ACCEL/DFI's Plug-And-Play Kit Makes EFI Easy Almost everyone wants fuel injection on their ride, but the path to get there is often littered with many technical potholes. The problem is not finding a suitable EFI system in your price range or even the installation. Most enthusiasts are intimidated by the programming, commonly called the calibration.
The appeal of EFI is easily tarnished if the system is not properly calibrated. Poor performance and driveability are the norm with an ill-prepared tune. Though every major EFI company offers software to calibrate its system, it is often not as easy as the advertising makes it seem. Fuel-injection calibration is a science that requires not only computer and software knowledge, but also an in-depth understanding of engine dynamics. Recognizing this as the final obstacle to mainstream acceptance of EFI in the aftermarket, Joe Alameddine (research and development manager of the Wixom, Michigan-based Digital Fuel Injection (DFI) division of Mr. Gasket) has created the Plug-and-Play kit.
The system is pre-calibrated for popular crate engines from both Ford and General Motors. Working with the OE manufacturers, DFI prepared calibrations for these engines that make it easy for the end user. All you have to do is set the ignition timing, throttle position, and idle speed to enjoy the benefits of EFI. That is, of course, after installing the ACCEL/DFI intake manifold, engine-management computer, and electric fuel pump. Since idle speed and timing need to be adjusted with a carburetor anyway, a conversion to ACCEL/DFI Plug-and-Play EFI requires only one more tuning step. Making It WorkThe Plug-and-Play system uses the same ACCEL/DFI Generation 7.0+ ECM found in the company’s universal fuel-injection controller kits. The internal workings of the Plug-and-Play ECM are the same as those of the universal non-calibrated kits, but it does use an application-specific version of the CalMap software.
Besides Plug-and-Play, ACCEL markets two levels of CalMap software: Standard and Pro. The only difference in the software is the number of calibration screens that can be accessed. The Standard software has access to 40 calibration tables, while the Pro version grants entry to 100 screens along with advanced data-logging and other features. With Plug-and-Play there are only six screens available to the end user. Since Plug-and-Play is pre-calibrated, there is no need to complicate the installation with myriad calibration tables.
Instead, Plug-and-Play comes pre-tuned to your crate engine, but still does require the use of a laptop computer to make the few necessary adjustments on initial startup, such as base timing, idle speed, and throttle position. The ACCEL/DFI Plug-and-Play unit operates as a speed-density system, using a GM manifold absolute pressure sensor to monitor engine load (vacuum). In addition, the ECM has an internal desired (target) air/fuel ratio table. It then uses an advanced mathematical equation to model the amount of volumetric efficiency or cylinder fill the engine is experiencing. Through this method of calculating the mass of the air entering the bores, Plug-and-Play can deliver the right amount of fuel and ignition advance to extract the most power from the engine under all conditions. Each Plug-and-Play part number represents hundreds of hours of dyno time with that particular crate engine, along with thousands of real-world miles. This guarantees that Plug-and-Play will provide perfect performance and driveability regardless of whether the engine is installed in a street rod, musclecar, or truck.
A Systems ApproachEach Plug-and-Play kit comes complete with almost everything that you need to install EFI on your engine. The induction path begins with either a cast- or billet-aluminum throttle-body on single-plane manifold kits, depending on the crate motor application. The cast throttle-body flows 750 cfm, and the billet piece moves 1,200 cfm. The Street Ram TPI kit incorporates a billet-aluminum throttle-body and is an ACCEL/DFI-designed TPI-style induction system that is calibrated for the GM ZZ4 crate engine. An OE-quality wiring harness with WeatherPak connectors, along with an integral fuel pump relay, allows for a simple plug-in installation to the distributor, fuel injectors, and sensors, regardless of the installation vehicle and engine.
An ACCEL/DFI high-flow electric fuel pump can be mounted either on the frame of the vehicle or in the gas tank. You need to supply only the gaskets, fuel lines, and air filter assembly to complete the installation. The single-plane aluminum intake manifold is especially interesting since it can accept a carburetor-style round air cleaner assembly. This hides most of the fuel rail and injectors and at first glance will have everyone thinking your engine is carbureted-that is, until you take them for a ride.
