Hi, { skip to the end for my PTU question } I recently experienced the S1 PTU failure symptoms so I followed the collective mind advice and changed over to an S2 PTU (used the upgrade adapter harness too). I could not find a way to use the S2 bracket to fit the unit and adapter harness, so skipped the bracket and used one short bolt to hold it in place. This was a roadside repair and quite a bit of tugging on the harness occurred. I taped up the bulk of extra cable to seal it from moisture. The car started and I drove from Brisbane to Taree before the Zed shut down. Towed to a mechanic and was diagnosed on the spot as a broken timing belt. Then they decided it was corroded contacts on the S2 PTU harness. I paid $50 for the mechanic to spray "corrodeX" cleaner on all the important plugs. I drove for 2 hours before the Zed shut down. This time I noticed the temp sensor plug had broken so I fiddled with it and then the car started, so I cable tied whatever I could to stop the plug from moving. Changed the S2 PTU for another one I had, but still the one adapter harness. Car started and I got to Sydney. I later found the root problem was the CAS connector plug had shifted from the tugging and must have loosened its connection enough to shut down the PTU/CAS signals to car. Obvious in hindsight. Now I have used both these S2 PTUs and the one from USA runs the car cooler than the one from Japan. {refer to pics} Does anyone know why the USA sourced PTU keeps the car cooler?
Im just guessing here...but maybe the USA ptu is a newer model seeing as it has a higher part number where it ends is 11 instead of 01 like the Jap one? So maybe something has been changed along the way to it seeing as the part numbers are dfferent? Maybe pm brisz as he is always very helpful with part numbers & could maybe tell you when the 2 were used? Abraham
Do you mean engine/coolant temps are different with the different units? Poor combustion efficiency/rich mixture results in high exhaust gas temperatures which over time will heat your engine up a bit more. So on that and given the PTU controls spark I would guess that one unit is delivering a poor signal or runs slower resulting in retarded timing (retarded timing reduces burn efficiency), you could check with a timing light to see if there is a delay. The other option though, as always, is that one of them causes an earth problem somewhere/somehow
Its possible for different versions of igniters/PTU's to have different specifications and in effect change timing ever so slightly, but I don't think enough to say an engine will run at different temperatures, the ECU in closed loop would "fix" that. Its more likely that connection issues from the temp sensor to cause an apparent difference in temp or other connection issues causing misfires etc causing an engine to run less efficiently in such a way the ECU could not compensate. These 2 PTU's are compatible but one is made buy Hitachi and one buy Mitsubishi. There is no Jap or USA difference it just happened to be the ones you got. 22020-97E00 09/93 - 01/97 Hitachi (Compatible and superseded by below) 22020-97E01 01/97 - 10/98 Hitachi 22020-97E10 09/93 - 01/97 Mitsubishi (Compatible and superseded by below) 22020-97E11 01/97 - 10/99 Mitsubishi When searching by date both manufacturers part numbers are offered so it would be reasonable to say they are the same as far as Nissan is concerned.
The PTU is purely a switch. Z32 are also a "dumb" ptu so have no effect on timing that is measureable. It didnt run cooler with another PTU. How exactly did you determine the apparent temp change. Surely not by the stock temp guage!!!!!!!! Given you have pushed and pulled on the wiring enough to loosen the CAS plug then theres a chance you have loosened the temp sender wire since it exits the PTU loom. E
From what you have posted It would appear you need to devote some time & sort out the wiring connections on your Z. You neglected to mention the variation in temperatures! Also, I don't have any ESP pants in my toolkit (unlike Rob260)! :rofl: Gauge temperatures will vary under engine load.
Power Transistor Unit It's bit more than a switch. The ignition signal from the ECU is amplified by the power transistor, which turns the ignition coil primary circuit on & off, inducing the proper high voltage in the secondary circuit. This is what's inside: http://tech.aus300zx.com/pturepair/pturepair.htm
Engine coolant Temp difference seems to be approx 4 degrees lower if using the USA sourced PTU. Measured using NikoZ on my android phone. Yes I know that I have to get the CAS connector off and uncorrode the pins. (looking for a can of CorrodeX, but haven't spotted in Supercheap or Autobahn retail) I am running the USA sourced PTU and will switch back and forth. If one is a bit faulty (which one?) I don't have any diags other than the NikoZ and an infrared temp gun. Thanks
WRONG. Its a switch pure and simple. Isolates the ECU from harmful back emf from the coil on coil discharge. Sorry, your info is flawed. Some aftermarket ignitions and CDI systems "amplify" in a sense but not the Z32 which is a "dumb" switch. E
Really? Well you learn something everyday! I wonder why it's commonly referred to as a PTU? NISSAN call it a Power Transistor Unit. Perhaps you should inform NISSAN that the information in their Factory Service Manuals is incorrect, or in your own words flawed!
