HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS ( UPDATED )

Advanced discussion of improving KA-T components
Post Reply
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS ( UPDATED )

Post by R34SR »

HOW TO RUN 01 MAXIMA COILS ON MS2PNP FOR S14 KA24DE
ECU#: NS9501A ( PCB VERSION 1.2 )



UPDATE 02/21/2016

I noticed some confusion about the spark outputs A and B for some users, just wanted to confirm what member "carbonfibers14" noted....if you are using the newer revision 1.3 board that has 26 pins on the rear instead of the older 15 pin ver 1.2 board like i used in this writeup, you will have completely different outputs for your spark A and B output. On a 1.3+ board, spark A will be pin 17 and spark B will be pin 16...please wire appropriately!!

Also , with proper cooling i have ran these coils up to 18 psi, stock .44 gap with a gt2871r at 3.0ms dwell time without any spark blowout , random discharges or overheating....they are no match for ls coils, but they sure can get the job done!

Lastly , there are some who had issues with the coils overheating when they installed them the way that recommended, please make sure that you have them set to "going high/ inverted" IF they still overheat then try "going low" to see if that helps before changing the way they are wired ( Im not sure if this also is a ver 1.2 vs 1.3 mainboard difference OR perhaps i truly have them wired incorrectly in my diagram, unfortunately i am not able to check my wiring at this time , i sincerely apologize in the event that is in fact the case.


I'll start by saying that even though you realize how straight forward the installation is when you're done, there was actually a lot of trial and error in getting it to run without issues since documentation on running maxima coils is almost nil aside from people saying they have only 3 pins...power, ground and ecu signal. No one says WHICH pins those are exactly, what must be done with the stock ignition system to prevent interference, and also that not just ANY 12v ignition signal or ground can power them properly.

This guide assumes that you have the DIY aftermarket trigger wheel installed and timed correctly, as it is needed to run in wasted spark mode.

So... on to the coils, I chose the 01 maxima coils because they are drop in with perfect fitment, do not NEED a mounting system unless you feel like it, has a built in ignitor so no external one needed, they are triggered by 5v so perfect for us megasquirt users and best of all NO MORE PLUG WIRES!! Some folks use 95-99 maxima coils, which is fine, I just chose these because they are “newer” and felt a bit heavier, which in my mind equates to a larger coil..however I could be wrong, oh and don't forget...you need to use 4 coils from the FRONT BANK of the maxima. I bought mine new but If you go to a junker you need 2 donor cars.



To get things started, lets orient ourselves with the maxima coils, From top to bottom we will label the pins X, Y, and Z.

Image
Image


You will need to run 2 wires from your MS2PNP module to the coils.

Image


1. PIN 2 of the ecu is SPARK “A” which needs to be ran to the coils on cylinder 1 and 4 ONLY by connecting them to PIN “Z” of both those coils. (this is the signal that charges and fires the coils)

2. PIN 3 of the ecu is SPARK “B” which needs to be ran to pin Z of the coils also, but ONLY on cylinders 2 and 3.

3. PIN 15 is an ecu ground, which is how I grounded all 4 of my coils at first, which proved not to be sufficient under cranking, therefore I highly recommend you DO NOT ground the coils at the ecu...instead you should ground the coils at the engine head or intake manifold.

4. SIDENOTE: I chose to run PIN 11 of the ecu to my aftermarket TACH as my tach signal did not work after this installation.

5. Powering the coils:
Now this can be one of the most overlooked, yet important parts of your installation, you need to power all 4 coils with an ACCESORY 12v power supply,however it must also be a power supply that is not affected by cranking otherwise the coils will not have enough juice to get your motor started (trust me). I chose to run a direct connection to the battery using an 80 amp battery isolator relay, 80 amps is probably overkill but its what I had laying around. I am triggering the relay using an “add a fuse” On the fuel pump fuse in the driver side fusebox ( s14 ). When the relay receives 12v it engages the heavy duty direct battery connection to all 4 coils.

Here is a basic overview of what I did so you can get a picture in your head of how to go about your install.... (DONT HATE ON MY PAINT SKILLS)

Image

Now that the coils are completely wired up, its time to disable the stock ignition system so that it does not fire simultaneously as your maxima coils...if they do, they will cause serious interference and you will get erratic timing at higher rpms which will induce serious knock and possibly kill your engine. In order to do this simply disconnect the 2 pin connector on your distributor to kill the power to the coil. Don't touch the 6 pin connector on the distributor as that is what carries your CAS signal.

