Originally Posted by MeanMan

Main thing I learned, was just how much EASIER it is to tune IF you're numbers are lining up, and what I mean is yes you can just move stuff around until you get the desired result. But if your airflow isn't calibrated correctly, and say you just shove more fuel in an area of the map to get the desired A/F ratio, yes that does work, but it throws the readings off which eventually if you keep that up will cause it's own problems, one with your sanity and keeping track of it all, and sometimes in other areas like the timing map will want to do odd things until you go in and manually adjust it. So my first piece of advice is just to confirm everything is making sense far as readings, far as dead time/pulse width (I think the euro cars are the only ones that call it pulse width? just the other side of the coin we call dead time) and that the A/F ratio commanded is what's actually being achieved. So long as that's happening then tuning is much easier.

I'd pull basically all the ignition timing out from just before the turbo starts to spool to redline, increase boost/air mass until you get to your target area with the desired A/F ratio, I would suggest not going over 11.5:1, maybe 11:1-11.2:1 to play it more on the safe side. Anyway then once that's done, THEN start introducing ignition timing from redline, backwards to spool up point. 2 notes there, to save on making a million pulls to nail this down, the first bump or two in ignition timing can be somewhat agressive but then i'd slow way down on the advancement of it, like go from 0 to say 10* across the board from redline backwards BUT when you get close to the point the turbo has spooled up (which will change a bit going from 0 timing advance to well, some) you want that to taper downward (less) at the point the turbo spools, and then have it come in smoothly, so avoid like an on off switch or drastic change in timing there as that can cause knock. then it's just a matter of repeating the process, next time add say 3* do the same, rinse and repeat. remember to keep things tapered down to less timing around that spool up point. Obviously if you see knock, pull timing, if it goes away pulling 1-2 degrees, then just leave it there for say 500-800rpm, and see if you can add 1-2* back in later (higher) in the rpm band.

Now all that said, I have never tuned anything but 4G63 turbo engines, so things like VTEC of any veriant are mostly alien to me. Like I get how it works and all that but I mean far as accounting for it in the ECU.

P.S. You can move from spool up to redline on the ignition map as well if that's the way you'd rather do it (it's the way many do it) you'll still zero everything out from the point the turbo starts to make boost, and the advantage to going this direction is if it will "accept" more timing at any given rpm, it can basically be raised to that forwards to redline without a thought. Oh and you may want to look into a colder spark plug that OEM, usually 1 heat range colder.