4 replies to this topic

[David_J]

Anyone know if you can get some basic engine monitoring software and sensors to plug into a normal laptop PC?

Was just thinking (dreaming) it would be nice to be able to rig up some basic throttle position, mixture sensors and go out for a drive with a laptop onboard. Very techy but it might be interesting to see how the needle profiles are working in the carb and compare different settings without having to go to a rolling road. Wouldn't be able to measure BHP but hey-ho....

[Sutty01]

I thogught about doing thios at one time but the price figures came out high. it is possable but i dont know about on a seperate laptop im only familer with the ones that pop out and flick up then scor all readings in designated areas.

i would like to have info on this also

[Purple Tom]

My dad is an AA patrol and has a ViXeN unit in his van, which is a laptop with technical information about nearly every car made from 1970 onwards (it even has specific torque settings for our military-spec land rover defender 90), and has the ability to get information from lots of modern cars ecu's, including compression, crank speed, mixture, emissions, temperature, all sorts. Its a 'hard book' laptop, not too sure of the make, but i'm sure the software, or something similar, is available commercially, and could be used on a Mini. However, the price would probably be the most prohibitive thing, i think each ViXeN costs in excess of £3000!!!!

:sad:


Tom

[redmini]

my mate works for a boatyard and they sell a mercury optimax outboard engine that is programmed by a laptop, the revs limiter gets set quite low for the first 24 hrs running time or something similar then you just plug in the laptop, tune it up and away you go like sh@# off a stick. I'm sure they're four cylinder so I'd be suprised if some form of software aint available

[Ben H]

If you could build or get your hands on a magasquirt ECU then this could be used to do what you want. There are loads of inputs it will allow and software that will analize the data logged. To build they are about £100 and to buy a working one is a little more. Pretty good value.

Ben