Newbie Question on Power

[Young1]

Hmm. If the car has Marcs chip why is the OP messing with the key? Chip keeps it on full power mode all the time. BTW I know where there is an NOS power switch if needed.

[efnfast]

Key override is an option with Marc's programming, it's not a given.

[wfot]

I second that. there is a code/number Marc puts on his chips, if you call and tell him what it is, he can tell you exactly what he programed into it....

[kz098123]

Originally Posted by Young1

Hmm. If the car has Marcs chip why is the OP messing with the key? Chip keeps it on full power mode all the time. BTW I know where there is an NOS power switch if needed.

The power key in 1990 only can be left ON all the time, so no need for a chip to do that. His chip doesn't do that for 1990 cars as far as I know. At least it doesn't in mine.

[Young1]

My 91 Marc chip is default power on so that is my reference. I was unaware of the different 90 configuration.

[Paul Workman]

After removing my SPT throttle plates and Marc reprogrammed my 90 to run on the secondaries full time, he warned me of the fact those 1990 FULL POWER switches were known to become intermittent and if it opens unexpectedly (or intentionally for that matter) half of the fueling (the secondary injectors) would shut off* resulting in a serious lean condition which could result in knock in the least, or worse (as I was to find out later!).

*in secondaries ON mode, the fueling (injector dwell time) is split between the primary and secondary injectors. With the full time modification, if the FULL POWER mode is not working, the result is to shut the secondary injectors OFF - running on the primary injectors only - BUT w/o increasing the dwell to replace the fuel from the secondaries. That is a BAD thing!

And, as it happened, I noticed my "FULL ENGINE POWER" light was intermittent due to the funky POWER switch, and later what seemed like a miss on one cylinder. A compression check showed a serious lack of compression on one cylinder which ended up the result of a burnt valve (after pulling the engine - and all of the ramifications that entailed - to get to the valve).

Never wanting to have an issue with that switch again, I hardwired the wires together which assures the FULL POWER mode is always on - far as the switch is concerned (at least).

Pete Polatsidis (co-member of the "FBI" (Fast Boyz of Illinoiz - Chicagoland ZR-1 group) replaced the valve after I took the opportunity to finish my porting project and port the heads (that after also fashioning a metal sleeve to insert inside that accordion hose (between the air filter and the intake horn). That was back in 2011-12 and the results transformed the Z into a different beast and runs making 432 HP at the wheels before the last bit of porting. That's over 100hp increase on stock cams and NO difference in idle or low speed manners! I highly recommend Marc's "510" package!!