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78 280 ms2 3.57 dizzy/ignition wiring


Flak280z

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Hi all.  been searching, but can’t find definitive answers.  Have a 78z that I’m turbo converting and using ms2 3.57 diy kit, no spark system.  I think I wired my turbo dizzy correctly, signal and ground from shielded wire, shielding wire going to ground, and 12v from ms.  Is that all I need?  Seen a lot of talk about swapping CAS and trigger wheel.

Also, for the coil wiring, from my understanding, I install ms power wire to positive side and the old blue wire to negative for tach??  I’ve also read about replacing the ignition module and snipping off the old resistor under the dash.

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You shouldn't need to snip the resistor for the tach.  Might actually be a bad idea.  Just disconnect the original module by the fusebox and leave the blue wire connected at the coil so the tach can count sparks.  somebody on another forum just had a similar problem.  They forgot to disconnect the module but after they did everything worked fine with the resistor on the tach line.

 

Have you looked through the several installation articles out there?  I think that the swap to the DIY CAS wheel just make things more likely to work correctly.  "More friendly" as DIY Autotune says.  Something to keep in mind if you have problems.  Good luck.  Post a startup video.

 

https://www.diyautotune.com/product/54-mm-optical-trigger-wheel-for-nissan-l28et-or-vg30e/

 

https://forums.hybridz.org/forum/93-megasquirt/

 

https://www.diyautotune.com/support/tech/install

 

 

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Appreciate the reply, helpful as always NewZed :hail:  The articles I have looked at usually either pertain to MSnS (skittle) or is outdated (moby).  I figured the CAS wheel was more of a precaution.  Most of my research came up talking about "lessening noise."  I bought their relay box, but it's a pretty crappy setup IMO.  Requires a lot of reduntant wiring for fuses and such.  I'll post progress in my Turbo thread in the L6 forum.

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Posted (edited)

Welp, I’m not getting spark to the plugs.  I have fuel, and 12v to the coil, but no spark.  Tested with an inline spark tester and timing light, nothing.  In tunerstudio, the rpm gauge does not move when cranking.  Got this DIY kit from GRW, so it already has the BIP373 on it.  Would this point to the trigger wheel?  I’m going to order the one you mentioned Newzed, do I need the cas too?  Any spark help would be appreciated.

Edited by Flak280z
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I got the tach input signal to work somehow in tunerstudio.  I get a solid 200 rpm crank.  Spark output test shows nothing.  I am getting 11.9v to the coil.  I have tested and tried 2 coils to no avail.  One of them being a flamethrower, both have good ohm readings. I'm thinking it may be a Megasquirt internal issue?  I have the BIP373.  Attached is my ignition stuff, let me know if I have something wrong.  I tried D14 for output and it is currently set to going low because my coil was getting hot in going high.

image.png.5278b74addff3e270ba1d1e69af68a83.png

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I don't know much about TunerStudio but can you see the coil control signals?  In other words does it show that the current is being turned on and turned off?  That's what causes spark, the turning off of the current.

 

11.9 volts is low, implying that the negative side of the coil is grounded.  But it should only be grounded through the Megasquirt circuit, no other circuits.  You might try disconnecting the connection to Megasquirt and seeing if the coil still has a voltage drop.  You might have a short to ground on the negative side of the coil.  With Megasquirt disconnected from the coil the voltage should match battery voltage exactly since no currrent is flowing.

 

The other thing connected to the coil negative is the tachometer trigger.  A shorted tachometer could cause the problem, for example, although that is unusual.

 

You didn't confirm that the old igntion module is completely disconnected.  If the blue wire from the coil is accidentally grounded it will cause a problem like yours.

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I think I can use the tooth trigger thing to view coil signal, but I have to read up on how to use that to provide good info to you guys.  I traced the circuit from the battery, relays, fuse box, ignition, and it drops a few volts, but I think it's because I went from 10g to 16g wire.  I'll see using a higher gauge fixes the drop issue, if not I''ll look for grounding.  Removing tachometer wire had no effect.

 

Tomorrow, I will also try manually sparking the coil, to make sure the coil is working outside of megasquirt.  If that works, I think I might have to contact Godzilla RW, maybe I got a defective BIP

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It's not the votage drop that matters it's what the voltage drop indicates.  No spark will be created if the current through the coil is not stopped.

 

You could also disconnect the coil negative at the coil and check the wire for continuity to ground, key off.  Disconnect the wire, put one meter probe on the end and the other probe on a good bare piece of metal or the engine block.  You should get OL or infinite/huge ohms on your meter.

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Posted (edited)

Just tested that, it read at 0 ohm from multiple test spots.  Tomorrow I guess I have to trace to where it's grounding out.  Thanks for bearing with my wiring novice-ness. 

