Cam timing on Dyno

[FRS Justin]

Add me to the list one minute they are fine the next they are not working. I'm beginning to wonder if its a ECUTEK bug in the software.

[Boosted2.0]

Ask him what he set the idle to. One of the preconditions is an idle below 1050 RPM. If your idle is set higher than that the exhaust cams never unlock. Figured this out pretty quick the first time I tuned a car with 1300 cc injectors on pump gas.

[Boosted2.0]

And the best cam unlock procedure is just select exhaust angle 1 for live data and let the car idle till it starts bouncing off 0 - once ti does tap the throttle, cam timing will change and you are GTG.

[Toyota John]

my exhaust cams are always slow to come back online. Not sure why. Sometimes it takes a few min.

[Cartman]

I don't know if I'm having this same issue, but after a flashing my car, my exhaust cam will only move from 0 to 2 degrees, and no amount of idling will make it change.

Only way I have gotten the cams to move is to drive around for a few minutes and then the exhaust cams become fully activated, but even after the cams activate, I feel the car is slower than stock and this is the tune I had done a few months ago and had no issues.

[SpectreRT]

I'd like to bump this thread.

I was in for dyno time (tune update) today and it looked like my cam timing was not "waking up." Baseline pull looked decent enough - but then (I assume after reflash) the cam timing just died. It was reported to me that the cam timing was simply not changing. We started talking about possible cam gear issues (May 2013 build date). But I've had no CELs.

Once I was driving home, logging with Torque app, I could see timing was what I expected.

Are there any other details or suggestions into what could be taking place here?
- ECUTek tune for reference.

Thanks for any data that can be shared.

[steve99]

Originally Posted by SpectreRT

I'd like to bump this thread.

I was in for dyno time (tune update) today and it looked like my cam timing was not "waking up." Baseline pull looked decent enough - but then (I assume after reflash) the cam timing just died. It was reported to me that the cam timing was simply not changing. We started talking about possible cam gear issues (May 2013 build date). But I've had no CELs.

Once I was driving home, logging with Torque app, I could see timing was what I expected.

Are there any other details or suggestions into what could be taking place here?
- ECUTek tune for reference.

Thanks for any data that can be shared.

Very few people if any outside subaru engineers, know the complete logic in the ecu software that determines if the cam vvt will become active.

Their is likely a sequence of events that must occurr for the cam timing to become active after an ecu flash or reset.

these likely include
coolant temp
oil temp
some timer that activates only after idle rpm falls below say 1000 rpm, for about a minute

Ignition advance multiplier must be greater than a threshold think its about 0.2 in stock rom this is switch between base safe and normal cam tables, another threshold about 0.7 for normal\safe.

Dyno may also upset cars stability\vsc system , two wheel dyno front wheels stationary so vsc\traction system likely gets upset and may signal ecu to keep in some form of low power mode.
even 4 wheel dyno may upset vsc if different loads applied to frtont back wheels.

perople often report that cam timing comes good once car off dyno and driven for short period.

so that may indicate it was traction\vsc related.

its all guessing rearly

[Wayno]

Did you try turning it off and on again?

60% of the time it works every time.

Originally Posted by SpectreRT

I'd like to bump this thread.

I was in for dyno time (tune update) today and it looked like my cam timing was not "waking up." Baseline pull looked decent enough - but then (I assume after reflash) the cam timing just died. It was reported to me that the cam timing was simply not changing. We started talking about possible cam gear issues (May 2013 build date). But I've had no CELs.

Once I was driving home, logging with Torque app, I could see timing was what I expected.

Are there any other details or suggestions into what could be taking place here?
- ECUTek tune for reference.

Thanks for any data that can be shared.

[SpectreRT]

Thanks for the reply. Today my tuner logged for a good 90 mins or so with fresh flashes, idle, load etc. What he found was the cam would only go +/- 1 degree. At start it looked like -18 and it never went anywhere.

I have no CEL / MIL. DTC is clean.

We're debating replacing the cam actuators, as this has worked for a few folks. I don't personally have the equipment to log / check for cam settings in motion. Maybe I can try that this weekend.

