How high can my non-pressure adjusted ECU go?

[Benedict.]

We're currently starting to plan a trip/tour to France next year in the seven.

 

I'm vaguely aware that people in the past have had problems with thinner air at higher altitude (ie going up into the Pyrenees/Alps) in mapped ECUs that don't have an external and/or(?) manifold pressure sensor & compensation.

 

How high can one realistically go before it becomes either unpleasant to drive, or detrimental to the engine?

 

Depending on the general consensus I may either avoid the highest ground, or look to add a pressure sensor and some compensation in the map, I'd just be really interested to know peoples experiences / opinions.

 

 

EDIT: should probably add that it's a DVA built engine with DTH Jenveys mapped on a DTA ECU with ~215bhb

 

Cheery,

Ben

 

Edited by - _Benedict_ on 3 Mar 2013 20:21:47

[Jason Plato]

it's inconvienient at 1300m, annoying upto 1700m and a pig over 1700m. I added a VVC map señor to my emerald setup last year and it was transformed. Obvioulsy power will still be down at altitude but at least the driveability and throttle response was still great.

[6speedmanual]

And frankly, to miss the high stuff largely defeats the object of going, IMO.

 

Peter

[jackb_ms]

What about adding a MAP and a wide band lambda and enabling self mapping.

Would that help the engine running smoother?

 

Jack

[Benedict.]

Quoting jackb_ms: 

What about adding a MAP and a wide band lambda and enabling self mapping.

Would that help the engine running smoother?

 

Jack

Not sure if the DTA ECU supports self mapping; in fact thinking about it, I'm not sure how the correction works. Do ECUs simply measure the (manifold?) air pressure and apply a figure to lean off the mixture by - like the starting/cold enrichment table but in reverse, or does it generally require more of a 3D mapping experience on the rollers? Thinking about it though I'm not sure how you'd manage the latter without a sealed room and a vacuum pump

 

Will have to dig out the DTA software and have a look - oh and FWIW the DTA was on the car when I bought it so I don't know why it was chosen over an emerald when the engine work was done.

 

Ben

[jackb_ms]

Hi Benedict

 

Sorry for the high jack( 😳)

I've got an Emerald and I'm very tempted by a wide band lambda and a MAP.

However I am not sure if that money would be better spent else where.

 

Jack

[Paul Deslandes]

depending on which model you have the DTA can accept an atmospheric pressure input and make fuelling corrections against a compensation table. Have a chat with Alan Warburton at DTA (his bark's worse than his bite 😬) and he'll no doubt talk you through it.