the “Configure Plug-in Component” box.  Third, choose “Shared With Emulator” and then click OK several times to get back to the main application.

Finally, you need to make sure you have the appropriate XDF and ADX files loaded.  Support for the QuarterHorse has to be made specially for Ford definitions.  You can find the latest definitions that we maintain here or visit EFI Dyno Tuning for another source of definitions.  You can also browse TunerPro’s website for others but be warned – most of the definitions on TunerPro’s site will NOT support datalogging with a QH.

In addition to any definitions you might find on TunerPro’s Webpage or TI Performance‘s webpage, there are also some definitions we try to maintain.  If you are going to use the QuarterHorse with any of the strategies on this page with TunerPro, these are the definitions we recommend you use.

TunerPro Defs from Moates

89-93 Mustang / Cobra GUFB strategy – A9L, A3M, A3M1, X3Z, S0Z, etc.  A9L-GUFB-TunerPro Download (Created by Sailorbob and modded by Michael Ponthieux, Craig Moates, Dave Blundell)

94-95 Mustang / Cobra CBAZA strategy – T4M0, U4P0, W4H0, J4J1, etc. T4M0-CBAZA-TunerPro-Download (Created by Sailorbob and modded by Michael Ponthieux, Cody Hindman, Craig Moates, Dave Blundell)

Random Community Definitions

These definitions were found randomly.  Little is known about their origins, accuracy, author or maintenance.

CVAF1: CVAF1_TPRT

CVBA2: 99-00ish 3.8L V6 Mustang CVBA2_TPRT

Decipha’s Definitions

Michael Pontieux / Decipha has put together a pretty wide range of definitions for TunerPro. Some of these are designed to be paired with a custom ROM like the “A9L2” where Ford’s routines have been modified. Some like FBGI0 are definitions that work with “pure” Ford code. Following his instructions, many 99-04 ECUs can be supported. Be prepared to do a lot of reading on his site before trying to use these definitions as there are a few tricks that make things different from other Ford tuning softwares. You may need to grab base tunes as well as definitions to have a working set of tools. Downloads here.

List of supported strategies as of 3/2017:

• GUFx / 89-93 Mustang V8 (modified GUFB to add extra features, more info on his site)
•  CBAZA / 94-95 Mustang V8 (note: files available for using CBAZA with EDIS coils)
• CDAN4 / 96-97 Fords, mostly Mustang
• CRAJ0 / 98 Cobra & V6
• CVAE7 / 99 Cobra
• CVAF1 / 99-02 Mustang V8
• MPAM0 / 00 Excursion V10 6.8L 4R100
• OMAE2 / 02/03 Harley F-150
• FBGI0 / 03-04 Cobra
• FBFG2 / 03-04 Mustang V8 (99-04 V6 as well.  Can be used on other ECUs with code modification, read on his site for more)
• RZASA / 03/04 Marauder
• RZAS0 / 03/04 Crown Vic/Linc Town
• PRDO0 / 2006 Ranger 4cyl
• CMAI9 – 97/98 Mark VIII (Pending Maintenance – available upon request)
• DOAV7 – 02/04 Escape (Pending Maintenance – available upon request)
• MQAH1 – 99/03 F-150 4R100 (Pending Maintenance – available upon request)
• MZAK0 – 99/04 F-250 (all 4r100) (Pending Maintenance – available upon request)
• RWAI2 – 99/03 F-150 4R70W (Pending Maintenance – available upon request)

Here is the answer:

• We do NOT officially support the use of our products with other vendors’ chips AT ALL.
• We do NOT design our products to work with other vendors’ products.
• Chips from other vendors often work (to some extent) with our products because every chip needs to work on the same ECMs, which means they need to do many of the same things, electrically speaking.
• As a rule of thumb, you will probably be able to use our programmers to *READ* most chips from other vendors.  There are some cases when this does not work.
• As a rule of thumb, you will *NOT* be able to use our programmers to PROGRAM chips from other vendors.  Most of the time, this does not work.
• Chips can be deliberately designed to be difficult to communicate with (known problem chips: Diablosport, TS, others?) so there will be cases where you just can’t use them with our tools.
• If you want to be certain that you can read, program or erase a chip from another vendor, don’t use our tools.  Use the tools provided by that vendor.
• If you want to be certain that you will be able to program a chip with one of our programmers, use one of our chips.
• Bottom line: our programmers are designed and tested to work with our chips.  If you can use them with chips from other vendors, it is purely accidental and we do not support it or encourage their use in this way.
• Do not come crying to us if it doesn’t work.  Our response is going to be “buy one of our chips that our programmer was designed to work with.”

Questions you may have coming in:

• How do I determine what is needed? Keep reading!
• What vehicles are compatible? Hardware will work with all 2004 and older Ford vehicles with a J3 port, depending on software support.
• What are the capabilities of Moates hardware? Realtime tuning, logging live data, burning chips, switching between multiple programs
• What hardware and software options are available, and at what cost? Keep reading!
• How do I learn to tune EEC? What learning resources are available? Keep reading!  We’ll provide references.

Vehicle Compatibility

• Hardware is compatible with all year/model Ford vehicles that have a J3 port.  This generally covers 86-2004 model years.
• If you already have a binary file (bin) or hex file (hex) that is tuned for your vehicle. you can use one of our chips.
• If you need to make changes (tune) to get your vehicle where you want it, you are limited by software support.
• Some ECMs are simply not supported in software that works with our hardware because of lack of definition information.
• It’s important to check for software support before purchase. If you have an uncommon vehicle (for example, a 1995 Festiva) you may be out of luck with our products.
• We need certain information to tell if your vehicle is supported. (click)  Email us to check before purchase!

Overview of Tuning Process

• Determine your target vehicle boxcode and strategy.
  • The Boxcode is typically a 3 or 4-digit letter/number code on the EEC computer. ( ‘A9L’  or ‘T4M0’ for example)  This represents a calibration for a particular engine/transmission using a particular strategy.
  • A Strategy is the set of procedures that the ECM follows to run an engine.  Combined with a calbration, this determines how the engine will operate.
    • The strategy will determine things like whether a MAF or MAP sensor is used, how spark and fuel are calculated, how idle is controlled, etc.
    • Each strategy needs a definition (or ‘def’) to work.  The definition tells the software how to interpret the binary and display it in a format you can understand with tables and real-world values.
    • For instance, the A9L boxcode, belongs to the GUFB strategy.  The A3M boxcode also belongs to the GUFB strategy.  You can change a bunch of parameters on a A3M computer and have it run 100% identical to a A9L computer.
• Review your software options in terms of availability.
  • First: figure out which software supports your box code.  Support varies from package to package.  Check with each software vendor for the most up-to-date supported options.
  • Next: download software and install it.  You can check out the interface and features at this time without paying for anything.
  • Finally: After you have found a software package with an interface that you like which supports your strategy, go to our web store to purchase.  You will need to have already installed software prior to purchasing in order to provide us with information to license it.

• Determine your tuning needs to guide your purchases.
  • Do you just need to burn chips?
  • Do you want to be able to make changes while the vehicle is running? (emulation)
  • Do you want to be able to log vehicle parameters while the engine is running? (datalogging)
  • Do you want a more accurate measure of the air/fuel mixture? (buy a wideband)
  • Decide what capabilities you need and then purchase hardware as appropriate.

