MSPNP Alltrac owners...some f/b please!

psipwrd

Member
I've heard nothing but good stuff about the MSPNP but couldn't get definitive answers for my CS so I and decided to go with AEM instead. 3 hrs ain't bad at all. I'll check back for the write-up.
 

Magroo

New member
OK quick Back story.

1992 ST185, Had the car about 7 years now. Replaced the motor with a low mileage JDM a few years ago. Have about 185k on the chassis, very little rust, spent most of its life in Texas. Car is near bone stock except a double thick radiator and some silicone radiator and intake hoses.

ECU died this winter and I opened it up to check the Caps. 3 had popped and leaked all over the board. spent 10 bucks and replaced them all, still no good. Didn't feel like trying to track down the bad tracers so started searching around for a USDM replacement ECU but wasn't having much luck.

Decided to bite the bullet and get a stand alone but the prices were a bit out of reach for my budget. Even the MSPNP was stretching it a little bit.

Anyways.

I ordered the MSPNP TS9395 on a Monday, it showed up on Saturday last week. Didn't have time/weather till today to get it in.

Package contents had everything I needed except a better alternative to the IAT sensor mounting and about 4 more feet of wire. Instructions were for an MR2 so I had to make due.

They sent me an aluminum bung I would have to find some place to drill and weld to. Wasn't too keen on trying to locate a place to do that since I still have a pretty much stock setup with TMIC. Thankfully after some research I came across this adapter plate for the cold start injector hole. Since I was going stand alone I figured no harm in deleting the injector.

http://koracing.net/viewproduct.php?fol ... roduct=600
http://www.mrcontrols.com/products/matplate.htm

Of course I had to remove the throttle body and IC to get access to all of this.

Ended up reusing the banjo bolt with about 6 copper crush washers to plug the hole in the fuel rail for the cold start injector. No leaks after pressure testing it a few times so it was good for me.

Wiring was pretty straight forward. Just plug the stock harness into the ECU, and add a vacuum line T'd from the FPR to the built in 3 bar MAP sensor. IAT gets wired into an auxiliary port. Remove the AFM and that's about it.

Was trying to make this as PNP as possible and wanted to avoid drilling the firewall, so I cut a small slit in the stock rubber boot that bolts to the firewall for the wiring harness and fed the vacuum line and new IAT wires through.

After that I just plugged my laptop into the MSPNP and fired up tuner studio. I had to make a couple of small changes that are in the install directions. Set injector size, and Base timing. I've never done anything like this before so it wasn't too bad for a noob.

Fired right up but its running a bit rich now. Didn't have time to get any further than that today before I had to go to work. Only other thing that's a bit goofy is the temp gauge on the dash is pegged at H. Not sure whats going on there.

Overall wasn't bad. 3ish hours with a trip to home depot for some heat shrink tubing,tape, and sealant. As I get it dialed in I'll report back. I'll see if I can snap some photos tomorrow.
 

Magroo

New member
Just a quick update.


After a week of fiddling and driving around, I have it running pretty good now, honestly better than the entire time I've owned the car. Idles almost dead on 850. Throttle response is sharp. Still running a tad rich, but I'd rather be safe till I can get it on a dyno. I base my maps off of this.

http://www.mr2oc.com/showthread.php?t=454050

I really need to get a wideband O2 to get the most out of this. Stock fuel and ignition maps are for an MR2 which is a bit more aggressive than the st185.

My knock sensor is a bit flaky and needs to be properly rewired. I can't trust that its actually detecting knock when it says it is.

As for Wideband O2, think I'm gonna go with the Innovate LC1. Can be found on ebay for $156 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Innovate-LC1-Wi ... 45&vxp=mtr
 

bajallama

New member
Do you know the proper inputs for the knock sensor? I'm not sure if DIY preload's that information but make sure that it is correct. Also, how do you know its running rich with out a wideband?

I have had some bad experiences with the LC1. They like to burn up sensors pretty easily, but some people love them. I just got on the PLX bandwagon and I thinks it's the best bang for your buck if you get the one with the gauge. I would get whatever sensor you want as soon as possible. I don't care how plug and play that MS system is, it's not a learning system like the factory ECU, therefore can not compensate for different environments.
 

Magroo

New member
MSPNP uses the stock harness and stock knock sensor. I had to enable it under ignition settings and put it to "Safe".

As for running rich, just using my nose, which isn't that accurate. Just smells a bit rich to me.
 

Magroo

New member
OK so a couple more weeks, more stuff done.


Ended up getting the AEM UEGO 30-4100 wideband O2. Also ended up buying the full version of Tunerstudio and Megalog Viewer. Really is worth the money for the software.

Cheated a little to keep this setup pure plug and play and bought an o2 adapter flange off ebay since I was removing the stock narrowband. http://www.ebay.com/itm/180189633520?ss ... 1497.l2649

I like the autotune feature of TS. Now that I've worked over my fuel maps, it does all the VE tables on the fly as you drive around. MegaLogViewer is really nice too, its let me pinpoint some rough spots on the fuel and ignition tables.

Honestly the car is driving better than any time I've owned it with the stock ECU. I'm really impressed by the MSPNP. Granted I have no experience with any other aftermarket ECU to compare it to, I do feel its money well spent.
 

gt4tified

New member
^^^valid question Todd! Especially since I think he originally posted that he was short of 4ft of wire, somewhere.

Magroo, did you report this to ATS? That was one of my concerns, since our engine harness is a good deal longer than for the mr2 (our ecu is located inside the cabin by the glove box, whereas the mr2's sits just adjacent to the engine).
 

Magroo

New member
Hi there,

Sorry haven't gotten back sooner, been busy awith work and not much time lately.

Originally after I installed it I fired off an email to DIYAutotune and told them my experience installing it in an Alltrac since they are still asking for a donor car. I am too far away in RI to offer mine up. Told them about the wire and the IAT plate for the cold star injector port.

As for mounting it, it fits fine where the old ECU went. Planning on getting it better mounted soon since the stock mounts don't work right now, planning on modding them later down the road. Have it blocked in there with a couple pieces of dense foam, but not so large as to cause heat issues.

I would say the MSPNP is slightly larger than the original ECU maybe 10% or so. I already had the old ECU out of the car after I tried replacing the leaking caps and had no luck. Haven't actually had them side by side. Was too excited and didn't think about it when I first got it.

Knock sensor still not trust worthy. Running a really conservative tune and its still retarding the ignition when boosting mostly in the 3000-3500 rev range. Going to be building a set of electronic "Det Cans" as per this thread I found.

http://www.d-series.org/forums/diy-foru ... llars.html

Have all the stuff, just need to put it together.
 
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