HOW TO: F/I C Basics

[Suprsaiyjinbroli]

*For those that are a little more advanced. The CLOSED LOOP is 40% TPS and 4000RPMs and below*

I'm going to take this in baby steps so it is very simple to follow:

Open up your AEM FIC Software.



You're looking at the actual program...not the MAP(s)(ing) you're going to want to modify.

Now, you'll need to open up the pass thru MAP that came with the FIC. Odds are that everyone's is in the same place/file but anyone that is pretty handy with a computer shouldn't have an issue finding it:

Click on File
Click on Open
(This may vary a little from this point. For those of you pretty computer literate...find the AEM Folder, FIC Folder, then select the .fi6 file.)
Double Click on My Computer
Double Click on Local Disk (Usually C: Drive)
Double Click on Program Files
Double Click on AEM
Double Click on FIC
Double Click on the *****.fi6 file (***** could be anything...I'm not sure what the base program file is because I've renamed mine)

Once the .fi6 opens, you'll be looking at this:



I know it is a little tough to see...but now that the .fi6 is open you have the option to actually open up the MAPs (The I, F,M, O, A, B) of the file. If you look close you can see that they have turned white and a few other things have lit up as well.

Now, take your USB cord that came with the FIC and run it from the FIC into the laptop. Once you've achieved that, you're going to want to connect to the FIC by clicking the Connect FIC button which looks like two plugs and a wire (See the area I tried to blow up. Its one of those):



Now that you're connecting a pop up window is gonna show up (If it doesn't pop up, don't worry. You can simply skip over this entire paragraph and go to the next step). You can read it if you'd like, but basically it is telling you that the calibration (MAP and/or .fi6 file) in the FIC and Laptop aren't matching up. You've got to tell the FIC which calibration (MAP and/or .fi6 file) you'd like it to read. It gives you some options: From FIC and To FIC (There are more options but lets keep it simple). Click on the To FIC box. What this is doing is telling the FIC to read the calibration that you have open on your laptop as its operating calibration.

Now you've got to calibrate the calibration. By that I mean you've got to get the FIC setup for your specific TPS and RPM. Big words...very easy. In the FIC software looks towards the very top. See where it says File, ECU, Edit, View and etc. Click on Setup. The drop down menu will have a few options but you're going to look for Calibration, click that.

A pop up came up with RPMs and TPSs. There should be a box that says Auto under each one of those. This part is easy. Click on the TPS one first (just because I think its even easier than the RPMs). Now, just let it walk you through...The FIC tells you what to do. Now that the TPS is calibrated for your vehicle time to do the RPMs. (I found this a little bit irritating but thats because I wanted it perfect...as should you. I actually ended up calibrating this AFTER I had been driving for awhile, egine was warm and I had a steady idle so I didn't have to worry about holding my RPMs at a certain RPM...I just let it idle and calibrated it. I set it to 600 RPMs, I'm guessing with different intakes/mods...you may idle a little different) Now, time for the RPMs. You'll need to put in a RPM that you can easily hold the car at for up to 10 seconds. Select the RPM and click the Auto button. Again, the FIC will now walk you through what you need to do.

(*Note: For those of you worried at this point that something has changed in your vehicle ECU...don't. All you've done to this point is setup the FIC to READ YOUR ECU correctly. That is all.)

Now that you're calibrated...you're ready to get a good datalog/start point.

(Make sure you're FIC is hooked up with everything you'll need, wideband, vacuum line, all the ECU Pins, etc. Its better to have a lot of information that you can filter down than to not have enough.)

(*Note: There seems to be some debate over what is a good datalogger and/or isn't. ALL YOU NEED IS A WIDEBAND, FIC AND LAPTOP. Period. You can use the FIC datalogging ability. As a matter of fact I don't understand why you wouldn't seeing as how your car is going to be getting its data...FROM THE FIC. You don't need to spend a ton of money on anything else. If you throw a misfire code...you run up to Autozone, use the OBD2...or get ghetto fab like me and unhook the battery a lot...add more fuel in a certain range and keep going. That simple. Don't let anyone tell you that you need this or that. But, certain items may make life easier. That is your call and money.)

(The instructions are continued as if you were doing all of this in one shot...so if you did everything up to this point and went away...just hook up the laptop to the FIC connect, crank it up and start reading again.)

Since you're already hook/connected to the FIC lets get some information going so we can scal/setup the tables you'll need. Click on the PC Logger Start button (The squiggly line that is green when connected to the FIC right near the Setup button (Tools Crossed)):



Drive the car normally for about a minute and let it warm up. Once it is warm...the fun begins...run the shit out of it. Open the throttle as wide as it'll go, get through all your gears.

