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CDI+ Ignition System Manual Issue 3.6

ClassicRetrofitCDI+unit

911-CDI+IgnitionSystemManual

©ClassicRetrofit2015Page2

Table of Contents

Thanks!...................................................................................................................................................4

CDI+IgnitionUpgrade............................................................................................................................4

CDI+Benefits..........................................................................................................................................4

Design.................................................................................................................................................4

Whataboutmorehorsepower?.........................................................................................................6

Dynoresults.......................................................................................................................................7

BeforeYouStart.....................................................................................................................................8

PackingList.............................................................................................................................................8

'Baseline'theIgnitiontiming..................................................................................................................9

RoadunitsandRaceunits......................................................................................................................9

InstallingtheCDI+unit.........................................................................................................................10

FirstEngineStart..................................................................................................................................12

MixtureAdjustment.............................................................................................................................12

Tachowiringfor3pinCDI+units.........................................................................................................13

ModelYears1969-1970..................................................................................................................13

ModelYears1971-1977..................................................................................................................15

ModelYears1978-1988..................................................................................................................15

Shiftlightwiring(allCDI+units)...........................................................................................................16

Switch/ClutchInput(allCDI+units)...................................................................................................16

'Jogwheel'Functions............................................................................................................................17

Mode1-TachoTest.........................................................................................................................17

Mode2-MaxRpm(HardRevLimitAdjust).....................................................................................17

Mode3-ShiftLightRpm..................................................................................................................17

Mode4-TachoCal...........................................................................................................................17

AdvancedSetup...................................................................................................................................18

CablesandConnection.........................................................................................................................18

SoftwareInstallation............................................................................................................................20

SoftwareFeatures................................................................................................................................21

LiveTacho.............................................................................................................................................22

LiveEngineReadback.......................................................................................................................23



ProfileSettings.....................................................................................................................................24

ReadingaProfilefromtheCDI+unit................................................................................................24

CreatinganewProfile......................................................................................................................25

DeletingaProfile..............................................................................................................................25

SettingsinDetail..............................................................................................................................25

TrigAdvance.................................................................................................................................25

RpmHardLimit.............................................................................................................................25

HardLimitcut...............................................................................................................................25

RpmSoftLimit..............................................................................................................................25

SoftLimitAdv...............................................................................................................................25

RpmShiftLight.............................................................................................................................26

LaunchLimit.................................................................................................................................26

2ndSparkAfter............................................................................................................................26

InputDelayAdj.............................................................................................................................26

AdvanceCurvePlot..............................................................................................................................27

AdjustRoom.....................................................................................................................................28

Ignitiontimingschemes.......................................................................................................................28

Overlaymode...................................................................................................................................28

FullControlmode.............................................................................................................................29

VacuumAdvance..................................................................................................................................31

DistributorLockingCollet.....................................................................................................................32

AdvanceTimingResults........................................................................................................................34

Troubleshooting...................................................................................................................................35

Disclaimer.............................................................................................................................................36



Thanks!

ThankyouforpurchasingourCDI+upgradeforyour911.Wehopeyoulikeit!TheCDI+isjustoneofmanyproductswearedeveloping.

Checkoutwww.classicretrofit.comregularlytoseewhatwe'reupto!

CDI+ Ignition Upgrade.

The911-CDI+isanessentialupgradeforallPorsche911sfittedwithBoschCapacitiveDischargeIgnition.TheCDI+issuitablefor911modelsfrom1969to1983andupto1989formostTurbomodels.

Thehighlightsofthesystemare:

• Completelyredesignedmodernelectronics.• Plugandplaywithnowiringchanges.• DoublesparkatallRPMs.• ProgrammableIgnitioncurveandrevlimiters• Simpleinstallation.

Dependentonyourmodelyear,youwillhaveeithera3pin(early)boxora6pin(late)box.Bothmodelshavethesamefeatures.

TheCDI+unitcomesineitheraCNCmachinedcaseorinarefurbishedoriginalBoschcase.Bothunitshavethesamefunctionality.

CDI+ Benefits

Design

The911-CDI+hasbeendevelopedspecificallyforthePorsche911.

WesetouttoproduceahighreliabilityplugandplayreplacementfortheBoschCDIsystem.Theelectronicshavebeendesignedtoruncoolforalonglifeandmodernregulationandprotectioncircuitryhasbeenincorporated.Thecircuitryhasbeenmatchedtotheexistingcomponents,namelycoil,leadsanddistributorstoensureitwill'justwork'.Manyaftermarketignitionboxes,overdrivethevoltagetothecoilthatcanleadtoashortcoillife.

Whenwestartedtoputtheunitsontestcars,wehadsomeunexpectedresults.Overthecourseof2yearswehaverunanumberof'testmules',from2.0litreracecarsoncarburetors,to2.7MFI,2.8twinsparkandanumberofstock3.0SCs.



Werepeatedlyhadreportsofimproveddrive-ability,lesshesitation,improved'smoothness'.Inthe2.0litreracecar,engine'pickup'wasmuchimproved.MFIcarswith2000-3000RPMhesitation-gone.JerkyCIScarsatlowspeednowransmooth.

Asengineers,weneededtounderstandwhythiswouldhappen.WelookedattheoriginalCDIdesignmorecloselyandcomparedittoCDI+:

Design ClassicRetrofitCDI+ BoschCDI/HKZ

HighVoltagePowerSupply

Constant300Voutputforinputvoltages9-16Vacrossentirerevrange.

VariableoutputdependentoninputvoltageandRPM.

400V@1000RPMdegradingto240V@6000RPM

Sparkoutput 2sparksbacktobackatprogrammableintervals(typically400us)

Singlespark

InputTrigger Softwarecompensatedfordelaysininputcircuitry.Accuracybetterthan0.1degree@10000RPM.

R/Cfilter.Measuredaccuracyapproximately+/-2.5degreesvaryingwithRPM.

