 |
|
|
|
Our Sponsors
Click through to help keep Saturnspeed.com in the top 100! |
A'PEX Integration's "Super AFC"
I know you have seen all the wonderful "piggy-back" computer add on's. You know the one's that I am talking about. The Honda guys have them, the DSM (Diamond Star Motors) guys love them, and we don't have them. There is not one single aftermarket computer available specifically for the Saturn PCM. The JET PCM upgrade looked promising, but independent dyno testing revealed no substantial horsepower or torque gains. Until now most Saturn Enthusiasts were either stuck with the stock PCM fuel maps or resorted to trashing the entire stock system in favor of a full race engine management system. We at Saturnspeed decided that this is a totally unacceptable situation. We began to research the aftermarket fuel computers currently available for the import community. Many of these systems were either "chip" upgrades that required a new e-prom in the vehicles computer (Saturns don't use removable e-proms). The majority of the other systems we looked at were application specific. This means that they were designed for one make and model. Attempting to install one of these on a totally different vehicle could be disastrous. Just when we were about to give up our feeble search we came across a very reputable DSM Tuner. This tuner shops website outlined the installation of an A'PEXi "Super AFC" in a Mitsubishi Eclipse/ Eagle Talon. This article piqued our interest. We quickly gave A'PEX Integration a call. After bombarding them with questions about the "Super AFC" they informed us that they would have to have anything approved by the Branch Manager. Our contact at A'PEXi was extremely helpful, but explained that due to liability they could not sponsor the experiment. This is something that is thoroughly understandable in this day and age. After the initial setback we still had enough faith that they project would work. We dug deep down into our rather shallow capital and came up with just enough pocket fuzz and lint to purchase a "Super AFC". This is one high tech gadget. Basically it allows you to alter the stock fuel curve at eight user defined RPM's, then it fills in the space in between your points. The Super AFC accomplishes this feat by filtering the voltage from the stock MAP sensor, then sending the "modified" signal to the PCM. Using this method you can modify the fuel curve by +/- 50%. This basically means that you can add fuel until your injectors reach 100% duty cycle, or subtract fuel until you blow your motor. This is the reason that A'PEXi stresses that this system should only be installed and tuned by an authorized dealer. This is no "all show" deal. This is a real tuning tool. We installed our "Super AFC" in about two hours. The toughest part was deciding where to stick it to the dash. This is such a cool looking box that it is quite easy to become distracted by it. We settled on mounting it right above the A/C vents in the center of the dash. This allow it to be out of the way of the radio and A/C controls, but still close enough to view in "Monitor" mode. Not only does the "Super AFC" allow you to tune the fuel curve, it will also allow you to monitor up to four engine functions. We will be including a detailed install article later this month. We will be including photos, wiring diagrams, as well as settings that will get you started without nuking a motor. A'PEXi Super AFC Saturn Installation Instructions
|
|
