The long:
The autotune is not necessary. If used it will theoretically replace the tuner, as the PCV will be trimming itself constantly.
Exactly right. Not only is autotune not necessary, but if you wanted to go that way (which I did out of masochistic curiosity) you would also have to reflash your ECU to eliminate the stock closed loop.
If using the 02 sensors however, most of the map will not be changed by the device, but solely by the 02 optimizers
Most of the map? Lets see.... From memory
(<< disclaimer again.... hahahaha) stock closed loop on M1100 is 4,500rpm and below. And stock red line is.... 9,500? So lets call it half then.
.....with the 02 sensors in place, the effectiveness of the PCV is limited, as the tuning range is reduced from 100% of rpm range, and 100% of throttle position range, to less than half of each.....
I'm not gonna split hairs
. If you leave the stock closed loop "as is" then its true that your PCV will only be useful for tuning the upper 50% of your engine's rev range. But dont let this overstated shortcoming put you off, in conjunction with the optimizers in my experience it works very well. The o2 optimizers supplied with the PCV plug in line with the stock o2 sensors and tell pretty lies to the ECU to convince it that things are leaner down there than is actually the case, causing the ECU to order up more fuel. But this is fixed; the fuel ratio is bumped by a fixed % over which you have no control. Once beyond the 4500rpm point you can of course create custom mapping however. Naturally having the ability to "play" throughout the entire rev range is ideal, but a nicely setup PCV mapping the open loop in conjunction with the optimizers boosting the closed loop does work very well.
Quality of the power delivery is much nicer. Smoother, less lumpy. Especially down low. (The
quantity of power is surely increased too, but I have no actual evidence to support this assertion).
The effectiveness of the optimizers (moreso, how well they function to make the right a/f ratio), and the auto-tunes effectiveness (how well it adjusts the settings) remain to be seen compared to a good tuner's mapping ability.
OK. First the optimizers. How effective? IMO very effective. But they are not a tuning device as such, they are a work around to overcome the PCV's inability to map anything under 4,500rpm. All they do is "mute" the message from the stock o2 sensors so that whilst the ECU continues to aim for 14:7 its actually fuelling at a fixed ratio richer than that (I dont recall what exactly the enriched AFR is set at).
Second, the effectiveness of Autotune. It works well, but you'll have to accept my word on that coz its true, I have no evidence to support this claim. Is it any better than having your PCV nicely mapped on a Dyno? Almost certainly not. Its only "advantage" is that whilst your Dynotuned mapping is fixed, Autotune's is dynamic. If things on your bike change then your state of tune auto-compensates as it constantly "trims" as you ride. Is it worth the effort? Nope. But I enjoyed finding out that it is possible and that it does work well
.
And the short:
If I was you, I'd leave the ECU stock, fit a PCV + o2 optimizers and go visit your nearest reputable Dynocentre. Simple and good
.
In Europe
Raux has another neater option, that of having his ECU directly custom mapped at a Rexxer ECU tuning centre. He can achieve the same results (better in theory) as the rest of us who run a Dynotuned PCV (or in my case Autotuned PCV), without requiring the piggy-back PCV unit to modify anything. Bastard
. Maybe he'll have a PCV to sell you?
(M696 PCV and M1100 PCV are the same - they list them with different part numbers only because the installation instructions are
slightly different).