 

edit: pulled the signal wire out of the conduit all the way up to the connector and found no breaks or issues.  I took apart my ecu and the BIP looks perfect, no burns or damage.  No weird smells either.  Is there a way I can test the BIP with a multimeter?  How should I proceed?

Edited by Flak280z
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BIP chip is not getting power at key on, and therefore, not triggering the spark signal.  What gives the chip power before JS10?  I want to trace the circuit back to find the voltage break.

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How are you measuring power at the transistor?  Are you probing the board? Did you pick the correct pin?

 

You're in to electronics world now.  Here's a couple of links that might help.  I've never been in to a Megasquirt board I'm just commenting based on the basics.  Maybe you'll see something in the diagram.  There's a fuse or two but it seems like the whole unit would be down if it blew. 

 

Maybe the BIP373 is damaged, although they say it's very durable in the link I gave above.  But in their chip upgrade, linked below, they call it "infamous".  Who knows, their description above and the link below are kind of contradictory.  Good luck.

 

https://www.diyautotune.com/support/tech/other/grounds/

 

https://www.diyautotune.com/product/coil-driver-kit/

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I was just using a multimeter.  Yes, I used the left leg, which is circuited to the IGNIN, which is jumped to the JS10 port. I could very well be completely wrong in measuring it that way. 

 

I've been trying to do reading, but cannot really find any forums posts across here, DIYauto, and MS forums pertaining to measuring or testing BIP chips.  I know it's probably not a great way to find info on specific board upgrades, but I just threw my problems into chatGPT and according to that, it should get voltage, maybe not during key on, but definitely when cranking, as that is when it signals the coil to fire.

 

I think I might have short circuited the chip when trying to start it over the past few days, but it could have come from GRW defective, not sure.  The fuel circuit works fine, and the injectors all trigger when using the tester in TunerStudio.  That's why I'm leaning towards a chip issue rather than the board being fried.  Maybe buying the DIY and saving $600 over the PnP kit from GRW wasn't worth it.

 

Side rant on Godzilla RW, I'm not very happy with them or their products.  I wouldn't buy the relay board from them, they upcharge quiet a bit.  You can buy the same TunerMods relay box WITH the wiring harness premade for $60 vs their $100 box with NO harness and crappy tab style connectors.  Also, they pointed me to DIYAuto's tech support when I reached out about the BIP chip not firing off.  It could very well have come from them bad.  DIYAuto responded to me and said because GRW does the modding for the single coil when you buy it from them, DIY cannot help with tech support.  I have also had emails go unanswered, and it took over 3 weeks for them to ship my harness in the first place because somehow it got "lost in translation" with their shipping manager.

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The power to the chip would come through the trace on the board.  It's hard on the eyes but you can follow the trace back to its source.  You might find a burn mark or a cut.  The board might not be ruined if you find something.  People repair circuit boards.  If you put the board together yourself then the odds of a wrong/bad solder are higher, I'd guess.  I'd go back and check my work.

 

By the way, you can buy inexpensive transistor testers.  No idea which are good or not.  Even Harbor Freight's cheapo multimeter has one.  Really though, if there's no power on the board trace even a good transistor won't work right.  Not an expert...

 

Just for fun - https://www.harborfreight.com/electrical/electrician-s-tools/multimeters-testers/7-function-digital-multimeter-59434.html

 

image.png.3ef345c448c29cf0e520c4e786956a88.png

 

 

 

 

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The board looks to be in great condition, and no visible issues or smells are apparent.  Also, because the fuel circuit and everything else works, I would like to assume the board is ok, but I know I cannot rule it out.  I tested the chip, and get a reading of 1352 from the emitter side (I think), and 0.02 from the collector side.  I would assume this drop would indicate and issue with the chip.

 

Thank you for teaching me NewZed and following along.  I really appreciate the help.  Hoping the new chip coming in the next day or two will solve this weird issue.  Wish something would just drop in and work from time to time.  I guess that's the pleasure of working on these rust buckets.  :2thumbs:

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Posted (edited)

Good news, replacing the transistor solved my spark issue.  The car wants to start, but is very lean.  A new issue I am having is with my AFR's.  My AEM 30-0300 gauge is reading at around 15 AFR, meanwhile, in tunerstudio, it reads 19.  I have my wideband in tunerstudio set to AEM 30-3xx, but it will not read the same values.  

 

Should I change required fuel or my fuel tables to incorporate more fuel, and how should I try to solve my afr issue?  I tried inputting custom linear wideband values, and that helped bring down tunerstudio's values, but that is pretty ghetto, and still wasn't synced to my AEM gauge.  I have tried both ground the gauge to the ECU ground and it's own ground, same issue.

DG280zTune.msq

Edited by Flak280z
attached msq
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