InputCircuit DedicatedinputIC. Discretecomponents

Noiseimmunity PCBgroundplane.InputIsolation.

Nogroundplane.

Protection Overvoltage,reversepolarity,shortcircuit.

None.

Webelievethatmanyofthe'smoothness'reportsofourCDI+aredowntotheconstantvoltagedeliveredtothecoilatallenginespeeds.Combinedwiththesecondspark,thelikelihoodofgoodfuelignitionisimprovedparticularlywhenthethrottleisappliedsharply.Inthiscase,asingleweaksparkstandsachancetobeextinguishedbythefuel.

WehaveseenmanyoriginalBoschunitsthatwillrunanenginebutfailonourtestequipment.Oftenasparkisproducedatidleanditwillrunacar.Oncloserinspectiontheoutputvoltageislowerthanexpected.AstheRPMrises,itgetsprogressivelylessandthesparkgetsweaker.

Secondly,wehaveBoschunitsthathavefailedinputtriggercircuitry.Again,theywillrunanengineinafashion,butthetriggercan'miss'orthesparknotbefiredatthecorrecttime.



Whataboutmorehorsepower?

TheCDI+producthasbeendesignedtoprovideconsistentsparksandaccuratetiming.AnyHPincreasewillinitiallybeasideeffectofimprovementovertheBoschsystem.GiventhatmostBoschunitsareover30yearsold,thereisalsoahighprobabilitythattheBoschunitisnotperformingasitdidwhenitwasnew.

Beyondthat,theCDI+unitscanbemappedtoprovideafaithfuldeliveryofPorsche'sintendedignitioncurvewhereolddistributorweightsandspringsarenolongeraccurate.

Theoriginalignitionadvanceprovidedbythedistributorwasoftendesignedagainstthepoorfuelofthetime.Today'shigheroctanefuelcanallowtheenginetobeadvancedfurtherwithoutriskofdetonation.Insomevehicles,themanufacturer'ssafetymarginwasalsoerringonthesideofcaution.TheCDI+inthehandsofacompetentenginespecialistallowstheoptimumenginetimingtobeachieved.TheCDI+alsoallowsignitiontimingmapsthatarephysicallyimpossibletoachievebymechanicalmeans.

Inmodifiedengines,thestandardignitioncurveswillalmostcertainlynotbeoptimal.Distributorscanbere-curvedbutthisisalongwindedandcostlycycle.UsingtheCDI+onarollingroad/dynoallowschangestothetimingcurvetobeappliedinstantlywithimmediateresults.

CDI+andBoschCDIbacktobackteston2.7RSMotor



Dynoresults

Inthefollowingdynoplot,thebluelinewiththediamondshapedpointsistheadvanceappliedbyastandardboschdistributor.Thedatawiththethicklinescorrespondtothatrun.Itcanbeseenthataround4500RPM,whentheengine'comesoncam',theHPandtorquestartstofall.

OverlayedontheplotistheCDI+withanadjustedcurve-thebluelinewiththestarredpoints.Thedatawiththethinlinescorrespondstothisrun.NotehowtheHPandtorquenolongerfallawaysomuchat4500RPM.Theadditional15HPat4500RPMwouldbeanoticeableimprovementandcertainlysomethingyoucould'feel'.

Moreworkisrequiredonthisenginehowever.Itcanbeseenthattheadvancewasrather'overambitious'at3000RPMresultinginlesspower.Thisiseasilycorrected,however,withtheCDI+mappingsoftware.

DynoplotofCDI+withcustomignitioncurvevsstandardcurve



TheCDI+unitproducesahighvoltageoutput(300V)tothevehiclecoil.

Pleaseconsideryourandotherpeople'ssafetybeforeinstallation.

Disconnectthevehiclebatterybeforeinstallation!

Before You Start

Theinstallationisstraightforwardandcanbecompletedcomfortablywithin1hourbyacompetentpersonifthestandardsettingsareused.Advancedsetupoftimingcurveswilltakelongerandreallyneedsarollingroadordynotocloselymonitorengineparameters.

Wedo,however,drawyourattentiontoourdisclaimerattheendofthisdocument.

Thereareafewwiringpeculiaritieswithsomemodels.Pleaseseethesectionsattheendofthisdocument.

Youwillneedthefollowingtools:

• A6mm'allen'key-preferablywitha'T'handle.• 10mmringspanner(forearlycarswithnutsonthebackofthepanel).• Crimpconnectorsandcrimptool(ifyouareinstallingsomeoftheoptions).• Heatshrink/insulationtape.• Timingstrobelight.• Asmall(4mmorless)flatscrewdriverforadjustment(ifrequired).

Packing List

Thepackingboxcontainsthefollowingitems.

• CDI+unit.• USBdiagnosticcable.• Distributorlockingcolletandinsertion/extractiontool(optional)

Youarenowreadytostarttheinstallation.



'Baseline' the Ignition timing.

Ifyouareswappingtheunitonarunningvehicle,weadvisethatthetimingofthecarischeckedwiththestandardCDIboxbeforefittingtheunit.Refertoaworkshopmanualforhowtocheckignitiontiming.

Thisistoverifythat:

• Thetimingoftheengineisasexpected.• theexistingweightsandspringsinthedistributorarefunctioning

Connectatimingstrobeto#1ignitionlead(ontheleftandclosesttoyou)andmakeanoteofthetimingadvanceatidleandalsoatafewpointsuptherevrange.Thereisatableatthebackofthisdocumenttorecordyourreadings.

Onmost911s,thetimingistypically0-5degreesadvanceatidle,withtheadvanceincreasingtomaximumof20-30degreesby6000RPM.Therearesomeexceptionsbutyoushouldseetheadvanceincreaseonthestrobewhentheengineisrevved.

Note:Ifyouhavean'intelligent'strobewithanadvancefeature,switchitoff(orto0degrees)forthischeck.

Whenyouarehappythatthetimingiscorrect,proceedtoinstallationoftheCDI+.

