Does the MPG computer error change as the miles pile up?

Good Times said:
Sounds like ALOT of work just to get that darn computer to read the correct values!

...a peculiar position given the long list of mods in your sig. :D
 
Iowa4Runner said:
I needed to measure the length of time the injector is open (duty cycle), not the frequency of injections. I had to drive it so I can monitor injector duration during the min and max fuel flow situation (coasting down a hill and full throttle acceleration).

I still don't quite understand why the car has to be moving, at this stage. "min fuel flow situation" will be when the RPMs are lowest. "max fuel flow situation" will be when the RPMs are highest. It really doesn't matter what the rest of the car is doing. The engine will use the same amount of fuel at X RPMs no matter what speed you are traveling. When you coast down a hill with the engine idling at 1500 RPMs, it will consume the same amount of fuel as when you're lightly accelerating at 1500 RPMs.

The difference will be the Miles Per Gallon calculation. That calculation requires you to know how far you've gone. Since you are only measuring the duty cycle of the injectors, mileage/time has no bearing, yet. Please don't needlessly endanger other people by driving around staring at a scope!

If I have my choice between reving the engine too hard in the driveway or driving around where I might hit someone, the choice is pretty clear.
 
CMiYC said:
I still don't quite understand why the car has to be moving, at this stage. "min fuel flow situation" will be when the RPMs are lowest. "max fuel flow situation" will be when the RPMs are highest.

To put it simply- RPM does not control the pulse duration of the fuel injectors, the throttle does. You have to fully open the throttle to get max pulse duration. For a variety of reasons, sitting in the driveway flooring the engine isn't practical and may not give useable results. As for min pulse duration, I'll simply say that it doesn't happen at idle.

CMiYC said:
When you coast down a hill with the engine idling at 1500 RPMs, it will consume the same amount of fuel as when you're lightly accelerating at 1500 RPMs.

Not only is that untrue, it just doesn't make sense. Take a ride with my scope and you'll change your mind. It'll be a double bonus, you'll learn about 4Runner fuel injection and I won't endanger people's lives by "staring" at my scope. :rolleye2:
 
Iowa4Runner said:
Not only is that untrue, it just doesn't make sense. Take a ride with my scope and you'll change your mind. It'll be a double bonus, you'll learn about 4Runner fuel injection and I won't endanger people's lives by "staring" at my scope. :rolleye2:

At first I wondered about this too, but once you mentioned the duty cycle variations it all made sense. I'm pretty sure the engine ECU tweaks the fuel volume based on a hole host of sensor data (engine speed, gear, speed, acceleration, throttle position, etc.)

As for the safety aspect of this, you could consider a digital scope in single shot trigger mode. I found this to be the safest way to do the speed sensor monitoring. I'd get the truck on a nice strait clear piece of raod and drive a constant speed. Then I'd just reach over and push the trigger button and save the trace.

BTW, does the min duration actually happen during engine braking? It would seem to me at that moment that you don't need much (if any fuel) to keep the engine turning.
 
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rando said:
As for the safety aspect of this, you could consider a digital scope in single shot trigger mode. I found this to be the safest way to do the speed sensor monitoring. I'd get the truck on a nice strait clear piece of raod and drive a constant speed. Then I'd just reach over and push the trigger button and save the trace.

The safety aspect of the scope is really a non-issue. I was able to get the difficult setup stuff (like the trigger) done while sitting in my driveway. When driving it only takes a quick glance to get an idea how wide the trace is. I just need rough values so I can be sure the PIC counter won't overflow during a long pulse. It's about as taxing as checking your rearview mirror or speedometer. Besides, I was on a county road with no cars, or people around. I can assure you nobody was in any danger.


rando said:
BTW, does the min duration actually happen during engine braking? It would seem to me at that moment that you don't need much (if any fuel) to keep the engine turning.

Yeah, in fact if you let off the gas when the RPM is sufficiently higher than idle, it stops injecting fuel completely. After the RPM drops, the injectors start pulsing again and the duration gets a little wider as the engine settles into an idle. It's pretty cool.
 
Iowa4Runner said:
I'd love to get more pins and connectors of the same type, do you know where to get them?

I've never pursued this but I believe they can be obtained. I believe Toyota sells harness repair kits that might contain the proper pins but there is probably a cheaper way to go if you can find the right ones from a direct supplier (molex, tyco, ...).
 

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