Apexi Install Went Smooth...except

[Gabe]

So same car as my last thread. EP3 Hatch, Aftermarket Injectors, Turbo'd...yadda yadda. We purchased the APEXI Neo AFC unit to do some tuning and run higher boost than the 4psi it was running.

Finished the wiring. *Note: The guy who wired it followed the pins to each wire and its sensor instead of using the diagram.* Car ran fine afterward. Even got the base tune in. Shut it off. Waited a few mins and went to start and this time it's not getting a TPS signal. The car won't run...period.

So what are the possiblites of what went amiss here?

Could the anti-theft system be triggered some way? The guy who proposed this said the only way to fix it is a Re-Flash from the dealer. Is this a possiblity?


and...this isnt my car. Just a friends car that I am helping with. He purchased the APEXI Neo unit over the K-Pro merely for the fact that K-Pro is wayyy out of his price range. He isnt expecting full, nearly unlimited tuning potential that the K-Pro offers. He just wants a turbo'd honda that will take more than 4-5psi (what we ran fine with the factory ecu and injectors)

Thanks, you all have been awesome so far!
*love browsing through the rides, good to see some more import guys keeping things clean and mean!

-Gabe

[AUTiger]

did you guys ever hook up a wideband to get an a/f reading when he was boosted at 4-5psi? Just because it ran, doesn't mean he wasn't in danger of blowing that shit to hell. I would ditch that apexi unit and if he really is broke ass, try and get a guardian unit that came with the cybernation kit back in the day. I recently saw one for sale on clubrsx I believe. That or it's time that your friend starts pawning his things that he doesn't really need. If he is rocking aftermarket rims, I would sell them and go back to stockies just to help get him closer to having k-pro. I would rather have a turbo ep3 running perfectly on k-pro and stock rims, than a half assed turbo ep3 on aftermarket rims. Same could be said for other non-performance aftermarket mods on the car.

[talonXracer]

I have seen/witnessed and heard the horror stories as the younger generation are able to afford the EP3 at the used car lot now, and they do not have the experience, $$$ or the ability to take advice that is required to safely modify a vehicle.


My best advice is to remove that POS Apexi ASAP, remove the turbo until a proper tuning scheme can be installed! I can gaurantee there is internal damage already from running 4psi on a stock ECU.

[dj addicted]

not to be rude and sound like a dick, but this guy is turboing a nonturbo car and he can't come up with the extra 500 bucks to get KPro so it can be properly tuned? An Apexi NEO will run about 400 bucks and the KPro will run you about 900.

I agree 100% with talon, either start pawning shit to pay for K-Pro and tuning, or put the car back to stock until he can afford KPro and proper tuning.

[Gabe]

Not trying to be a hardhead guys. I hear what your saying, I understand it. Just trying to be direct with my issue here.

Any idea why it's not getting a TPS signal?

There is no doubt that K-Pro is the best choice. But please don't make the APEXI product sound like it actually just pretends to adjust the fuel. We need more fuel to get this thing to run safely at a slightly higher boost. It ran fine, no ping, no det, no smoke @ 4-5psi on 89 octane with stock ECU and Injectors. In no way are we looking for something that is a permanent fix for the boost crave that this guy is going to have. But we knew that running boost on stock shiz is never the best of ideas. (Unless it's the Swedish 7:5:1 B21FT) Hence the 3.5x bigger injectors and the ecu hack

Ive tuned, datalogged, and setup MS&S so I am aware that full standalone systems are superior and the only real way to tune. Once you have it, you never have to worry about needing something else in the fuel/management department. I understand that this AFC no more than sends modified signals to the factory ECU and doesnt really give you the broad spectrum fuel/spark maps that a Megasquirt/haltech/motec/K-Pro does.

Back to it....

the TPS signal.

[superchargedk20]

even the JRSC-S comes with a piggyback system to add more fuel even on 5 psi. Same thing should go for a turbo. I feel bad for that kids motor. I agree with what everyone says above. K-pro it or bust. Hell use a damn Credit card and just buy kpro. How long has this kid been running this setup for?