Image

Now for the fun part, lets test everything to see if you did a good job, or if you just need to hand your 240 over to a more competent being...me......i kid I kid:-).

First lets configure megasquirt to run in wasted spark mode instead of using the stock single coil. Use these settings and you should be good to go, as you can see I'm using 1.3ms of dwell time and can currently hit 15lbs of boost without blow out on the stock plug gap for NGK bkr7e plugs. I recommend you start with 1.0ms which is considered a safe starting point for these coils (from what I read) and work slowly up if necessary checking for excessive heat build up on the coils. (trigger angle varies by motor, please use your own value here otherwise you will have incorrect base ignition timing)

Image

Next up connect a spark plug to each coil and ground all 4 to any spot on the engine to test for spark.

lets start by:

1. Opening tuner studio with the ignition on and connected to the ecu.
2. Click on “Advanced”
3. Click on “Output Test Mode”
4. Enter the values you see below exactly as is then hit BURN and you should be getting spark from “COIL A” which are cylinders 1 and 4
5. Now select “COIL B” which are cylinders 2 and 3....you should now see spark from both of these.

Image

Now that we have successfully wired up our coils and tested for spark..... its time to fire her up!
Install your plugs, connect the coils and let her rip.

Once you have her started you will want to verify timing by using the fixed advance table to 15* (or 20 or whatever number floats your boat) and verify that it holds that number ALL THE WAY to the maximum rpm that you use....you need to do this to make sure that the timing is not drifting in the upper rpm range.

If you have done all these things correctly, give yourself a pat on the back, a cold beer and enjoy your new distributorless COP ignition system!!
Last edited by R34SR on Sun Feb 21, 2016 1:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
User avatar
S14wayz
Knows Some Stuff About 240's!
Posts: 419
Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:11 am
Location: BC, Canada

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by S14wayz »

Exactly what I need! Aesthetically they look so good.. super clean. Thank you for taking the time to make the write up. stickkyy!
Image
My S14 Build Thread
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=59534
User avatar
airman
KA-T.org OWNER
Posts: 2144
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:51 pm
Location: Anderson, SC

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by airman »

Excellent write up, stickied!

Make sure those pictures don't go anywhere! I'd host them on the KA-T.org server if I could!
R.I.P. 1990 Red Hatch - DOHC 5 speed // CP 9:1 - Eagle Rods - Clevite - ARP // Holset HX35 - 20psi daily - MSPNP2
8-bit wrote:You could spend your life building a ladder to the moon, or work for 5 years to pay for a trip.
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by R34SR »

Thanks guys , glad you like.

The pics are hosted on a photobucket account i've had for years so i don't think that's going anywhere, anytime soon :-)

I also think we should start a thread about what other coils would work in similar configuration nothing but make, model , year and COP only. I happened to be in the junk yard the other day and saw an audi a8 older model , i pulled the coils and they fit perfect and are much larger than maxima coils.
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
arob987
Knows Some Stuff About 240's!
Posts: 320
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 5:48 pm
Location: memphis,tn

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by arob987 »

I'm not planing to run maxima coils but this looks like a great writeup.glad to see great info being stickied.
New turbo setup build in progress-11mm headstuds/cometic head gasket/jwt cam gears added,prec. 6266,gato mani,prec.46mm wg,bigger fmic,mspnp2,z32 trans,spec twin,q45 rear,full energy bushings. Still need injectors,and a few other small things

Old setup-ka24de-wiseco 9:1 pistons,eagle rods,arp studs,jwt s1 cams,brian crower springs and retainers,jgs log mani,t3 57trim .63 a/r,tomei 740cc,38mm turbonetics evolution wastegate,synapse bov,ebay fmic,nistune,j30 lsd.5 speed swap,z32 brakes F&R.
User avatar
Matt Cramer
KA-T.org Sponsor
KA-T.org Sponsor
Posts: 934
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2008 5:34 am
Contact:

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by Matt Cramer »

Great write-up! Thanks for posting it.
Matt at DIYAutoTune.com - Megasquirt ECUs, fuel injectors, wideband O2 sensor systems, and more
Nissan plug and play engine management now in stock!
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by R34SR »

Thanks matt, i should mention that you were very helpful in diagnosing when i was having an issue with the LS coils, which turned out to be as simple as disconnecting the stock coil system.