Road units and Race units.

Bothroadandraceboxesareidenticalintermsoftheelectronicsandfeatures.Thedifferenceisinthediagnostic/programmingcable.

Roadunitsareshippedwithan‘occasionaluse’USBcable.Thecableispluggedintothebackoftheunitthroughaslotinthelid.ThecableMUSTNOTbeleftpluggedinasitisnotwaterprooforelectricallyshielded.Inaddition,ifthecableisleftpluggedinwithnocomputerconnected,theunitwillnotrunitsinternalsoftwareandallthetimingwillbewrong.DONOTLEAVETHEUSBLEADPLUGGEDIN.

USBleadinbackofroadunitmustonlybefittedfortuningandnotleftincar!



Raceunitscomewitharobustintegratedpigtailcablewhichiswaterproofandelectricallyshielded.Itisdesginedtobemountedinthecarpermanentlyforeaseofaccess.TheUSBcableprovidedhasamoredurableconnector.

Raceunit(inoriginalBoschcase)

[Sincethecableslotisonthebackoftheroadunit,itcangetannoyingtotaketheunitoffforaccessifyouaredoingthisfrequently,hencetheraceunit.Ifyouareexpectingtodolotsofchassisdynotuning,choosearaceunit.]

Installing the CDI+ unit.

TheBoschCDIunitonmostcarsisattachedtoanaluminiumpanelontheleftsideoftheenginebay.Itisadvisabletotakesomephotosforreferencepriortoremovingtheunit.

Disconnectthebatterynegativeterminal.

Unplugthe3or6pinplugfromthebottomoftheoriginalCDIunit.

Onearliercarstherearethreeallenheadscrewsandnutsandwashersbehindthepanelwhichcanfalldownbehindthepanelsobeprepared.Earlycarsmayalsohaveearthstrapssharingthemountingscrews.

Latercarshavecaptivenutsonthepanelsoaremucheasier.Onlatercarswithenginebayheaterblowers,youmayhavetoremovetheheaterpipeonthelefthandsideoftheenginebay.

InstalltheCDI+inthesamewayastheoriginal.Ifyouhavethestandardroadunit,DONOTleavetheUSBcablepluggedintheback.TheunitwillnotfunctioncorrectlywiththeUSBpluggedin.

TheCDI+unithaseithera3or6pinplugwhichmatestotheexistingwiringloom.Theraceunitalsohasadiagnosticcableisusedforconnectiontoacomputerforsetupandsomeflyingleads.



Theflyingleadsmayvarydependingonwhichoptionsarefitted.

WireColour FunctionRed/Black Shift/IndicationlightoutputYellow/Black Clutch/SwitchinputPurple/Black Tachodrive(3pinonly)

Ifyouwishtoconnectthesewires,theywillneedtohaveconnectorscrimpedtotheends.Ifyouare

notusingthewires,insulatetheendsandhidethemawaybehindthemountingpanelafterinstallation.

Thediagnosticleadcanbetuckedbehindthealuminiumpanelorroutedtooneofthe30mmholesintherelaypanel.

Typicalinstallation(CNCreplicacase).Thisisaraceunitwiththediagnosticconnectorshowninrelayhole(greenarrow).



First Engine Start.

Ifyouhavearoadunit,makesuretheUSBcableisNOTpluggedintothebackoftheCDIbox.

AsshippedtheCDI+unithasa'flat'ignitionprofilesowillworkwiththeoriginaldistributor(usingtheweightsandspringsforadvance).Evenifyoudon'tintendtousetheCDI+thisway,itisalwaysworthperformingthisstep.

Reconnectthebatteryandstartthecar.Ifthecardoesnotstart,slackenthedistributorlocknutandturnthedistributorafewmminthedirectionofadvanceandretry.

[TheCDI+unitasshippedrequiresthatthedistributoristurnedintheadvancedirectionby7.5degrees.Ona3pincar,turnthedistributoranti-clockwisetoadvance.Ona6pincar,turnthedistributorclockwise]

Followtheworkshopignitiontimingprocedure.Verifythatthetimingisthesameasyourinitialreadingswiththestandardunit.

Youhavenowcompletedthebasicsetupoftheunit.Thetimingisstillcontrolledbytheweightsandspringsinthedistributor.TherevlimiterisnowcontrolledbytheCDI+.

[Ifyouhaveamechanicalrevlimitingrotorarmthiswillstillfunction]

Takethecarforatestdrive.

Thecarshouldfeelthesameorbetter.Atthisstage,anyimprovementinperformance/runningareattributedtothemodernelectronicsandthedoublesparkingscheme.

Mixture Adjustment.

ThedualsparksystembuiltintotheCDI+hasbeenshowninanenginetestcell(dyno)toimprovecombustion.Theextrasparkhasasimilareffecttothatofa‘twinplugged’engine,inthatmoreofthefuelinthecombustionchamberisignited.Thisimprovestheefficiency,resultinginbettermileageandmorepower.

AfterinstallingaCDI+unit,theAFRtypicallyshowsleanerthanwhenrunningtheoriginalBoschCDI.Ifthemixtureisthenbroughtbackintospec,morepowerisproducedbytheengine.

Asmostearly911’sgenerallyrunrich,usuallythedifferenceinpowerisimmediatelynoticeable.Ifitisn’t,thechancesareyourcarisrunninglean.Forpeaceofmind,itisbesttogetthemixturechecked.



Tacho wiring for 3 pin CDI+ units.

Skipthissectionifyouhavea6pinCDI+unit.

Ifyouhavecompletedtheinstallationsofar,yourtachowillworkasbeforebutyouwon'tbeabletotakeadvantageofsomeofthefeaturesoftheCDI+unit.

TheCDI+candrivethetachoindependently,irrespectiveofthedistributorRPMsignal.ThisallowstheCDI+tousethetachoforcalibrationandotherfunctions(seejogwheelfunctions).

