Author Topic: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system  (Read 12979 times)

Offline badjuju

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Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« on: March 30, 2010, 03:11:47 pm »
The stock 7mgte coils require an ignitor.  A buddy of mine in Sweden built my VEMS box, and I'm about 90% certain he built it using 6 12v and 2 logic outputs.  Assuming that's correct, each coil should be able to be driven directly by VEMS instead of having to hook up the stock ignitor, correct?

Offline rob@vems.co.uk

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2010, 04:57:26 pm »
Yes, although your friend should be able to tell you for sure.

Offline badjuju

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2010, 03:20:19 am »
the igniter feeds power to the coil's positive terminal at 12v.  I've read that by grounding the other terminal, I should get spark.  This goes against how I thought ignition coils work - I thought you feed a coil power, and when you lift the ground from the other terminal, the power has nowhere to go but the block...

I'm having a hell of a time getting this little sucker to spark.  My Chilton Manual says the plug coming off the igniter is supposed to read 12v.  Check.  I've wired up VEMS so that terminal gets 12v power. 

I've also read that by powering terminal #2, you should get a spark by grounding terminal #1.  This makes no sense to me, but I tried it anyhow (not through VEMS, I tried this manually with two wires running to the bat), but the only spark I get is at the terminal.  I get no spark at the plug. 

Primary resistance is .6 ohm, which is what it's supposed to be at, but my Chilton Manual says there is no way to test resistance for the secondary.

What settings does this information pertain to in VEMS?  Also, will I get spark if my dwell settings are off?  I don't know where to look for the correct dwell settings.

Offline mattias

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2010, 05:47:17 am »
The IGBT supplies ground. When the IGBT is not grounding the coil, you will read battery voltage at the negative terminal of the coil and at the IGBT.

Offline badjuju

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2010, 11:15:10 am »
I've gotten my coils to spark by manually hooking them up to the bat.  I know they're good.

Running firmware 1.0.73, tuning via VemsTune.

I've confirmed with the friend that built my VEMS box that he did indeed use the 6+2 setup.

My current problem is this:

connecting an led to the + line of an ignition coil plug doesn't show me any light if the - side is connected to the ignition outputs.  I don't get continuity between ground and the ignition outputs.  it doesn't flash at all during cranking.  I tried inverting driver output, and got the same situation.  I have continuity between the coil wires and the correct pins on the EC36, and I've selected outputs:
"I259-0;Ignition output;7A;Grounding;EC36 pin 35"
"I259-1;Ignition output;7A;Grounding;EC36 pin 33"
"I259-2;Ignition output;7A;Grounding;EC36 pin 34"

Any ideas on this?  It's as if I've forgotten to check some box somewhere that says "fire ignition"

I'm also getting an error in the Log window saying "The selected symbol ( als_igncut ) not found!"  <-- don't know if that info will help, but it certainly won't hurt
« Last Edit: March 31, 2010, 11:26:19 am by badjuju »

Offline gunni

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2010, 04:13:48 pm »
Do you have rpm´s when cranking?

do you have a log ?

Offline badjuju

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2010, 08:50:31 pm »
I get ~300 rpm when cranking.

I have a log, but I can't post it until later tonight.

Offline badjuju

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2010, 03:19:12 am »
sigh*

how do I post files? I've got a log file ready to upload.

Offline gunni

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2010, 04:34:20 am »
Rapidshare?

Offline badjuju

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2010, 04:51:34 am »
K I'll upload when I get home from school.

Offline badjuju

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Offline badjuju

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2010, 11:53:56 am »
What should I be looking for in the log?  How do I view it, VT doesn't want to show it to me when I click file>open log.

Offline gunni

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #12 on: April 03, 2010, 03:30:00 pm »
Can you host it elsewhere Rapidshare is saying that I´m downloading a file even when I´m not.

Offline badjuju

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #13 on: April 03, 2010, 04:42:07 pm »

Offline badjuju

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Re: Wasted Spark on a 3 pack system
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2010, 01:58:57 pm »
Did not have the "h2 entries has to be set to 0" table set to zero. I have ignition.