How do I make a Fuel Injected car more consistent?

[Bobby Fazio]

I bracket race a mostly stock 1990 Mustang 5.0 in Sportsman. It has an AOD trans. It runs 13.60s on average but went a 13.34 at atco in a final round once. Since it is fuel injected and computer controlled it just makes it so hard to dial. It is getting a little better as I have raced it for a few years now (maybe I'm being more consistent as a driver or am just noticing little trends my car likes to follow) but late rounds it gets real tricky. I have a weather station and all that jazz but sometimes the thing just does off the wall stuff.

Is there some kind of kit, chip, trick, computer program, EFI program that makes life easier??

[Glenn Quinn]

I think you answered your own question. I am also EFI and have found most of my problems to be driver related. Go to the T& T’s and just get more seat time, as you learn the car it will come around.

[magnumv8]

The biggest thing for consistency in a computer controlled engine is the temps of the engine and trans...you must do your best to maintain the same temp in both on every pass you make regardless of outside temp because that you can't control and won't normally change much....the computer makes engine tuning changes based on coolant temp and intake air temp and sometimes more depending on the system....I installed digital temp gauges for coolant and trans temps and this made the combo very consistant.....and as a side note: mine picked up abunch on a final run once and it occured because the weather started changing and the wind turned into a tail wind pushing me WAY under....I always check the wind direction and speed now also to make my run the best it can be....


D L Rambo....

[rayfin]

I would agree that with EFI I would think it would be driver error. Maybe chassis or traction changes would help. The engine should be the same run after run with EFI. Maybe tire spin? I ran those BFG drag radials for a while and I think they were very inconsistant. Sometimes they were like glue, the next run they would spin.

[Mike Carr]

A few years ago, I raced my (then) daily driver, a 1995 LT-1 Camaro, automatic, ran low 14's normally. Once in a while, it would throw me for a loop with an odd run. I was told by a friend with a similar car he turned his off in the waterbox to reset the computer. I tried that, ran three races that summer, got a win, r/u (lost a close final) and a semifinal (had a tenth on the tree and spun the tires and lost). Try that and see if it helps.