As more and more members acquire EFI Bonnevilles and then become curious as to how the relatively complex engine management systems work, we need the tools to enable us to delve inside our ECM's and unravel some of its mysteries.
Under our seats there's the OBDII diagnostic port, a 16-pin connector that is the gateway to the innards of our ECM's, just sitting there waiting for the high priests in our dealers service bays that possess the magic tools they plug into these ports to impress us with their knowledge and wisdom, while we look upon them with wonder, admiration and awe at their enlightenment and wish we could do the same.
Right from the start I wasn't happy with this situation, specially as I don't get on with the only dealer around here and do all my own maintenance. That ECM and its peripheral components were a mystery to me and I felt powerless to diagnose and cure its ills although I've been doing this for decades on conventional vehicles.
Following a few hours Googling around to learn more about these systems I obtained the first of these magic wands:
A generic OBDII hand-held scanner. These are obtainable all over the place, ebay being a good place for them at prices as low as $35. They do open your eyes as to what's going on inside the ECM but they are more focused on auto work so they assume just one O2 sensor, one MAP sensor, etc, no facility for throttle body synch, etc although they can deal with MIL lights and error codes, these being standard for all OBDII vehicles. In addition, the tiny LCD screens are difficult to see and full of acronyms and abbreviations to save space, that need constant reference to the user manual to translate. When I first turned mine on I thought the default language was Norwegian...
So I got myself an improved device:
DealerTool. This is a piece of software, drivers, unlock code and a dedicated USB-OBDII serial connecting cable that also incorporates some aditional circuitry containing an FTDI chip set to enable comunications between a PC and the bikes computer. It costs around £60 and lets you see in real time and units what's happening inside your ECM: Identify which fuelling and ignition map you have loaded, Sensor readings, error codes, etc and also enables you to
synchronise throttle bodies and test various sub-systems like the fuel pump, instruments, clutch and sidestand switches, set your RPM, cancel MIL light,etc.
Somehow seeing all those things on your PC screen makes EFI systems seem a little more "human" and accessible to us mere mortals. I know it gave me a lot more confidence and somehow lifted the veils that obscure the contents of the magic black box.
Just think, you can see the ignition timing in degrees, in real time, and observe how it changes with RPM or temperature, can you do that in your non-EFI bike?.
Set your TPS without the use of accurate multimeters or fiddling with wires and connectors?. No problem. Check that your oil and ambient temperature sensors are reading correctly?. Adjust your throttle balance in seconds?, set idle speed accurately without a tachometer?. All this and more can be done with such software.
Unfortunately none of the above tools allow you to read or edit the fuelling/ignition maps, of course. This requires programmes with the sophistication of the likes of TuneBoy, TuneEdit, etc that cost a considerable amount, $350+ and require an unlock code to be able to "liberate" the information from the ECM and enable the loading of new, improved maps.
In the world of the Triumph sport Triples, they know of a way to do all the above, i.e. diagnostic and even map editing, virtually free, by the use of a freeware utility called TuneECU. You only need to Google for it to find that it's causing furore in tuning circles, and not just on Triumphs either.
In its "lite" version it can do virtually everything DealerTool can do at a fraction of the cost, but the big advantage is that it can be upgraded to include map editing, the same as Tuneboy.
Over the last couple of weeks member D'Ecosse and I have been trying to find out if the existing versions will work on the Bonneville Twins. For that purpose, and following his very detailed instructions, I have installed the program on my laptop and tried to connect to the ECM using my existing DealerTool serial cable. No dice. For some reason (maybe the drivers), it won't work.
We know that vehicles from VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) use the same protocol as the Keihin ECMs we have, and suitable cables are easily obtained, with prices as low as $14 so I obtained one from ebay and installed it using the generic driver for FTDI chips, rather than the driver that comes with the cable, and I'm glad to say that it works...
The actual screen graphics are optimised for the Triple models, but everything works just as well on my Twin, readings from all the sensors are correct and the synchronisation, TPS adjustment, etc can also be carried out in the same way as with DealerTool.
So far there are no maps available for the twins, and I don't know if the map editing feature will work on the Bonnies. Here's hoping that between us and the cooperation of its creator, Frenchman Alain Fontaine, we can one day edit and load maps using this program.
I have to stress that "it is what it is" for now, and has limitations with no guarantee or commitment of any time-frame for the next stage.
System requirements (minimum):
PC or Netbook Windows (XP, Vista, Win 7) 1024x600 display and NET Framework 2.0 or higher, "TuneECU" and "Key.bin".
Net framework can be downloaded free from Microsoft.
Program files "TuneECU.exe" and "Key.bin" must be unzipped in the same folder.
Driver: CDM 2.06.00
Example of a suitable cable on ebay for $14 delivered:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/USB-...iewItemQQhashZitem2a069ea222QQitemZ180499685922QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools
If you search for other cables use the description "USB-OBDII cable VAG 409.1" for the correct one.
