ESM Chips - Information & Help

[JIMBO]

Gerald at GST Performance road tested my car after fitting the replacement suspension and
bushes on my car. He got overboost, something that I had learned to avoid by limiting the revs.

He then fitted Alan's Everest chip and tried again. After several attempts he could not reproduce
the overboost. Great news.
The next step is to fit the LGM turbo upgrade, followed by 3 Bar map sensor and bigger injectors.

I cant wait to try it.

Well done Alan, and please concider a chip change for the cars with upgraded turbo's. I would certainly
be prepared to pay any reasonable extra cost, and there are quite a few with this upgrade waiting
to be installed
Regards
Jim

[tigerdog]

Please post your results of the 3 Bar sensor combined with the ESM chip. From what I've observed, the MAP sensor puts out a reading that the computer interprets as being 1/3 lower than actual. Seems fueling is compensated by the roughly 1/3 larger injectors so everything "just works". BUT it also seems the boost numbers should be 1/3 higher than standard. 1.31 Bar seems to be engine-destruction territory.

Having written that, my 2560/3 Bar/550cc boosts to 9-10 PSI using stock engine management chip; according to this handy calculator, it corresponds to about .6 BAR at 100 ft above sea level. I expected more like .86 with the stock chip (.65 * 1.33333) I haven't figured out if this is a deficiency in my setup or just the nature of the combination of the 3 Bar sensor with the stock computer.

Until a few people have experience with the combination and report their results, I'd watch the boost gauge really closely when you put your boot in it...

[tonny006]

I have fitted an Everest chip and it is much quicker with the extra boost.

When i get stuck in traffic and the temp guage rises above 1/2 on the guage,if i accelerate away from the traffic it is running on reduced boost which looks like .4 - .45 untill it goes down to about 1/3

I know this is normal when it is cold but should it do this at this temperature or have i got a problem.

[Blue_Bullet]

Just got round to fitting my new toy last night.

Tried it on the lowest settings for a while to let the car "get used" to more boost again and to make sure that everything still works and slowly made my way up the programmes.

Then......... bloody hell ...... the thing shifts. Lovley piece of engineering, the remote looks right at place in the car.

Only one problem, i think i`ve got the dreaded boost creep, on the top program it goes like a train and then i get the fuel cut out. I have a larger bore exhaust so i`m not really suprised.

Ah well, a project for the winter months, removing and porting the wastegate. Bearing in mind that it had been stuck open for a few months it could probably do with a bit of a refurb anyway.

Can`t wait to get it done though

Hmmm or i have a FCD sat in the garage..............

Joking, just joking really, i can`t afford an engine rebuild

and put your air con switch back in!

[Steve_P]

Just fitted an Everest V4.5 this weekend, after disconnecting a BBR kit FCD/MBC which I've been running
for a number of years, recently with a Piper 2.25" exhaust - the car has always boosted to just shy
of 1 bar even at low revs <4000. Initially after fitting EV4.5 I could not get greater than ~0.75 bar, re-gapped
the plugs and reset the ignition timing and the boost now reaches ~0.9 bar on the gauge.

Question: If the throttle is wide open at > 3800rpm should the boost very quickly rise to 0.9 bar?

I've always been concerned at the potential damage that I might be inflicting on the engine with
the BBR, so much happier to have ditched the FCD and returned boost control to the ECU However,
I'd like to ensure that I'm getting the expected operation. The drivability is certainly far better with Alan's
chip

[Blue_Bullet]

What did you gap the plugs too?

I get the same about 0.75 on gauge, running with Peco and Everest!

I have a set of iridium plugs I haven't got round to fitting yet, and would like to get the gap perfect first!

[Steve_P]

I also have Iridium plugs and re-set the gap to 0.80mm - I checked the timing and it was 16-17 degrees
BTDC, after retarding the timing with some very small adjustments of the CAS the maximum boost
rose to ~0.9.

I thought that if the ECU was detecting knock with the timing slightly advanced it would
not allow full boost - retarding it seemed to work The rise to full boost just seems at bit slow, but
I've been using an MBC which allows a very fast boost pickup, which is both good and bad.

The Iridium plugs come set to 0.8mm IIRC, if you do adjust don't put any pressure on the tip as
you are likely to damage it, use some small pliars to bend the gound pin only

[Blue_Bullet]

Thanks a lot for your help!!!

Superb info

Do you goto ace cafe? maybe you could give me a hand???

[kenich]

I have had a look but not found the info anywhere yet. The settin you get

on the switcher. How do you know which number is set to which map. I guess i will know when in the car trying it, but is there a standard set of maps in a certain order? Would guess 1 is stock?