Oh and dont sue me for using your pic of the ecu :-)
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
User avatar
sm240sx
Driving Mom's Station Wagon
Posts: 49
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 5:10 pm

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by sm240sx »

very nice! ill probably run these coils :D
A drift a day keeps the hondas away.


1998 Deep Fuschia Kouki - DD
Image
User avatar
S14wayz
Knows Some Stuff About 240's!
Posts: 419
Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:11 am
Location: BC, Canada

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by S14wayz »

where did you get your coils new from? OEM?
Image
My S14 Build Thread
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=59534
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by R34SR »

Arch auto parts...but there's also rock auto..
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
Wmcleverly
Learners Permit
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:28 am
Location: Phoenix

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by Wmcleverly »

What would I need to load for the aem setup to run these coils. I have the aem series 2 and maxima coils I want to install. Has anyone done this to a aem ems what pins do I need to hook up. All help without bashing would be great
Eagle rods; Wiseco dished pistons; balanced rotating assembly; Supertech valves, springs, retainers, seals; 248/248 cam swap w/ JWT adj sprockets; ACT 6puc clutch; 11lb flywheel; GT3582r journal bearing turbo; 600cc JECS; Godspeed intake manifold; Cometic .075" head gasket; ARP studs upper and lower engine; Maxima coil on plug conversion, xcessive distributor delete cap; AEM series 2 = 404whp 316ft lbs torque
Wmcleverly
Learners Permit
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:28 am
Location: Phoenix

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by Wmcleverly »

^^^bump^^^
Eagle rods; Wiseco dished pistons; balanced rotating assembly; Supertech valves, springs, retainers, seals; 248/248 cam swap w/ JWT adj sprockets; ACT 6puc clutch; 11lb flywheel; GT3582r journal bearing turbo; 600cc JECS; Godspeed intake manifold; Cometic .075" head gasket; ARP studs upper and lower engine; Maxima coil on plug conversion, xcessive distributor delete cap; AEM series 2 = 404whp 316ft lbs torque
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by R34SR »

you need to talk to someone who has used AEM, i believe Rosado Racing was one of the first folks i saw running macima coils with an AEM ecu....pm those guys and im sure they can at least give you a basic rundown.
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
Wmcleverly
Learners Permit
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:28 am
Location: Phoenix

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by Wmcleverly »

Thanks. I got ahold of him and he walked me right through it
Eagle rods; Wiseco dished pistons; balanced rotating assembly; Supertech valves, springs, retainers, seals; 248/248 cam swap w/ JWT adj sprockets; ACT 6puc clutch; 11lb flywheel; GT3582r journal bearing turbo; 600cc JECS; Godspeed intake manifold; Cometic .075" head gasket; ARP studs upper and lower engine; Maxima coil on plug conversion, xcessive distributor delete cap; AEM series 2 = 404whp 316ft lbs torque
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by R34SR »

Glad I could point you in the right direction...even nicer that they took the time to help you.
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
User avatar
souljaseth33
240sx Wannabe
Posts: 167
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:01 am
Location: Albany, NY

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by souljaseth33 »

This is a great write up I will keep in mind.

On s13 ka, just do not plug in the external coil to disable factory ignition, but keep the dist plugged in?
Hebrew Hammer - The baddest Heeb this side of Tel Aviv

www.slideny.com

Thinking about E-Mance? Think twice and read this:
viewtopic.php?t=45057&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

WARNING: Emance is now using an alias as ECUTUNERGUY and REFLASHPROS. Spread the word.
neverlift
Knows Some Stuff About 240's!
Posts: 263
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:35 am
Location: fla

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by neverlift »

what base would you start at with the spark hardware latency if you were experiencing some timing fluctuation?
Image
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by R34SR »

Better late than never response i guess.....i dont patrol these forums nearly as frequently as i used to...work and life is a bi*ch.