Full details, screen shots, download links for software, driver and
instructions in this thread on the Triples forum:
http://www.triumphrat.net/ecm-and-fi-tuning-help-tips-and-tricks/141608-tuneecu.html
Under our seats there's the OBDII diagnostic port, a 16-pin connector that is the gateway to the innards of our ECM's, just sitting there waiting for the high priests in our dealers service bays that possess the magic tools they plug into these ports to impress us with their knowledge and wisdom, while we look upon them with wonder, admiration and awe at their enlightenment and wish we could do the same.
Right from the start I wasn't happy with this situation, specially as I don't get on with the only dealer around here and do all my own maintenance. That ECM and its peripheral components were a mystery to me and I felt powerless to diagnose and cure its ills although I've been doing this for decades on conventional vehicles.
Following a few hours Googling around to learn more about these systems I obtained the first of these magic wands:
A generic OBDII hand-held scanner. These are obtainable all over the place, ebay being a good place for them at prices as low as $35. They do open your eyes as to what's going on inside the ECM but they are more focused on auto work so they assume just one O2 sensor, one MAP sensor, etc, no facility for throttle body synch, etc although they can deal with MIL lights and error codes, these being standard for all OBDII vehicles. In addition, the tiny LCD screens are difficult to see and full of acronyms and abbreviations to save space, that need constant reference to the user manual to translate. When I first turned mine on I thought the default language was Norwegian...
So I got myself an improved device:
DealerTool. This is a piece of software, drivers, unlock code and a dedicated USB-OBDII serial connecting cable that also incorporates some aditional circuitry containing an FTDI chip set to enable comunications between a PC and the bikes computer. It costs around £60 and lets you see in real time and units what's happening inside your ECM: Identify which fuelling and ignition map you have loaded, Sensor readings, error codes, etc and also enables you to
synchronise throttle bodies and test various sub-systems like the fuel pump, instruments, clutch and sidestand switches, set your RPM, cancel MIL light,etc.
Somehow seeing all those things on your PC screen makes EFI systems seem a little more "human" and accessible to us mere mortals. I know it gave me a lot more confidence and somehow lifted the veils that obscure the contents of the magic black box.
Just think, you can see the ignition timing in degrees, in real time, and observe how it changes with RPM or temperature, can you do that in your non-EFI bike?.
Set your TPS without the use of accurate multimeters or fiddling with wires and connectors?. No problem. Check that your oil and ambient temperature sensors are reading correctly?. Adjust your throttle balance in seconds?, set idle speed accurately without a tachometer?. All this and more can be done with such software.
Unfortunately none of the above tools allow you to read or edit the fuelling/ignition maps, of course. This requires programmes with the sophistication of the likes of TuneBoy, TuneEdit, etc that cost a considerable amount, $350+ and require an unlock code to be able to "liberate" the information from the ECM and enable the loading of new, improved maps.
Introducing TuneECU for EFI Triumph Bonneville
In the world of the Triumph sport Triples, they know of a way to do all the above, i.e. diagnostic and even map editing, virtually free, by the use of a freeware utility called TuneECU. You only need to Google for it to find that it's causing furore in tuning circles, and not just on Triumphs either.
In its "lite" version it can do virtually everything DealerTool can do at a fraction of the cost, but the big advantage is that it can be upgraded to include map editing, the same as Tuneboy.
Over the last couple of weeks member D'Ecosse and I have been trying to find out if the existing versions will work on the Bonneville Twins. For that purpose, and following his very detailed instructions, I have installed the program on my laptop and tried to connect to the ECM using my existing DealerTool serial cable. No dice. For some reason (maybe the drivers), it won't work.
We know that vehicles from VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) use the same protocol as the Keihin ECMs we have, and suitable cables are easily obtained, with prices as low as $14 so I obtained one from ebay and installed it using the generic driver for FTDI chips, rather than the driver that comes with the cable, and I'm glad to say that it works...
The actual screen graphics are optimised for the Triple models, but everything works just as well on my Twin, readings from all the sensors are correct and the synchronisation, TPS adjustment, etc can also be carried out in the same way as with DealerTool.
So far there are no maps available for the twins, and I don't know if the map editing feature will work on the Bonnies. Here's hoping that between us and the cooperation of its creator, Frenchman Alain Fontaine, we can one day edit and load maps using this program.
I have to stress that "it is what it is" for now, and has limitations with no guarantee or commitment of any time-frame for the next stage.
System requirements (minimum):
PC or Netbook Windows (XP, Vista, Win 7) 1024x600 display and NET Framework 2.0 or higher, "TuneECU" and "Key.bin".
Net framework can be downloaded free from Microsoft.
Program files "TuneECU.exe" and "Key.bin" must be unzipped in the same folder.
Driver: CDM 2.06.00
Example of a suitable cable on ebay for $14 delivered:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/USB-...iewItemQQhashZitem2a069ea222QQitemZ180499685922QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools
If you search for other cables use the description "USB-OBDII cable VAG 409.1" for the correct one.
Full details, screen shots, download links for software, driver and
instructions in this thread on the Triples forum:
http://www.triumphrat.net/ecm-and-fi-tuning-help-tips-and-tricks/141608-tuneecu.html