Any additional data would greatly help. Replacing all 4 of the cam actuators will be a very costly endeavor....

Originally Posted by steve99

Very few people if any outside subaru engineers, know the complete logic in the ecu software that determines if the cam vvt will become active.

Their is likely a sequence of events that must occurr for the cam timing to become active after an ecu flash or reset.

these likely include
coolant temp
oil temp
some timer that activates only after idle rpm falls below say 1000 rpm, for about a minute

Ignition advance multiplier must be greater than a threshold think its about 0.2 in stock rom this is switch between base safe and normal cam tables, another threshold about 0.7 for normal\safe.

Dyno may also upset cars stability\vsc system , two wheel dyno front wheels stationary so vsc\traction system likely gets upset and may signal ecu to keep in some form of low power mode.
even 4 wheel dyno may upset vsc if different loads applied to frtont back wheels.

perople often report that cam timing comes good once car off dyno and driven for short period.

so that may indicate it was traction\vsc related.

its all guessing rearly

[Wayno]

So instead of turning it off and on again, you'll spend a few thou pulling the motor apart?

Originally Posted by SpectreRT

Thanks for the reply. Today my tuner logged for a good 90 mins or so with fresh flashes, idle, load etc. What he found was the cam would only go +/- 1 degree. At start it looked like -18 and it never went anywhere.

I have no CEL / MIL. DTC is clean.

We're debating replacing the cam actuators, as this has worked for a few folks. I don't personally have the equipment to log / check for cam settings in motion. Maybe I can try that this weekend.

Any additional data would greatly help. Replacing all 4 of the cam actuators will be a very costly endeavor....

[SpectreRT]

Originally Posted by Wayno

So instead of turning it off and on again, you'll spend a few thou pulling the motor apart?

Of course it was turned off and back on again...

[Wayno]

Originally Posted by SpectreRT

Of course it was turned off and back on again...

Really? Because you said:


"Today my tuner logged for a good 90 mins or so with fresh flashes, idle, load etc."

"Baseline pull looked decent enough - but then (I assume after reflash) the cam timing just died."

"Once I was driving home, logging with Torque app, I could see timing was what I expected."


There's nothing there about restarting the car after flashing. Just that AVCS DID NOT work after flashing, and DID work on your way home.

Maybe you should read the thread, it's only 2 pages.


If you did restart and idle the car without touching the throttle a couple of times and the cams still don't work, then I'm sorry for your loss.

[steve99]

Originally Posted by SpectreRT

Thanks for the reply. Today my tuner logged for a good 90 mins or so with fresh flashes, idle, load etc. What he found was the cam would only go +/- 1 degree. At start it looked like -18 and it never went anywhere.

I have no CEL / MIL. DTC is clean.

We're debating replacing the cam actuators, as this has worked for a few folks. I don't personally have the equipment to log / check for cam settings in motion. Maybe I can try that this weekend.

Any additional data would greatly help. Replacing all 4 of the cam actuators will be a very costly endeavor....

not sure which tune system you using but maybe after flash complete an car starts, remove abattery terminal and press brake pedal , reconnect battery after a minute or so, thiswill reset all control modules in car in case one is sending something weird to ecu causing the problem.

also not all cel codes will light cel, they are just stored check with scanner

if you dont have injector changes maybe try flashing back a stock tune to car.

start let it idle for a couple of minutes without touching throttle an see if cams are active at low rpm and load, that will eliminate some weird bug in tune causing problem.

[SpectreRT]

ECUTEK is being used. I'll relay the thought of disconnecting the battery and giving that a shot post flash.

We did scan for all DTC, CEL, MIL codes, ECU had nothing to report.

Thanks again for the knowledge share.

Originally Posted by steve99

not sure which tune system you using but maybe after flash complete an car starts, remove abattery terminal and press brake pedal , reconnect battery after a minute or so, thiswill reset all control modules in car in case one is sending something weird to ecu causing the problem.

also not all cel codes will light cel, they are just stored check with scanner

if you dont have injector changes maybe try flashing back a stock tune to car.

start let it idle for a couple of minutes without touching throttle an see if cams are active at low rpm and load, that will eliminate some weird bug in tune causing problem.