Anatomy of bad ECS.

[Toni]

After checking all my wiring and manually actuating the strut, it seems the computer must be wacky. I replaced the caps like 7 years ago but I'm thinking the leaky caps did some slow damage and it finally went.

Here's what it looks like when the ECS computer can't figure out the position of the strut.

We start off in sport mode, then try to go into tour but it reverts back to sport and throws an error.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29716828/carstuff/badecs_scope.png

[duke3k]

Toni,

Thats pretty cool. What signal wires are you pulling those pulse trains from? Are they coming from the strut position signal wires? or is that output from the diagnostic port?

Duke3k

ps. looks like your using a Salae logic analyzer. Nice unit.

[Toni]

Pulling them right at the position switch wires at the plug going into the ECS computer. I like to use pin needles stuck into the plug to sample without damaging or cutting the wire open.

[duke3k]

Toni,

Thats a cool way to test if you've got needle probes. btw- when both position switch signals are reading HIGH - that's medium mode on the struts.

duke3k

[Toni]

Yeah I've checked out the tech info manual on the system. It's pretty sweet. All the anti-roll dive, squat etc is awesome for a system in a car 20+ years ago. To me, there doesn't seem to be enough difference between tour and sport to warrant a medium mode, at least manually selecting it.

[DocHoliday]

Yeah I've checked out the tech info manual on the system. It's pretty sweet. All the anti-roll dive, squat etc is awesome for a system in a car 20+ years ago. To me, there doesn't seem to be enough difference between tour and sport to warrant a medium mode, at least manually selecting it.

Thoughts on whether it's worth keeping the system vs going for aftermarket struts?

[green-lantern]

So was this the problem that was causing the car to run bad?

[Toni]

Nope, bad PTU. I updated the other thread accordingly.

[Toni]

Thoughts on whether it's worth keeping the system vs going for aftermarket struts?

I like the drive-ability of stock tour/sport but there is only so much performance you can gain with lowering springs.

[DrGonzo]

For normal driving I leave mine set to medium mode. Soft is just too bouncy for me on Intrax springs. Hard for when I'm doing high speed cornering and drag racing.

I really need to get my selector know and LED's working again on my Techworks controller. I think I messed up the wiring when I got the stereo installed in the trunk. I'm using the stock ecs switch in the meantime till I can figure out my wiring foobar...

[familyMAN]

If I remove the whole ecs and wiring, what happens to my shock settings...if "medium" I'd be ecstatic:D.

[Toni]

For normal driving I leave mine set to medium mode. Soft is just too bouncy for me on Intrax springs. Hard for when I'm doing high speed cornering and drag racing.

I really need to get my selector know and LED's working again on my Techworks controller. I think I messed up the wiring when I got the stereo installed in the trunk. I'm using the stock ecs switch in the meantime till I can figure out my wiring foobar...

Does the techworks actually do the additional functionality of the ecs with speed/tps/g/steering etc and do active changes?


If I remove the whole ecs and wiring, what happens to my shock settings...if "medium" I'd be ecstatic:D.
You pull the ecs after you've selected what you want mode you want to be left in. With a stock setup, only tour or sport.

[DrGonzo]

Does the techworks actually do the additional functionality of the ecs with speed/tps/g/steering etc and do active changes?


No. it only allows you to set the mode soft/medium/hard and has a full built in test mode that tests each strut individually.

I believe that the stock one only uses the G , Steering and TPS sensor to make adjustments. G sensor is a single axis that will adjust the strut based on take-off to stop squatting and hard braking to stop nose dive. Steering combined with TPS is used for roll control. I know it was discussed that using a single dual axis G-sensor would be much easier then using the signals from three different sensors. The stock adjustments are only done in Tour mode, Sport mode locks the struts into Hard mode and does no adjustments. I would rather have the ability to just set a specific mode then rely on the system setting various modes based on inputs as their will be a delay on setting the different modes as you drive. it also adds in multiple points of failure for the system itself along with the known issues of it interfering with ECU signals.

[Toni]

Does the techworks have a dual axis g sensor? Or was that just discussion?

[DrGonzo]

Just a discussion.

[anyonebutme]

It's probably a multi axis G sensor, because it also sends heave information to the ECS computer. The ECS computer also uses speed information.

The factors for switching modes is outlined in the TIM.

[duke3k]

Gonzo's correct - techworks is a pure manual controller - no sensor inputs . The only inputs it does take are feeds from the signal switches inside the struts and the ECS switch (Oem or rotary add-on.)

p.s

Also Gonzo - as long as your on the thread- I have a new firmware update for your controller ( & anybody else who has a unit). I'll PM you the details but basically it's better diagnostics.

[DrGonzo]

Cool, I'm still needing to sit down and figure out what I did to my rotary switch. I'll have more motivation to get it fixed once my ECU has been repaired and the car is running again.


Gonzo's correct - techworks is a pure manual controller - no sensor inputs . The only inputs it does take are feeds from the signal switches inside the struts and the ECS switch (Oem or rotary add-on.)

p.s

Also Gonzo - as long as your on the thread- I have a new firmware update for your controller ( & anybody else who has a unit). I'll PM you the details but basically it's better diagnostics.