AIR Flow Meter, Motronic 1.3 signal change

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blood69
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:03 pm

Hi, im trying to change the barn door signal from the airflow meter to the ecu. To have a way to change the Air Fuel Ratio inside the cabin.
On the following pic i think i have identify the pin where the barn door is measured. The 2nd from the bottom where the red wire crocodile is connected.
P_20190906_200709.jpg
Pic 1
I cut the wire and i did something like the following picture.
P_20190921_192613_1.jpg
Pic 2
A switch that changes the circuit either to the potentiometer or direct with no resistance, (sport button) :mrgreen:
The ideia is to achieve the same results has losing tension on the spring of the barn door but width out having the crap idle and fuel consumption.
Please share your ideas on this and if someone already done something like this.
Speedtouch
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 2:02 pm

It's an interesting idea, but surely, if the AFM is in good condition then the ECU will automatically optimise the air-fuel ratio, as that's the whole point of the system.

What you're suggesting is something along the lines of the E-bay 'power resistors' that supposedly increase the amount of fuel being drawn in, probably to the point of cylinder bore wash and rapid engine wear!
///M aurice
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
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blood69
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 2:21 pm

Speedtouch wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 2:02 pm
It's an interesting idea, but surely, if the AFM is in good condition then the ECU will automatically optimise the air-fuel ratio, as that's the whole point of the system.

What you're suggesting is something along the lines of the E-bay 'power resistors' that supposedly increase the amount of fuel being drawn in, probably to the point of cylinder bore wash and rapid engine wear!
Yes, my AFM has seen better days.
The main idea doing this is to fool the ecu, making to change to the full throttle ignition and fuel maps earlier than the standard 4500 rpm.
If i lighten the spring tension 4 clicks, i think i'm getting this effect, since i notice more go at 3800rpm. The idea is to make that happen with the flick of a switch, without fiddling with the spring tension.
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blood69
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 3:36 pm

Update
Manage to install on the car
P_20190928_143213_vHDR_On.jpg
Pic1
P_20190928_143144.jpg
Pic2
Did some pulls with on and off, fiddle with the potentiometer between 100 and 300 ohms.
On the top end above 5800rpm i notice some improvements but the car continues to push harder just above 4500rpm and not earlier like i want.
I guess the wire i intercept is the voltage feed to the potentiometer and not the return to the ecu.
I can't find anywhere the squematics to the afm wiring :cry:
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Brianmoooore
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 4:26 pm

blood69 wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 2:21 pm

The main idea doing this is to fool the ecu, making to change to the full throttle ignition and fuel maps earlier than the standard 4500 rpm.
If i lighten the spring tension 4 clicks, i think i'm getting this effect, since i notice more go at 3800rpm. The idea is to make that happen with the flick of a switch, without fiddling with the spring tension.
This is controlled by the throttle position switch. Your whole idea leads down the route of high fuel consumption and bore wash for very little gain.
Better to sort the system to work as intended, making sure the injectors are all within spec., all air leaks are eliminated, and that you have a correctly calibrated AFM with no duff spots on the track.
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blood69
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 5:06 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 4:26 pm
blood69 wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 2:21 pm

The main idea doing this is to fool the ecu, making to change to the full throttle ignition and fuel maps earlier than the standard 4500 rpm.
If i lighten the spring tension 4 clicks, i think i'm getting this effect, since i notice more go at 3800rpm. The idea is to make that happen with the flick of a switch, without fiddling with the spring tension.
This is controlled by the throttle position switch. Your whole idea leads down the route of high fuel consumption and bore wash for very little gain.
Better to sort the system to work as intended, making sure the injectors are all within spec., all air leaks are eliminated, and that you have a correctly calibrated AFM with no duff spots on the track.
Yes the throttle position switch discard the AFM changing from high AFM Ecu Map to Full Throttle ecu Map, but just when the barn door is open more than 70% to 80%, that's why i'm trying to do this.
Thats why when we loose tension on the afm spring, the cars goes faster on a bit sooner.
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Brianmoooore
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 6:23 pm

