I Think I Screwed Up My ECU - Please Help

Eleanor Owner · 07-21-2009, 08:24 PM

Please bare with me here. Im desperate and my baby is hurtin':

1. Bought an ASP 177.6mm (178mm) pulley about 3 years ago and had been running it WITHOUT any sort of ECU tune until a month ago. It was running like a complete monster and never once did I have any problems.

2. About a month ago, a friend with factory MB software (ex tech) told me he would adjust my A/F ratio and minimum octane rating (to 87) to get more power out of the car. Said it looked like my engine temps were a little high b/c of the pulley's extra air

3. He set the A/F to a 20% increase in fuel, and I did a road rally that weekend. The car guzzled a tank seeing as it was running PIG RICH and I only got power between 3-5k RPM. It was also slower than an E500

4. After the rally I realize that the car reeks of fuel and I end up having to replace the fuel lines and a leaking fuel level sensor and gasket (b/c of the increase in fuel?

)

5. We go back and reset the A/F to 0%, then make it a 10% increase (have to first reset to 0% to reset any auto-adaptations the ECU might have made). CEL had been on earlier (b/c of the constantly changing 02 values) and then I get a code saying one of my 02 sensors had shorted out. I drive to Vegas, and again the car reeeeks of fuel (smell coming from the exhaust, not the engine bay where the fuel lines were replaced).

6. Drove back from Vegas and everything was fine except power is still way down (esp. in the mid-RPM range). Now, somehow the CEL is gone (the one that was for the shorted 02 sensor) and there is no smell of gas.

Still though, the car is slower than it was before this whole mess. I am very fearful of running a car that is too lean, but I had been driving it like I stole it for 3 years with this ASP pulley and there has NEVER been a problem! Should I just reset all of my values to stock and pretend this never happened? Should I pony up and get a Renntech or LET, etc. tune? I just want my old power back...

Any tips/hints/thoughts/suggestions?

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chiromikey · 07-21-2009, 09:18 PM

iirc, setting octane to 87 tells your car that's what you're running and it will retard timing to allow you to run 87 without detonation. set it back to the factory setting so your ecu will give your timing back.

LB63 · 07-21-2009, 09:45 PM

I agree, put it back to the way it was before. If you want the most out of your pulley I would suggest you get a tune from a reputable shop that has a dyno so you can verify the changes help, not hinder, your car.

Vadim @ FD · 07-21-2009, 10:02 PM

Does not make any sense.

Unless he has a DEVELOPER version of STAR , he has no ability to affect A/F ratio this dramatically.

Have him go back to where you were and start from there.

If he can not do it, have dealer flash it back to the latest stock setting.

Good Luck!

Eleanor Owner · 07-22-2009, 03:47 AM

Thanks everybody. I appreciate it. Going back to 100% stock tomorrow. I'll let you all know how it goes.

TopEndS62 · 07-22-2009, 11:13 AM

MAybe i'm slow or someone can explain,

why would he think that setting the minimum octane rating (to 87) would get you more power out of the car??

thanks

JonMBZ · 07-22-2009, 11:20 AM

Sounds weird.. most mb techs do not do performance tuning I would stick to the professionals in this area before he does major damage to your car.

Fast55 · 07-22-2009, 11:52 AM

I would not run the car 1 minute longer in its present state of tune. More than one 55K motor has been lost to over rich conditions! What you're describing would have to be so rich, I would not be at all surprised if it has already suffered cylinder wall/piston damage. Keep that idiot away from your car and do a leak down test on every cylinder ASAP.

JustPete · 07-22-2009, 01:46 PM

Sounds like you loaded your cats which could also explain the CEL on the O2 sensors.

Timeless · 07-22-2009, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopEndS62

MAybe i'm slow or someone can explain,

why would he think that setting the minimum octane rating (to 87) would get you more power out of the car??

thanks

Exactly what I was thinking. Powerchips set mine to 93 octane since that is what I use here....supposedly to increase timing and horsepower.

Eleanor Owner · 07-22-2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timeless

Exactly what I was thinking. Powerchips set mine to 93 octane since that is what I use here....supposedly to increase timing and horsepower.

Yes, it changes the timing to run higher octane fuel more efficiently.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vadim @ FD

Does not make any sense.

Unless he has a DEVELOPER version of STAR , he has no ability to affect A/F ratio this dramatically.

Have him go back to where you were and start from there.

If he can not do it, have dealer flash it back to the latest stock setting.

Good Luck!

He does have the developer version. That thing is so crazy, you can literally change every single thing about the car. There are also part numbers for things that we didnt even know existed (think bulletproofing).