• Install hardware.
  • Clean that J3 port PROPERLY!
  • To clean the J3 port, you generally must remove the case from the ECM, gently rub the J3 port with Scotchbrite or a mildly abrasive kitchen scrubber.  (‘mildly’ is important – you do NOT want to rub hard enough to remove the copper traces from the circuit board!)  A final clean with brake clean, starting fluid  or another mild solvent doesn’t hurt.  A properly cleaned J3 port will have a very, very slight crosshatch visible on the ‘fingers’ of the connector.
  • Golden rule: ALWAYS TAKE THE KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION (CAR OFF!!!)  WHEN INSERTING OR REMOVING THINGS ON THE J3 PORT. Failure to do so can result in a fried ECM, fried chip/QuarterHorse or both.
• Install USB drivers
  • The same USB drivers are used for all Ford products
  • USB driver is a free download from the webstore, it comes with config instructions. (download)
  • If you need more visual directions, there is an install guide available on the Moates support site.
  • If you have trouble with the install, there is troubleshooting guide available on the Moates support site.

• Setup software and perform initial configuration
  • Establish communications, check settings – this procedure will vary depending on software package you are using.
  • Select the appropriate strategy for your box code and load any appropriate definition files.
  • Program hardware with a calibration to serve as a starting point.  A stock tune with a few key parameters modified to suit the vehicle at hand is great.  You’re just looking for something good enough to get the car to fire and (hopefully) idle.
  • If you are datalogging, select and configure datalogging payload matrix (PIDs) – i.e. what you’re interested in monitoring.

• Gather performance data, analyze it, and make changes toward an optimized result.
  • Parameters are gradually adjusted to achieve desired targets.
  • This is an iterative process, where adjustments are made and the results are evaluated followed by further adjustments.
  • Please see our subsequent chapters on Ford Tuning (available separately).
    • Basic Tuning Techniques and Common Examples
    • Advanced Tuning and Tricky Combinations

Chapter 2: Hardware Selection and Installation

Several types of hardware are available and needed depending on desired functionality.

Laptop PC

• Windows XP/Vista/7 are all compatible with the Ford tuning software.
• Something 5 years old or newer is recommended (no old 486 machines!).
• Internet access is recommended to facilitate licensing and software installations.
• USB ports (at least 1) are required. All needed cables are included with the hardware.
• If logging wideband, a serial-to-USB converter may be needed. ($37 on our webstore – link)

F3 Chip modules

• These modules install onto the J3 port of the EEC box.
• One per vehicle, $60 per unit – link.
• J3 port MUST be thoroughly cleaned, both sides, before installation!
  • Disassemble case, scrape off coating with non-metallic scraper or fingernail.
  • Clean both sides with Scotchbrite, not sandpaper.
  • Don’t be too rough, just polish it to a nice crosshatch, not down to the copper.
  • Clean with paper towel and alcohol or toluene.
• Two-position switch capable with user-added toggle.  Directions for switching are on support site.  (link)
• Reprogrammable many times using Jaybird.

Jaybird mini-USB chip reader/writer

• Small size, low cost, $75 – link.
• Allows reading and writing of the F3 modules.
• No datalogging or emulation with the Jaybird. No EEC box reading.  Most basic chip programmer available.

Quarterhorse Realtime Emulator and Datalogger

• Hardware unit is $249 – link.  All cabling is included, along with ferrite shields and USB bulkhead connections.
• Optional rotary switch ($30 – link) can be used to select from several different programs on the device, switching on-the-fly.  Works for EECIV ONLY.
• Fits onto J3 port like a chip module –  port MUST be clean as with F3 modules.
• On some early EEC boxes, several components will need to be gently bent out of the way for clearance during installation.

• The Quarterhorse is an integrated unit that can do several things:
  • Realtime Emulation
    • Changes in the calibration take effect immediately while engine is running.
    • No disturbance in engine operation or communications.
    • Changes in software are synchronized on the Quarterhorse.
  • Datalogging
    • Requires special definition file with ‘patch code’ written for the QuarterHorse, allowing RAM on the EEC to be shadowed onto the Quarterhorse.
    • Unprecedented access to variables and sensor values through the QuarterHorse without additional datalogging hardware.
    • Logging rates in excess of 5 kHz possible.  Most software logs around 20 Hz, which is great for tuning.
  • EEC Reading
    • EEC must be installed and powered in-vehicle with QH installed.
    • You can read the tune from the EEC box and save it to file.
    • This can be done with a stock EEC to acquire the base calibration.
    • You will be able to harvest the active calibration that has been programmed with a flash programmer this way.

Burn2 with F2A and F2E adapters

• The Burn2 ($85 – link) is a general purpose chip programmer that can be used for many different devices.
• When used with the F2A adapter ($10 – link), it can be used to read/write F3 modules.
• If the F2E adapter is added (another $10 – link), you will be able to read EEC boxes.
• No emulation or datalogging – this is a simple chip programmer only.
• This hardware combination is best suited for people that plan to tune vehicles from many different manufacturers.  If you plan on tuning exclusively Fords, consider the Jaybird as a less expensive alternative.

F8 chip module with Destiny programmer

• No emulation or datalogging – this is a simple chip with switchable tunes.
• Available exclusively through our distributor DP Tuner
• The $165 F8 module holds 8 switchable tunes and can be reprogrammed in-vehicle without removing the chip from the EEC!
• The $150 Destiny programmer is used with a 4-pin switch cable while F8 module stays installed on EEC.
• Once programmed, the $30 rotary switch can optionally be connected as a calibration selector.

Wideband O2 Sensor and Controller

• Used to sense your engine’s Air-Fuel ratio through exhaust gas analysis.
• Units such as the Innovate DB-Red LC1 Gauge Kit /w/ O2 ($209 – link) are very affordable.
• Software (discussed separately here) supports direct logging of the Innovate device data using a serial interface.  This is the preferred method of logging wideband data because it avoids all the pitfalls of using analog signals.
• Analog outputs from the wideband (such as the LC1) can be connected directly to the EEC in some cases (unused EGR pin on A9L for example).
• Wideband O2 readings critical for tuning fueling parameters.

Chapter 3: Software Selection, Installation, and Licensing

Several different software packages currently work with our hardware.  Cost varies considerably considerably from package to package along with capabilities.  Each software package also has its own unique flavor of interface – you will probably like one better than another.  Luckily, you can download and check them out prior to purchase.  Also remember that support for various box codes / strategies varies considerably from package to package.  It is important to investigate not just whether there is ANY support for a particular strategy but whether the items you require to tune your vehicle are supported – definition files vary considerably from software to software.  Fortunately, the availability of ‘trial’ versions makes it possible to ensure you to find a software package that fits your needs without having to purchase each one.

Binary Editor ( http://www.eecanalyzer.net )

• Written by Clint Garrity.
• Currently has the largest user base.
• Cost is $80 for the base application which is registered to a specific PC.
• Includes many of the most common and popular definitions (GUFB, etc) with no additional cost.  ( this list has almost all the “free” definitions along with some pay defs )
• Other ‘premium’ encoded definitions available at extra cost ($50-150+) from the definition author.
• Tends to benefit from a faster/newer laptop. Code is a bit heavy, so older PCs are taxed.  Think 2Ghz P4 / 512Mb ram realistic minimum.
• Includes EEC reading, chip reading and burning, datalogging, and emulation capabilities when used with the appropriate hardware.
• Also includes logging for wideband (Innovate, PLX, etc).
• Also includes optional support for standalone dataloggers, J2534 interfaces.
• Companion software EEC Analyzer is available for an additional $50. Not necessary, but it helps with data interpretation.
• Licensing occurs after you install the software from the available downloads, through a menu item within the BE and EA software programs.
• Both BE and EA licenses can be purchased from the webstore with information from the program.  See webstore product page for further instructions.