Ina3pincar,inmostcases,thetachodrivesignalistakenstraightfromthedistributoronapurple/blackwire.ToallowtheCDI+unittocontrolthetacho,weneedtointerceptthissignalanddrivethetachofromtheCDI+unitinstead.

Therearethreewaysofdoingthis,dependingontheyearofthecar.

ModelYears1969–1970

Skipthissectionifyouhavea6pinCDI+unit.

Therearemanyvariantsofthe911wiringandtheyareallslightlydifferent.Thissectiondescribesamodificationthatmaybenecessarybutnotalwaysneededfor1969-1970cars.Thereiseverychancethatthetachowillworkbycarryingoutthesimplerwiringdetailedinthenextsectionforyears1971-1977.Pleasetrythisfirst,ifitdoesnotwork,trythemethoddescribedinthissection.

Between69andsometimein70,rumourhasitthatPorschehadlotsoftachosfromearliercarsontheshelfbutthedrivesignalwasincompatiblewiththeirnewCDIsystem.Theyhadtouseanadaptertoincreasethevoltagelevelofthesignal.OnPorschewiringdiagrams,thisiscalledthe'SpeedSwitch'

Stop!Didyoutrythesimplerwiringschemefor1971-1977carsfirst?Onlyproceedwiththefollowingifthatdidn'twork.Thefollowingcanalsobeusedforcarswherethespeedswitchhasfailed.

Thisisa2.2Swiththetachoadapterhighlighted(greenarrow).



ToenablethetachotobedrivenfromtheCDI+unitrequiresacoupleofsimplewiringchanges

1)Pullthetachooutanddisconnectthered/blackwiresfromthe15terminal(marked12Vusually).Makesurethetwowiresremain'piggy-backed'togetherbutinsulatetheendofthewires.Movethepurple/blackwiretothe15(12V)terminal.

Removered/blackMovepurple/blackto'15'terminal.



2)Removethepurple/blackwiresfromterminal4ofthetachoadaptercan.Therearetwowirespiggy-backedtogether,pullthemapart.Onewiregoestothedistrbutor,theothertothetacho.Identifythewirethatgoestothetacho.ConnecttheCDI+purple/blacktothiswire.

Removepurple/blackConnectCDI+purple/blackwiretothiswire.

[Note.Onthesecarsthespadeterminalisatthebackofthedistributorandveryclosetoanoilline.Makesurethatthewiresattachedarestillwellinsulatedandcannottouchtheoilline]

ModelYears1971-1977Onthebackofthedistributor,identifythepurple/blackwire.Itisusuallypiggybacked,disconnectitfromthedistributor.Leavetheblackwireonthedistributor.

Latermodelsinthisera(3.0Carreraforexample),hadatwo-wayplasticconnectorbetweenthedistributorandthetachodial.Ifthewireonthedistributoriswhite(oranothercolourotherthanpurple/black)tracethisbacktothetwo-wayconnector.Youshouldfindthepurple/blacktachowirethere.Extractthepurple/blackwirefromtheconnectorshell(ithasareleasingtabthatcanbebendbackusingasmallflatscrewdriver).

Connectthepurple/blacktachowiretothepurple/blackflyingleadontheCDI+unit.Insulateanyconnectionsandsecuretotheexistingwiring.

[Note.Onsomecarsthespadeterminalisatthebackofthedistributorandveryclosetoanoilline.Makesurethattheblackwireisstillwellinsulatedandcannottouchtheoilline]

ModelYears1978-1988Thesecarsusethe6pinCDI+units.Thetachowiringisbuiltintotheconnectorandnowiringmodificationsareneeded.



Shift light wiring (all CDI+ units).

Thered/blackwireistheshiftlightoutput.Itiscapableofdrivinganledorbulbupto5Wrating.

Theoutputislowsideswitching.Inotherwordsthered/blackwireswitchesonesideofthebulbtoground.

Wireupabulbwitha12Vfeedtooneside(Ifitisinthedashboard,youcanpiggy-packoffthetacho12Vfeed).

Runawirefromtheothersideofthebulb,allthewaybacktothered/blackwireontheCDI+unit.Aneasyrouteisacrossthedashboard,downtheApillarbehindthecarpet,undertheleftsidecarpettrim,upbehindtherearquartertrimandthroughthebulkhead.Forcarswithheatedrearscreensthereisaholenearthelowerscreencorner.

Switch / Clutch Input (all CDI+ units).

Theyellow/blackwireisa'switchtoground'input.Thesoftwareusesthistoactivatethelaunchrevlimiter.Wireuponesideofamicroswitchtoground(chassis).Connecttheothersidetotheyellow/blackwire.

Themicroswitchcaneitherbelocatedontheclutchpedalortheomegaspringonthegearbox.Asimplebracketcanbemadetoattachtothegearbox.

AluminiumbracketRollerMicroswitch

Note:Youcanusethe'INPUT'flagontheliveenginereadbacksinthesoftwaretotesttheswitch(See'liveenginereadback'section).Ideally,youwanttheflagtoextinguishassoonastheclutchisfullyengaged(topofpedaltravel).



'Jogwheel' Functions Theunithasasmallholeonthefrontcoveredbyascrew(itisthelargerscrew).Removethescrewandinsertasmallflatbladedscrewdriver,turngentlyuntilitseatsintheslotintheinternaljogwheel.Thejogwheelfeels‘notchy’whenturnedanditcanalsobepressed.

Fourmodescanbeactivatedbypressingthejogwheel.ThemodeswillcycleE.g.pressonceformode1,againformode2etc.Toaccessthesemodestheenginemustbeidling(under1200RPM).Aftermode4,onemorepushwillreturntheunittonormaloperation.Theunitwillalsoreturntonormaloperationiftheengineisrevvedortheignitionswitchedoffandon.

Whenamodeisselected,theLEDonthetopoftheunitwillflashaccordingtothemode,e.g.3flashesformode3.Ifyouhaveashiftlightfitted,thelightwillalsoflashthemode.