Anyway 1.0ms is a safe number to start with.....ive been running 1.5ms with these maxima coils and so far no issues.


if your getting drift, especially in the upper rpm range its usually some kind of signal interference...make sure you have good clean engine grounds...a power source for the coils that is installed the way i described in this write up...and lastly make sure the stock ignition system is completely disabled and not firing.
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
User avatar
240sx-venezuela
240sx Wannabe
Posts: 182
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:52 am
Location: Maracaibo, Venezuela

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by 240sx-venezuela »

I had to switch ecu signal wire with power wire because I did it like the picture but the coils got hot, once I switched they worked perfectlly
s13240
Dreams of owning a 240!
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2014 5:54 am

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by s13240 »

Thank you for this write up, this is awesome!.
Kill3rwill
240sx Wannabe
Posts: 118
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2013 10:38 am

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by Kill3rwill »

Thanks for the write up bro! I used it today, like the other guy said, the power and signal needs to be switched in your diagram in order to run. But other than that, it helped simplify things.
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by R34SR »

glad to see this is still useful, I'm sorry to hear more than one person had to switch the power and ground to get it to work, I wish I could recheck my setup to confirm this but unfortunately I don't get to drive my car much at all lately, work and planning my future has practically taken my "life" away, which used to be working on my 240
:(
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
CarbonFiberS14
Learners Permit
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2015 12:23 am

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by CarbonFiberS14 »

Great write up, just finished my setup yesterday. Only thing I could add besides the forementioned diagram change is that the pins are different for gen 2 pnp megasquirts. Spark A is pin 17 and spark B is 16.
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by R34SR »

glad to hear it's working for you guys, I still can't confirm changes because my s14 is in NYC and im in Fla , sad times for my 240...
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
CarbonFiberS14
Learners Permit
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2015 12:23 am

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS

Post by CarbonFiberS14 »

Just wanted to add this because I am redoing my harness-
Use an s15 sr20det coil pack harness and purchase the coil interface harness connector from wiring specialties and you can have an almost oe setup. I recently started having issues with the harness I prevoisly made.
deepsage
NooB
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:08 am
Location: Titusville, Fl
Contact:

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS ( UPDATED )

Post by deepsage »

I believe the top connector on the coils is signal and the bottom is power. The back of the coil connector shows "IB G +", from top to bottom. The shop manual for the 2000 Maxima indicates same in wiring diagram.
S14 MSPNP Turbo KA
Anthony27
NooB
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2023 10:33 pm

Can somebody please send me a picture of his values on the megasquirt

Post by Anthony27 »

deepsage wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2016 6:26 am I believe the top connector on the coils is signal and the bottom is power. The back of the coil connector shows "IB G +", from top to bottom. The shop manual for the 2000 Maxima indicates same in wiring diagram.
deepsage wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2016 6:26 am I believe the top connector on the coils is signal and the bottom is power. The back of the coil connector shows "IB G +", from top to bottom. The shop manual for the 2000 Maxima indicates same in wiring diagram.
R34SR wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:01 pm HOW TO RUN 01 MAXIMA COILS ON MS2PNP FOR S14 KA24DE
ECU#: NS9501A ( PCB VERSION 1.2 )



UPDATE 02/21/2016

I noticed some confusion about the spark outputs A and B for some users, just wanted to confirm what member "carbonfibers14" noted....if you are using the newer revision 1.3 board that has 26 pins on the rear instead of the older 15 pin ver 1.2 board like i used in this writeup, you will have completely different outputs for your spark A and B output. On a 1.3+ board, spark A will be pin 17 and spark B will be pin 16...please wire appropriately!!

Also , with proper cooling i have ran these coils up to 18 psi, stock .44 gap with a gt2871r at 3.0ms dwell time without any spark blowout , random discharges or overheating....they are no match for ls coils, but they sure can get the job done!

Lastly , there are some who had issues with the coils overheating when they installed them the way that recommended, please make sure that you have them set to "going high/ inverted" IF they still overheat then try "going low" to see if that helps before changing the way they are wired ( Im not sure if this also is a ver 1.2 vs 1.3 mainboard difference OR perhaps i truly have them wired incorrectly in my diagram, unfortunately i am not able to check my wiring at this time , i sincerely apologize in the event that is in fact the case.