EEC Editor ( http://www.moates.net )

• Written by Paul Booth.
• Fairly lightweight software – does not require a very fast PC to work well.
• Cost ranges from $20-65 for each strategy depending on options.
  • EEC-IV is $20 for editing DEF (emulation and chip burning) plus $25 for datalogging (DLM) .
  • EEC-V is $10 more ($30+$35).
  • In order to have a comprehensive tuning solution for a typical fox body Mustang, you would need to order the GUFB def ($20) and the GUFB DLM ($25) along with a QuarterHorse.  This would allow you to tune any number of vehicles using the A9L, A3M, etc. processor codes.  You can also burn chips with the Jaybird/BURN2+F2A for any strategies you have purchased.
• Includes logging for Innovate Wideband (LC1, LM1, etc) at no additional charge.
• List of available supported strategies is listed on the webstore.

TunerPro RT v5 ( http://www.tunerpro.net )

• Written by Mark Mansur.
• Software license is optional (nag screen) but encouraged for $30.
• Editing portion of software *extremely* lightweight – can run well on older PCs.  Parts of logging engine considerably more demanding.
• Many definitions are available for editing only, see Tunerpro.net and our website for details.
• Editing, chip burning and emulation are supported by TPRT V4 and TPRT V5.
• Datalogging using the QuarterHorse is supported by TunerPro RT V5 via new the ADX format.  See here for updated definitions.
• QuarterHorse vehicle support is very limited compared to other software, but some of the most popular ones (GUFB CBAZA etc) are well-developed and available at time of writing (December 2010)

Flash & Burn Interface ( Moates/TunerPro )

• This is a low-level utility for reading and writing F3 chip modules using Jaybird or  BURN1/BURN2 + F2A
• Capable of reading EEC boxes using BURN2+F2A+F2E.  Does not work with QuarterHorse
• If you have a raw binary file ( bin ) you can use Flash n Burn to program a F3 chip module
• No cost, can be downloaded from the webstore.

F8 Destiny Utility ( http://www.moates.net )

• For use with a Destiny and F8 multi-position in-situ chip module.
• Allows easy management of stacks of tunes on the module with PC-based selection.
• No cost, can be downloaded from the webstore.

USB Driver ( Moates.net / FTDI )

• Needed to allow PC to communicate with the USB hardware (Quarterhorse, Jaybird, BURN2, etc).
• In many cases, working drivers will be detected by Windows via plug n play.
• If you need more visual directions, there is an install guide available on the Moates support site.
• If you have trouble with the install, there is troubleshooting guide available on the Moates support site.

Chapter 4: Suggested Techniques for Effective Calibration of EEC Systems

Vehicle Inspection and Preparation

• CRITICAL part of the tuning process. Start here, really.  If you fail here, you will never succeed.
• Several areas of the vehicle should always be analyzed before you begin the effort.
  • Smoking – learn to identify fuel (black) vs. oil (grey-blue) vs. coolant (white/sweet smelling).  You cannot fix oil smoke or coolant smoke with a tune.
  • Compression – you should have all cylinders within 10% compression of each other.  If smoking, damage to old spark plugs or general appearances make you suspicious of the motor’s health, check it before you start.  It’s a lot easier to deal with a motor with poor compression BEFORE you beat the snot out of it in the course of tuning it.  Many people skip this but it is something to think about because a motor that is already hurt is very likely to blow up or experience a catastrophic failure during tuning.
  • Check base timing, adjust as needed. (all vehicles with a distributor)
  • Evaluate TPS voltage.  Minimum/maximum values should be within acceptable limits.  Check for reversed wires – voltage should increase as throttle opens.
  • Look at MAF intake routing, make sure there are no obvious vacuum / intake leaks between the MAF and the intake valves.  Think cracked/split/loose hoses, bad gaskets, open ports, dry rotted couplers, hoses connected both before and after the MAF, …
  • O2 sensors should be operational without any exhaust leaks before the sensors.  For some reason, cut and soldered “extensions” for long tube headers often cause problems.  Plug and play extenders are *highly* recommended.  If you know that you do not have proper stock O2 sensors, REMEMBER TO TURN OFF O2 FEEDBACK!!!
  • If you are using a wideband sensor, you need to make sure there are no exhaust leaks before the wideband.  Flex tubing, poor joints between headers- midpipes and cracks in tubing can all create havoc.
  • If applicable, pay attention to which bank the wideband is installed in – bank-bank differences can be a powerful diagnostic tool.  Pay attention to how far the wideband is from the engine’s exhaust ports – there is always some lag between combustion events and measurement.  When things are changing quickly, this is critical.
  • Widebands need calibrated periodically, generally in free air.  Wideband sensors need replaced periodically.  Leaded fuel kills them very quickly.  Proper care and feeding of widebands is crucial to their effectiveness.
  • Be aware of catalytic converters.  Always tap them (GENTLY) and listen for suspicious noises that would indicate a catalytic converter that is degrading.  Clogged cats can rob literally hundreds of horsepower.  It is possible to place a wideband sensor AFTER a catalytic converter but remember that the cat will very slightly skew readings.
  • Make sure you have enough fuel pump and injectors for the power level you are looking for.  For a V8, “Injector size in #/hr * 14 = max hp” is a crude rule of thumb.  There are tons of injector calculators to be found if you want a better idea.
  • Ensure that fuel pressure is sane.  40psi with no vacuum reference is generally about where most OEM regulators are set.  You should be able to see a difference in fuel pressure between key-on-engine-off, idle and blipping the throttle.  Fuel pressure should be lowest when vacuum is highest.  Fuel pressure should increase when you blip the throttle as manifold pressure increases.
  • You need a MAF capable of metering enough air for your power goals.   There are ways to increase the metering capacity of a given meter, but tuning that properly is an advanced topic.  Keeping it simple: get a meter that can handle your airflow needs.
  • You need a functioning alternator and battery.  Battery voltage plays a role in crucial things like injector opening time and coil charge duration.  If your charging system is not functioning correctly, your tune may drastically change if/when you fix it.  Rule of thumb: if your battery voltage ever drops below 13 volts with the motor running, you will run into trouble.
  • On a similar note, underdrive and overdrive pulleys can cause real issues.  Pay attention if you see them.
  • Check for emissions hardware ( purge, smog pump, EGR, etc. ) that is missing.  In many cases these items can be disabled but you need to pay attention to what is present compared to what the ECM expects.
  • Basic maintenance should not be overlooked.  If it is important for a “normal” car it is twice as important in a performance application.
    • Spark plugs: correct heat range, appropriate gap, not fouled.  Consider power level, fuel and ignition system.  AVOID PLATINUM PLUGS FOR PERFORMANCE APPLICATIONS!!!  Copper or iridium will serve you much better.
    • Plug wires: no cracks/arcing, properly crimped ends, appropriate length so there isn’t too much tension
    • Firing order: firing order is determined by the camshaft (mostly) not the block or computer.
    • Spark boxes: great for distributor engines, unneeded/problematic for mod motors
    • Coil packs: Coil-per-cylinder (99-04 generally) applications like ***OEM*** coils best. (according to Dave B.)  MSD, Accel, Granatelli, … are all cause for concern especially with boost.
    • Oil and coolant: always check fluids before starting.  Quick check, potentially horrible consequences if low/out.
    • Fans / overheating: it is always a good idea to check that radiator fans work.  A car that overheats cannot be tuned.
    • Belts and Idlers: All serpentine belts must be in good shape.  Cracks, missing ribs, etc. will all cause problems.  Any idler pulleys must spin freely.
    • Tension:  Belt Tensioner should not be extended fully with the engine off.  Adjust belt length so that tensioner is in the lower third of its adjustment range with the motor off.  (i.e. it can move 2/3 through its range to increase belt tension – it should be mostly compressed when motor idle)  This is particularly important for supercharged applications.
    • Fuel filter: Fords are *horrible* about clogging fuel filters.  Especially if the car has been sitting for any significant period of time, change the fuel filter.  Motorcraft/OEM filters seem to hold up better than many cheap aftermarket ones.
    • Fuel age and type: Gasoline degrades with time.  Do not expect fuel that is more than a month or two old to be of the same quality as fresh gas.  Be particularly careful with heavily oxygenated fuels (i.e. VP Q16) and alcohols (ethanol, methanol, E85, etc.) in contact with fuel system components for large periods of time.
    • Clean air filter and MAF.  Oiled filters generally cause MAFs to get dirty.  Clean MAFs only after they have had a long time to cool – hot MAF+liquid=death.  Clean *GENTLY* with brake clean, starting fluid, or other organic solvents.
• Remember, you can’t fix mechanical or electrical issues by reprogramming the ECM!!! The results you achieve with tuning will only be as good as the material you start working with.  Garbage in, garbage out.

