Is it possible for someone with a TBI car to run two chips and switch so you can switch between the two? Say you had one chip setup for mileage and one for power...

Or would this be a waste as one chip is capable of doing the job of both based on throttle position?

My car is a 92 caprice cop car L05 350 currently stock (and planning on remaining so untill I can figure out tuning). Im wondering what program does it run (as in $8D or what?), or is that something that one wouldnt find out untill they actually hook a computer up to it? Do they make EEPROMs that will work with its ECM?

Also, Ive been eyeballing this kit http://www.moates.net/product_info.p...products_id=54 its fairly spendy but looks like everything one needs but the laptop. Its back ordered untill next month according to the website. My question is can one piece together a similar setup for less money, or is this kit a really good deal?

 

Yes, it is possible to have multiple "bins" stacked on a flash prom and then switch between them. So you can have a bin that is designed strictly for highway use, different grades of fuel, max performance, emissions testing, etc.

For a newbie, I would go with the setup at Craig Moates. It's always better to go with "tried and tested" when you are first starting. The few extra bucks you pay will save you HOURS of aggrevation.

Once you have done it for awhile and build up some knowledge and confidence, then you can try "experimenting". But for now, stick with the "tried & tested".

Once you burn your first eprom (even if it is for a simple change like altering the temperature the fans come on), there's a little thrill and you realize that it's a lot simpler than you thought.

Then as you build your knowledge, you will find the real trick is mastering "tuning" of the engine. It seems daunting at first, but after a little time, you will start to see results.

Good luck and hang in there.

 

I've always found it easy to get fuel mileage and power out of the same bin. Its really rather simple. Tune the idle, cruise, light acceleration areas in the calibration for getting the best operation with the least throttle, then kick in the PE fuel above X throttle position for power. My TBI 350 Van put down 284 RWHP, ran a 14.7 @ 94 in the 1/4 and has been averaging 17 mpg in the city, in mixed driving conditions, all on the same prom. The only difference is how much the accelerator gets pushed.

I've found that by keeping the timing relatively retarded and the fuel mixture at stoich, I have been getting better mileage than more advance and leaner a/f mixtures. As a side benifit the engine is much smoother, has better throttle response, and runs cooler when setup properly

 

For general everyday driving, I would agree with you Fast. But I can think of a couple of instances where a person may wish to use a "special bin" distinct from their regular "daily driver" bin".

1) Different Grades of fuel. Typically, I prefer to use a bin that requires premium for max power. But, on the a long highway trip where I will be driving on a freeway mostly at a steady speed, I really don't care about "max power". In fact, I am more concerned about saving a few bucks. So if it is a very long trip, a person may want to use a special bin that uses a lower grade of fuel to save a few bucks. But, for track use, where I want the maximum power possible, I will use the highest grade of fuel possible , so I would have another special bin for that.

2) Locking of the Torque Convertor. I found locking the torque convertor and preventing it from unlocking as soon as possible gave the best fuel economy. So a person may wish to do this for highway driving. But, at the track, a lot of guys prefer to delay or prevent the torque convertor from locking. Some guys feel that locking the torque convertor under full load tends to lessen it's life.

These are just two instances where I found it beneficial to have special bins from my regulare "daily driver" bin. I do try to incorporate as much as possible in my "daily driver" bin. But since we can tune the eprom for "special occasions", why not make a special eprom to take advantage of something which we may not want in our "daily driver" bin?