Driving ImpressionsWe had the opportunity to drive a selection of vehicles with the ACCEL/DFI Plug-and-Play EFI system. The test cars we experienced ranged from a 302 Mustang to a 502 in an early-’90s Chevy pickup truck. Each engine started instantaneously with a twist of the key despite the -10 degrees F weather Detroit was experiencing during our visit. Without any warm-up, the test cars were then accelerated onto Interstate 96. Each provided seamless power and perfect driveability, even though the coolant temperature was still in the two-digit range. Once warmed, the idle speed was lower than one would expect with a carburetor on the same engine, and according to ACCEL/DFI’s records, fuel economy under normal driving conditions is vastly improved.
All of this may make Plug-and-Play seem too good to be true, and there is a hitch, though it is a small one. The calibrations can only be used on completely stock crate engines.
Change the cam, port the cylinder heads, or perform any other modification, and the calibration will no longer be accurate. If you choose to take that route, all that would be required is a trip to one of ACCEL/DFI’s 150 Engine Management Installation Centers (EMIC) where the company can, for a fee, re-tune the ECM. Feel confident in your own tuning skills? You can purchase the necessary components through an EMIC to tune the system with a PC. ACCEL/DFI has raised the aftermarket EFI bar substantially with the introduction of the Plug-and-Play kits.
It is the first and only install-it-and-forget-it EFI system. With prices for the complete package starting at around $2,499, there is nothing keeping you from transforming your ride into a 21st century cruiser.
EFI Boot Camp Though the acronym EMIC stands for Engine Management Installation Center, it does not even begin to describe what an ACCEL/DFI fuel injection dealer is all about. Created in 1990 by ACCEL/DFI due to the lack of trained shops that could work with programmable electronic fuel injection, this program still stands alone today in the performance aftermarket. ACCEL/DFI realized that to serve the consumer better, an elite, specially trained dealer network would be required. Unlike other EFI manufacturers that at most require a shop to pass a credit check to sell their products, ACCEL/DFI mandates that all EMICs possess certain skills along with financial responsibility before being considered.
Then the shop is required to attend a rigorous Mr Gasket/ACCEL training program in either Cleveland, Ohio, or Carson City, Nevada. The intense two-day training program starts with a written and multiple-choice examination to qualify the prospective EMIC and determine its weak areas. From there the basics of EFI, along with an in-depth application-specific training curriculum on the ACCEL/DFI Generation 7.0+, is the order of the day. Some of the subjects covered are cylinder burn rates, injector dynamics, sequential versus batch fire, when to use a wide-band oxygen sensor, and emissions. By the end of the second day, the dealers have completed an industry-exclusive 16-hour training program, but ACCEL/DFI’s support does not stop there. An in-house technical support line and electronic newsletter allow the dealer to provide the end user with not only the best ECM on the market, but the latest in software and firmware updates. The EMIC also has the ability to sell and install all ACCEL and Mallory ignition products with the same level of confidence and professionalism.
So when it comes time to purchase an EFI controller, look beyond the product. Query the dealer about the support and level of training the manufacturer provides.
Then make your purchase decision.
Solved a couple issues recently and providing the solution description here so hopefully others searching the interwebs will find it. Maybe this is well known somewhere but I couldn't find a clear answer after much searching. I found mostly incomplete information out there on how to get Accel DFI Gen 7 Calmap to work in Windows 7. The main error is: This application failed to start because WKWIN32.Dll was not found.Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
Some people that fixed it say things like' I dowloaded it, then did some stuff and it worked' or 'download an install the WkWin32.dll'. Well what the hell does all that mean? It means this: 1. Go here and download this file to a place you can remember, in my Win 7, it dowloads to the Download folder. Open the Calmap FOLDER from the Local Disc C drive as seen below.NOT the program from the icon. Open the local disc: 2b. Click on the calmap folder: (the highlighted WkWin32 at the bottom will not be there for you, I'm telling how to get it there) 3.
Accel Dfi System
Open the folder that the WkWin32 downloaded to side by side with the above folder. Now simply click and drag the WkWin32 from the Download folder to the Calmap folder. (I guess this is the how-to of 'download and install')In the pic below you can see where I've done the drag into the Calmap folder on the left, the WkWin32 is on the bottom. Close those windows and start your Calmap from the icon.
you should be up and running! Also, when the calmap program came out a popular serial to USB adapter was the Belkin F5u409 'USB to PDA Adapter'. Go here for the driver for windows 7. Basically, Belkin doesn't have it but another company, MCT,that uses the same chipset and writes Belkin's drivers does have it for Win 7. After a year of not being able to connect I am back in business. Hope this helps! Solved a couple issues recently and providing the solution description here so hopefully others searching the interwebs will find it.