I'll start by saying that even though you realize how straight forward the installation is when you're done, there was actually a lot of trial and error in getting it to run without issues since documentation on running maxima coils is almost nil aside from people saying they have only 3 pins...power, ground and ecu signal. No one says WHICH pins those are exactly, what must be done with the stock ignition system to prevent interference, and also that not just ANY 12v ignition signal or ground can power them properly.

This guide assumes that you have the DIY aftermarket trigger wheel installed and timed correctly, as it is needed to run in wasted spark mode.

So... on to the coils, I chose the 01 maxima coils because they are drop in with perfect fitment, do not NEED a mounting system unless you feel like it, has a built in ignitor so no external one needed, they are triggered by 5v so perfect for us megasquirt users and best of all NO MORE PLUG WIRES!! Some folks use 95-99 maxima coils, which is fine, I just chose these because they are “newer” and felt a bit heavier, which in my mind equates to a larger coil..however I could be wrong, oh and don't forget...you need to use 4 coils from the FRONT BANK of the maxima. I bought mine new but If you go to a junker you need 2 donor cars.



To get things started, lets orient ourselves with the maxima coils, From top to bottom we will label the pins X, Y, and Z.

Image
Image


You will need to run 2 wires from your MS2PNP module to the coils.

Image


1. PIN 2 of the ecu is SPARK “A” which needs to be ran to the coils on cylinder 1 and 4 ONLY by connecting them to PIN “Z” of both those coils. (this is the signal that charges and fires the coils)

2. PIN 3 of the ecu is SPARK “B” which needs to be ran to pin Z of the coils also, but ONLY on cylinders 2 and 3.

3. PIN 15 is an ecu ground, which is how I grounded all 4 of my coils at first, which proved not to be sufficient under cranking, therefore I highly recommend you DO NOT ground the coils at the ecu...instead you should ground the coils at the engine head or intake manifold.

4. SIDENOTE: I chose to run PIN 11 of the ecu to my aftermarket TACH as my tach signal did not work after this installation.

5. Powering the coils:
Now this can be one of the most overlooked, yet important parts of your installation, you need to power all 4 coils with an ACCESORY 12v power supply,however it must also be a power supply that is not affected by cranking otherwise the coils will not have enough juice to get your motor started (trust me). I chose to run a direct connection to the battery using an 80 amp battery isolator relay, 80 amps is probably overkill but its what I had laying around. I am triggering the relay using an “add a fuse” On the fuel pump fuse in the driver side fusebox ( s14 ). When the relay receives 12v it engages the heavy duty direct battery connection to all 4 coils.

Here is a basic overview of what I did so you can get a picture in your head of how to go about your install.... (DONT HATE ON MY PAINT SKILLS)

Image

Now that the coils are completely wired up, its time to disable the stock ignition system so that it does not fire simultaneously as your maxima coils...if they do, they will cause serious interference and you will get erratic timing at higher rpms which will induce serious knock and possibly kill your engine. In order to do this simply disconnect the 2 pin connector on your distributor to kill the power to the coil. Don't touch the 6 pin connector on the distributor as that is what carries your CAS signal.

Image

Now for the fun part, lets test everything to see if you did a good job, or if you just need to hand your 240 over to a more competent being...me......i kid I kid:-).

First lets configure megasquirt to run in wasted spark mode instead of using the stock single coil. Use these settings and you should be good to go, as you can see I'm using 1.3ms of dwell time and can currently hit 15lbs of boost without blow out on the stock plug gap for NGK bkr7e plugs. I recommend you start with 1.0ms which is considered a safe starting point for these coils (from what I read) and work slowly up if necessary checking for excessive heat build up on the coils. (trigger angle varies by motor, please use your own value here otherwise you will have incorrect base ignition timing)

Image

Next up connect a spark plug to each coil and ground all 4 to any spot on the engine to test for spark.

lets start by:

1. Opening tuner studio with the ignition on and connected to the ecu.
2. Click on “Advanced”
3. Click on “Output Test Mode”
4. Enter the values you see below exactly as is then hit BURN and you should be getting spark from “COIL A” which are cylinders 1 and 4
5. Now select “COIL B” which are cylinders 2 and 3....you should now see spark from both of these.

