Wheel Speed Sensor and EVAP associated with Ethanol Percentage

[Bergycheese348]

I have the Moto East Flex Fuel Kit installed on my FR-S. Car is supercharged and tuned via EcuTek. I have noticed that depending on my ethanol percentage I get various...codes. Generally if I am somewhere north of E50 the car runs perfectly fine with zero issues, but under that and I have a EVAP code (P0456) which causes a check engine light and in return no CC. Similar to this, when above E30-40 it just has that EVAP code, but when below this it has the EVAP code as well as a wheel speed sensor code (I forgot what it is, but my EcuTek dongle decided to break so i cannot look currently) which gives me a CEL and a TC light, which means no CC, TC, SC, or ABS. I should mention I have gone back and forth between pump 93 and various ethanol percentages and it all depends on the ethanol I have seen.

Using everything me and others I have asked know there should be zero reason why these two codes come on in relation to the ethanol percentage. Any help?

[tomm.brz]

you need a new dongle...

Also sounds like an ecutek bug and/or some codes needs to be disabled

[AussieBRZ]

Has this tune ever worked ?


Is the flex kit rear 02 or Evap connect


If it's evap I'd say they forgot to disable some codes in tune or the tune is incorrectly configured and the ECU is trying to interpret the flex sensor voltage as the evap pressure and throwing a hissy fit

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by Bergycheese348

I have the Moto East Flex Fuel Kit installed on my FR-S. Car is supercharged and tuned via EcuTek. I have noticed that depending on my ethanol percentage I get various...codes. Generally if I am somewhere north of E50 the car runs perfectly fine with zero issues, but under that and I have a EVAP code (P0456) which causes a check engine light and in return no CC. Similar to this, when above E30-40 it just has that EVAP code, but when below this it has the EVAP code as well as a wheel speed sensor code (I forgot what it is, but my EcuTek dongle decided to break so i cannot look currently) which gives me a CEL and a TC light, which means no CC, TC, SC, or ABS. I should mention I have gone back and forth between pump 93 and various ethanol percentages and it all depends on the ethanol I have seen.

Using everything me and others I have asked know there should be zero reason why these two codes come on in relation to the ethanol percentage. Any help?

So you're here in the States where Ecutek has basically been neutered since early last year. First, see this thread here:
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152923

Now I have a few questions to ask you.

1) How long ago did you install or have your flex-fuel hardware installed?

2) Did you install it or did you have a shop install it?

3) Did you flash your own ECU using your own tune, or did you have a professional tuner write the tune for you, and flashed it yourself?

Please be as thorough with your answers as you can and try not to leave anything out that might be important in order for us to help you diagnose the problem. After you answer these questions, we'll probably have a few more follow up questions for you.

[Bergycheese348]

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

So you're here in the States where Ecutek has basically been neutered since early last year. First, see this thread here:
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152923

Now I have a few questions to ask you.

1) How long ago did you install or have your flex-fuel hardware installed?

2) Did you install it or did you have a shop install it?

3) Did you flash your own ECU using your own tune, or did you have a professional tuner write the tune for you, and flashed it yourself?

Please be as thorough with your answers as you can and try not to leave anything out that might be important in order for us to help you diagnose the problem. After you answer these questions, we'll probably have a few more follow up questions for you.

1 & 2). The Flex Fuel hardware was installed by me and a buddy of mine at the end of September (mostly him since I was working on the rest of the SC), and he has worked with a bunch of similar stuff before. Not the exact same but for example he has put methanol kit on his Buick T-Type, entire fueling system, a bunch of electronics, etc, so he is not a 'professional' but he knows his way around. The kit was previously installed with the same exact SC by the previous owner and he did not have a issue with it. The kit is working perfectly fine, reading accurate ethanol numbers, no leaks, etc.

3). Tune is from Zach, flashed onto car by me. He has no idea why the wheel speed sensor is having an issue, and no idea why either is dependent on ethanol.

I know EcuTek was hit because of worries of the EPA, but to my understanding of everything that just affected the inability to turn off certain CELs. The wheel speed sensor was not an issue while initially tuning on pump gas and the first time on ethanol, but when i went back down to pump I believe was the first time it started to be an issue. Timing for it becoming an issue at first was a bit vague as I was prioritizing a misfire (fixed by just swapping coil packs). The ABS/TC light truly is off too, both do not work when accelerating or braking hard. The car has also had no damage at all, and has not 'hit' anything that would affect the speed sensor, not that I would think that would affect it coming on based on Ethanol percentage.