Cheers

[MPx]

Unless you asked for something special, the standard maps are listed in the Shop. This is copied from the 1499 V5 switcher for an S2. Worth chcking in the Shop for the exact version fitted to yours

The V5 package will be as follows

1.Garage mode 1499 (0.4bar maximum boost)
2.Stock 1499 (as Lotus released)
3.Kilimanjaro 1499 V4 (0.8 bar maximum boost)
4.Everest 1499 V4 (0.9 bar maximum boost)
5.Elysium 1499 V4 (0.95 bar maximum boost)
6.Kilimanjaro 1499 V5 (0.8 bar maximum boost)
7.Everest 1499 V5 (0.9 bar maximum boost)
8.Elysium 1499 V5 (0.95 bar maximum boost)
9.Garage mode 1499 (0.4bar maximum boost)
10.Stock 1499 (as Lotus released)
11.Kilimanjaro 1499 V4 (0.8 bar maximum boost)
12.Everest 1499 V4 (0.9 bar maximum boost)
13.Elysium 1499 V4 (0.95 bar maximum boost)
14.Kilimanjaro 1499 V5 (0.8 bar maximum boost)
15.Everest 1499 V5 (0.9 bar maximum boost)
16.Elysium 1499 V5 (0.95 bar maximum boost)

[steve matthews]

I was looking at this upgrade from the Everest but I do not
want 16 settings. Can I get maybe 5
Steve-w-new lady

[kenich]

thanks for your help, spent ages looking for it! That will be what im looking for thanks

[ESM]

I've just moved house. What a palaver. Anyway, after three and a half weeks BT finally managed to get the phone connected and I now have broadband back too. Apologies to everyone who had to wait for chips.

[dapinky]

Kennich,

I've got 2 switcher chips, both with different maps......

one was for closed loop system, with the early and late CO pot settings....

...the other has a set of maps for open loop, and a set for closed loop (with O2 sensor)....

They both came with a bit of paper to say which was on what number, and if you connect elanscan you will see a different PROM ID for each map....

...now i am used to it, i just drive on one setting (1) most of the time, (3) or (6) if i want it a bit quicker..... (7) is reserved for the track!

Steve W,

If you contact Alan, he will be able to put virtually any combination of maps onto a single chip set (up to 16), so there is ample choice available.........


....on a different note, with US ECU's being stupid prices, is there a potential market for running a UK ECU with a switcher chip to run UK maps, but then switching over to a FED system for any obligatory emmissions testing?????? Would that work??

[ESM]

There is no difference between the ECUs of any Lotus Elan turbo cars. Only the memcal varies to reflect differences in emission requirements. You can change any Elan Turbo ECU to suit any other Elan turbo with a simple memcal change (or chip installation) .

So you could buy a UK turbo ECU with a 9929 memcal, swap out the memcal for an appropriate one for your emission requirements (or fit a suitable chip) and install it in a US Elan with no problems.

[MPx]

Only the memcal varies to reflect differences in emission requirements.

This is probably a daft question showing my lack of understanding, but I'll ask anyway Alan. Can anything be done via a chip to produce a map that minimises emissions purely for MOT purposes? I've posted elsewhere that I have had an expensive and trying experience getting my S2 through its latest MOT. This year I fitted a V5 Switcher and a Piper 2.25" exhaust with sports cat and pre cat eliminator. Obviously the exhaust is the issue, but the guys at SWLC couldn't find a way to get CO2 within the limits without chopping out a bit of my new exhaust and temporarily sticking another cat in it. Is there another way? Cheers Mike

[GeoffSmith]

The key is which levels are being applied during the MoT Mike: 31st July 1995 is the cutoff date. Prior to that date, it is possible to pass without cats but after cats are essential. As your car was registered a few days before then, I would have thought you would fall in the first category BUT it may be complicated by being registered in Jersey until 2003. Think of all the polar bears you're saving though.

[Alan_C]

Hmmm...... Mike, what is your CO level at the moment? I converted my SE to closed loop and run a V5 with both open and closed PROMS on it, when in closed loop mode I get 0.5% CO. I wonder if a new lambda sensor would help you?

[MPx]

Thanks for that link Geoff - I'd been trying to find it cos I knew I'd read it but had failed thus far! I'll take Paul's VOSA flowcharts with me when I pick up the car so we can chat it through - and see if it failed against the correct test. I dont have the result figures to hand yet cutlea01...Phil's doing the B+C service now (belts etc) and I'm in Scotland for a couple of days so hope to pick it up Wednesday. All looking a bit tight for Malvern on Friday, so it may not get the planned/promised polish! I do know a new Lambda sensor was fitted as part of the process of trying to get it through the MOT though - and it made no difference.

[ESM]

One really important thing during an emission test is to make sure the engine is hot. As far as a special chip is concerned I guess I could turn up the idle speed a bit. That would probably improve things a bit.