Once your done having fun click the same PC Logger Start button. This time, it will stop the log. Instantly, a Save As File...pop up box will show. Save the file somewhere you'll be able to easily find it. (When you datalog and save the file, you'll notice it is a Microsoft Word Pad file. Total pain in the ass to use/read. What I did was open the file, Select All, Copy and then I Pasted it into an Excel sheet so the information would be easier to filter and/or see. Use Excels Autofilter feature. If you have trouble on this, pretty much anyone can help you that is sorta handy with Excel.)

Look at your Log. It will probably look something like this (This pic is so horrible):



Now, you've got to know what your looking at. Let's review what you actually logged:

Time: The actual seconds of the log
Engine Speed: The RPM you were at
Throttle: The TP you were at
Fuel Trim: The fuel that you either pulled and/or added (At this point it should read 0s)
Ignition Trim: The timing you either pulled and/or added (At this point it should read 0s)
Maf In: The voltage of the maf coming in
Maf Out: The voltage of the maf going out
Battery: The voltage of the battery
O2 Bank 1: The voltage of the O2 Sensors on Bank 1
O2 Bank 2: The voltage of the O2 Sensors on Bank 2
Engine Load: The PSIA inside the manifold
Sw 12Vdc: (I'm not 100% sure on this one...but I didn't need it. Maybe someone can tell me.)
Inj 1%: The % load of the injector
Inj 2%: The % load of the injector
Inj 3%: The % load of the injector
Inj 4%: The % load of the injector
Inj 5%: The % load of the injector
Inj 6%: The % load of the injector
Test: (I'm not 100% sure on this one...but I didn't need it. Maybe someone can tell me.)
Analog A In: (I'm not 100% sure on this one...but I didn't need it. Maybe someone can tell me.)
Analog A Out: (I'm not 100% sure on this one...but I didn't need it. Maybe someone can tell me.)
Analog B In: (I'm not 100% sure on this one...but I didn't need it. Maybe someone can tell me.)
Analog B Out: (I'm not 100% sure on this one...but I didn't need it. Maybe someone can tell me.)

Click on the Setup System button (The tools that are crossed right near the log button. Only do this if you would like to advance/retard timing...otherwise skip this part and move on to the next section):



(For me it was easier to set everything to TPS on the Ignition in the Setup System..I would highly suggest it, since I'm going to go down that line, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to figure out another way. This entire Ignition section of this write up is intended for those running a shot, basically retarding timing. I'm sure it is similar to advance...but I don't know. Honestly I haven't tried because it won't help me.) Setup the Ignition for the Load Input you'd like to tune with...either TPS, MAF or MAP.

Now, to play with timing, you'll want to click on the I for Ignition Map:



After that, you'll be looking at the actual Ignition MAP the FIC has. You'll be seeing a bunch of 0s an RPM axis and a TPS axis.

[Suprsaiyjinbroli]

(*Note: I actually copy and pasted the scaling numbers from my MAP...you might be able to copy and paste them into yours...dunno.)

First thing is first for the Timing Map...you've got to Scale it. (TPS read is %...so at 0 - 1 % your foot isn't even on the gas, from 0 - 30 % your at DD, at 75 percent your foot is heading to floor and then from about 98 to 100 % you're trying to peel the paint off. Open up the datalog file. Look it over. See what the % Throttle was for DD...and what it was at when you were getting on it.) Since your TPS reads in % you obviously want your scale to range from 0 to 100.

This is my actual Ignitin MAP TPS scaling:



It looks like this:

100
99
98
84
78
72
66
60
54
48
42
36
30
24
18
12
6

If you notice, I choose smaller values at 98% and up. That is because when I'm at 99% TPS and higher, I'm at WOT. The value will vary a little bit from 100 to 99. It varies. Your datalog will answer what yours does.

Now, you've got to scale the RPM ranges. This is my actual Ignitin MAP RPM scaling:





It reads: 1000 2000 2900 3000 3200 3400 3600 3800 4000 4200 4400 4600 4800 5000 5200 5400 5800 6000 6200 6400 7000

Now, where do you think you've got enough air coming in and enough RPM to spray your shot? I start spray at 3000 RPMs all the way through my ranges. Therefore I need to retard timing from the 3000 RPM Breakpoint up to 7000 RPMs (Yes...I understand we don't hit 7000 RPMs but I want to go a little past 6200 where I shift at just incase...learned about the 6200 from the datalog. See what yours is if your in an automatic.)