Mode1-TachoTest

Thetachotestmodecanbeaccessedbypressingthejogwheelonce.Thiswillstartaslow'sweep'ofthetachofrom0to7000RPMandbackto0again.Thismodeismainlyusefulforcheckingtachooperation,particularlywhensettingupa3pincar.

Mode2-MaxRpm(HardRevLimitAdjust)

Pressthejogwheelagainformode2.ThecurrenthardRPMlimitisshownindicatedonthetachointhecar.Turnthejogwheeltoadjustthelimiterup/down.Whenadjustedinthisway,thesoftlimiterisautomaticallysetto250RPMbelowthehardlimitasitisadjusted.

Mode3-ShiftLightRpm

Pressthejogwheelagainformode3.TheshiftlightRPMisshownindicatedonthetachointhecar.ThisistheRPMatwhichthelightwillswitchon.Turnthejogwheeltoadjustwhenyouwantthelighttocomeon.

Mode4-TachoCal

Pressthejogwheelagainformode4.Inthismode,theCDI+putsoutasteady6000RPMsignaltothetacho.Rotatethejogwheelsothatyourtachoindicates6000RPM.

Youcancalibratethetachotoreadanyvalueyoulike.Whywouldyouwanttodothis?

1)Youcanfitanyfaceyouliketoanytachoandcalibratetosuit.Forexample,fita10KtachofacetoacheapSCtachoandyouhavea10Ktachowithouthavingtomodifytheinternals.

2)Whataboutifyourtachoread4000RPMbuttheenginewasonlydoing3500RPM?Thismighthavesomeimplicationsfornoise/emissiontests.J



Advanced Setup

TheCDI+unitallowsconfigurationofignitiontimingandotherparametersthatcanbeusedtochangethecharacteristicsoftheengine.Remember,gainsinperformancearealmostalwaysachievedbyremovingthemanufacturerssafetymargin.

Changingtheseparametersmaycausepermanentdamagetotheengine.

ClassicRetrofitacceptsnoresponsibilityfordamagecausedtoenginesthroughimpropersetup.

Werecommendthatsetupofyourengineiscarriedoutbyacompetentinstallerwithaccesstoarollingroadordyno.

Ifinanydoubt,pleasecontactusforanapprovedinstaller.

Cables and Connection.

AccesstotheadvancedfeaturesoftheCDI+isachievedbyrunningthesetupsoftwareonalaptoporcomputer.ThecomputerisconnectedtotheCDI+unitusingthediagnosticcablethatcomeswithunit.

Roadunitshaveaslotonthebackandthecableispluggedinthroughthecasewiththeblackcabletowardsthebottomoftheunit,raceunitshaveapermanentpigtailandwaterproofconnector:

Roadunit(left),Raceunitwaterproofconnector(right)

Note:

Theroadunitcableisnotdesignedtobepermanentlymountedinacar.Pleaseresistthetemptationtodoso.Thecableisnotelectricallyshieldedandisnotwaterproof.ThiscanleadtopickupofHTvoltagesthatcanpermanentlydamagetheCDI+unit.



Whenusingaroadunitforchassisdynowork,temporarilyusealongerM6boltandspacerstoaccommodatepluggingin/outtheroadunitcable.Whenfinished,removethecableandreturntheoriginalbolts.

Theraceunitpigtailcableiselectricallyshieldedandcomeswitharaincap.Thecableisdesignedtopanelmountinthecaroritcanbehiddenintheharness.Inbothcasesitneedstobekeptwellawayfromtheignitionleads.

Whenconnectingalaptopwitheithercabletype,tiethecableawayfromtheignitionleads.Olderleadsinparticularcanemithighlevelsofelectromagneticradiationwhichisharmfultoelectronics.FailuretodosomaydamagetheCDI+,thelaptoporboth!Agoodtipistouseacabletietoholdthecabletotheenginelidhinge.



Software Installation.

DownloadthelatestsoftwarefromtheClassicRetrofitwebsite-www.classicretrofit.com.

Unzip(extract)thefilestoasuitableplaceonyourcomputerandrefertothe'readme'fileinthefolderforhowtoruntheRetrofitCDIapplication.RuntheRetrofitCDIapplication.

Firstly,plugintheUSBcable(donotconnectittotheCDI+unityet).Youmaybepromptedtoinstalladriver.Afterafewmomentsthescreentheyellowmessageareashouldsay'CONNECTING'andfinally'WAITINGFORCDI+'(earlierversionssay'NOCOMMSFROMCDI+').ThismeansthatthesoftwareisreadyandwaitingfortheCDI+tobeconnected.Thisisagoodsignthateverythingisinstalledandfunctioningcorrectly.

Iftheapplicationstopson'INITIALISING'formorethanafewminutes,thenthecabledriverneedsinstalling.Refertothereadmeforhowtoinstallthedriver.

NowplugthecableintotheCDI+unitandswitchtheignitionon.Theonscreentachowillsweep(ifenabled)andtheyellowmessageareawillsay'CONNECTED'.

Switchtheignitionon/offafewtimeswhilstwatchingthescreentoseethetachosweep.ThisisindicationthatthesoftwareiscommunicatingwiththeCDI+unitcorrectly.AlsoobservethegreenflashingledsintheUSBconnectoratthecomputerend.

AlwayshavetheRetrofitCDIapplicationrunningandtheUSBcablepluggedinbeforeswitchingtheignitionon.

Ifyoudon’ttheunitwillbein‘firmwareupdate’modewhichresultsinadefaultadvancesettingwhichis30degreesadvance.Youmightfindtheidleisratherhigh!

Note:TheUSBcablecanbeusedwithstandardUSBextensioncablesifyouneedtobefurtherfromthecar.



Software Features.

