HELP LQ4 swap VE tuning spark advance qustion.

[Frank_Castle]

Hey everyone,

Background:
I am a full time student working on my doctorate in physical therapy. I have done mechanic work all of my life and love working on and driving cool cars. My most recent project has been doing an ls swap on a 1990 nissan 240sx hatch. I have been working on this car in my spare time for about three years now, using it as a means to blow off some steam and take my mind off of school. However it has recently become a means of more frustration than relaxation. I'm new to tuning but would love to get this thing lined out so I can enjoy a few months of nice weather before winter.

Car Details:
1990 240sx, stock 2003 LQ4 block and heads, ls1 intake and stock injectors, walbro 450 pump with new lines and regulator fuel filter, CAI, reverse truck manifolds with front crossover and up/down pipe (for future turbo application) and single 3in exhaust, 2004 5.3 ecu and harness that I modified according to lt1swap.com, th350 with 3000 stall converter, and welded rear diff.


Question:
I have just recently started trying to tune the VE table but noticed that my timing has been really crazy and I am getting max KR with almost every acceleration. Should I continue to log more drives, and collect data to reshape my VE table then address the spark issue or should I adjust the spark table first? I would appreciate some guidance and any advice to help.

These are the most recent tune and log files as well as my channel configs.

nissan 5.3tune 8-24-19 2.hpt
240sx drive log 8-24-19 2.hpl
channels 8-18-19.Channels.xml

[jon1440]

Theres guys on here that know far more than I but I would look into your burst knock settings. I've had similar problem and completely voided those settings. Burst knock from what I was told is just a calculation based on god knows what and helps to prevent actual knock from happening. Looks like that is what you might be experiencing. Your timing doesn't look crazy. If that's your stock timing table I'd continue to use it. Pulling 8 degrees seems like a lot for the based on the commanded timing. I couldn't see your afr errors but you'll have a hell of a time dialing in the ve if your timing is being pulled.

[5FDP]

Swap vehicle can be weird sometimes and sometimes it can be from settings in the computer that may not jive but not always.

For the sake of this swap. Because you are no longer running the stock 4L60e transmission it's often not a good idea to switch the transmission type unless you are segment swapping. Put that back to a 4L60e. Go through the master DTC list and disable all codes related to the transmission by settings them to no error reported with the SES box unchecked.

Disable the abuse mode on the engine side too. Also disable burst knock cylinder air delta, set it to 8.000

With that done I'd then see if you get a pending/current knock sensor code for any of the 3 available. If one is present it can make the computer pull the maximum allowed timing which is 8 degrees. Many times the knock sensors will be fine and same with the harness, so the codes have to be disabled and normally stops the timing from being pulled.

[jon1440]

5FDP, I'm looking at the same settings and have my cylinder air delta set to 8. In editor I have two other settings, Both under Maximum Spark Retard-(1 vs. rpm PE) and (2 vs. map-non PE). This is placed right under the Burst Knock setting listed above. Do these two have anything to do with Burst knock. I want spark retard to happen only when necessary. Thanks

[Frank_Castle]

Thanks for such quick responses.

I made all of the changes that you suggested and made another log. I am still getting the KR with acceleration. I also checked the codes and there were no pending or current knock sensor codes before or after the log.

also, jon1440, my WB is an AEM X series using the analog 5v output through the AC pressure switch. I'm using transformations for AFR and AFR err.

Newest log: 240sx drive log 8-24-19 3.hpl

Updated tune file: nissan 5.3tune 8-24-19 3.hpt

[5FDP]

As a test, disable the knock sensor codes. See if that stops it from pulling the 8 degrees of timing.

[Frank_Castle]

I drove it up the road and back again before disabling the knock sensor codes, scanned it and sure enough there was a code. I then did as you said, disabled the codes and went for another drive. It didn't giving me any KR on that trip was wasn't nearly as boggy as it had been on previous trips. Now, the real question is what do I do from here?

Knock sensor codes disabled log:240sx drive log 8-24-19 4.hpl

[5FDP]

You could replace the sensors and harness with new parts and hope the code stops or just leave the codes disabled if the sensors still work. That's kinda your only two options.

Past that, go ahead and start calibrating the rest. Get MAF/VE done and start adding in timing.

[Frank_Castle]

Thanks for the help, Ill give it a shot.

[55Belair]

Happy I landed on this thread. I have an LQ4 swapped into a '55 Belair that is acting the exact same way. I suspect a set of Ebay knock sensors as the culprits. I'm going to disable the codes and see if the 8* of KR goes away. Thanks for posting.