I need some help/opinions please. And I am sorry for the long post, but I had to get all the details down.


Background on the car:


EVO 9
Built 2.0 long rod
built mivec head
gsc s3 cams
6466 t4 1.15ar
AEM EMS V2
double pumper w/ walbro 450s


I am posting this on behalf of myself in hoping to get some help with my situation, without confronting my tuner first.


I am not capable of tuning my own car so I brought my car to a local shop on a friday to get aem ems v2 installed and to get a base tune done so I can start putting break in miles on new engine, trans, and t-case. Fast forward to sunday night at 7pm and I am at the shop waiting for my base tune to be finished.

Over the weekend, the shop had to run new wires and add a relay for my double pumper. I figured this was no big deal. But the tuner was stating that he is having idle issues. Tuner believes my stock IACV is not strong enough and I should get one from a early 90s model mustang to help with my idle (apparently its larger??). I have not read anything about upgrading IACV on evolution, so this kind of had me scratching my head.

In addition, he is asking me to call my engine builder (boostin performance) to ask them if they locked my mivec cam or if they installed a non-mivec cam in my motor because he is saying the mivec timing is locked and he can not change any values. Again, I am no tuner so this is over my head, but still is making me scratch my head as Boostin performance knowns their **** and I am doubting a mistake on their part.

Another thing my tuner is pointing a finger at is the map sensor hole on the factory intake manifold. He is saying its very tiny and should be drilled out. Again, I have never read or heard anything about this on the forums, so it has me scratching my head again.

Finally, sunday night I actually got to drive the car down the street and back, as my tuner said the tune is ok but not perfect and he still needed to touch some things up on the tune. Well I drove it and it drove ok, so that finally put a smile on my face. Well, the following day, the temperature dropped like 20-30 degrees, so my tuner messed with my map a little more and a new issues arises. Now, we can not keep the engine running after the key is leg go after start. To better explain, we turn the key to position II, prime pumps, then to start position, Engine starts but as soon as we let go of the key, engine dies. I can keep the key in the start position and the engine stays running. So now my tuner is saying something is wrong with my ignition.

I feel like the tuner points to the car for every issue, but I feel like maybe its the tuner that's the problem. What do you guys think?

I am not going to say the tuners name, but he has tuned many types of cars and has tuned on aem, pro efi, motec, etc..and he comes very well recommended in the Honda world. I did find out though that I am the first evo with mivec he has tuned, and the first evo in general he has tuned on AEM.

 

why not have dealt with boostin from the get go? devin is nasty!

 

Please go to a different tuner.

Your series 2 should start and idle just fine, you might need an idle of like 1200rpms with those S3's.


Listen to chamelieon and talk to boostin for a remote tune or a dyno tune/basemap.

If it is your tuners first time on an AEM EMS, they will f it up for sure.

 

Yes they have to do this:

WTF are they talking about:

Sounds like they do not know how to tune MIVEC, even on a non mivec map you can change the values:


WTF I ran my evo on a 5bar through the stock map port:






The car not staying running is one of a few things. Needs more fuel, needs more air, cold start settings not configured.




RUN AWAY:

 

I live in south Louisiana, so Boostin is really far from me. I shipped him my motor for a full build. I am now thinking I should have just shipped him my entire car.

 

It is not his first time on AEM EMS. Its his first time doing AEM EMS on an evo, and its his first evo 9 he has ever tuned.


Remote tuning to me sounds sketchy. but my tuner right now seems ultra sketchy. I guess I need to call Boostin.

 

I do believe he has no clue about mivec.


And he is just pointing fingers at my car just to cover his ***.


And its weird because the car can stay running if I just hold the key in the start position. I even got it to stay running once after I held the key in for like 30 seconds, letting the engine run, and then very very slowly backed the key off and it stayed running until I stalled it learning the new clutch, lol.

 

How is the starter not staying engaged when the key is forward?

 

not sure, I asked the shop mechanic about that and he said some cars have a device to keep it from engaging once engine has started???

And to be honest I have not done it myself. Its the shop mechanic is telling me this is what he has to do to keep it running. So maybe he is not holding it all the way in after it starts?? I don't know. But, I am getting the car back tonight and I will try to start it myself and see.

 

Simple answer, I'd definitely find another tuner in this case.

The ignition being held to keep the car running does seem strange and maybe that one actually is an issue with the car. Have you ever had issues with the ignition in any form before? I dealt with an Evo 8 that had a bad ignition switch an you had to push in firmly to get it to crank but once cranked it would run fine. It was very sketchy how it felt.

IAC motor I've seen many fail over the years but you do not need to run any special IAC motor unless you have some wild setup that does not use the stock IAC motor configuration, which even some setups can use an adapter plate to still utilize one. The failures are ones on cars with pretty aggressive cams or just really old motors.

S3's I'd definitely go for a 1100 to 1200rpm idle.

I think with the colder running issues its all in the tune.

Locked MIVEC? What is he preferring to the logged value doesn't match what he is requesting? That could be something else but with all the comments around your car I'd venture to say he's just not familiar with how it works on an Evo 9.

MAP sensor getting drilled out... that's some funny ish right there. This guy want you to run -8AN boost reference lines also? Mo bigger mo better?

Straight up I've tuned a fair share of Evo's and Supra's in my area and I have come across some cars that are a PITA... but the particular issues for the most part don't quite add up on your car. AEM needs several things to be correct for others to fall into place. It can be a cat and mouse game sometimes. Is this a "pro" tuner? I ask as to whether you can share the map here for us to better assist. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here that could probably identify most of your issues immediately if we could see this calibration.

 

I have never had any issues with the ignition. It was working the night before. My car only has 37k miles so I assume IACV is ok. He did not say it was faulty, he just recommended a bigger or different one, saying mine might not be adequate for my setup?!?!

I now have the car at my house. I assume I can just download aem software, plug my computer in and upload my map to my own personal computer. And from there I can share it with you guys?

And about the ignition key, the starter will continue to engage but if I back off on the key slightly, it stops and engine stays running. but as soon as I let go of the key and it returns to position II (I believe is what its called), the engine dies.

 

I doubt the IAC motor is bad as well that's a young car mileage wise.

Yep download AEMTuner software, connect, and save it to your hard drive with a descriptive name. Always good to have a backup for yourself as a safety precaution.

Hmm just returning it to the "II" running position it shuts off, that is a very odd one. Fact if you slightly hold it outside of the starter being engaged it runs and let all the way off to the standard running position it shuts off maybe the ignition switch is faulty. It's not impossible just with your other issues seems to unlikely.