Image

Now that we have successfully wired up our coils and tested for spark..... its time to fire her up!
Install your plugs, connect the coils and let her rip.

Once you have her started you will want to verify timing by using the fixed advance table to 15* (or 20 or whatever number floats your boat) and verify that it holds that number ALL THE WAY to the maximum rpm that you use....you need to do this to make sure that the timing is not drifting in the upper rpm range.

If you have done all these things correctly, give yourself a pat on the back, a cold beer and enjoy your new distributorless COP ignition system!!
Anthony27
NooB
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2023 10:33 pm

Can somebody please send me a picture of his values on the mega squirt

Post by Anthony27 »

deepsage wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2016 6:26 am I believe the top connector on the coils is signal and the bottom is power. The back of the coil connector shows "IB G +", from top to bottom. The shop manual for the 2000 Maxima indicates same in wiring diagram.
deepsage wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2016 6:26 am I believe the top connector on the coils is signal and the bottom is power. The back of the coil connector shows "IB G +", from top to bottom. The shop manual for the 2000 Maxima indicates same in wiring diagram.
R34SR wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:01 pm HOW TO RUN 01 MAXIMA COILS ON MS2PNP FOR S14 KA24DE
ECU#: NS9501A ( PCB VERSION 1.2 )



UPDATE 02/21/2016

I noticed some confusion about the spark outputs A and B for some users, just wanted to confirm what member "carbonfibers14" noted....if you are using the newer revision 1.3 board that has 26 pins on the rear instead of the older 15 pin ver 1.2 board like i used in this writeup, you will have completely different outputs for your spark A and B output. On a 1.3+ board, spark A will be pin 17 and spark B will be pin 16...please wire appropriately!!

Also , with proper cooling i have ran these coils up to 18 psi, stock .44 gap with a gt2871r at 3.0ms dwell time without any spark blowout , random discharges or overheating....they are no match for ls coils, but they sure can get the job done!

Lastly , there are some who had issues with the coils overheating when they installed them the way that recommended, please make sure that you have them set to "going high/ inverted" IF they still overheat then try "going low" to see if that helps before changing the way they are wired ( Im not sure if this also is a ver 1.2 vs 1.3 mainboard difference OR perhaps i truly have them wired incorrectly in my diagram, unfortunately i am not able to check my wiring at this time , i sincerely apologize in the event that is in fact the case.


I'll start by saying that even though you realize how straight forward the installation is when you're done, there was actually a lot of trial and error in getting it to run without issues since documentation on running maxima coils is almost nil aside from people saying they have only 3 pins...power, ground and ecu signal. No one says WHICH pins those are exactly, what must be done with the stock ignition system to prevent interference, and also that not just ANY 12v ignition signal or ground can power them properly.

This guide assumes that you have the DIY aftermarket trigger wheel installed and timed correctly, as it is needed to run in wasted spark mode.

So... on to the coils, I chose the 01 maxima coils because they are drop in with perfect fitment, do not NEED a mounting system unless you feel like it, has a built in ignitor so no external one needed, they are triggered by 5v so perfect for us megasquirt users and best of all NO MORE PLUG WIRES!! Some folks use 95-99 maxima coils, which is fine, I just chose these because they are “newer” and felt a bit heavier, which in my mind equates to a larger coil..however I could be wrong, oh and don't forget...you need to use 4 coils from the FRONT BANK of the maxima. I bought mine new but If you go to a junker you need 2 donor cars.



To get things started, lets orient ourselves with the maxima coils, From top to bottom we will label the pins X, Y, and Z.

Image
Image


You will need to run 2 wires from your MS2PNP module to the coils.

Image


1. PIN 2 of the ecu is SPARK “A” which needs to be ran to the coils on cylinder 1 and 4 ONLY by connecting them to PIN “Z” of both those coils. (this is the signal that charges and fires the coils)

2. PIN 3 of the ecu is SPARK “B” which needs to be ran to pin Z of the coils also, but ONLY on cylinders 2 and 3.

3. PIN 15 is an ecu ground, which is how I grounded all 4 of my coils at first, which proved not to be sufficient under cranking, therefore I highly recommend you DO NOT ground the coils at the ecu...instead you should ground the coils at the engine head or intake manifold.