The carbon track in the AFM is laser trimmed to provide the correct air/fuel ratio at all engine revs and loads, with the actual ratios modified for power/emissions/economy by the throttle position switch. Without a full engine dyno. and air/fuel ratio measuring equipment you are not going to match or even come close to BMW's results.
The slackening of the spring trick is a facebook type bodge to crudely compensate for worn injectors and air leaks.
Concentrate your efforts on getting things back to how they were when the car left the factory, and you will get much more satisfactory results.
What makes you think your AFM is "past its best"?
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blood69
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:34 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 6:23 pm
The carbon track in the AFM is laser trimmed to provide the correct air/fuel ratio at all engine revs and loads, with the actual ratios modified for power/emissions/economy by the throttle position switch. Without a full engine dyno. and air/fuel ratio measuring equipment you are not going to match or even come close to BMW's results.
The slackening of the spring trick is a facebook type bodge to crudely compensate for worn injectors and air leaks.
Concentrate your efforts on getting things back to how they were when the car left the factory, and you will get much more satisfactory results.
What makes you think your AFM is "past its best"?
Thanks for your advice, i clean the carbon track with a bit of paper and adjusted the middle contact and managed to smooth out some ohm flat spots. The ohms raises gradually while opening the barn door now.
The car is a little better at idle and gain a little top end power. But lacks midrange power like i have if i loosen the tension on the spring.
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Brianmoooore
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:39 pm

How many miles has the car done on the current set of injectors?
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blood69
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 10:18 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:39 pm
How many miles has the car done on the current set of injectors?
100000 miles, its a 1990 316i btw
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Brianmoooore
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:14 pm

In that case, getting them professionally rebuilt and balanced would be the first thing to do. Their flow rates will be way down on what they should be, some will be injecting more fuel than others, their spray patterns are likely to be far from ideal, and one or more may still be dribbling fuel when off.
By 100,000 miles each will have operated around 300,000,000 times.
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blood69
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Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:13 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:14 pm
In that case, getting them professionally rebuilt and balanced would be the first thing to do. Their flow rates will be way down on what they should be, some will be injecting more fuel than others, their spray patterns are likely to be far from ideal, and one or more may still be dribbling fuel when off.
By 100,000 miles each will have operated around 300,000,000 times.
Brianmoooore wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:14 pm
In that case, getting them professionally rebuilt and balanced would be the first thing to do. Their flow rates will be way down on what they should be, some will be injecting more fuel than others, their spray patterns are likely to be far from ideal, and one or more may still be dribbling fuel when off.
By 100,000 miles each will have operated around 300,000,000 times.
Wow, the bosch injectors on e30 are really that bad?
I had a VW polo G40 with the same millage and no problems at all with injectors.
I also have a Honda b16 engine with 160000 miles and also no problem with injectors.
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Brianmoooore
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Sun Sep 29, 2019 6:09 pm

The Honda and VW injectors will probably have deteriorated worse than the BMW ones if they are four pintel ones. The difference is that the more sophisticated management on these engines will compensate for the average of the fuel injected, although this will leave some cylinders weak and some rich.
All your injectors are long overdue for rebuilds.
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blood69
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Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:52 am

OK, so your saying that a best engine management on VW and Honda are compensation possible bad injectors than BMW ones?
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Brianmoooore
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Mon Sep 30, 2019 11:54 pm

Most (UK) E30s do not have lambda sensors to determine if the average fuel mixture across all the cylinders is weak or rich. The ECU just assumes that the injectors are within spec., and applies pulses to them of the length that should give the correct mixture.
The later systems on the VW and Honda use lambda sensors to form a feedback loop to correct the average mixture strength, but a leaking injector on one cylinder will fool the electronics into running the other cylinders weak, possibly dangerously so.
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blood69
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Tue Oct 01, 2019 12:46 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Mon Sep 30, 2019 11:54 pm
Most (UK) E30s do not have lambda sensors to determine if the average fuel mixture across all the cylinders is weak or rich. The ECU just assumes that the injectors are within spec., and applies pulses to them of the length that should give the correct mixture.
The later systems on the VW and Honda use lambda sensors to form a feedback loop to correct the average mixture strength, but a leaking injector on one cylinder will fool the electronics into running the other cylinders weak, possibly dangerously so.
Ok, Understood. Also mine doesn't have O2 sensor, so i should check the injectors.
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Tue Oct 01, 2019 2:35 pm

