Tuning Your Megasquirt System ..........................(Work in Progress !!!)

The Wonderful World of 'TunerStudio' - and there is a FREE Version !

In today's world the most important tools for tuning are no longer found in your toolbox.

Lets assume your engine is running properly ie a Spark Plug isn't dead or ignition lead damaged or tracking, or Head Gasket issues, (believe me seen it all & heard it all over the years)
and yes ....Megasquirt is really superb, but sadly it can't fix mechanical Issues ! - Which is often the case and peeps immediately go and blame the Megasquirt system lol !!.....

But, once all sorted - it's time to use TunerStudio, which brings you a whole new level of refinement for tuning software, and on all our MS System basic version is FREE !

With old V8 systems like Flapper, Hotwire, more so with GEMS & THOR V8s you have had to settle for whatever is loaded into the ECU - and - if this Engine & ECU configuration
(and often this is what we specialise in !) is transplanted from say a Dead 'P38' into your eagerly awaiting 90, you will have the issues of getting it to run...or even run at all.

On the more early systems this is sorting out wiring, but, on later ones 'Hacking' the Standard ECU is - (however well done) - still just 'A Clever Bodge' ....and often not cheap.

Getting your 'Beautifully Bodged' ECU & Hacked about wires running properly - thats a bigger issue - these ECUs have 'RAM' (can't be altered) vs 'EPROM' (EPROM are programmable chips)
and popping in & programming a EPROM is even more money, and if you aren't very clever, or careful, or throw lots of money at it - at best it won't run 'Right' for all sorts of reasons

Our MS1X, MS2X & MS3X systems are ALL fully tunable, mappable & more. Now say 'Hello' to 'Tuner Studio' developed by Phil Tobin & continues to get even better with each update.
There are several versions of TunerStudio available - it doesn't work on iPads & doesn't support OBD2 - but any old laptop from Win 98 upwards or buy a cheap 'Surface Pro' Tablet

A super whizz though what TunerStudio can do for you ...

Our view on Tuner Studio is it can give you TWO main functions.

1st. It's a free, and incredibly powerful 'Diagnostic' Tool.

This is often massively undersold as a key and huge benefit of TunerStudio you get in your toolkit for the future, forever, for free.

With pretty much any old Laptop - Windows 98 onwards (really we would recommend maybe XP as a base level OS) a ECU to Laptop Adapter Cable (we supply in all our kits) & you are away
..maybe nicer still is a cheap and cheerful Microsoft 'Surface Pro' Tablet off EBAY. These are often cheap and run Windows 10 or 11, (Just make sure it has blue tooth ability)
then add a 'BlueTooth' Adapter to your ECU, connect up, and you can then see everything going on with your engine - or not !.

Things like the CTS (Coolant Temp Sensor) often fail on V8s, if yours has the gauge will be BRIGHT RED and DEAD ! - So you can't miss it, same for Manifold Air Temperature, PWM,
Stepper Motor etc etc and much much more - and - it's all - for free !

Then there is the 2nd benefit of Tuner Studio.

The absolute ability to use the software to TUNE all the settings within your ECU, Fuel Map across the entire RPM range, Ignition too, maximising your AFR, sorting out 'Tickover' and
things like all the setting for a super smooth 'Starting From Cold', setting the engine up so there is a smooth drop in you RPM as is slowly warms up - ending at the tickover you have set
and at the engine coolant level you have set as the target to switch from WUE (Warm Up Enrichment) to Fuel & Spark Main Map to then drive away....

There is just so much you can do with this fantastic free software you will literally be amazed.

Now, being that Megasquirt is open source there are all sorts of tutorials on the internet of how it all works and what you can do with it.

For example there is the 'Autotune' facility - whilst this is really clever and brilliant it's not perfect - it really can do with having knowledge to interpret setting liking some whilst
discarding other data, this is often why sadly users either get into trouble, find themselves confused beyond belief .....or just plain giving up .....

This is such a shame because if you have made the move to 'Megasquirt' with all that each system has to offer it's sad that so many customer stick with the 'OK' base map we try to match to
their engines vs having the free TunerStudio software right there to make their ECU programming and their engine as perfect a match as it can be .....

One route to get around this is to use a rolling road and have the engine tuned, but this is without any question 'Not Cheap'. you are hiring both a Rolling road & a expert - not cheap !

So, actually we have a 3rd Option !

Megasquirt V8s Own Land Rover 5.2 V8 90, Tuned driving around on the UK roads with Tuner Studio

So, what is the 3rd option ?.....

Well, the good news is it's incredible value for money, I hate the word 'Cheap' because we associate 'Cheap' with 'Rubbish' ....Erm... But it is cheap and ABSOLUTELY not rubbish !

The way I can best explain this is via my own truck in the picture. My Land Rover 90 - running a 'John Eales Triple Plenum' 5.2 Full Race Rover V8 on our MS3X system......