Maybe this is well known somewhere but I couldn't find a clear answer after much searching. I found mostly incomplete information out there on how to get Accel DFI Gen 7 Calmap to work in Windows 7.
The main error is: This application failed to start because WKWIN32.Dll was not found.Re-installing the application may fix this problem. Some people that fixed it say things like' I dowloaded it, then did some stuff and it worked' or 'download an install the WkWin32.dll'. Well what the hell does all that mean? It means this: 1. Go here and download this file to a place you can remember, in my Win 7, it dowloads to the Download folder.
Open the Calmap FOLDER from the Local Disc C drive as seen below.NOT the program from the icon. Open the local disc: 2b. Click on the calmap folder: (the highlighted WkWin32 at the bottom will not be there for you, I'm telling how to get it there) 3. Open the folder that the WkWin32 downloaded to side by side with the above folder.
Now simply click and drag the WkWin32 from the Download folder to the Calmap folder. (I guess this is the how-to of 'download and install')In the pic below you can see where I've done the drag into the Calmap folder on the left, the WkWin32 is on the bottom. Close those windows and start your Calmap from the icon.
you should be up and running! Also, when the calmap program came out a popular serial to USB adapter was the Belkin F5u409 'USB to PDA Adapter'. Go here for the driver for windows 7.
Basically, Belkin doesn't have it but another company, MCT,that uses the same chipset and writes Belkin's drivers does have it for Win 7. After a year of not being able to connect I am back in business. Hope this helps!
Accel Dfi Thruster Efi Engine Management
Amazing stuff thanks so much! I still have an old laptop with serial ports and xp on it just to tune but i would definitely like to use my newer laptop with w7 to tune. Once I'm up and running I will give this a shot! If costs are not of concern, then I suggest looking at Motec. Motec is well packaged, highly reliable, strong firmware feature set and decent software especially if you get pro stuff (not cheap). Now on the cheaper end of the scale, MegaSquirt.
Accel Thruster Software Install
This is what most of my installs use these days. MegaSquirt started as a DIY solution where you had to soldier it together and it was fuel only, but those daya are long gone. As distributors like DIY Autotune started selling pre-built units MegaSquirt evolved into the cheap alternative. Then from there seems to just keep going. The firmware and software have developed like mad.
With MS3 or even MS2 Extra the firmware feature set is well beyond most of the common stand alone systems and can go up against the best of them. With TunerStudio supporting it, the PC software is in a whole different league for features and refinement of a real application. Between cool dashboards, automatics restore points of your tune and an auto tune that works great. This software makes installs, setup and tuning so much easier than most systems. The main weak spot for MegaSquirt is packaging. Most versions still have a bland case that looks like a DIY project, but there are some more refined PNP systems and as I understand it there is a much more refined enclosure coming shortly. Now that I'm remembering, what about the pro key?
My motor blew up so i haven't bothered with the car for a few years but i was talking to dfi about switching to usb and they said they had a usb cable with the pro key integrated but was extra. I'll probably wait till im up and rolling and over the winter switch over. Steve I'm curious as to how you are setup? X2 What are you using for a key.
Obviously your Windows 7 will not have a parallel port for the key. I'm guessing you bought the new USB cable with the built in Key. BTW Thanks for the info on the Windows 7 dll file. Don't worry about people that come in here and bash products they probably never used or have very little experience with. Accel Gen 7 is perfectly capable of tuning the wildest of hotrods. If this is for me, I do apologize, that was not my intention.
I was just answering the question. I agreed it is off topic for this post and did not belong here. I in no way mean to bash DFI, it is capable. I only want to help others make their own life easier. But again, that is not the topic of this post.
I think he's referring to the quote below, which was definitely a bash on the current system in use and not a response to any question posed in the first post. The first post was to help others already invested in a system they like and want to continue using. It surprises me how well people put up with crappy and out of date software for tuning. The DFI stuff is pretty weak, but far from the worst. Seeing that it is the way you interface with the controller, I really recommend people really evaluate the software available before selecting an aftermarket fuel injection controller. Thanks for your input on the MS / Tunerstudio combo.
It really does look impressive (the auto-tune seems a lot more robust, also like the compare screens. ) and if I was looking to make the mistake of buying an aftermarket controller for a mild combo again, I would definitely consider it. It may be well known to others here, but for those coming from the outside, what exactly is the relationship between you and the product your recommending?