The perfect engine management system

[EVIL]

I am surprised that in this day and age of hotroding that someone hasn't made a perfect computer that could protect your motor.

A system that could make the proper adjustments in milliseconds to prevent a boosted application from detonating and causing severe damage include the reduction of boost in milliseconds.

What I've described sounds like something that could be made with old technology and at a fair price.

What gives?

D

 

[bison]

A fair price? There are plenty of aftermarket units that can be setup to shut down engine functions programmed. A reduction in boost in milliseconds would be mechanically limited by the wastegate flow not the engine management. The timing retard/advance and knock sensitivity/decay rates are very adjustable. Anything can be programmed. The stock LC2 calibration pulls timing and boost fairly quickly for its antiquated setup. I've fixed plenty of detonating engines that had holes in the actuator plumbing that no doubt were saved by the esc and boost reduction action of the factory ecu. The problem is "people." "People" want to run 9's on 93/alky, want it cheap, want it to last forever, and want to be able to blame someone or something when the real problem was the person. The first thing is that they should be choosing the proper engine and have the correct person tuning it. I've worked on countless cars in the last 10 years where people had a bunch of parameters in their aftermarket ecm's way off. A system that is controlling their $10000 engine that has serious flaws in the program. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. What gives is people. People people people are to blame. No matter how good technology is people will f it up. I've never personally seen anything cheap last a long time. I've seen plenty of expensive stuff explode. People. Key word.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Daniel Jost]

I cant agree more with Bison!

The Megasquirt system I use has Overboost protection, EGT overtemp shut down, and Lean O2 shut down. All of which will protect me in the case of a failed fuel pump/injector, bad wastegate actuator, or just general high EGTs for some reason. I would say that is a really good set of parameters to protect my engine.

But like Bison says the PEOPLE using these systems are the ones that usually cause the problem.

,Dan

 

[TurboBob]

I agree as well, and also remember, that all these "protections" are not "preventions", the knock retard tries to stop the detonation after it has started. Overboost kicks in after you have overboosted, etc......

There are few things that will prevent problems better than a proper tune, proper maintenance, and paying attention to the car.

If you can't do those, leave it stock...

Bob

 

[EVIL]

Fair enough. I can understand and appreciate that information.

D

 

[Nick Micale]

I doubt that the "perfect computer" will be available in my lifetime, if ever, and besides that,"people" which program them and other factors will, and can, come into play to cause engine damage.

After years of personally experiencing my share of "engine damage", I found it best for reliability if the engine and car was run well below the performance level which it was designed and built for and is also well below the limit of the weakest link.

My race car in competition is built to run high 9's at under 20 PSI and will do this for 200-300 passes and stay together.

The XFI "tune" has been well refined over 10 years, but you still never know what $5 part will put you on the trailer!

 

[TurboBuRick]

Look at it this way, nothing is learned until something gets broke.

A good understanding of whats making it all happen is key. No magic box will make up for that.