Syvecs Forums

Steve,

I didn't check out the cold start this morning because I knew that version 1.5.1 of the control code was imminent and it will have a profound effect on the cold running of the engine (for the better, or at least that's the idea), no point in trying to make it work well on 1.3.2 when a lot of that work would need to be re-done on 1.5.1. The 1.5.1 firmware wasn't ready until after 4PM and I was still busy with other stuff, so I'll have to upgrade the firmware and do the final check in the morning.

There are still a few things that Ryan needs to do to the car, but they don't require it to be at the workshop, so you'll be free to take it away You'll need to liaise with Ryan as to when he'll be free to do those jobs...

Cheers,

Pat.

pat wrote:Steve,

I didn't check out the cold start this morning because I knew that version 1.5.1 of the control code was imminent and it will have a profound effect on the cold running of the engine (for the better, or at least that's the idea), no point in trying to make it work well on 1.3.2 when a lot of that work would need to be re-done on 1.5.1. The 1.5.1 firmware wasn't ready until after 4PM and I was still busy with other stuff, so I'll have to upgrade the firmware and do the final check in the morning.

There are still a few things that Ryan needs to do to the car, but they don't require it to be at the workshop, so you'll be free to take it away You'll need to liaise with Ryan as to when he'll be free to do those jobs...

Cheers,

Pat.

Thanks for the update Pat, you're a star.

I spoke to Ryan last week and he said he needs to replace my CAL switch and programme the TC, was there anything else? We agreed to sort that at a later date (TBA) so if your firmware update & final check have gone well (?) then I'll book Thursday off work to come visit you and collect my car!

Hiya Steve!

Yeah, the Cal switch needs swapping out, it seems to have one "dead" position, ie you get Cal1, Cal2, Cal3, Cal3, Cal5.... not a show stopper but a little frustrating all the same! Traction control needs setting up, yes.

Firmware upgrade to 1.5.1 went smoothly, however it wasn't initially as effective as I'de wanted, and the car ran quite rich when cold, despite minimal enrichment. The only explanation for this was down to the battery voltage compensation on the fire hydrants you're using as fuel injectors I tweaked the opening time compensation table and it was much better. It's still a little wooly for the first few seconds until there is a little background heat in the engine, then it seems fine. Once warm it was always OK, so it's just been a case of knocking the rough edges off the warm up.

You should be fine to fetch it on Thursday if you fancy popping over. I'll be there all day, although I may not be there very first thing in the morning.

Cheers,

Pat.

snip...

pat wrote:Once warm it was always OK, so it's just been a case of knocking the rough edges off the warm up.

You should be fine to fetch it on Thursday if you fancy popping over. I'll be there all day, although I may not be there very first thing in the morning.

Hi Pat,
I've spoken to Ryan and he's said he'll sort any remaining tweaks, and that I'm ok to come collect the car on Thursday. Unfortunately I'm going to have to get there first thing (train arrives at Chesterfield at 9am) in order to be away by 10ish, so just in case we don't manage to meet up then many thanks for all your hard work & effort, I can't wait to drive the car after all that's been done (and I'm already booked in for a track day on 1st March to test it properly!). I'm sure to stick around these forums and bug you from time to time if that's ok?

(P.S. I tried you at S.C. but they said you weren't in today)

Steve

Steve

See if you can delay the train abit or go for some nice breakfast in chesterfield, as Pat has kinda offered to go out in the car with you when first collecting the car and make sure everything is 100% since the firmware update. If you are there around 10am though you will catch him nice and early if he is not busy.

Just make sure Pat didn't have a curry the night before going out in the car with him

Ryan

Ryan.g wrote:Steve

See if you can delay the train abit or go for some nice breakfast in chesterfield, as Pat has kinda offered to go out in the car with you when first collecting the car and make sure everything is 100% since the firmware update. If you are there around 10am though you will catch him nice and early if he is not busy.

Gah!
If I can fit it in I will, it makes sense to try the car out but time is seriously tight for me tomorrow hence I'll be up at 6am to get the train to be at the clinic ASAP after the train gets in at 9am. If something isn't 100% due to the firmware update, what can we do about it there & then, realistically? I don't want to have to get the train home again.

Ryan.g wrote:Just make sure Pat didn't have a curry the night before going out in the car with him

Back home, I just posted his on our club forum:
http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread ... ost2258334
----

Home and VERY happy!

I arrived up at Scooby Clinic where the car has been since December and met Pat (Solaris' technical director) so we had a chat for an hour about how the car was to set up, what was learned along the way and how it is now running. Pat is a really nice chap, extremely knowledgeable and has many good ideas for the future development of the Solaris ECUs which I shall really look forward to seeing implemented (when he gets time!).

So, on to the car....
I started it up (it had been stood outside overnight) and it fired up better than it did on the MoTeC, which considering it now waits to see oil pressure before starting ignition, was an impressive start. It no longer hunts when cold (it was terrible for this before; the tacho would bounce from 500rpm to 1000; now it just sits still and behaves itself )

Driving it around when cold and when it'd warmed up it felt completely different, in a good way! I suppose I had got used to the little foibles and not quite perfect characteristics of the MoTeC's setup on my car and the finicky actions and throttle adjustments you had to take to pull away from a junction smoothly for example; there is none of that now, it felt like driving the brand new Mondeo hire car I had the other day and knowing how difficult that can be to achieve and how different it now is Vs the old setup, I am seriously impressed. It's lovely to drive 'round town'.

Cruising home on the motorways there was ample opportunity to watch the AFRs behaviour at a steady 50mph (through 10miles of road works on the M1!), 60mph, etc. Because it's now running 'closed loop' and the ECU can 'see' the AFRs, it trims as necessary to always achieve that perfect (give or take) 14.7:1 ratio. Actually I think it sat at about 14.5 (never really more than +/- 0.2), but that's splitting hairs in my book. Again, very impressed and happy.

Finally there is the all important ultimate question, what's it like WOT? At full boost the car simply flies. Being totally honest, my initial* thoughts are that it's a little weird because it doesn't feel much (if any) faster than before, but it is! Because boost comes in lower down and power arrives very smoothly and because the VVTi is now working, the edges have been knocked off the sudden surge of the power graph I used to have and I just get lots more 'go', earlier and more.... politely. Effortless is another word I'd use. WOT in 3rd and 4th and.... ooh look at that! It's very, very fast.

* = "initial"; the track day on 1st March will no doubt reveal more.

Thanks a billion to Pat and to Ryan.G for all their hard work, Ryan has a couple of teeny finishing off jobs to do and we need to set up the traction control, but it's clear to see that the boys have already put in a HELL of a lot of effort and I am most, most grateful. My car is ace!

Actually there is one weird thing happening; once I set off, if I drop into neutral or dip the clutch (e.g. coming up to a junction/set of lights on red) the car idles at 1600rpm until I drop below approx 3mph. What's that all about? As soon as I stop it drops to 1000rpm and stays there. I assume this is intentional but wasn't sure why?

Also once it is warmed up, if I blip the throttle at idle I get make it backfire slightly. I'll stop doing that!

SteveR wrote:Actually there is one weird thing happening; once I set off, if I drop into neutral or dip the clutch (e.g. coming up to a junction/set of lights on red) the car idles at 1600rpm until I drop below approx 3mph. What's that all about? As soon as I stop it drops to 1000rpm and stays there. I assume this is intentional but wasn't sure why?

Mine does something very similar as well, interesting.

Also once it is warmed up, if I blip the throttle at idle I get make it backfire slightly. I'll stop doing that!

Mine doesnt do that, how do I get it like that

Something to do with launch control maybe, at what revs do you get it?