Withthecarignitiononorwiththecarrunning,youcanaccessandchangethefeaturesoftheunit.Werecommend,however,thatthecarisreturnedtoidlewhilstchangingparameters.Someparametersare'lockedout'whentheengineisabove1200RPMasasafetyfeature.TheGUImayappear'slow'torespondduringlockout.

Thefollowingisascreenshotofthemainuserinterface:

Therearefourmainareasonthescreen:

• LiveTacho• LiveEngineReadback• ProfileSettings• AdvanceCurvePlot



Live Tacho

ThelivetachodisplaystheengineRPMinrealtime.Itcanalsoindicateotherparameterswhenintestorsetupmodediscussedlater.

Notethatwheninnormalmode,thetachodisplaysthetrueRPMfromtheengine.Thismaynotexactlymatchthecartachounlesscalibrationisperformed.Calibrationisdiscussedlaterin'Jogwheelfunction'.



LiveEngineReadback

Thissectioncontainsthefollowingrealtimeindicators:

• Enginespeed(RPM)• Advancebeingapplied• Maximumenginetelltale.Canberesetbyclickingonthedisplay• EngineRunningHours.

Thissectioncontainsthefollowingrealtimeflags:

• Adjust.Illuminationindicatesthattheunitcannotapplytherequestedadvanceandthatthedistributormustbeadjustedformoreadvance.See'adjustroom'intheAdvanceCurvesection.

• Shift.Thisreplicatesthestateoftheshiftlightoutput(red/blackwire).• Input.Thisreplicatesthestateoftheinput(yellow/blackwire)• HardLimit.Indicatesthathardlimiterisactive.• SoftLimit.Indicatesthatsoftlimiterisactive.• LaunchLimit.Indicatesthatlaunchlimiterisactive.



Profile Settings

Agroupofsettingsiscalledaprofile.Thenameofthecurrentlyselectedprofileisdisplayedinthe'Profile'box.MultipleprofilescanbestoredinthesoftwarebutonlyonecanbeactiveintheCDI+unitatanyonetime.Youcanstoreasmanyprofilesasyoulike.Itisusefultonameaprofileinasensibleway,perhapstheenginebuildnumberorvehicleregistration.Aprofilecontainstheadvancegraphpointsaswellastheitemsin'ProfileSettings'boxshownabove.

InthefolderwherethesoftwareisinstalledisatextfilecalledCdi.ini-allofyourprofilesarestoredinthisfile.Youcantakeacopyofthisfiletokeepyourprofilessafe.ItisalsopossibletocreateprofilesbyhandbyeditingthefileinNotepad.

CDI+unitsareshippedwithaprofilewhichhasstandardsettingsandacompletelyflatadvancecurve.

Whenyoufirststartthesoftware,itisgoodpracticetoreadtheactualprofilefromtheCDI+unitbeforeyoustartchangingparameters....

ReadingaProfilefromtheCDI+unit.

BeforeyoufetchprofilesettingsfromtheCDI+unitdecidewhetheryouwanttooverwriteanexistingprofileorcreateanewone,then..

Ifyouwanttoreadsettingsintoanexistingprofile,selecttheprofilenameandpress'READ'.

<or>

Ifyouwanttoreadsettingsintoanewprofile,typeanewprofilenameandpress'READ'.



CreatinganewProfile.

Tocreateanewprofile,simplyovertypetheprofilenamewithanewnameandpress'WRITE'.Youwillbepromptedtosavetheprofileandwhetheryouwanttowritethesettingtotheunit.IfyouareusingthesoftwarewithoutaconnectiontotheCDI+,answer'No'tothesecondprompt.

Youcanusethismethodtocreatecopiesoftheprofiles,simplybytypinganewnameandpressing'WRITE'.

DeletingaProfile.

Todeleteaprofile,pressthe'X'button.Apromptwillaskforconfirmation.

SettingsinDetail

TrigAdvanceTheamountofadvanceinenginedegreesthatthedistributorshouldbesetto.SeeAdjustRoominthefollowingsectionforadetailedexplanationofthissetting.

RpmHardLimitTheRPMatwhichtoapplytheignitioncutschemechosenintheHardLimitCutsetting.

HardLimitcutThe'scheme'toapplythesparkcutting.TheCDI+willcut'X'sparksoutof'Y'ThelefttwodigitsareX,therighttwoare'Y'.Forexample'0405'meanscut4sparksoutofevery5.Onasixcylinderengine,thisgivesagoodresultwhilststillignitingfuelonacyclicbasis,thuspreventingcylinderwash.

RpmSoftLimitTheRPMatwhichtoapplytheadvancechosenintheSoftLimitAdvsetting.

SoftLimitAdvThefixedabsoluteadvancetosetwhentheengineexceedsRpmSoftLimit.E.g.fora'fullcontrol'map,youcouldsettheadvanceto10degreesiftheRPMexceeds6500.Inan'overlay'mapitislikelythatthisvalueisnegative.E.g-15degreesabove6500wouldreducethecurrentdistributoradvanceby15degrees.Ifthedistributorwasgiving25degreeswithweights/springs,theresultantadvancewouldbe10degrees.

Thesoftlimitercangiveanoticeable'hint'tothedrivertoshiftbyasubtlelossinpower.Thisfeelsdifferenttothehardlimiterwhichismoreabrupt.



RpmShiftLightTheshiftlightwillflashiftheengineRPMexceedsthisvalue.

LaunchLimitCombinedwiththeyellow/blackinput,thiscanbeusedtoachievearacelaunchcontrolfunction.Whentheyellow/blackinputisgroundedandtheengineRPMisbelow1200,theCDI+willenterlaunchmode(indicatedbya3secondintervalpulseoftheshiftlight).Inthismode,theenginewillbeheldatthespecifiedRPMusingthehardlimiter.Thelimitwillbedisengagedwhentheinputisremovedfromground.