Im sorry, I dont see any correlation between a Power Transistor Unit, which it clearly is, and an "amplifier", regardless of what an English translation of a Japanese manual may suggest... Enlighten me will you........ No, dont bother, the FSM will vaguely state somewhere/somehow that the signal is "amplified" in some way. Well, if you use a shittonne of imagination, and armed with the knowledge that the ECU switching signal is 0-+5v+ive AND the output of the ptu simply grounds (earths) the coil negative post for a determined length of time (dwell), which incidently sees +12v from the positive side, which is always on mind you.............then you may be excused for loosely considering an amp in some way shape or form. However, nope, no amplification here sorry. Its (PTU) a switch, a dumb switch. it does no thinking like say a Bosch 008.......well actually the PTU is 6 individual switches (transistors that switch coil power)...hence the name, Power Transistor Unit , and very robust transistors at that! Able to firstly, repeatedly switch around 5 amps@+12v several thousand times a minute and secondly, and importantly withstand several hundred volts back EMF on collapse of the magnetic flux, or put simply magnetic field, which induces the high secondary voltage. Very simply, the same flux/field collapse induces a similar but much lower voltage charge in the primary (Low Tension) side and THIS back emf is what the PTU separates the delicate and RF (radio frequency) sensitive ECU electronics from. Im telling you, there is no "amplifier" built into the stock PTU regardless of what the FSM vaguely suggests! Feel free to dispute. E
Without actually seeing a circuit diagramme and/or how the actually connect, id guess they simply extend dwell time. You cant piggyback a CDI system. its an entirely different technology than an inductive system so its unlikely to be that. Dwell extension is a really old way of getting some extra oomph out of an old Kettering (points/coil) system which suffered from varying dwell time depending on rpm. Basically the coil ON (charge) time reduces as the engine rpm increases. The dwell time tables in the stock ECU can be altered easily enough via Nistune but the benefit of increased spark is very dependent on the fundamental characteristics of the coil itself and the ECU programming to begin with. it all depends on how optimised the setup was to begin with. There is a limit to how much energy the primary windings can suck up before coil "saturation" occurs and the excess energy is dissipated as useless heat. I cant speculate much further than that without some diagrammes! E
The FSM doesn't vaguely suggest it at all, it is stated quite clearly in English. The source of reference is from the manuals that are provided to the US market. FSM Section: Engine Fuel & Emissions Control System Sub Section: Engine & Emissions Control Parts Description EF & EC page 17 (in the manual I'm looking at).
yes and a translation from Japanese. Some translation from language to language can often have very humourous outcomes. OK m8, have it your way, I know SFA. Its an "amplifier" Ok... whatever gives you wood. Turn up the volume mang! E E
Lol. "Chill".... errrmagerrrd! You actually want me to go out, wire one up to a signal generator, stick the scope on it, grab some screen shots and show you graphically what Ive just explained............???? Hawhawhaw!!!! How about you go buy some diagnostic equipment and do it for yourself!!! E
Ahh KK yep, does a bit of dwell extension via electronic chicanery as I suspected. A similar thing can be achieved by just adding additional dwell time across the board via Nistune!!!! Sledgehammer tactic but works. Works in much the same way a "smart" module does Im guessing. Fire a little more juice into the frontend of the coil and hope for some extra out the back! Really old tech packaged up nicely. I built several Dwell Extension modules back in the early 80's. They worked. No powah to speak of but easier starting and consistent idle as reported in the HKS blurb. You can acheive precisely the same and individually to each coil by using 6 x Bosch "008" trigger modules (PTU) (( or amplifiers according to ECZ)) Or just use 3 modules trigger a trio of dual output coils in wasted spark config! Or better than all, because z32 coils are not much of a coil to begin with and aftermarket items anecdotally deliver nothing over stock, is to delete the stock PTU alltogether and use 6 x D858 with inbuilt trigge... sorry.. ignite... sorry... powah trazisstah...sorry AMPLIFIERS (aka: Yukon coils) which will actually yield a demonstrable/significant increase in spark energy over ANYTHING on the market. D858's are not "smart" but generate so much spark energy additional spark horsepower by increasing dwell times over reccomended is unnecessary!!! E