Datalogging: What’s important and what does it mean? What should we be interested in? What to select?

• There are certain sensors that you will almost always want to keep an eye on because they are critical to engine operation:
  • RPM – how fast the motor is spinning
  • MAFV / MAF counts – a “raw” value representing the reading from the MAF sensor
  • Airflow – a value calculated  by the ECM from the raw sensor MAF voltage that represents how much air is being ingested by the engine.  This is often represented in some form of “real world” value, like Kg/hr or Lbs/min
  • Load – from 94-2004 “Load” is the main factor involved in determining spark advance.
  • Spark Advance – when the ECM is commanding sparks to be fired.
  • TPS – Throttle Position Sensor.  How far open the throttle is, i.e. how hard you’re pressing the gas pedal
  • ECT – Engine Coolant Temperature(how hot or cold coolant flowing through the engine is)
  • IAT – Intake Air Temperature (how hot or cold air entering the engine is)
• Depending on what you are trying to do, there are other items you may want to pay attention to as well.
  • Injector Pulsewidth – How long the injectors open.  This can be useful both for “sanity checking” and to ensure you do not run out of injector – there is only a fixed time available at a given RPM to fire injectors.
  • HEGO1/2 – Heated Exhaust Gas Oxygen sensor.  Measures the presence or absence of oxygen in the exhaust in order to try to determine whether the motor is running rich or lean.   Watching the raw HEGO voltages can give you some kind of very basic indication of fueling.  These sensors experience a large change in voltage in a very small area centered around a stoichiometric mixture ( 1.0 lambda or about 14.7:1 Air-Fuel Ratio or AFR)
  • STFTs – Short Term Fuel Trims.  These are IMMEDIATE changes the ECM makes in response to HEGO readings in order to steer the air-fuel mixture towards desired targets.   If your EEC uses STFTs effectively (i.e. all modular motors) then these are generally more effective as a tuning tool than looking at raw O2 voltages.
  • LTFTs – Long Term Fuel Trims.  These are the long term difference between programmed values and target values.  Think of them as the average of STFTs over a long time.  If your EEC uses LTFTs effectively (i.e. all modular motors) then these are one of the most effective pieces of data provided by the stock computer for tuning fueling.
  • WBO2 – Wideband Oxygen meters can measure a much wider range of rich-lean conditions than standard HEGOs.  Having wideband data is often preferable to HEGO/STFT/LTFT.  In many cases (i.e. 86-95 in my opinion) it is often easier to disable closed loop operation/the O2 sensors completely and tune the car exclusively using a wideband.
  • ISC Integrator (‘integrator’) – this represents the difference between how much air the EEC is using to hold and idle versus how much it is commanded to hold in the tune.  Critical for proper tuning of larger camshafts and larger displacement engines.
  • Boost/MAP/Pressure – Although MAF systems do not differentiate between boost and vacuum, it is often very handy for sanity and safety to have an idea of how much pressure there is in the intake manifold.  For positive displacement blowers (roots, TVS, twin-screw) make sure you take pressure readings AFTER the blower on the lower plenum.
  • Pressure drop across injectors / FPDM duty cycle – most 99-04 cars control fuel pressure electronically.  These values are critical to a properly operating fuel system on these vehicles.

Recalibration: Modifying Parameters and Values to Achieve a Target

• First step: decide on target operating parameters for the engine
  • This may seem obvious, but something as simple as “make the most power” or “improve fuel economy” isn’t going to be be enough.
  • Second step: take a general goal like “make the most power” and decide on appropriate engine conditions to achieve that goal.
  • If you read these rules of thumb and say “this isn’t right for my engine” – GREAT.  You already know more than the audience these rules are aimed at.
    • If in doubt, “0.8 is great” – blatant simplicity.  Quoted me to once by someone who did OEM calibrations for Honda for a living.  It is very difficult to break anything due to fueling from running a vehicle at 0.8 lambda (about 11.6:1 AFR Gasoline)
    • 1.0 Lambda represents a stoichiometric mixture – exactly enough oxygen is present in the air to burn all the fuel supplied.  This is normally the best mixture for minimizing emissions.
    • Most vehicles make best power around 0.85 to 0.88 lambda (12.3 – 12.7 AFR Gasoline) – slightly richer than stoich
    • Most vehicles achieve best fuel economy at around 1.05 to 1.1 lambda ( 15.2 to 16.0 AFR gasoline)
    • Most vehicles need more ignition advance as RPM increases
    • Most vehicles need more ignition advance under cruising/low-throttle conditions than WOT
    • Knock is most likely close to peak torque, at high loads/low RPMs or at peak horsepower
• Next step: Get familiar with the strategy your vehicle uses.  Fueling, timing, idle, open-closed loop and just about everything else vary considerably from one strategy to another.  Being familiar with the strategy your ECM uses will help you figure out which tables to modify to acheive the results you seek.
  • eectuning.org is a good place to learn more.
  • the ‘Education’ section of moates.net is another good place to get information
• After you figure out where to look: set up what you can based on what you already know
  • Setup Engine Displacement / displacement of one cylinder
  • Setup injector size
  • Setup a reasonable rev limiter based on what you know of bottom end and valvetrain
  • Setup a reasonable (perhaps a little high to start) value for target idle
  • Setup a reasonable base calibration for MAF sensor.  If sensor came with a calibration sheet, this would be great time to use it.
  • Setup a reasonable target air fuel while in open loop
  • Setup a reasonable timing map.  A stock timing map adjusted for mods is always a good place to start.
  • Setup a reasonable pattern from switching from closed loop to open loop.
  • Enable or disable hardware such as O2 sensors, EGR, Purge/Evap, automatic trans
  • If you take your time to create a sane starting point before you turn the key on you will save yourself countless hours of time!
• Finally: Start your engines (and your datalogger) and make final adjustments
  • Are air fuels not matching what you command in open loop?
    • Three pieces of the fueling puzzle:  MAF transfer, Injector slopes(size), Injector offset (battery compensation – latency)
    • How do you tell what is going on?  STFTs, LTFTs (if O2s are enabled) combined with a wideband.  STFTs/LTFTs are great while O2s are active – i.e. part throttle
    • Leanest at idle, small pulsewidths but perfect at WOT/higher throttle -> increase battery offset
    • Lean – rich – lean patches as you gradually increase throttle -> wrong shape of MAF curve.  systematically tune it
    • Entire range of engine operation uniformly off from commanded values -> either injector slopes (size) or entire MAF transfer function is off.  Let load determine which one to multiply/divide in order to fix things
  • Idle issues?
    • Make sure your MAF transfer table, injector slopes and injector offset are sane before trying to fine tune idle!
    • Follow the integrator – a good place to start is to add the integrator (or subtract if it is negative) from the Neutral Idle Air table (in neutral) or Drive Idle Air table (if in Drive for automatic cars)
  • Performance
    • ALWAYS TUNE FUELING FIRST BEFORE TACKLING TIMING!  You are *much* more likely to break your engine if your mixture is wrong.  As long as your timing is good enough to light the mix, you can tune fueling adequately.
    • Tuning timing without a dyno is hard.  Accelerometers and a dragstrip can provide crude but repeatable feedback.