Without an O2 sensor, the ECU doesn't know how much the injector flows will have reduced by now, and so will be making no attempt to compensate. The mixture will almost certainly be weaker than it should, which is consistent with what you were trying to achieve in your OP.
Full injector rebuilds, returning them to new spec. aren't particularly expensive. There's a trader on here offering the service for £10 per injector, although I realise that this might be of no use to you, living where you do.
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blood69
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Tue Oct 01, 2019 5:59 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Tue Oct 01, 2019 2:35 pm
Without an O2 sensor, the ECU doesn't know how much the injector flows will have reduced by now, and so will be making no attempt to compensate. The mixture will almost certainly be weaker than it should, which is consistent with what you were trying to achieve in your OP.
Full injector rebuilds, returning them to new spec. aren't particularly expensive. There's a trader on here offering the service for £10 per injector, although I realise that this might be of no use to you, living where you do.
I can have the injectors rebuild for 30€ a piece where i live. But for now i'm concentration on the AFM, with a little cleaning on the track the car smooth out a lot.
I think the next steep will be adjusting the needle to cover new surface on the carbon track, ensuring no jumps on the Omhs reading. If it smooths out even more i'm discarding the injectors for now.
The rest of it it was all changed, Fuel Pump, Crank-Sensor, Throttle Sensor, All the ignition system, Ohms checked on the Ignition Coil, new head-gasket with head all rebuild and de-carbed. No Vaccum leaks, etc. Compression looked good and does not drink oil.
Mods on Engine just an Electric Fan, Cold Air Intake and a less restrictive muffler.
So i guess the problems will be mostly AFM related.

But i'm not done with the Potentiometer experience :mrgreen: , still want to test the other wires.
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Brianmoooore
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Tue Oct 01, 2019 6:36 pm

Without injectors working to spec., you are chasing unicorns by playing around with the AFM signal. At best you will end up with fuel mixture control no better than that offered by carburetors - correct at two points at the most.
The thing about having the injectors rebuilt is that it is an investment, not an expense. Injectors working properly will reduce fuel consumption for the same power, so they'll pay for themselves, then make a profit.
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blood69
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Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:49 am

Brianmoooore wrote:
Tue Oct 01, 2019 6:36 pm
Without injectors working to spec., you are chasing unicorns by playing around with the AFM signal. At best you will end up with fuel mixture control no better than that offered by carburetors - correct at two points at the most.
The thing about having the injectors rebuilt is that it is an investment, not an expense. Injectors working properly will reduce fuel consumption for the same power, so they'll pay for themselves, then make a profit.
Good point, also gonna review the Fuel Pressure Regulator, probably its still the same from factory :mad:
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Brianmoooore
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Wed Oct 02, 2019 10:27 am

blood69 wrote:
Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:49 am
gonna review the Fuel Pressure Regulator, probably its still the same from factory :mad:
It probably is, and non the worse for it - one of the most reliable part on the car. They can be damaged by someone connecting the two fuel hoses the wrong way around, although this is rare, but apart from that, the only other thing that very rarely happens is that the diaphragm punctures, allowing fuel to flow along the reference vacuum pipe, into the inlet manifold. This can be checked by adding a temporary section of clear hose to the vacuum pipe, so that any fuel passing through it at idle can be seen.
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blood69
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Wed Oct 02, 2019 3:46 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Wed Oct 02, 2019 10:27 am
blood69 wrote:
Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:49 am
gonna review the Fuel Pressure Regulator, probably its still the same from factory :mad:
It probably is, and non the worse for it - one of the most reliable part on the car. They can be damaged by someone connecting the two fuel hoses the wrong way around, although this is rare, but apart from that, the only other thing that very rarely happens is that the diaphragm punctures, allowing fuel to flow along the reference vacuum pipe, into the inlet manifold. This can be checked by adding a temporary section of clear hose to the vacuum pipe, so that any fuel passing through it at idle can be seen.
I remember checking it once, the vaccum out of the FPR smelled a bit like fuel, but the hose has dry, so i guess it still has some more miles until it goes.
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blood69
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Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:48 pm

I finally did it, it was the bottom wire that i had to intercept the signal, probably its the one that sends voltage to the DME. Now i have full control of the voltage sent to the DME.
I set the maximum tension i could get on the AFM to became leaner, now with the flick of a switch i can enrich the fuel ratio.
The difference is awesome, just 70ohms of ajustment the power comes sooner and all the way to the 6600rpm rev limiter.
Like you said, im probably masking injector and flat spots on the AFM problems but so far looks good. Need to do some more testing.
P_20191013_151922_vHDR_On.jpg
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