Unichip tuning.

[Jordan]

I know a couple guys with stroked m20's have this. Chris E30 Cab does, and your friend I believe?

I've found a local place that is willing to do the install and tuning for me for a very reasonable amount of money. The dyno tuning will actually be done at Unichips Research and Development dyno lab!

That end is really simple for them, they have done quite a few. What I want to know is how to convert to MAF. The more info I can provide them the less its going to cost me.

I would like to use a e36 MAF, but which one(s) will work? They are cheap and found easily. How is the wiring best done? I was thinking about taking a e36 MAF harness end and making a connector to join to the stock AFM harness connector, so its all neat like. The intercept the AFM wiring at the ECU.

Anyways, any solid info on this is welcome.

[Mot]

I always wondered about the possibility of using unichip with my motor too. But ive never heard any info about people using it with my 323ihead/eta block combo.

[mspiegle]

That's a pretty sweet deal!

Technically, the type of MAF probably isn't going to make a whole lot of difference since you'll be remapping the whole thing anyways. As long as it puts out a voltage within decent boundaries, it should work. Of course, it will be much easier for the tuning to take place if the voltages are somewhat similar...

How does the unichip work? Does it just do a straight translation on the MAF voltage, or does it do a translation using a lookup map of throttle vs RPM? Will you be using a variable TPS or the stock switch?

I can probably give you a pretty decent amount of info on this once you answer the above Qs.

[mspiegle]

How is the wiring best done? I was thinking about taking a e36 MAF harness end and making a connector to join to the stock AFM harness connector, so its all neat like. The intercept the AFM wiring at the ECU.

That is EXACTLY how I would do it.

[gstuning]

Any MAF with a 0-5 range will work, doesn´t matter where it´s from either,
just easier to use a 0-too-5v instead of 5-too-0v,

Stefán uses a M50B20 one wich fits the intake boot perfectly, only minor tuning required to make it work,

What you would propably want to do is use the most common one, 325i M50 or something of that sort, all required to do is get the idle voltage right to start with and then dyno tune since this is basically going to be a retune of your engine management, ideal would be to get bigger injectors if you haven´t done so,

Get a variable voltage/e30 style TPS, it can be found on some automagic E34´s, this is ideal to get the correct TPS style signal for the ECU and the variable one for the Unichip.

[Jordan]

Is the variable TPS something that is really going to be needed? They didn't make any mention of that. Do you know the part number of the one I would need? Is this a m20 m30 or m50 e34 item?

I ask because there is a automatic m50 powered e34 at my local junk yard, the MAF off this car would work right?

[e30sd]

from what i've read on the subject, those who use e36 pieces seem to go with the siemens m52 HFM.

[mspiegle]

Is the variable TPS something that is really going to be needed? They didn't make any mention of that. Do you know the part number of the one I would need? Is this a m20 m30 or m50 e34 item?

I ask because there is a automatic m50 powered e34 at my local junk yard, the MAF off this car would work right?

It depends on how the unichip works. If you can just remap the voltage without a relation to throttle/rpm, then a variable TPS won't matter. All you would be doing is "tuning" the MAF to put out the same voltages as the AFM which will score you a nice-running conversion.

If you have to remap the voltage signal using an rpm/throttle table, then you'll really want a variable TPS. I didn't use a variable TPS when I did my MAF conversion and I don't think it was ever perfect. It ran fine, I could daily drive it, it just wasn't perfect. I know something like that would bug you.

Hmm... if you'll be going through the trouble of fitting a MAF conversion and variable TPS and unichip... what about just using a MAP sensor?

[mspiegle]

from what i've read on the subject, those who use e36 pieces seem to go with the siemens m52 HFM.

That is what I used in my conversion. Worked fine. In fact, I still have it.

[gstuning]

If the unichip is like the smt you should be able to raise/lower the whole voltage of the maf signal, until it fits the e30 ecu,, it will tough always leave a little fine tuning wanted,

I would reccomend the variable one on account of the fine tuning later on,

The way Mspiegle has it works but is harder to tune,
if you would look at the map under WOT accelaration the map point that is active would not go over to max throttle cause the MAF isn´t showing 5v or close to it, thus the map point eases it self higher on the load as the air flow gets more and more,

NOTE : if you want WOT tuning you will have to disable the WOT signal on the TPS you´ll run, if not the ecu will stop listening to all tuning and just run of the base maps.

Also those should be M30 auto´s or M20 auto´s TPS´s

[mspiegle]

so c'mon guys, does the unichip work like an SMT6?

[Jordan]

so c'mon guys, does the unichip work like an SMT6?

This thread is not about the SMT6. Please stay on topic.

[ColdAccord]

I am also curious about an maf setup, I have smt6 and was soon going to assemble a stroker.

[mspiegle]

so c'mon guys, does the unichip work like an SMT6?

This thread is not about the SMT6. Please stay on topic.

No, it isn't. But gunni and I only have SMT6 experience. Assuming the unichip works like the SMT6, we have good experience with a method to do the conversion.

[Jordan]

Might work likes, and maybes are all fine and dandy, but they aren't what I needed. Chris E30 Cab has direct experience with Unichip and MAF setups, but he hasn't posted yet...