[VIZHUNZ02SI]

I have seen/witnessed and heard the horror stories as the younger generation are able to afford the EP3 at the used car lot now, and they do not have the experience, $$$ or the ability to take advice that is required to safely modify a vehicle.


My best advice is to remove that POS Apexi ASAP, remove the turbo until a proper tuning scheme can be installed! I can gaurantee there is internal damage already from running 4psi on a stock ECU.

i couldnt have said it any better my self. sigh noobs

[Gabe]

Hey, I'm here for some assistance. Not to get in a forum fight.

Im getting the picture that no one here has suddenly lost a TPS signal. That is the problem I came to you guys with. I never asked for a show of hands for 'who loves their k-pro'. It's not cool to bombard me with unnecessary comments especially when I have gone over the fact that the car ran on boost with a completely stock fuel system. Making comments about 'noobs' or 'not knowing how to safely modify' is absurd. I am not about to post my resume so I can prove I know what I am talking about. Can we please stay on topic here.

I'm not bragging or saying this is 'ok' to do. As I said before. Running boost on a N/A car rarely can be done with all stock parts. It's just not safe. Most cars are not built with boost in mind. So....he buys 750cc injectors and a small piggyback device to safen it up.

Guys, the car will be fine.

The car ran, 10mins later it lost the TPS signal.

Help

[AUTiger]

all we are saying is that you added something that fucks with the ecu to control fueling, it's electrical, I would start by removing the unit first. Those apexi things are notorious for electrical problems since you have to cut and splice and they just are half-assed. All it takes is two wires to accidently cross and shit gets fried. We are not trying to start a forum war, we just are telling you that a k-series is not a b-series where these things became "popular" the ecu is far more intricate than in the past, that is why you need a standalone or hondata where someone has actually studied the entire ecu and the way it works, not a one size fits all type unit.

[02TWSI]

this is almost as good as having a k24 and running it on an A3 kal....lmfao

[Paulieep3]

You should use a node light and find which pin the tps signal goes to the ecu. When you hit the throttle, the node light should light up because you will be getting a signal through the sensor into the ecu. If you are getting a signal at the wire to the ecu, and it is still not readding, you may have burnt out a pin or a circuit inside the ecu. This happened to my buddys ecu when he wired new injector clips on, she shorted back to the ecu and it burnt out a small part of the ecu. This is what i would try. also take out the apexi, it may be sending too high of a voltage or amperage signal that burnt out the ecu. ECU's are sensitive, and mostly rely on weak signal for there information.

im not sure which pin it goes in or what color the wire is, which year is his car, i can check a wiring diagram and tell you.

[AKEP]

this is almost as good as having a k24 and running it on an A3 kal....lmfao
qft - that much difference alone is bad, i can't imagine the stock ecu handling boost without any help, but that's speculation.

You should use a node light and find which pin the tps signal goes to the ecu. When you hit the throttle, the node light should light up because you will be getting a signal through the sensor into the ecu. If you are getting a signal at the wire to the ecu, and it is still not readding, you may have burnt out a pin or a circuit inside the ecu. This happened to my buddys ecu when he wired new injector clips on, she shorted back to the ecu and it burnt out a small part of the ecu. This is what i would try. also take out the apexi, it may be sending too high of a voltage or amperage signal that burnt out the ecu. ECU's are sensitive, and mostly rely on weak signal for there information.

im not sure which pin it goes in or what color the wire is, which year is his car, i can check a wiring diagram and tell you.

this is about the only way, and chase the harness, see if its running against any hot parts that would damage it. im sure you guys checked the tps to see if it was plugged in all the way already, but also make sure you checked the right plug. some people might not notice which one is the right one since there are like 4-5 plugs on the TB.

for cereal tho, get kpro here on the forum. can be had for about $900. i've seen alot of trends with the k-series, i hope the AEM EMS does not become one.