Ok, scaling is complete. Time to actually retard some timing. (Refer to your spray kits suggestions...I run ZEX 82021, so I will be using their suggested numbers, I'd assume though everything is probably similar if not exact. 55 Shot = Not retard. 65 Shot = 2 Degrees. 75 Shot = 4 Degrees)

Now, if your spraying at WOT (99% - 100 %) and at 3000 RPMs on a 75 shot you're going to pull -4 degrees from those value boxes. Pretty simple. (My pics suck...so think of this as playing battleship...) Click on the 100 TPS, 3000 RPM value box and drag the mouse until you hit the 99% TPS, 7000 RPM box. Right click. Select Set Value. Type -4. Click Ok.

Guess what? Your 4 Degrees are pulled. Time for more fun...go datalogging. You'll notice when you look at your log this time, the AFR has changed and the Ignition Trim has changed...among a few other things possible but those are the two most important.

Now you want to lean out your AFR. (Nobody likes a fat bitch that guzzles everything...don't be that car...)

REMEMBER: START SMALL. ITS EASIER AND CAUSES LESS POSSIBILITY FOR ENGINE PROBLEMS.

Ok. Lets adjust your Fuel MAP.

Click on the F, Fuel Maps:



First thing is first. We've got to scale our Fuel MAP just like we scaled our Ignition Map. Only different is, the Fuel MAP won't let you tune below 4000 RPMs and its other axis reads in PSIA or MAF Volts. For my purposes, I used PSIA. (You'll get your cars personal PSIA from your datalog...looked at the lowest value PSIA when you were at 99 % + TPS...that is the PSIA you need to tune for. Ontop of that, if your vehicle is like mine...and a few others I've talked to...you start running rich around 4500 + RPMs).

My personal scaling for RPMs on the Fuel MAP is:

4300 4400 4500 4600 4700 4800 5000 5100 5200 5300 5400 5500 5600 5700 5800 5900 6000 6100 6200 6300 6400

My personal scaling for the PSIA is:

16.4
16.2
16
15.8
15.6
15.4
15.2
15
14.8
14.6
14.4
14.2
14
13.8
13.6
13.2
13

If you notice...I've got a little past and behind where I need to tune. This will help prevent any issues with the FIC reading.

You may have asked, what issues...the issues I ran into my young Padawans: The FIC can only read what you tell it. So lets say you have a value entered on every value box with my scaling. When your cruising at 2000 RPMs on the highway at 10 PSIA the FIC will understand that it isn't at 4300 RPMs and 13 PSIA so it will read the lowest value box it possibly can...which would be the value entered in the 13 PSIA and 4300 RPM box. Now, lets say you've entered a -10 in that box. You're telling the FIC to pull 10% fuel at 13 PSIA and 4300 RPMs. Which is fine...but since the FIC doesn't have any scaling below that it will assume that it is supposed to pull 10% for anything below the listed values as well...causing cylinder misfires, idling issues, fueling issues...all sorts of fun. So how do you get around that? Simple. The first breakpoint axis values always stay zero'd out. Tune after that and you'll be good to go. My Fuel MAP reads 0s in every value at 13 PSIA and at every value under 4300 RPMs. Now, the FIC will rest at a 0/stock value until I reach 13.2 PSIA and 4500 RPMs. At that point the ECU and FIC will start working together and start pulling out whatever percent fuel I have entered. Understand?

Now, you've got your datalog. (Have you decided how lean you want it to run? I've heard/seen guys running from 12.5 up to about 13.4. Your call...your car. You may say 12.8 get it there and want to see what she'll do at 13. Trial and error process.) Pay attention to your AFR. You'll be pull fuel where it dips below what you want it at and adding fuel where it runs above what you want it at.

**Note: If your TCL Light and the car with the swervy lanes come on...I can almost guarantee you've just thrown a cylinder misfire code. You'll need to ADD fuel into the MAP wherever you just ran too lean.

Ok...you've got your datalog...you've got your AFR...if you right click on a certain RPM breakpoint value...like 5500 RPMs, the entire column will light up in blue. I say right click because now you have the + and - function visible. If you need to run lean...- out some fuel. If you need to run fatter...+ in some fuel.

Generally speaking...you'll pull less fuel on the lower RPM ranges than the higher RPM ranges.

You're now gonna pull fuel...go for a datalog session...rinse, repeat. You throw a misfire? Add fuel and then go for a datalog session...

[Suprsaiyjinbroli]

I've unsubscribed from this thread...I know its basic but that is more than what I had when I started.

If you need anything further, just shoot me a PM. I'm more than willing to help anybody who needs it.

[DarkSidEclipse]

pretty good

[360jeepboy]

Bump! Good info, and I'm making it a sticky!

[ny::sleeper]

AHHHH!!!! i fucking love this guy. e rep.