I think I have a bad ignition module

[Billygoat]

I have a screaming high idle when I accidentally move this switch. That's why it is now covered up.

You can set what is does in ALDL mode does in the bin file, however I fignernail polished my switch in open position

[PlasticBoob]

PlasticBoob - Discounting the forum, if my truck was running bad from day 1 the datalog would be useless because I would not know what the numbers typically SHOULD be, I have several logs I saved now so if something goes wonky I can compare to old logs and look for numbers out of wack, that is a not an option JeepsandGuns has, granted he can post up and pull from everyone here.

Well, what I'm saying is that if you know theory and have a "useless" datalog, you have a start and in many cases it's possible to go from non-running to running, depending on what's wrong. As far as I know, no one else had the ECM I use on a 401 when I began my EFI project, yet I had my 401 running on the very first startup. All I did was read the theory pages, which are very broad and applies to all 4-stroke engines. The only thing I had real trouble with was finding out if GM used 2 or 4 squirts per cycle on TBI (it's 4). After my first startup, it ran crappy at idle, but fine at high RPMs. I looked at the datalog, and after staring at the duty cycle and other variables for a while, determined that I needed to switch to 4 injections per cycle. A few clicks later and it was idling smoothly. You don't always necessarily need to know the actual numbers from a previously running engine in order to make progress, though that certainly makes everything much much easier. And why discount the forum/internet? That's what it's there for! We could take our AMC datalogs over to a Chevy/Buick/IH forum and I guarantee they'd be able to figure out how to tune our engines perfectly. If one knows how it all works in general, the specific make and model of engine doesn't matter too much. That said, you're right - why reinvent the wheel when you can get specific numbers from other folks? I didn't have that option, unfortunately, so I had to do it all from scratch.

Anyway, it's all about what you SHOULD see "in general" for an engine. Once you get familiar with your engine, then it becomes much more specific and you will become more proficient in spotting trouble in the logs.

We all suspect this is timing-related, so the first thing I think we should do is confirm that he is getting a strong tach signal; the datalogs will show this whether or not the engine runs well - the tach signal is there during cranking and rough-running. If the tach signal is good, then we can move on.

I don't know how things work on the GM ECM, but using my ECM, you can use the arrow keys to move millisecond-by-millisecond in the graph, and it will show every single variable at that instant, including the degrees of timing advance. So if he datalogs a cranking or crappy-running engine, it will STILL be very useful because it will show what the exact timing is, and if it's wrong or jumping around. This is all assuming the phasing/trigger offset is correctly done - the logs won't show that, but a timing light will. JeepsAndGuns indicated he's done this properly already, so at this point something's up with the tach signal or box (ECM).

[Billygoat]

I can not say what the Tunerpro logs look like, but WinALDL DOES NOT get that specific, it is good for tuning, but that is about it, maybe in the raw data, I have not saved it for a while, but the Megasquirt data log you are using sounds A LOT more detailed that what I have seen - that is leading to my not seeing it as a value when trouble shooting, I will eventually play with the tunepro log, but for now I am just getting started in the tuning game, so I am at a basic level. Plus I grew up on a farm and everything was trouble shot by "shotgun", and I have an older friend that use to race in his younger days, and I have seen him diagnose and engine problem when the computer could not, so tend to lean towards a hands on approach anyway. I am just on the starting end of the learning curve.

Back to the OP RPM is logged for sure, so I am curious to see when the logs shows even if it just cranks and sputters....

[FSJ Guy]

Remember, guys, that these old GM ECM's spit out data at about 160 baud. That's VERY SLOW. You get an update every second or every 1.5 seconds or so.

[JeepsAndGuns]

WEll things are on hold again. As some may or may not know, alabama got hit hard by some storms and tornadoes. One tore through downtown. It has also knocked out power for all of north alabama. They estimate it won't be back on for about four or five days. I am posting this from my phone. Once power comes back we can continue.
I did manage to get a datalog. But I cant post it with no power or internet.

Oh yea, I got the tornado on video with my phone.

[Billygoat]

Man - hope all of you and yours are safe and sound!

[JeepsAndGuns]

WEll still no power
But in my spare time (all day..lol, no work till power comes back) I decided to pull one of the plugs. Well I am running uber rich! The exhaust didn't smell rich, but boy I am running that way. I had my fuel pressure set at 12 psi. I pulled the plug off the pump relay and crossed the terminals to make it run. I wiggled the gauge a little and it jumped to 13 psi! So I adjust it down to 11 and wiggled the gauge while I was doing it. I am now holding a steady 11 psi. Now it won't start?
I wish I had power because the battery in the laptop is dead, so I can't hook it back up to see whats going on.
I have all kinds of time to fool around with it, just no way to do it.

[babywag]

I'd go through the key on voltage checks, and double check the power & ground connections, fuses, and relays.

It should @ least start if you have good power connections, fuel, good spark, and all the tests measure/check out okay.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Ok, my mom who lives about 40min away has power so I am borrowing her internet for today before it goes back out. Her city is not completely cut off, so they are doing rolling blackouts. So it will probably go back out tonight.
I just downloaded winaldl so I am gonna try that next time I get a chance.
I cant seem to get the tunerpro log to attach. I select it and hit upload but it just sets there forever and nothing ever happens. I dont know what else to do with it other than try and email it to someone.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Mabey this will work, I dont know. I really have no idea of what I am doing.

[FSJ Guy]

I can't read it. It comes up as a .xdl file. If you can save it as a comma separated value file (CSV), that should work. Is this a datalog from TunerPro or WinALDL? WinALDL logs should be text files, IIRC.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Good news, I finally have power back! It came back on about 6-7 last night, but internet was still out. Came home today and the internet is back working. So hopefully things are getting back to normal.

The log is a tunerpro log. I have never used a zip file and have no idea on how to use them, so I probably screwed up something doing that. But I downloaded winaldl, so this weekend I hope to try and hook it up and get a log going from that.
One question, on the winaldl site, all they show is using the one funky type plug on the computers. All I have is USB. I saw nothing on their site mentioning being able to use USB cables. Can I still log with the autoprom through the USB port with the autoprom in passthrough mode?

[FSJ Guy]

Can I still log with the autoprom through the USB port with the autoprom in passthrough mode?

ABSOLUTELY! That's the exact way to do it. I'll try putting that log in TunerPro and taking a look @ it.

[chrism]

Looking at your log the first two things I see is that your TPS needs to be adjusted. Also IAC counts are pretty high.

Follow the adjustment procedure for IAC and TPS here:

http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=345737#post345737

See what happens after that. I need to find a better $42 adx. Mine does not seem to have everything defined. After I find one I will look at it again.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Yea I was planning on doing those two things, but the engine runs so poorly the entire jeep shakes back and forth. I cant do much to it shaking and running so poorly. If I can get the thing to settle down some and idle somewhat smooth I will adjust the throttle plates and the tps.
Funny thing about the tps, its the original one that came on the TB, has not been touched since chevy put it on. So if its off, it most likely came that way.

Not sure if you noticed it on the log, but I let it set there and idle for most all the log. Twards the end I tried to rev it up a couple times, you may or may not notice that on the log.