2ndSparkAfterTheCDI+unitdelivers2sparksforeveryfuelignitionrightupto10,000RPM.Thissettingspecifiesthetimebetweeneachofthesparks.Thedefaultvalueis400us(0.4ms)whichissuitableformostapplications.Generalconsensusisthatfueltakesapprox1.0-1.5mstoburn.Tohaveanothersparkafterthefirstaidsthecombustionduringthistime.

Althoughtheevidenceisanecdotalattimeofwriting,theCDI+hascuredmanycasesofhesitationandenginepick-upandwebelievethisisdowntothesecondsparkproviding'backup'tothecombustionprocess.

[Note:Havingthesecondsparktooclose(e.g.<300us)cancausethesecondtoextinguishthefirstasisnotrecommended]

InputDelayAdjThereisaconstantamountoftimeforthepoints(orVRsignal)topropogatethroughtheelectronicsoftheCDI+.WehavealsoseensomecaseswheretheVR(onSCs)haveslightlydifferentpropagationdelays.Thevalueenteredherecancompensateforvariationsintheinputdelay.Usuallythisvalueissetto170us.IfyouhaveanyreasontothinkthatyourCDI+isnotapplyingthecorrectadvance,pleasecontactusforinformationabouthowtocalibrateagainstyourvehicle.



Advance Curve Plot

Thegraphshowstheactiveignitioncurvefortheselectedprofile.Theredcirclesshowthe'sites'thatcanbeadjustedusingthemouseorcursorkeys.Therecanbeamaximumof20sites.Sitescanbeaddedordeletedusingtherightmousebutton.Thegraphmustbe'unlocked'bypressingthepadlockbeforeeditingisallowed.

Asshipped,theunitwillhavea'flat'curve.Allsitesaresettozeroadvance.Thecurvecanbedefinedbymovingthesitesaroundusingthemouse.Usemoresiteswhereyouneedasmoothercurve(comingoffidleforexample).

Theprofileselectedisshowninthetopleftcorner(e.g.DEFAULTabove)

Theareashownbelowalsoindicatesthevaluesatthesiteselectedandallowsadjustmentusingthearrowkeysonthekeyboard.Theselectedsitehasalargecircleonthegraph.

Normally,newcurvesettingsarenotsenttotheunituntilthe'WRITE'buttonispressed,however,ifthe'ADJLIVE'tickboxischecked,thesettingswillbesentimmediately.Thisisusefulforliveadjustmentsonarollingroadordynowhentheengineisrunning.Caremustbetakenusingthisfeatureforobviousreasons!Itisnormalfortheenginetohesitatewhilsteachsettingiswritten.Aslightmisfirewillbeheard.



WhilsttheCDI+isconnectedaredtraceronthegraphwillalwaysshowtheadvancethatisbeingappliedinrealtime.Youcanusethistoverifythattheadvanceintheunitisthesameasthatshownonthescreen.

AdjustRoom

TheCDI+usesamicroprocessortocalculatetheexacttimetofirethesparkdependingontheengineRPMandtheadvancerequired.Inordertodothisitmustbeablehavethedistributortriggersignalbeforethesparkisactuallyrequired.

[ThewaytheCDI+achievesadvanceistoreceivethetriggersignalfromthedistributor'early'andthendelaythefiringofthecoilaccordingtotheadvancecurve.Togettheearlysignalwemustrotatethedistributorfurtherinadvance.Wecallthevalueforthedistributorrotation'TRIGADVANCE'.TheangleofadvanceatthedistributorshouldbehalfthatofthevalueofTRIGADVANCE.

Now,let'ssaytheTRIGADVANCEissetat15degrees-itshouldbeclearthatanyadvanceinexcessof15degreeswouldnotbepossibleasthesparkwouldhavetohappenbeforethetrigger.Inaddition,thereareotherdelaysthatcompoundthetimerequiredbytheunit,readon...]

Thetotalamountoftimerequiredwecallthe'adjustroom'.TheadjustroomrequiredisafunctionofTRIGADVANCE,theamountofadvancerequiredandalsotheinputdelaythroughthepointsandelectronics.Allofthesecombinetoformanareathatispotentiallyunreachableonthegraph.Thiscanbedisplayedonthegraphusingthe'showadjustroom'checkbox.Iftheareaisbreachedthe'ADJUST'flagwillalsobeilluminated.Ifthishappens,thenthedistributorwillphysicallyneedturningfurtherintheadvancedirectionandtheTRIGADVANCEsettingchangedtomatch.Inpractice,itisnotreallyanissueasmostcarsdonotrequiremorethanabout30degrees.Ifmorethanthiswasrequired,itjustneedsmorephysicaladvanceonthedistributor.Inextremecasesthismayrequireturningthedistributoronetoothonthedrivegear.

Ignition timing schemes.

Therearetwowaystousecustomignitiontiming.WecallthemOverlayandFullControlmode.

Overlaymode.

Inoverlaymode,thedistributorweightsandspringsareusedtocontrolthetimingjustastheywereoriginally.TheCDI+unitisthenusedto'overlay'anadditionaladvancecurveontopoftheweights



andspringcurve.Overlaymodecanbeagoodchoiceifitisdifficulttolockthedistributororyouareworriedaboutrotorphasingforsmalldiameterdistributorsornarrowrotorarms.

Atypicaloverlaymapisshownbelow:

AteachRPM,theadvanceatthatpointwillbeadded(orsubtracted)totheadvancealreadygivenbythedistributorweights/springs.

Inthisexample,theadvancewillbeasperdistributorupto2000RPM(astheoverlayis0).

At4000-7000RPMtheoverlaywilladd5degreestothedistributoradvance.Saythedistributoradvancewas18degrees,addingtheoverlayed5wouldresultinaatotaladvanceof23degrees.

At7500RPM,theoverlaygoesnegative,meaningthatthisamountwillbesubtractedfromthedistributoradvance.E.g.iftheoverlayis-8degreesat8000RPMandthedistributorisgiving25degrees,theresultantadvancewillbe17degrees.

FullControlmode.