We changed everything back to stock values today. Probably going to replace the faulty O2 tomorrow and then do the reset one more time to make sure everything is all good. Haven't punched it yet to see how it drives, but from what I can feel, the jumpiness is back

Vadim @ FD · 07-22-2009, 09:52 PM

Good Luck, my friend!

Ali_E55 · 07-23-2009, 04:51 AM

mine is set to slightly Rich

will it damage my engine !!

my tech did it before because the fuel pressure was low.

but then i changed my Fuel pupmsand assembly but didn't reset it back to normal

is it ok ?

stevebez · 07-24-2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ali_E55

mine is set to slightly Rich

will it damage my engine !!

my tech did it before because the fuel pressure was low.

but then i changed my Fuel pupmsand assembly but didn't reset it back to normal

is it ok ?

Need to check your a/f ratios... anything lower than 10 and I would have it remedied... Who did your tune?

Running rich is a way to overcome detonation as the extra fuel cools things down.... so a little rich is probably required if you have a bigger pulley / mods and much better than a little lean, well safer at least.

btw, and apologies to the OP ... Is there anyway to get a/f from autoengenuity / datalogger without a sniffer?

07-21-2009, 09:45 PM	#3
LB63 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LB & OC Posts: 186 Drives: E63	I agree, put it back to the way it was before. If you want the most out of your pulley I would suggest you get a tune from a reputable shop that has a dyno so you can verify the changes help, not hinder, your car. __________________ Eric 09 X5 4.8 xDrive 08 E63 P30

07-21-2009, 10:02 PM	#4
Vadim @ FD SPONSOR Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 2,854 Drives: S600TT, R350	Does not make any sense. Unless he has a DEVELOPER version of STAR , he has no ability to affect A/F ratio this dramatically. Have him go back to where you were and start from there. If he can not do it, have dealer flash it back to the latest stock setting. Good Luck! __________________

07-22-2009, 11:13 AM	#6
TopEndS62 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY/Tampa, FL Posts: 397 Drives: 2005 BLK/BLK E-Double Nickel.	MAybe i'm slow or someone can explain, why would he think that setting the minimum octane rating (to 87) would get you more power out of the car?? thanks __________________ 2005 M. BENZ E55 AMG(Lifetime labor warranty(ME)) A BUNCH OF BMWs(SOLD) Alot of ACURAS(SOLD)

07-22-2009, 11:20 AM	#7
JonMBZ Super Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: California Posts: 890 Drives: 06 C55	Sounds weird.. most mb techs do not do performance tuning I would stick to the professionals in this area before he does major damage to your car. __________________ Resonator + Rear Cats Deleted

07-22-2009, 11:52 AM	#8
Fast55 MBWorld Fanatic! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Ventura County USA Posts: 1,937 Drives: '06 E55, '05 SLK55, a few others	I would not run the car 1 minute longer in its present state of tune. More than one 55K motor has been lost to over rich conditions! What you're describing would have to be so rich, I would not be at all surprised if it has already suffered cylinder wall/piston damage. Keep that idiot away from your car and do a leak down test on every cylinder ASAP. __________________ Now, signature free!

07-21-2009, 09:18 PM	#2
chiromikey MBWorld Fanatic! Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,653 Drives: '03 E55, Ducati 748R	iirc, setting octane to 87 tells your car that's what you're running and it will retard timing to allow you to run 87 without detonation. set it back to the factory setting so your ecu will give your timing back.

07-22-2009, 03:47 AM	#5
Eleanor Owner MBWorld Fanatic! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Los Angeles, 90210 Posts: 1,256 Drives: W211 AMG	Thanks everybody. I appreciate it. Going back to 100% stock tomorrow. I'll let you all know how it goes.

07-22-2009, 01:46 PM	#9
JustPete Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 426 Drives: CLS55 AMG 030	Sounds like you loaded your cats which could also explain the CEL on the O2 sensors. __________________

07-22-2009, 09:52 PM	#12
Vadim @ FD SPONSOR Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 2,854 Drives: S600TT, R350	Good Luck, my friend! __________________

07-23-2009, 04:51 AM	#13
Ali_E55 Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Abu dhabi Posts: 285 Drives: E55, LS460L	mine is set to slightly Rich will it damage my engine !! my tech did it before because the fuel pressure was low. but then i changed my Fuel pupmsand assembly but didn't reset it back to normal is it ok ? __________________ OEM 82mm TB with (80mm stuffs), 170mm pulley, PowerChip (Jeremy) ECU Tune, Deleted Catalysts, Deleted Resonaters, Phenolic Spacer Kit, VRP Short Headers, BMC Filters, white carbon fiber spoiler, H/E, CM30 IC pump. 570hp, 877NM @ 35C Temp

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