Data Analysis and Evaluation

• Once captured, the operational data can be analyzed and used to guide calibration effort.

(More to come!)

(below this line is draft / coming soon as of 2010-11-30)

Chapter 4:  Software/Hardware Initial Configuration with Tuning Session Start-Up Examples

• Physical installation of hardware is shown in more detail from Chapter 1 overview.
  • F3
  • Jaybird
  • Quarterhorse
  • F8/destiny and switch
  • Wideband

• Installation, licensing, initial configuration, and detailed hardware synchronization procedures for each software are explained and examples detailed. Initial basic calibration load-up for different hardware, as well as basic payload creation for datalogging, are explained and illustrated for each.
  • USB Driver
  • BE/EA
  • EEC Editor
  • TunerPro RTv5
  • Flash & Burn
  • F8/Destiny Utility

1. Data Analysis and Evaluation
   1. Once captured, the operational data can be analyzed and used to guide calibration effort.
   2. Several examples of logged data values and how they relate to calibration parameters are provided.

Chapter 6:

Case Studies: Example Modifications, Vehicle Combinations, and Rules of Thumb

1. Key Issues and Vehicle-Specific Examples
   1. How do many of the popular modifications on these vehicles affect the tuning approach?

i.      Bigger MAF

ii.      Bigger injectors

iii.      Cold plugs

iv.      Nitrous

v.      Gears and converter

vi.      Auto vs Manual

vii.      Emissions delete / racing modifications

viii.      Cam, heads

ix.      Headers/exhaust

x.      Cold air intake

1. 1. We look at a walk-through of important considerations and the thought process of tuning several different example combinations, with real-world dyno results.

i.      A9L/GUFB Fox Body, 1993 N/A 331 stroker, 24# injectors, cam, headers, 5spd.

ii.      CBAZA, same as above.

iii.      03/04 Mustang

iv.      SC A9L

v.      SC 03/04 Cobra

vi.      F150 Truck

1. 1. Achieving an Optimized Result: When is it good enough?

i.      What are your goals?

ii.      Do you plan for future modifications?

iii.      Rules of thumb for AFR and timing, NA vs boost.

iv.      What is safe vs aggressive?

>

>

>

> Vehicle Compatibility

>

> All year/model Ford 2004 and earlier with J3 port are compatible

***with our hardware*** but there may not be software support for particular models.

> Some vehicle year/model applications are simply not supported in the

> software because of lack of definition information. It’s important to

> evaluate the availability of your desired application as ir relates to

> the software selection process. You may be out of luck (for example,

> 1995 Festiva or such uncommon target).

http://support.moates.net/ford-strategies-supported/

http://support.moates.net/ford-box-code-strategy-cross-reference/

>

>

>

> Overview of Tuning Process

>

> Determine your target vehicle boxcode and strategy

>

>                                                                i.

> Boxcode is typically a 4-digit letter/number code on the EEC computer.

> This is the calibration code.

http://support.moates.net/ford-information-we-need-to-help-you/

>

>                                                               ii.

> Strategy is the ‘parent’ definition structure to which a boxcode belongs.

Each strategy is the set of procedures that are executed on your ECM to run an engine.  Sometimes more than one strategy can successfully run on a given ECM.  Normally we do not make many changes to the procedure part of strategies while tuning vehicles.  Instead, we change tables, functions and constants so that the engine receives what it needs to run well.  Each “box code” represents a configuration of a particular strategy for a particular engine.

>

>                                                             iii.

> For

instance, the A9L boxcode  belongs to the GUFB strategy.  The A3M boxcode also belongs to the GUFB strategy.  If you compare A9L.bin and A3M.bin the files will be almost identical because they use the same strategy but are configured for different vehicles by Ford.  If you get a definition (also called def) for the GUFB strategy, you will be able to edit both A9L and A3M binaries because they use the same strategy.

……….

>                                                             iii.

> J3 port MUST be thoroughly cleaned, both sides, before installation!

***IMPORTANT***

……………….

> Chapter 5:

>

> Suggested Techniques for Effective Calibration of EEC Systems

>

>

>

>

>

> Vehicle Inspection and Preparation

>

> CRITICAL part of the tuning process. Start here, really.

> Several areas of the vehicle should always be analyzed before you

> begin the effort.

>

>                                                                i.

> Check base timing, adjust as needed.  On older Fords, pull “spout” timing connector either by distributor (86-93) or on passenger fender side (94-95).  Adjust distributor to achieve 10 degrees base timing with spout removed.  Reinstall spout before tuning.

>

>                                                               ii.

> Evaluate TPS voltage, make sure it is in range through motion.

Vehicles are very sensitive to improper TPS voltage.  TPS being too low or too high can cause the ECM to not enter the correct idle mode.

TPS should be between 0.95 and 1volt with throttle plate closed.  This can be checked using QH quite nicely.

>

>                                                             iii.

> Look at MAF intake routing, make sure there are no gross vacuum / intake leaks.

http://support.moates.net/tuning-maf-systems-and-air-leaks/

See how much or little of that you want to put here.

>

>                                                             iv.

> O2 sensors should be operational, exhaust should be leak-tight at

> least that far back.

OEM Ford O2 sensors work a million times better than cheap aftermarket ones.

Ideally, a wideband sensor is to be installed in addition to the factory O2s rather than instead of one.

If this is not possible, it is greatly preferable to remove a secondary (Post-catalytic converter) O2 sensor.

If a primary O2 sensor has the be removed in order to install a wideband, make sure closed loop operation is disabled.

>

>                                                              v.

> Basic maintenance should not be overlooked.

