AFC NEO Tuning (NEED HELP!)
11-18-2015, 03:26 PM
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Minot, ND
Posts: 6
AFC NEO Tuning (NEED HELP!)
Hey guys, just need some help on what I should set everything to on my Apexi AFC NEO. I really have no idea on how this thing works and what not, and do not want to mess with it in fear of damaging anything. Any help is appreciated! It is a 2002 Nissan Maxima SE 6-Speed MT with the following mods, (Just putting the whole mod list on here, and yes I know some of it doesn't change the whole AFR thing.)
65,000 Miles
-Apexi AFC Neo Piggyback Tuner.
-AEM Wideband Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge.
-Spectre Air Intake.
-NWP Block-Off Plate.
-Energy Suspension Motor Mounts.
-Energy Suspension Transmission Mounts.
-Energy Suspension Shifter Bushings.
-BRM 2" to 3" Catback Exhaust System.
65,000 Miles
-Apexi AFC Neo Piggyback Tuner.
-AEM Wideband Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge.
-Spectre Air Intake.
-NWP Block-Off Plate.
-Energy Suspension Motor Mounts.
-Energy Suspension Transmission Mounts.
-Energy Suspension Shifter Bushings.
-BRM 2" to 3" Catback Exhaust System.
11-18-2015, 03:40 PM
#2
11-18-2015, 03:47 PM
#3
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Minot, ND
Posts: 6
Everything is already wired in and everything. I just don't know what numbers to set my parameters!
11-19-2015, 08:27 AM
#4
In any case, you're still not reading the links
Post #2 from Link #1
If the mods like this, make it a sticky 
There are a lot of noob threads regarding simple tuning devices and how to tune, etc. So hopefully this thread will clear up most of it.
Why tune an N/A car?
On our cars the fuel/ignition maps are designed rather conservatively to balance performance, fuel mileage as well as knock suppression for those who use less than 92/91 octane fuel. So the timing curve isn’t aggressive and fuel maps are on the rich side. For Maximas with breathing mods (headers/exhaust mainly), the car’s factory ECU can readjust itself to optimize the Air/Fuel ratio (AFR) inside the engine at part throttle/cruise because it gets feedback from both the MAF sensor and O2 sensor. However, at WOT, the factory ECU goes into “open-loop” mode, where the fuel/timing is determined by a table using Airflow voltage (engine load) vs. RPM. Since the ECU is ignoring readings from the car’s O2 sensors, the AFR is not adjusted, and therefore not optimized.
Bolt-ons/breathing mods are half the battle. With OBD2 cars it’s important to realize that optimizing the software/electronics plays the biggest part in good horsepower numbers. So even for something like 00VI swaps, where you’re swapping OEM manifolds/injectors, a tune is important to get the most gains out of it (DEK injectors run pig rich on 4th gens with 00VI swaps)
Notes about AFR:Monitoring your AFR:
Ignition timing is the main tool for increasing the horsepower in any engine, the AFR only part of the story. The key is getting the entire timing curve correct on your tune. This is best done on a dyno since the timing curve is actually the inverse of the torque curve, meaning that you want to run more advanced timing on your low-end and higher rpm areas, while the area around peak torque will have slightly less advanced (or retarded) ignition timing.
VQ30/35s, as stated above have relatively conservative ignition timing curves in the interest of knock suppression when crappy fuel is used (yes, there are cheap bastards who drive Maximas. Haha) so this is a big power maker for our cars, and even when tuning on the street, my butt dyno saw noticeable gains with about 7 degrees of ignition advance.
Notes about ignition timing:That’s a start for now, if anyone has any questions, we can use this thread for discussion, advice, show our maps/datalogs/etc.
**I WILL BE UPDATING THIS WITH MORE 5.5 GEN STUFF LIKE UTECH/TECHNOSQUARE**
People who have used certain software/piggybacks can post their reviews/thoughts/experiences for benefit of the thread.
There are a lot of noob threads regarding simple tuning devices and how to tune, etc. So hopefully this thread will clear up most of it.
Why tune an N/A car?
On our cars the fuel/ignition maps are designed rather conservatively to balance performance, fuel mileage as well as knock suppression for those who use less than 92/91 octane fuel. So the timing curve isn’t aggressive and fuel maps are on the rich side. For Maximas with breathing mods (headers/exhaust mainly), the car’s factory ECU can readjust itself to optimize the Air/Fuel ratio (AFR) inside the engine at part throttle/cruise because it gets feedback from both the MAF sensor and O2 sensor. However, at WOT, the factory ECU goes into “open-loop” mode, where the fuel/timing is determined by a table using Airflow voltage (engine load) vs. RPM. Since the ECU is ignoring readings from the car’s O2 sensors, the AFR is not adjusted, and therefore not optimized.
