Stock Rev Limiter? (Is My ECU Stock?)

[mdb4879]

So I actually did this a few months ago and didn't really feel like asking until now, but I started looking around a few months ago and thought the CA's stock ECU had a rev limiter around 7600 rpm, and I thought it'd be cool to hit the limiter during a burnout once (I normally don't abuse my stuff like that, but from what I've heard about the beatings and revs these motors can take stock I figured just once wouldn't hurt it. I normally shift around 6500-6700 rpm because my turbo peters out by then) So I took the car out, pulled out on a road without traffic and floored it at a low rpm, hit boost and started spinning the tires. I watched the revs climb and waited for that 7600 mark, then I went past it and saw the needle hit like 8K or 8200 rpm, so I just slammed it into 2nd and let the tires spin until the car caught up and went my way.

It obviously didn't seem to hurt it or anything since it's still running just fine, so that isn't the point of the post. I'm just curious if these ECU's had a factory rev limiter or not? And if they did then is mine not stock? I haven't had my ecu out from under my passenger seat in a while, but IIRC it's a code 98 ECU. I bought it from a member on here for $90 as a stock unit, so I can't imagine it being anything special.

[boost_boy]

It's stock.

[float_6969]

Yea, the stock rev-limiter is quite lofty. I was going to say around 8K before I read your post.

[mdb4879]

Thanks for the responses. I just wasn't sure about it. I don't really need to wind it up that high anyways. As much as I've heard these motors are fine up there, I still feel skiddish about it. And like I said, I don't make any power past 6500. It was just something I tried once (and although it didn't do what I was expecting it to, it was still really cool, lol).

[biosehnsucht]

Are you guys sure about that? I took the stock ECU map, and raised it to 7700... Forget what it was at, either high 6k or lower 7k.

[float_6969]

The map stops at 7200 IIRC, but the rev limit is almost 8. IDK how they pull that off, but it does. Every stock CA18 I've ever seen goes that high. Maybe it just assumes the values stay constant above the map?

[boost_boy]

Even the stock CA16DE and CA18DE us spec rev to like 80 something hundred rpm. I used to beat my engines to death, thinking I had like V-tec or something of the sort. Frickin' Ricer, that's what I was............

[mdb4879]

The map stops at 7200 IIRC

Is that why when I force my motor in that area I develop a miss? Or is it probably from the other problems it has? (It's old and just needs a freshen up I think. If I stay in boost for like 5 seconds when I let off the gas it smokes blue smoke like crazy. Best I can guess the rings are worn out enough that when I hit boost the pressure forces a bunch of blow-by back into the intake tract and when I let off the gas the motor can't burn it off any more, so it smokes?)

Even the stock CA16DE and CA18DE us spec rev to like 80 something hundred rpm. I used to beat my engines to death, thinking I had like V-tec or something of the sort.

I revved my CA16 to 7500 once or twice and i thought that was fun, until it developed a rod knock 800 miles after the rebuild.

Frickin' Ricer, that's what I was............

But that mistake paved the way for my CA18DET. Luckily now I have more self control and prefer to make power by boost (short of the once or twice I've revved the ever living s*** out of my DET, but that's a different scenario)

[mdb4879]

Well, I've got a confirmation. As much as I hate to admit how I ragged on my motor to you guys, I took it out for a quick beating to show off to a friend a little bit and just laid into it in first (I think my high rev miss may be coming from weak coilpacks. Anyways, it was a little worse that day so I figured that would act as a make shift rev limiter). It hit boost, wheels spun, and the tach needle (with a couple slight misses above 7k) wound up to 8200rpm when I briefly felt a distinct double "bounce" or "tap" from the motor just before I let off the throttle. My tach may be a bit off in the higher rev range, but for the most parts it seems the be accurate all the time. So I'm gonna go with an 8200rpm rev limiter on my stock (98) code ecu.

*DISCLAIMER*

NO CA18DET'S WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS POST.
(AT LEAST NOT THAT WE CAN TELL YET)

[s13drifter88]

I always wondered about mine cause one day back many moons ago when it was still running I wanted to see how high mine went so I set my SAFC to record the peak values and made 2 different pulls in 3ed on the interstate. B*tch went to like 930x and 929x both times (though it made absolutely NO power up there). It made some very scary, expensive sounding noises and of coarse coming from a twin cam KA watching the tach bury itself like that will make your blood curdle and stomach turn. NEVER DID IT AGAIN!

Since then I had my lower end balanced when I was rebuilding it so once its in, fired up and broken in I'll set my limiter a little after wherever it stops making power. Im all for revs but if you dont make power any higher then no point in making any more noise than necessary

[Liquid_Neon]

I really wnna say i have gone way past 8k rev back in my ca18de days. Trying to stop a V8 suv who jumped the red light from passing me I wound second WAAAAY out... I remembered thinking I saw 8500, but that was years ago. Not to mention when my det was sitting in my drivway i decided to give the DE a final huzzah in the mountains of PA
Unless somethigns really, really wrong with somthing... I revved that poor 160,000 mile engine to 9 more then once tearing up and down windy mountain roads. It was the most destructive fun I think i have ever had in a car. It was really no wonder that i spun a bearing after i put the DE back in a year later, it had enough of my 'love'.

So as far as I know or am concerned... my 88 usdm fwd ca18de ecu has no rev limiter.
Mind you I shift at 6.5-7k these days, as like we all know the turbo jsut cant breath worth a damn past that.

[boost_boy]

So as far as I know or am concerned... my 88 usdm fwd ca18de ecu has no rev limiter.

The CA18DE's did wind-up pretty high because I can recall back in 1998-2000, I used to smack SR20 powered B13 sentras in the mouth only to have them ask the infamous "what do you have under the hood".

Mind you I shift at 6.5-7k these days, as like we all know the turbo jsut cant breath worth a damn past that.

Both of mine can (GT3582R) and (GT3076R). Happy boosting