GATHERING A DATABASE NEW VEHICLES Charging Systems

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Is there anything left on the market that allows the substitution of the OEM voltage regulator without throwing the ECU into Open Loop mode?

This is sort of technical, excuse me.

On the subject: What has happened to 'HiTech' our friend on Tech Issues??

As of up to 1995, Ford did not. I am intimately familiar with 87-95 Ford EEC. Others, I have no idea.

I could see factory ECU's dropping all kinds of electronic controls to conserve voltage if it's dropping like a rocket, so the vehicle could limp home. And all kinds of stuff is electronically controlled. HEGOs have a heater on them as well.

Could be the smart junction box kicking stuff out when the voltage is dropping. What kind of drops are you looking at?

The MoPar ECU will trigger open loop for several dozen charging system symptoms*. Just wondering if Ford, GM and imported are the same now.

*even my junker '95 Dodge Spirit toad does this. Loses O.D., torque converter lockup, injector control and mileage drops like a Kuwaiti Oil Minister programmed the ECU.

Not sure what you are asking.

OL mode is triggered by several things:
1. Freshly started - will stay in open loop anywhere from a few seconds to "x" seconds it takes for O2 sensor to heat enough to start switching.
2. High load/low rpm will trigger open loop
3. WOT triggers OL
4. Certain other activities such as EGR activities.

Typically, changes in system voltage WILL NOT trigger open loop. There are modifiers built into the ECU that will compensate for voltage changes. For example, if voltage drops to 11.2v, the ECU will use it's modifier to compensate by opening fuel injector earlier, holding open later, closing later, or any combination of the three.

It would be great if you stated what the vehicle is, engine, which chassis, etc, and what you are trying to achieve. I'm pretty up on Ford EEC setups, other brands not so much. But I do know quite a bit about fuel injection theory and such.