Roadrunner Questions

[oztracktuning]

These Roadrunner units are brilliant. However it would be good if there was a detailed FAQ somewhere.

Here are a few questions.

1. In what situations are learned values retained with roadrunner? How do i keep or delete learned values.

2. When the RR has been in realtime mode is the file saved to RR and i guess it needs to be saved to the laptop. But it doesnt need a short flash?

[Black02SS]

I can not answer the first question, but I can tell you about the second. You can make as many changes as you wish and never save the file. When you are done, then just read it back from the RR unit and save it. There have been many times where I have worked on a issue all day long and never save a file until the end. Turn the car off, unplug everything, etc. It never goes away until you re-flash it with something new.

[Tordne]

I'll guess at question 1:

I'd say the learned data is retained in the same was as a normal PCM, it is emulating one after all. I'd guess that when you cal or full flash it will clear the learned data as it does with a normal PCM. If making only real-time incremental changes though i don't believe the learned data will be affected, as the real-time updates are applied directly to the specific memory location where that data resides.

Chad's righ with number 2 (obviously). As soon as a value has been changed on the RoadRunner is is committed to its memory. The Tune Tool can be shutdown without saving and data in the RoadRunner is as it was after the last committed update. This is unique t the RoadRunner ;)

[Blacky]

Question 1 has two answers...

Part 1: Learned data that is stored in RAM will be retained as long as the PCM remains powered up.
This type of learned data includes: long and short term fuel trims, idle airflow and adaptive spark.

When you flash a normal PCM (i.e. not a RR unit) FlashScan sends a bootloader program to the PCM that overwrites the RAM in the PCM. Once the flash is finished the PCM is rebooted and the bootloader program is cleared out of RAM as the PCM resets its RAM to power up defaults. That is why the PCM loses its learned data after a flash (full-flash and cal-only will cause that).

When you flash a RR PCM no bootloader is required so the PCM will retain all the learned data. The only way to clear learned data from the RR is to remove all power from it.

Part 2: Learned data that is stored in the flash memory such as CASE data, oil life, engine runtime etc, cannot be updated or reset in a RR PCM. The RR has no flash chip and the PCM cannot update the RR's RAM emulation memory.

When you full-flash the RR PCM the bin that you flash into the PCM will contain the values for that learned data. Apart from CASE data none of that data is important to running the engine.

To preserve the correct CASE data, you should flash the *.tun file that came from the vehicle's original PCM into RR. Otherwise you will end up with some other engine's CASE data that will not match your engine and may cause false misfire detection.

The procedure should be something like this:

1. Get customer's car.
2. Read PCM, save 1st copy of *.tun file.
3. Upgrade PCM to custom OS if required.
3a. Perform CASE relearn (if OS was upgraded).
3b. Read PCM, save 2nd copy of *.tun file (if OS was upgraded).
5. Remove PCM, fit RR to customer's car.
6. Full flash *.tun file (from step 2 or 4) into RR (restores the correct learned data in flash memory - including CASE data).
7. Cal flash a base tune into RR that you want to start with.
8. Tune PCM...
9. Read RR, save *.tun file (with a different name to step 2 or 4).
10. Remove RR, re-fit customer's PCM.
11. Cal-flash customer's PCM with *.tun file saved in step 7.

Regards
Paul

[oztracktuning]

Does the CASE data still matter on Australian LS1s?

[Blacky]

Does the CASE data still matter on Australian LS1s?

I don't think it matters on the Commodores. I'm pretty sure all the misfire tests and codes are disabled from the factory. (But don't quote me on that).

Paul