InFullControlmode,thedistributorweightsandspringsarephysicallylocked.TheCDI+isincompletecontrolofthetiming.Ifyouhavea6pinunitwecansupplyabrasslockingcollet,pleaserefertothedetailstowardstheendofthismanualonhowtoinstallthis.

Atypicalfullcontrolmapisshownbelow:

0deg+dynamicdistributoradv

5deg+dynamicdistributoradv



Thetotalignitiontimingiscontrolledcompletelybytheunit.Rememberthough,thatthestatictimingofthedistributorisstilloffsettingthesevalues.

Forexample,onanSC,thestatictimingatidleissetto5degreesBTDC.Usingthegraphabove,theadvanceshownis0onthegraphat1000RPM.Thismeansthatthetotaladvanceat1000RPMis0+5degrees.At6000RPM,thegraphshows24degreesbutthetotaltimingwillbe29(+5forthestatictiming).

IfyouaredoingfullcontrolitisbesttostartwiththepublishedmapfromPorscheandenterthatintothegraph.

+5degreesdistributorstaticadvance



AtypicalPorscheignitionmap.

Note,foralmostallPorschepublishedgraphs:

1)boththedegreesandRPMarewithrespecttothedistributor.Bothvaluesmustbex2togetenginedegreesandRPM.

2)Thestatictimingisnotincludedonthegraph.InthiscaseanSCissetto5degreesBTDCso5degreesoffsetmustbeaddedtoeverypointonthegraph.

Vacuum Advance.

ThevacuumadvancefittedtosomeBoschdistributorsisacompletelyseparatemechanicalassemblyandwillstillfunctionwiththeCDI+asPorscheintended.



Distributor Locking Collet

TheBoschdistributorfittedtoSCandTurbomodelscanbelockedwithouttakingitoutofthecarusingourlockingcollet.Thecollethasaninternalthreadthatisusedtoinsert/extractitfromthedistributorspindle.Wesupplyascrewwhichmakesahandyinsertion/extractiontool.

1.Removethedistributorcap,rotorarmanddustcap.

2.Removethefeltpadfrominsidethespindle,andtheexistingM4screwbeneathit.

3.Usetheinsertiontooltoputthebrasscollectintothespindle.Unscrewthetool.

4.FitthelongerM4screwprovidedbutdonottightenyet.

5.Turnthedistributorstarwheelanti-clockwiseandholdwhilsttighteningthescrewwithyourotherhand:

6.Verifythatthestarwheelislockedinposition.



Note:Youhavenowlockedthestarwheelinitsfullyadvancedposition.Thisiseffectivelyadvancingthetriggerpointby20enginedegrees.Ifyouhavepreviouslybeenrunninginoverlaymode,youwillneedtoenterafullignitionmap,settheTRIGGERADVANCEtoalargernumber(typically~32)andretimetheengine.

YouwillfindthatevenifyourTRIGGERADVANCEwassetto15degreesinoverlaymodeandyouneed32degreesinfullcontrolmode,youdon'tneedtomovethedistributorverymuch.Why?Becausetherotationofthestarwheeljustgaveyouanother20enginedegreesTRIGGERADVANCE.

Thisshouldhelptoexplain:

Mode TRIGGERADVANCE(softwaresetting)

DISTRIBUTORADVANCEREQUIRED(tomatchsoftwaresetting)

OVERLAY 15deg 15/2=7.5degFULLCONTROL 32deg (32-20*)/2=6deg *starwheeladvance



Advance Timing Results

Recordyourignitionadvancereadingshere:

RPM StockCDIAdvance

CDI+Advance

Notes

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000



Troubleshooting.

ClassicRetrofittestseveryunitshippedonatestkitwitharealdistributor,coilandsparkplugs.Wedoourbesttoensurethattheunitsarereadytogoontoavehicle.However,everycarisdifferentandmayhavehad'modifications'orwiringchanges.

Hereisalistofcommonissuesthatwehavefoundduringinstallationandtest.

Symptom Reason RemedyCarwontidlesmoothly Pointsbounce

Pertronixfitted*Fitnewpoints.Servicedistributor.

Carwontidle,cutsout,revcountererratic.

BadgroundBadroutingofHTleads.

Reviewearthstrapsandspadeconnectorsonloom.3pinunitsusethecaseforgroundandmusthaveearthstrapsfitted.HTleadsshouldbekeptawayfromCDIpowerandground.

Idletoohigh Toomuchadvance Retimeengine.Idletoolow Toolittleadvance Retimeengine.Asshipped,

unitsrequireabout7.5degreesmorerotationonthedistributorthantheBoschCDI.

CarwontrevbeyondacertainRPM

Revlimiteractive Connectlaptopandsetrevlimiter.

Carshunts(cutsoutonapplyingpower)

Secondsparktimesettoolow.Secondsparkisextinguishingfirstspark.

Increasethe2ndsparktime.400usshouldworkformostapplications.

Timingappearsless/morethatadvancecurveindicates

Inputdelaytimeneedsadjustment.

ForaknownadvanceatahigherRPM(say5000RPM)adjustthedelaytimetocorrecttimingshownontiminglight.

*SorryPertronix,yourmagnetsarenotalwayssetintothesuppliedcollaratevenspacings.Thiscausesthetimingforeachcylindertobeinconsistent.



Disclaimer.

Thisequipmentmustbeinstalledbyanautoelectricianorpersonsofequivalentlevelofcompetence.Failuretofollowtheinstallationprocedurecanresultindamagetothevehicle,itswiringharnessandinjury.

TherealtimeignitiontimingprovidedbyCDI+unithasbeenindependentlyvalidatedonanenginedyno.Theunithasbeencollectivelybenchandroadtestedinexcessof200,000miles.

ClassicRetrofitacceptnoresponsibilityforanydamagecausedbydetonation.

cdi+ ignition system manual - classic retrofit · we set out to produce a high reliability plug and...

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