car computers

From: Joe <rigdonj_at_intellistar.net>
Date: Sun Aug 16 23:03:38 1998

At 11:40 PM 8/16/98 -0400, you wrote:
>On Sun, 16 Aug 1998, Tony Duell wrote:
>> > A quick question... How many people know how to work on their cars? How
>> > many drive older vehicles without as much "black-box" stuff?
> - - -
>> When I learn to drive I intend to get a car with (as R.A. Pease said)
>> 'the right number of computers controlling the engine - none' !
>
>I'm kind of surprised to hear that attitude around here! ;) I've never
>been able to touch a carburetor without f**ing it up. Fixing, let alone
>tuning one, seems to be black magic.
>
>EFI on the other hand is logical; if you can follow directions and run a
>DVM, you can fix it!

  So are carburators. You just have to study how they work and learn what
part does what and when. I can make a Carter AFB do anything including
sing. You should hear two of those on a 426 Hemi at WOT!

 And if you tweak the engine for more efficiency,
>many of them automatically compensate -- no need to swap out jets and
>other mechanical parts by trial end error.

  Yes but I can still swap a jet faster than I can burn an EPROM! The big
advantage of the EFI is that it's more precise than a carburator, can
monitor and adjust for more conditions and employs feed back sensors for
even more precise control.

>
>And if you want to get hard-core and do your own mods, those "black boxes"
>are just embedded microprocessors with a relatively small program. Many
>are off the shelf chips w. documented instrution sets. A few talented &
>adventuresome folks have even reverse-hacked some proprietary ones; like
>Clark Steppler of Jim Wolf Technology who can make a Nissan EFI computer
>do almost anything.
>
>So back to the original question: cars are my main hobby, and I'm all for
>electronics. My 122 cubic-inch Nissan econo-box turns mid 14 second runs
>at the drag strip; akin to getting a MIP out of one of 'dem Altairs. Yee
>ha :)

   Yeah, just stuff in a P II mobo!

    Another motor-head!
>
> -wayne
>
>
>
Received on Sun Aug 16 1998 - 23:03:38 BST

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