>

> 1.       Plugs and wires

1a. PLUG GAP IS REALLY IMPORTANT

1b. Appropriate plug type is really important (Copper, Silver (Brisk for 3v)).  Iridium plugs are ok for applications with extremely strong spark boxes or CDI systems.  Avoid platinum plugs like the plague.

>

> 2.       Oil and coolant

>

> 3.       Fuel filter and fuel age/quality/octane

>

> 4.       Clean air filter and MAF

>

>                                                             vi.

> Ensure that fuel pressure is as expected through operating range.

>

> Remember, you can’t fix mechanical or electrical issues with reprogramming.

> Tuning is about more than just flipping chips, so make sure your

> vehicle is in good shape!

This really can’t be stressed enough.  Tuning a car that isn’t running right is like putting a bandaid over a gangrenous wound!  The first step to tuning a car properly is to make sure it is mechanically sound!

>

>

>

************I’m not sure I would get into datalogging just yet because we haven’t talked about recalibration yet.****************

> Datalogging: What’s important and what does it mean? What should we be

> interested in? What to select?

>

> RPM

> MAFV

> Kg/Hr

> Spark

> HEGO1/2

> TPS

> ECT,IAT

> Load

> WBO2

>

***********************************Snip*********************************************************************************************************

>

>

> Recalibration: Modifying Parameters and Values

>

The purpose of recalibrating an ECM is to produce the behavior you desire, and by doing so hopefully improve performance, emissions or other operating characteristics.  Normally, there are two stages to this process.

First, parameters within the strategy are altered to match physical parameters of the engine.  Engine displacement, injector size are the primary values here.  Also, the MAF transfer function should be altered to match the MAF that is installed on the vehicle.  You can often “rob” a MAF transfer function from another vehicle’s strategy when using the MAF from another vehicle.

Next, operating parameters are changed in order to achieve the actual running conditions desired for the particular engine.  In many cases, simply adjusting the “configuration” items for the strategy in the first step will make then engine run great but there are almost always small changes that can be made to optimize performance.

>

> What are the most common values we will need to modify?

>

i.     Displacement – how large the engine is

ii.      Injector slopes – define how much fuel flows through

injectors, aka injector size

iii.      MAF calibration – defines how much air enters the engine as

a function of MAF voltage.  aka MAF transfer function iv.      Rev limiters – protect the engine from being damaged by over-revving

v.      Speed limiters – protect the driver from his/her own stupidity

vi.      EGR delete, PATS delete, secondary O2 delete – turn off items that are not present or not desired.

>

> How do we know which values to change, and by how much?

>

(repeat / correlate with above)

First step: calibration data should match actual equipment specification

example: If you have a 347 stroker with 30# injectors your strategy should be configured to match these physical parameters

Next step: start your engines, identify problems and goals.  There are hundreds (if not thousands in some cases) of parameters you can change.  Before starting on tuning, it’s good to have an idea of what’s not right, what you’d like to improve and what you can leave alone.  This may sound basic, but maintaining some kind of focus is really important to working effectively.  Examples of things you might want to work on are improving idle, improving wide open throttle performance, decreasing fuel consumption.

After figuring out what aspects of running the engine you want to work on, it is time to get the data you need to achieve your goals.  By selecting appropriate items for datalogging, the QuarterHorse allows you to view, log and replay the same data that your ECM uses to run your engine.  Instead of blindly guessing which values you need to change in order to get the engine behavior you seek, you can use this process of logging, analyzing logged data and a little math to make appropriate changes.

Now specific tasks in the tuning process will be examined in detail.

This will be presented as a mixture of theory and practice.  The next chapter will serve as a guide for how to adapt the programming of your ECM to suit specific modifications (cold air kits, injectors, motor transplants, etc) and will be attempt to be primarily hands-on.

Routine tuning processes: (these are going to need more explanation, I’m just running out of steam tonight)

Basic setup – Slopes, injectors, MAFs, sane spark tables

WOT / Open loop fueling – MAF transfer, inj slopes, stabilized fuel table

Closed loop fueling – O2 trims, MAF transfer

Power tuning – Dyno, spark tables

Idle tuning – idle RPM drive, neutral, Drive idle air, neutral idle air, integrator, gains, etc

Dashpot – role, tuning, scalars, preposition

>

>

>

> Chapter 6:

>

CASE STUDIES AND HANDS ON PRIMARILY.  Theory / processes in previous chapter

>

>

>

>

>

> Key Issues and Vehicle-Specific Examples

*MAKE MORE SPECIFIC*  General procedures covered above

>

> How do many of the popular modifications on these vehicles affect the

> tuning approach?

>

>                                                                i.

> Bigger MAF

>

>                                                               ii.

> Bigger injectors

>

>                                                             iii.

> Cold plugs

>

>                                                             iv.

> Nitrous

>

>                                                              v.

> Gears and converter

>

>                                                             vi.

> Auto vs Manual

>

>                                                           vii.

> Emissions delete / racing modifications

>

>                                                          viii.

> Cam, heads

>

>                                                             ix.

> Headers/exhaust

>

>                                                              x.

> Cold air intake

>

> We look at a walk-through of important considerations and the thought

> process of tuning several different example combinations, with

> real-world dyno results.

>

>                                                                i.

> A9L/GUFB Fox Body, 1993 N/A 331 stroker, 24# injectors, cam, headers, 5spd.

>

>                                                               ii.

> CBAZA, same as above.

>

>                                                             iii.

> 03/04 Mustang

>

>                                                             iv.

> SC A9L

>

>                                                              v.

> SC

> 03/04 Cobra

>

>                                                             vi.

> F150 Truck

>

> Achieving an Optimized Result: When is it good enough?

>

>                                                                i.

> What are your goals?

>

>                                                               ii.

> Do you plan for future modifications?

>

>                                                             iii.

> Rules of thumb for AFR and timing, NA vs boost.

>

>                                                             iv.

> What is safe vs aggressive?

>

>

There are two products that we sell that can read the program in a factory ECM:

BURN1/BURN2 with a F2A and F2E – This setup can be used to read ECMs on the bench.  ECM does not need to be powered.

QuarterHorse – This setup requires the ECM to be powered either by a vehicle’s battery or a 12V bench power supply.

Reading with BURN2+F2A+F2E

1. Start with all cables disconnected (F2A,F2E,USB,etc.)
2. Connect the F2E to the F2A
3. Put the F2A in the BURN1/BURN2
4. Connect the Burn1-2/F2A/F2E Assembly to your ECM.  Make sure your ECM is powered off if it is in the vehicle
5. Connect the USB from the BURN2 to the PC
6. Start Flash n  Burn Software on the PC
7. Choose appropriate settings for the Supported chip type based on the ECM type:  J3 Ford EEC-IV Reader or J3 Ford EEC-V Reader
8. Choose appropriate settings based on the number of banks used:
   • 56k EEC-IV = 032000 start 03FFFF end
   • 64k EEC-IV = 030000 start 03FFFF end
   • 2-bank EEC-V = 010000 start 02FFFF end
   • 4 bank EEC-V = 000000 start 03FFFF end
9. Click “Save buffer to file” and choose a filename.

Reading with QuarterHorse

At the time of writing (Aug5-2010) Binary Editor is the only software that supports this feature of the QH reliably.  Select “Read PCM” from within the software.