Whilst we might do lovely super dooper all signing & dancing kits, and supply a good 'Base Map' with all kits to have it run 'Quite Well', there is no excuse not to have it properly set up
and no, I am definitely NOT the person to do that. Whilst I have a fairly decent understanding of Megasquirt and ECU function across the various systems, an expert I am not,
so yes just like some of our customers who used the fab TunerStudio software to tune the engine I basically made a pigs breakfast of it - spent a huge amount of time and effort and solved
some issues and ended up with even more and different ones and a headache and disheartened to boot. And several times too.

The reason why ?...Honestly I don't have that serious skill set needed to add to the TunerStudio software to get exactly everything set up and give me what I needed.
Long story short. I had access to a 'Grown up' who might forget more than I know in total about tuning V8s !. AND ...it wasn't done on a 'Rolling Road' - so....Erm ..Argh it's 'Cheap' !

Think about this - All a rolling road does is 'Mimic' driving - be it a race track, off road, or on a road system, it does it via applying loads etc to pretend hills - well
in the UK we have hills, descents, flat roads, motorways, A & B roads - whatever you need to 'Mimic' it's there for free, so, you don't now need a rolling road, you need a Laptop,
a Megasquirt system V8 (that runs without mechanical or electric faults), a tank of fuel, oh ..and that 'Grown Up !'

We can put you in touch with this Guru of tuning, and, it gets better. He can come to you by appointment, (but thats going to cost more both in terms of his time and his fuel), but now we
or more accurately - HE can tune remotely by you driving around 'Datalogging' and sending and receiving real time 'Tuning Upgrades' to your ECU & and all its settings !

Sounds like magic ? - Erm, well for me it is.

My own Land Rover + its 5.2 V8 didn't want to start & warm up nicely when I fitted the MS3X system, but with my Laptop, Watsapp' on my mobile and some clever software + TunerStudio
it was worked on over 2 or 3 sessions - until now - where I turn the key 4 cranks it starts, revs rise, and then settles as the engine warms down to a rock solid tickover. Clever stuff.
But seriously - technology moves on & it means we can now offer this vs a fortune spent on a rolling road or days & maybe weeks or months of swearing and not getting what you really want.

Just give me a ring, and we can chat about it more.

What's happening now is customers are 'Having a go' ....then giving up.....and having it tuned by 'The Grown Up' - and all are absolutely over the moon with the results. (Me included !)

Our MS1X, MS2X & MS3X systems are ALL fully tunable & mappable, higher the System the more there is to benefit, many customer are just happy with their MS1X Systems Base Map, whilst
tuning might be beneficial the results won't be as great as if a MS2X system is tuned, as it has the ability to fine tune with more definition & powerful ECU than the MS1X.

On our MS3X System, I'd honestly say you're barking mad NOT to have it tuned - there is just so much more ability to get that V8 running super super smooth - like you will not believe !

A super whizz though what TunerStudio can do for you ...

Our view on Tuner Studio is it can give you TWO main functions.

1st. It's a free, and incredibly powerful 'Diagnostic' Tool.

This is often massively undersold as a key and huge benefit of TunerStudio you get in your toolkit for the future, forever, for free.

With pretty much any old Laptop - Windows 98 onwards (really we would recommend maybe XP as a base level OS) a ECU to Laptop Adapter Cable (we supply in all our kits) & you are away
..maybe nicer still is a cheap and cheerful Microsoft 'Surface Pro' Tablet off EBAY. These are often cheap and run Windows 10 or 11, (Just make sure it has blue tooth ability)
then add a 'BlueTooth' Adapter to your ECU, connect up, and you can then see everything going on with your engine - or not !.

Things like the CTS (Coolant Temp Sensor) often fail on V8s, if yours has the gauge will be BRIGHT RED and DEAD ! - So you can't miss it, same for Manifold Air Temperature, PWM,
Stepper Motor etc etc and much much more - and - it's all - for free !

Then there is the 2nd benefit of Tuner Studio.

The absolute ability to use the software to TUNE all the settings within your ECU, Fuel Map across the entire RPM range, Ignition too, maximising your AFR, sorting out 'Tickover' and
things like all the setting for a super smooth 'Starting From Cold', setting the engine up so there is a smooth drop in you RPM as is slowly warms up - ending at the tickover you have set
and at the engine coolant level you have set as the target to switch from WUE (Warm Up Enrichment) to Fuel & Spark Main Map to then drive away....

There is just so much you can do with this fantastic free software you will literally be amazed.

Now, being that Megasquirt is open source there are all sorts of tutorials on the internet of how it all works and what you can do with it.

For example there is the 'Autotune' facility - whilst this is really clever and brilliant it's not perfect - it really can do with having knowledge to interpret setting liking some whilst
discarding other data, this is often why sadly users either get into trouble, find themselves confused beyond belief .....or just plain giving up .....

This is such a shame because if you have made the move to 'Megasquirt' with all that each system has to offer it's sad that so many customer stick with the 'OK' base map we try to match to
their engines vs having the free TunerStudio software right there to make their ECU programming and their engine as perfect a match as it can be .....

One route to get around this is to use a rolling road and have the engine tuned, but this is without any question 'Not Cheap'. you are hiring both a Rolling road & a expert - not cheap !

So, actually we have a 3rd Option !