4. SIDENOTE: I chose to run PIN 11 of the ecu to my aftermarket TACH as my tach signal did not work after this installation.

5. Powering the coils:
Now this can be one of the most overlooked, yet important parts of your installation, you need to power all 4 coils with an ACCESORY 12v power supply,however it must also be a power supply that is not affected by cranking otherwise the coils will not have enough juice to get your motor started (trust me). I chose to run a direct connection to the battery using an 80 amp battery isolator relay, 80 amps is probably overkill but its what I had laying around. I am triggering the relay using an “add a fuse” On the fuel pump fuse in the driver side fusebox ( s14 ). When the relay receives 12v it engages the heavy duty direct battery connection to all 4 coils.

Here is a basic overview of what I did so you can get a picture in your head of how to go about your install.... (DONT HATE ON MY PAINT SKILLS)

Image

Now that the coils are completely wired up, its time to disable the stock ignition system so that it does not fire simultaneously as your maxima coils...if they do, they will cause serious interference and you will get erratic timing at higher rpms which will induce serious knock and possibly kill your engine. In order to do this simply disconnect the 2 pin connector on your distributor to kill the power to the coil. Don't touch the 6 pin connector on the distributor as that is what carries your CAS signal.

Image

Now for the fun part, lets test everything to see if you did a good job, or if you just need to hand your 240 over to a more competent being...me......i kid I kid:-).

First lets configure megasquirt to run in wasted spark mode instead of using the stock single coil. Use these settings and you should be good to go, as you can see I'm using 1.3ms of dwell time and can currently hit 15lbs of boost without blow out on the stock plug gap for NGK bkr7e plugs. I recommend you start with 1.0ms which is considered a safe starting point for these coils (from what I read) and work slowly up if necessary checking for excessive heat build up on the coils. (trigger angle varies by motor, please use your own value here otherwise you will have incorrect base ignition timing)

Image

Next up connect a spark plug to each coil and ground all 4 to any spot on the engine to test for spark.

lets start by:

1. Opening tuner studio with the ignition on and connected to the ecu.
2. Click on “Advanced”
3. Click on “Output Test Mode”
4. Enter the values you see below exactly as is then hit BURN and you should be getting spark from “COIL A” which are cylinders 1 and 4
5. Now select “COIL B” which are cylinders 2 and 3....you should now see spark from both of these.

Image

Now that we have successfully wired up our coils and tested for spark..... its time to fire her up!
Install your plugs, connect the coils and let her rip.

Once you have her started you will want to verify timing by using the fixed advance table to 15* (or 20 or whatever number floats your boat) and verify that it holds that number ALL THE WAY to the maximum rpm that you use....you need to do this to make sure that the timing is not drifting in the upper rpm range.

If you have done all these things correctly, give yourself a pat on the back, a cold beer and enjoy your new distributorless COP ignition system!!
User avatar
R34SR
Belongs To The TOP CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:09 pm
Location: Florida

Re: HOW TO RUN MAXIMA COILS ( UPDATED )

Post by R34SR »

Photo bucket ***** everything up, and I have no documents of how I had it setup in the past.

I can tell you that it's pretty straightforward if you are doing wasted spark. What will confuse you is the firing order 1342

Iirc spark output A from the MS ECU goes to cyl 1 and cyl 4 coil and B goes to cyl 2 and 3 coil . All coils get a ground straight to engine, all coils get a + power supply direct to fused/ relayed battery connection. ( trust me it's needed for cranking esp on ls coils) and that's it... 3 wires on each coil and you're done. Megasquirt settings are
goinghigh/ inverted and a dwell of 2.5 to 3.0 is good, check for excessive heat.
MEGASQUIRT 2 PNP
AEM IGN1A COILS
EAGLE-ARP-SUPERTECH 9:1 KA24DE
BW S257 SX-E .78AR
ID1050x Injectors
Full Race twin scroll manifold
ISIS FMIC
Mazworx z32 tranny swap
CTS V CALIPERS
STANCE LX+ Coilovers
J30 LSD
AME FS01 WHEELS 18X9 +25



TinyT wrote:for the love of god, post your setup, do you really think you can get an answer after saying HI ME CAR HAS TURBO NOW BUT I CANT BWAAA PSHH WITH IT WHATS WRONG
Post Reply