Each ECM has a 3 or 4 digit processor code that uniquely identifies it.  You can tell what strategy a ECM uses from its box code or from looking at a dump of a stock program from that ECM.  “Strategy” is Ford’s lingo for a program to run a vehicle. (or operating system)  Each strategy can have multiple calibrations for different engines.  Sometimes even V6 and V8 engines will use the same strategy!

If you are wondering if your strategy is supported, take a look at the Supported Strategies guide.

This list will grow over time.  If you don’t see your vehicle listed here, email [email protected]

A9L = GUFB (88-93 “Fox body” V8 mustang 5-speed)

A9P = GUF1 (88-93 “Fox body” V8 mustang auto)

T4M0 = CBAZA (94-95 SN95mustang  5.0 V8)

LLX4 = CDAN4 (96-97 Cobra 4.6L 32v)

PTP2 = FBFG2 (04 Mustang GT)

RCX5 = CDAN4 (97 Tbird 3.8L v6)

SLL4 = CTBAE (96 5.0 explorer ??? )

LKT3 = ODAJ0 (02 F150 4×4 auto)

SCI1 = ODAG0 (02 F150 4×4 manual)

NMI1= ODAG0 (02 F150 4×4 manual)

MIJ1 = ODAG0 (02 F150 4×4 manual)

KVF1 = ODAL1 (02 F150 4×4 manual)

CXN1 = MNAE1 (01 Lightning)

CUX1 = MRAD2 (01/02 Lightning)

CUX2 = MRAD3 (01/02 Lightning)

URB1 = TAUF0 (02/03 Lightning)

There is a handy Excel spreadsheet you may want to look at ( link ) that has a decent cross-reference.

External Resources

Core Tuning have an excellent list of strategies they support which can be used to cross reference ECMs and strategies.

OBDTester.com has a nice list of Ford ECM info organized by hardware ID and updates for Ford ECMs.

Old Bad news: As of this time (2-25-10) there are NO PUBLIC DEFINITION FILES for software that supports our hardware. (TunerPro RT, EEC Editor, Binary Editor)

New Better news: (2-13-13)  The Minotaur software available from Power Hungry Performance will spit out bin files you can program to our chips.  Supposedly, there will be QuarterHorse support soon.  Note: we are not affiliated with PHP in any way and you will have to contact them for any and all specific information regarding their products.

In order to issue you a license for Binary Editor, you must first download and install the software. ( http://www.eecanalyzer.net )  Once you have downloaded and installed the software, go to the “Register” menu at the top of the screen and select “Register Binary Editor”

Next, you will be presented with a screen where you need to provide some information.  First, check the boxes to indicate which hardware you will be using.  Under “Tuners,” check “Moates” for the QuarterHorse.  If you have an Innovate or PLX wideband, make sure you check the appropriate box under “Loggers.”  You will also need to do this for the DataQ standalone datalogger, if you own one.  Finally, put your name in the “Licensed To:” box.  Finally, copy and paste the Machine Code displayed and email it to [email protected] so he can issue you your license.

Note: you will see the machine code  change as you check and uncheck boxes along with changing the name in the “Licensed To:” box.  You must have the same boxes checked and your name typed identically as when you requested your license before you type in the registration key or your “Machine Code” will be different and the registration process will fail!

After you have received an email with your registration key, you will need to open the software registration box again, make sure the same boxes are checked, re-input your name in the “Licensed To:” box so everything matches.  Enter the registration key in the boxes below and then click “Register” – and you’re done!

EEC Analyzer

Download and install the software from http://www.eecanalyzer.net

Go to the “About” tab and click “Register”

Copy and paste the “Machine Code” into an email to [email protected]

When you receive your registration code, navigate back to this screen and enter it in the bottom box then click “Ok.”  Your software will now be registered.

We also often get asked, “Can I use your product to let me put _______ on my engine?” The answer to this is very simple: our products let you tune factory Ford computers.  If the factory Ford computer can do it, our products can help you tune it.  If there is another factory Ford computer that you can swap to run your engine that does what you want, great.  Some examples of what I’m talking about here include putting a MAF sensor on a car, running a car without a MAF speed-density, switching to coilpacks, etc.  If you can’t do it with a factory Ford ECM, our products aren’t going to help you achieve your goals.

We offer products that work with almost all ~1986-2004 Ford ECUs that have a J3 port (i.e. EECIV and EECV).  International users report success using our products with non-US computers that have a J3 port.  A J3 port looks like an edge of a circuit board that kind of sticks out.  J3 ports must be cleaned with a wire brush and solvents in order to remove the protective coating on the circuit board before they can be used.  They are almost always behind a rubber protective panel.  We do not offer any products for Ford computers that lack a J3 port, such as pre-1986 and 2005+ computers.  Also, cars branded by Ford but manufactured by others (i.e. Ford Probe, made by Mazda) often use computers that lack J3 ports.

It is critical that the vehicle is fully off before installing or removing anything on the J3 port.  Failure to power-off the ECM correctly can result in frying our hardware, your ECM or both!!!  If you have any doubts at all, remove the keys from the ignition 100% or disconnect the battery.  WARNING WARNING WARNING!

On this page “application” simply means the car/ECU/engine you are working with.

“ECU” means ECM, PCM – the computer running your car’s engine.

“Strategy” is Ford lingo for a set of procedures (i.e. code) that an ECU runs.  (Closest GM term: Operating system)  Most of the time, a strategy is particular to an ECU, i.e. the GUFB strategy runs onA9L ECUs.  Sometimes more than one strategy can run on the same ECU (i.e. GUFB/A9L + GUFC/A9P) .  Most of the time the “tuner” cars (i.e. Roush, Saleen) use unusual strategies that are often simply renamed factory strategies.

“Definition” means a file that describes the location of parameters that can be changed in a strategy.  All of the Ford tuning software uses definition files to process raw files.

“Patch code” refers to special routines that change the way a strategy operates in order to allow Quarterhorse to log all vehicle parameters.

Hardware used with Ford:

F3 Chip adapter – This stores a new program for a Ford ECU and clips on the J3 port.  This is a simple Ford “chip” that can optionally store two programs.  It works with both EECIV and EECV.

Jaybird – This is a Ford-specific device that writes F3 chip adapters ONLY.  It uses the same Flash n Burn software as a BURN1/BURN2

F2A – The F2A is a Ford interface for the BURN1/BURN2 programmers.  It lets you write a F3 chip adapter using a BURN1/2 programmer and the Flash n Burn software.

F2E – the F2E is used with a F2A and a BURN1/2 to read the stock program from a ECU.

BURN1/BURN2 – These general purpose ROM burners can be used with a F2A to program F3 chips

FORDEMU – This adapter allows the use of a Ostrich emulator to make real-time changes with a Ford ECU.  This product has been replaced with the Quarterhorse.  It does not work very well with EECV ECUs.

Quarterhorse – The Quarterhorse (or “QH” for short) is our flagship Ford tuning product.  It allows changes to be made while the vehicle is running.  It also allows datalogging by spying directly on RAM locations.  In order to log all vehicle parameters, patch code that is specific to each strategy is required.  Many of the features of QH require special definition files and/or software support that may not be available for all applications.

Software for Tuning Fords:

You can read the binary from any J3 Ford computer with our gear (BURN2+F2A+F2E), but that does NOT mean that any J3 ford computer is fair game.  In order to be able to display a raw binary from a Ford ECM in a real-world units that might make sense to you, a definition is required.  The def is kind of like a roadmap that allows software (Binary Editor or EEC Editor) to translate what runs the car’s computer into something meaningful to you.  Defs have to be developed by a human being for each application.  PLEASE ASK US FOR HELP IF YOU ARE NOT SURE YOUR APPLICATION IS SUPPORTED!!!

