Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 intermitent check engine light

Basically, yes.

The unlocked ECU from G56 will come with a baseline tune per information you provide them. From there you can adjust settings using the ProTune II software if needed.

The stock ECU has Morgan specific (and unchangeable) baseline fuel and spark maps, but the unit will augment those maps on the fly (something like up to +/- 28%) with "adaptive" maps which usually cover basic mods like free flow exhaust and air filter.

However, something I discovered when fitting a battery disconnect and why I fitted the G56 unit was that the adaptive maps are held in volatile memory and are lost when battery power is disconnected. So as I use the disconnect every time the car is parked for storage, I lost the adaptive tuning and the ECU had to start over each time (I have straight though exhaust and aftermarket air filter-this would not likely be an issue on an all stock machine).

With the G56 ECU you can go for an extended drive allowing the adaptive maps to maximize overall engine performance, then use the ProTune software to merge the adaptive maps with the baseline maps to create new baseline maps. It's really much simpler than it sounds and you can find helpful videos on Youtube.

Three iterations of map merges later and my machine runs much smoother ("happier" as my Dad would have said), with none of the low speed jerkiness it displayed with the stock ECU. The fuel map shows a richer mixture, especially in the sub 2000 rpm range vs stock.

Steve, thanks for the information, it is most useful.
When I was talking with S&S and inquiring about doing the Muscle air cleaner and the Mk45 pipes/mufflers they indicated I would need a tunable ECU and they suggested G56.
No what I am hearing, from more than one person, is that the MMC ECU will work and if I get a Windows laptop I will be able to diagnose what went wrong, just not be able to do much about it.

I have engine code readers for my Mini Coopers but apparently Morgan is not offering anything like it.

Not sure how Morgan was able to not comply with U.S. OBDII rules, perhaps because they are viewed as a motorcycle in most states? In any case they don't have a standard OBD port, just the very small micro USB port under the screw cover on the ECU (with incredibly small screws btw). Good news is the ProTune software is free from S&S and you can read and reset codes with it. Bad news for Mac users (me) is ProTune software is Windows only so requires a Windows PC or Parallels for Mac.

I've purchased a short micro USB to USB-A (normal size) cable and plan to insert it in the ECU and silicone it in place the next time I need to plug in. With a cover on the exposed USB-A end, I think it should be fine to leave it in place to make future plug-ins simple.

I have tried the parallel routine with other programs and finally gave up and bought a Windows computer. Looks like I am going to have to do that for the M3W.
The fact that the maps are retained in the ECU is worth the added expense of the G56. Can the stock Morgan map be loaded into the G56 ECU?

To be clear here, the stock ECU and the G56 unit are essentially the same unit, the only difference being the G56 unit is "unlocked" and therefore you can change the baseline fuel and ignition maps to suit your particular engine parameters. Typically the G56 unit would arrive loaded with a baseline map closer to your optimum based on information you provide to G56 at the time of order.

Baseline maps are stored in the ECU non volatile memory (retained on power loss) regardless of which ECU we are talking about. "Adaptive" maps are stored in the ECU volatile memory (lost on power loss) in both. So no difference there.

To store the stock maps in the G56, you would use the ProTune software to download and store the maps from your stock ECU to your computer drive, then plug into the G56 ECU and upload the stock maps. But why bother? The stock baseline maps remain stored in the stock ECU, which you can refit at any time. The only real purpose of buying the G56 ECU would be if you were unhappy with the tune (performance) of the stock setup and wish to change something.

I would suggest you spend some quality Internet time doing research and learning more about the X-Wedge engine management system before spending $600 on something that may not do what you are wanting to do.

This page has a pretty good basic description of the S&S ECU function.
http://www.bigdogbiker.com/threads/big-dogs-factory-stock-fuel-injection-s-s-vfi.26833/

I would also suggest downloading the ProTune software and reading all of their supplied documentation first.

Steve, spending a lot of internet time looking at what I would like to do and what is possible with relative ease is exactly what I have been doing while I wait for the little oddity to show up.

What Morgan says is one thing. What S&S says is another thing. Sales and marketing hype abounds as well as protection of proprietary software and material.

It appears that the stock ECU might be all that is needed if a Stage 1 Tune is the goal but S&S said I need a unlocked ECU to accomplish it. But how much of that is a CYA statement?

So, I ask questions in the hope of NOT spending a bunch of money for something that is not worth it. Having an engine that runs smoothly and as cool as necessary for longevity is the goal.

What X-Wedge proprietary items did Morgan request for their engines, or are they stock S&S engines?

The S&S Easy Start cams would make tapping noises and might make good sense to have but what did Morgan use.

A few things I think are true but not 100% sure:

The stock ECU is probably fine for basic air filter/exhaust mods BUT (and this part is 100%) the adaptive maps which are generated by running the engine are lost when the battery is discounted. May or may not be a big deal to you to have the engine "relearn" the new engine setup. That said, my engine definitely was happier after I replaced the ECU with the one from G56 and did a few map merges.

In my early conversations (phone and email) with S&S about X-wedge mods they were very helpful until I mistakenly let them know the engine was in a Morgan. They then said I needed to talk to Morgan about mods, parts etc. No doubt related to emissions compliance concerns and OEM agreements with Morgan. I have since just ordered a few parts (gaskets, tappet covers, etc) from them without issue.

I believe the engine Morgan uses is a basic spec 121 inch X-wedge. However I imagine the engine mapping was custom developed by Morgan & S&S to meet emission standards.

I believe all X-wedge engines use the easy start cams, as they were developed for the X-wedge and later for Harley engines (from an S&S video on their easy start tech). Haven't been far enough into the engine to confirm that.

If they do use the Easy Start Cams then that explains the knocking noise in the videos of the G56 Exhaust systems. It is just the right frequency to make it through the baffles/sound absorption muffler.

It would seem that the easier solution to retain the volatile memory storage in the basic ECU would be to install a bypass fused wire around the cut off switch to the ECU (as installed in my +8). Then when the power is disconnected to the M3W the ECU remains live and does not dump the learned data. The drain on the battery is minimal but the car cannot be started, etc.

I ran my MMC supplied and fitted Stage 1 exhaust and air cleaner upgrade on the stock ECU for about 14,000 miles with no ECU/check light problems.

As I don't have power where I store the car in I disconnect the battery each time (using a Battery Brain remote controlled disconnect). It's never been a problem restarting and runs fine straight away.

Krazy Horse changed it to an unlocked ECU when upgrading to the 596 cams. Based on their dyno testing the 569 are on the limit of the stock ECU adaptive range so the fuel map needs to be tweaked.

Re the cams, the stock and 569 are both Easy start.