I hope that is enough detail, I tried including a bunch of stuff in that may or may not be important. Thank you!

[Bergycheese348]

Originally Posted by tomm.brz

you need a new dongle...

Also sounds like an ecutek bug and/or some codes needs to be disabled

Yes, working on fixing or getting a new dongle (going to be over $200 which is a PITA)

I feel like I would not be the only one with the bug if it was a normal bug in the system, most issues I have had with the car in the past with codes and EcuTek were common issues

[Bergycheese348]

Originally Posted by AussieBRZ

Has this tune ever worked ?


Is the flex kit rear 02 or Evap connect


If it's evap I'd say they forgot to disable some codes in tune or the tune is incorrectly configured and the ECU is trying to interpret the flex sensor voltage as the evap pressure and throwing a hissy fit

The tune was working perfectly fine at the beginning and the car has worked perfectly fine too. I do not have a specific date when it started happening for each, but I was told the EVAP code would not be able to be removed due to the EcuTek update, but it went away for a while as i was finishing up the pump gas side of the tune, then stayed on ethanol once I was able to use it because the power was amazing and I was saving money overall with it.

It is the rear O2 based kit

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by Bergycheese348

1 & 2). The Flex Fuel hardware was installed by me and a buddy of mine at the end of September (mostly him since I was working on the rest of the SC), and he has worked with a bunch of similar stuff before. Not the exact same but for example he has put methanol kit on his Buick T-Type, entire fueling system, a bunch of electronics, etc, so he is not a 'professional' but he knows his way around. The kit was previously installed with the same exact SC by the previous owner and he did not have a issue with it. The kit is working perfectly fine, reading accurate ethanol numbers, no leaks, etc.

3). Tune is from Zach, flashed onto car by me. He has no idea why the wheel speed sensor is having an issue, and no idea why either is dependent on ethanol.

I know EcuTek was hit because of worries of the EPA, but to my understanding of everything that just affected the inability to turn off certain CELs. The wheel speed sensor was not an issue while initially tuning on pump gas and the first time on ethanol, but when i went back down to pump I believe was the first time it started to be an issue. Timing for it becoming an issue at first was a bit vague as I was prioritizing a misfire (fixed by just swapping coil packs). The ABS/TC light truly is off too, both do not work when accelerating or braking hard. The car has also had no damage at all, and has not 'hit' anything that would affect the speed sensor, not that I would think that would affect it coming on based on Ethanol percentage.

I hope that is enough detail, I tried including a bunch of stuff in that may or may not be important. Thank you!

OK. Just to let you know, I'm only trying to help figure out the flex-fuel issue with you at this point, as I also believe the two issues you are having are unrelated. I was also tuned by Zach and flashed my own ECU like you.

Follow-up questions:

4) So, when you installed the flex-fuel, did you connect the analyzer output wire to the rear O2 sensor input connection or to the Evap pressure input connection, or to an alternative connection point?

And 4a) Does Zach know which input you used?

[Bergycheese348]

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

OK. Just to let you know, I'm only trying to help figure out the flex-fuel issue with you at this point, as I also believe the two issues you are having are unrelated. I was also tuned by Zach and flashed my own ECU like you.

Follow-up questions:

4) So, when you installed the flex-fuel, did you connect the analyzer output wire to the rear O2 sensor input connection or to the Evap pressure input connection, or to an alternative connection point?

And 4a) Does Zach know which input you used?

I get it and I appreciate the help.

4) Let me verify that by looking at the exact install manual we used, my friend has it in his email from when I sent it to him, and I cannot see it because my work email got shut down when I went back to school (back at work now)

4a) Yes, he knows it is the rear O2 sensor (we talked about it when verifying I had everything I needed for the tuning)

[Bergycheese348]

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

OK. Just to let you know, I'm only trying to help figure out the flex-fuel issue with you at this point, as I also believe the two issues you are having are unrelated. I was also tuned by Zach and flashed my own ECU like you.

Follow-up questions:

4) So, when you installed the flex-fuel, did you connect the analyzer output wire to the rear O2 sensor input connection or to the Evap pressure input connection, or to an alternative connection point?

And 4a) Does Zach know which input you used?