TunerPro / TunerPro RT (www.tunerpro.net) : Great for basic editing.  Free.  Somewhat limited definitions compared with other software.  At time of writing (11/28/09) lacks full support for QH, but beta versions have support.

EEC Editor http://www.moates.net/eec-editor-software-from-paul-booth.html : Cheap ( <$50 ) software with fairly extensive editing support for editing Ford tunes.  EEC Editor requires you to purchase definitions on a per-strategy basis.  One strategy will cover more than one box code.  Definitions for datalogging can be purchased separately.  As of time of writing (11/28/09) has QH support for MANY applications including Fox body mustang (GUFB/GUFC/etc. A9L/A9P/C3W/etc.) 94-95 Mustang (T4M0, CBAZA) along with many 96-03 applications.  Custom definitions available for a fee.

Binary Editor (http://www.eecanalyzer.net) : Relatively cheap ( $80 BE / $130 BE + EEC Analyzer) software with comprehensive editing support and comprehensive support for QH.  See here for a list of strategies supported.  Binary Editor comes with a bunch of definitions that are free and there are others you need to pay for.  You can see most of them at http://www.eecanalyzer.net in the downloads section.

The Jaybird

Overview

The Jaybird is a USB based device used ONLY for loading tunes onto F3 adapters.  It is designed to be the simplest and cheapest solution for programming J3 style Ford chips.  It cannot program other chips.

The Jaybird CANNOT READ STOCK ECMs!!! If you require this functionality, you need to get BURN2+F2A+F2E instead.

Software

This device can be used directly from TunerPro RT, EEC Editor, Binary Editor software packages as well as the Flash-n-Burn dedicated programmer software.

The F3 is a simple chip for EEC-based Ford ECUs allowing the stock program to be replaced with a tune of your choice.

To install, simply clean contacts of the EEC connector with carb cleaner and a mild abrasive such as scotchbrite or 220+ grit sandpaper, and slide the module on.

It is critical that the vehicle is fully off before installing or removing anything on the J3 port.  Failure to power-off the ECM correctly can result in frying our hardware, your ECM or both!!!  If you have any doubts at all, remove the keys from the ignition 100% or disconnect the battery.  WARNING WARNING WARNING!

Tunes can be loaded through the via the Jaybird or Burn1 /2 and FA (F2A) adapter.  Flash n Burn, TunerPro RT, Binary Editor, EEC Editor (and others?) software can be used to program these chips.

Switching Setup

The F3 can optionally store two programs and switch between them.  You can even switch between them while the vehicle is running.  The F3 adapter has a switch pin.  If you connect this switch pin to chassis ground, the program will switch too.  In order to program the second program you must ground the switcher line while programming!!! There is a ground pad provided next to the switcher pad for your convenience – a paperclip works wonders for programming.  (FYI – Dave often uses this for nitrous – regular NA program in one half of F3, program with a couple degrees of timing and/or more fuel in the other slot, wire the program switch wire to the nitrous solenoid – see diagram)

Take a look at this picture to get an idea of what you need to do:

One thing to be careful of when you are wiring your F3 for switching: NEVER NEVER NEVER connect your switch wire to 12V!!!  You will instantly fry the F3 if it sees more than about ~5volts.

The safe way to “flip” your F3 on an external signal (like nitrous) is to switch the GROUND side of your solenoid (i.e. wire to constant 12v, give the system a ground to trigger) and wire the F3’s switcher to your switched ground.

If this is not an option and you want to have a 12volt signal trigger your F3 to “flip,” you need to add a simple relay or reed switch as in the following diagram:

Download TunerPro here

Originally written to modify GM and Ford binaries, the uniqueness of TunerPro is its ability to have Definitions. While this adds a slight layer of complexity to the end user, the definition files (XDF) instruct TunerPro as to where tables and variables reside within the binary it is opening, allowing TunerPro to be compatible with virtually any binary.

Currently definitions are available for the following Vehicles at least as of 9/30/08, more being added regular (see http://www.tunerpro.net website for all the latest)::

General Motors

Ford (requires v4.13 or higher)

Subaru (Requires v4.13 or higher)

Nissan

Porsche (Motronic)

DSM (Eagle/Mitsubishi)

Renault

Registration

You will be emailed a key file to register to the address provided with your order.  In order to do this, we need your name, address, phone number and CORRECT EMAIL.  Make sure you can check the email address you provide with your order as this is where we will send your key.  Be sure to check any spam filters.  We do not need a key or any other information from you for TunerPro RT – we simply need a valid email address.

Firmware Updates

• The new version of Binary Editor 2010 requires QH firmware 1.6 or higher.Most firmware upgrades are bugfixes of one variety or another.  If you aren’t having trouble, chances are the bugs do not affect you.
• Most bugs affected the QH when operating in modes 3 and 4 (EECV)
• The latest firmware revision as of 2/11/10 (version 1.6) allows you to read the stock program from an ECM using the QuarterHorse.

Program Switching with QuarterHorse

Here are pictures which detail how the rotary switch is installed on the QuarterHorse. The kit comes with a length of no-clean solder, and it is very easy. Follow the pictures for guidance, and remember, this is ONLY for EEC-IV and not post-1995 EEC-V.

First, look at the connector part you received. It may or may not have had one of the 4 pins removed. If not, pull it out so that it is as shown.

Go ahead and use the no-clean solder that was supplied. Get one spot on the QH connector tinned up like it shows in the picture.
Now, hold the modified 4 (now 3) pin connector in place as shown, re-heating the solder so that the two pieces can be bonded together in the correct position.

Now, come in with the solder on the other 2 joints. Use a little extra for strength, but don’t go overboard. Re-heat and add solder to the first joint you started with here to ensure good connection.

Soldering work is now complete, so check fitment of the cable and look for straightness and orientation. Use the photo below for reference.

Here’s another angle showing solder joint details.

These are most of the parts (pin header shown unmodified) that come with the switch kit. Knob is also included (shown in 2nd picture below).

Here is what the completed switch / QH / knob assembly should look like:

This is a pretty simple installation. It basically overrides the BS0/BS3 lines (if you’re familiar with this terminology) at the EEC connector. Therefore, to repeat, this is NOT to be used on EEC-V applications.

NOTE: The QuarterHorse must be configured to use MODE 1 or the switch will NOT WORK.  As of the time of writing (Apr 2011) Binary Editor is the only software that supports Mode switching which means it is also the ONLY software that will currently work with the switcher module.

Switching Low Level Details

While in Mode1, there are 4 tunes available.  The following table explains the state of each pin while each tune in BE is active.  It matches the pin orientation of the header that is pictured above.

 

If you don’t want to use our switching kit but you do want to do switching, you need to understand how this state table works. The first thing to keep in mind is that all pins default to “1” or 5V unless you intervene – this is called “pulled up.” When you are figuring out what state the QH is going to be in, you must always assume any pins you haven’t specifically changed the state of will be “1.” A simple way of doing switching without our kit would be to solder a wire to the GND pin (by itself, above) and to the one next to it (BS0). If you were to put a toggle switch on this, you would be changing between Tune 0 (switch open) and Tune 3 (BS0 = GND)