Bolt-ons/breathing mods are half the battle. With OBD2 cars it’s important to realize that optimizing the software/electronics plays the biggest part in good horsepower numbers. So even for something like 00VI swaps, where you’re swapping OEM manifolds/injectors, a tune is important to get the most gains out of it (DEK injectors run pig rich on 4th gens with 00VI swaps)
Notes about AFR:
-AFR ranges from 10.0 to 20.0 (full-rich or full-lean)
-Stoich (where all the fuel is burned with the air in the combustion chamber) is 14.7:1
-The ECU tries to maintain a 14.7-15.5 AFR during part throttle/cruise for maximum fuel efficiency.
-At WOT, an optimal AFR for an N/A VQ is 12.7-13.5.
-AFR is relatively easy to tune on the street.
Main ways to tune:-Running a less than aggressive AFR (12.5-12.8) is beneficial if you also want to increase ignition timing and push your WHP even farther up.
-An untuned DE-K with intake/headers/exhaust AFR runs 11.9 AFR at WOT, dipping down to about 10.8 at ~6,500 RPM.-AFR is relatively easy to tune on the street.
-Apexi VAFC/VAFC2
-Apexi SAFC/SAFC2
-GReddy e-Manage Blue & e-Manage Ultimate
Notes about the AFC units (V/SAFC/1/2)-Apexi SAFC/SAFC2
-GReddy e-Manage Blue & e-Manage Ultimate
-All of these units adjust your AFR by manipulating the airflow input (MAF) signal.
-Pros:
-Easy to hook up and tune, does fine for N/A AFR tuning.
-VAFC/1/2 units can control the variable intake switchover (00VI swaps)
-Cons:
-Leaning out your AFR using an AFC unit indirectly advances your ignition timing. The con here is you cannot monitor the timing changes.
-Limited “advanced” tuning options (ie; direct ignition control, rev limiter, launch control, etc.)
-You can’t tune without a wideband O2 sensor to monitor AFR from your exhaust.
-One thing worth mentioning about widebands is being able to datalog to a laptop or a piggyback. This is especially important for tuning. Innovate LC-1 has the ability to datalog directly to your laptop, whereas the AEM UEGO wideband has a serial and analog (IIRC) output that can plug into certain piggyback controllers.
Ignition timing:Ignition timing is the main tool for increasing the horsepower in any engine, the AFR only part of the story. The key is getting the entire timing curve correct on your tune. This is best done on a dyno since the timing curve is actually the inverse of the torque curve, meaning that you want to run more advanced timing on your low-end and higher rpm areas, while the area around peak torque will have slightly less advanced (or retarded) ignition timing.
VQ30/35s, as stated above have relatively conservative ignition timing curves in the interest of knock suppression when crappy fuel is used (yes, there are cheap bastards who drive Maximas. Haha) so this is a big power maker for our cars, and even when tuning on the street, my butt dyno saw noticeable gains with about 7 degrees of ignition advance.
Notes about ignition timing:
-To fully optimize your ignition timing, it has to be done on a dyno
-Not only for the reasons stated above, but to get the optimal advance doesn’t necessarily mean advance it as far as possible before setting off the knock sensor, since there’s a point where the power gains level off completely, and that is your optimal ignition timing.
Monitoring & controlling ignition timing-The only way I know of to monitor/datalog ignition timing is by using a piggyback that has outputs for ignition control.
-Examples:
-GReddy e-Manage Blue (not 100% confirmed? A few 5.5 guys who run the Blue say that timing can be controlled)
-GReddy e-Manage Ultimate (datalogger offers ignition monitoring, and allows ignition control for every cylinder.)
Above: e-Manage Ultimate datalogger, recording MAF input, injector pulse, AFR, ignition timing
Above: e-Manage Ultimate fuel maps (I/J map 1) showing injector pulsewidth for MAF voltage vs. RPM.
Above: e-Manage Ultimate datalogger, recording MAF input, injector pulse, AFR, ignition timing
Above: e-Manage Ultimate fuel maps (I/J map 1) showing injector pulsewidth for MAF voltage vs. RPM.
**I WILL BE UPDATING THIS WITH MORE 5.5 GEN STUFF LIKE UTECH/TECHNOSQUARE**
People who have used certain software/piggybacks can post their reviews/thoughts/experiences for benefit of the thread.
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