I should also ask, even if I used the wrong install manual (should be O2), why would the rest of the tune be perfectly fine...besides the lights? I could see possibly it messes with the EVAP sensor, but the wheel speed sensor is what throws it off, and then there is a difference in E% when the two lights come on.

[FR-S2GT86]

We must have been typing at the same time, I see your replies to Aussie and Tomm above.

Yeah, I suspected there would be issues like this creep up with the new versions of ProECU. I'm still running an older version and do not have these issues with my tune.

First off, before ruling out your interface dongle, make sure your pins are making contact properly at the ALDL connection where you plug your dongle into the vehicle. These cars are notorious for loose connections. I'm sure Zach informed you of this and how to fix it.

I would then suggest to you that you work with Zach to go to a multiple fuel map set up that is based upon ranges of ethanol content, instead of using the output wire of the flex-fuel analyzer. You should keep your sensor and ethanol content gauge in place so that you'll know when you need to switch maps. Reconnect your rear O2 sensor to the ECU, then begin troubleshooting your emmisions issues after reflashing (if they in fact continue after the new tune). Bear in mind that Ecutek was, and still may be working on a way to incorporate CANBUS input to the ProECU software, which should allow them to add the flex-fuel ethanol content analyzer output directly through the diagnostic link. I have no idea what progress they have made with this. Also, this is going to mean more cost to you due to the extra time needed for Zach to rewrite his calibrations.

If I were you, at this point, I would just leave the flex-fuel hardware in place with the gauge operational with the analyzer output wire disconnected and not burn flex-fuel until Ecutek gets CANBUS operational. It will save you in the long run from having to keep reflashing expensive tunes. I'm not a tuner so that's just my suggestion.

Which supercharger are you running?

Edit: Oh,you're the guy bolting on that holy grail of superchargers! You can ignore that last question.

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by Bergycheese348

I should also ask, even if I used the wrong install manual (should be O2), why would the rest of the tune be perfectly fine...besides the lights? I could see possibly it messes with the EVAP sensor, but the wheel speed sensor is what throws it off, and then there is a difference in E% when the two lights come on.

That's a difficult question to answer without being able to log. Get that dongle working so you can send some logs to Zach. Are you using the Bluetooth dongle or are you wired to a PC via USB?

[Bergycheese348]

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

We must have been typing at the same time, I see your replies to Aussie and Tomm above.

Yeah, I suspected there would be issues like this creep up with the new versions of ProECU. I'm still running an older version and do not have these issues with my tune.

First off, before ruling out your interface dongle, make sure your pins are making contact properly at the ALDL connection where you plug your dongle into the vehicle. These cars are notorious for loose connections. I'm sure Zach informed you of this and how to fix it.

I would then suggest to you that you work with Zach to go to a multiple fuel map set up that is based upon ranges of ethanol content, instead of using the output wire of the flex-fuel analyzer. You should keep your sensor and ethanol content gauge in place so that you'll know when you need to switch maps. Reconnect your rear O2 sensor to the ECU, then begin troubleshooting your emmisions issues after reflashing (if they in fact continue after the new tune). Bear in mind that Ecutek was, and still may be working on a way to incorporate CANBUS input to the ProECU software, which should allow them to add the flex-fuel ethanol content analyzer output directly through the diagnostic link. I have no idea what progress they have made with this. Also, this is going to mean more cost to you due to the extra time needed for Zach to rewrite his calibrations.

If I were you, at this point, I would just leave the flex-fuel hardware in place with the gauge operational with the analyzer output wire disconnected and not burn flex-fuel until Ecutek gets CANBUS operational. It will save you in the long run from having to keep reflashing expensive tunes. I'm not a tuner so that's just my suggestion.

Which supercharger are you running?

I will have to keep all of that in mind. As mentioned the car is running fine currently, it is just those 'issues' coming up. I will be running almost exclusively E once it gets a little warmer, especially when in a track setting, but just using 93 as its winter here (while not being too terribly cold). I am hoping to have a second car come next winter, so the FR-S would not have to be used.

I am running the TRD supercharger

[Bergycheese348]

Originally Posted by FR-S2GT86

That's a difficult question to answer without being able to log. Get that dongle working so you can send some logs to Zach. Are you using the Bluetooth dongle or are you wired to a PC via USB?

I do still have some logs from when it was not broken (DK2 dongle bent upwards), and he had said everything had looked great, nothing off. I am hoping to have it fixed soon, as it is a PITA to be quite honest.