Buick Sportsman XFI install help

HighPSI

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May 24, 2001
I know this system was purchased by quite a few people who are new to aftermarket computers. I was asked to start a thread where everyone can share helpful hints on installing this system. If you have any problems, please post here also.

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Package arrived from a Hartline in great shape with everything safely packaged and wrapped inside. Just now finished installing the Sportsman, did not take long at long and was really simple. I choose to unpin the O2 sensor plug so I could route the wires thru the firewall so that took a bit longer. Still, very easy.

Installing the software on the laptop was a breeze too. A USB flash drive was sent along that contained all the needed programs and drivers and walked you thru installing on the computer. Software seems easy to navigate and is very user friendly.

With everything hooked up and installed, time to start the car. Car started right up after a few cranks which is great concerning the car hasn't been started in about a month and a half. Cal's initial start up tune did the trick and it didn't even stall once.

I talked to Cal a couple times before starting it up as is recommended in the install instructions. I got a late start tonight and ran out of time tonight to have Cal help walk me thru the tuning tables and put some Hartline tweaks into it. That parts my fault too, Cal would have walked me thru it tonight but it got late and I pushed it to tomorrow.

I will not speak badly about the Turbo Tweak SD setup, chip and software I had prior to the Sportsman. Eric really knows his stuff! Any fault of the SD is with me. Personally I found it the software intimidating and confusing. My stupid laptop even struggled with the powerlogger software. The Sportsman software seems more traditional and more of what I'm used to, more Windows based and to me, more friendly.

Tomorrow night Cal will walk me thru tuning with the car running and laptop hooked up. Does this guy ever sleep?

I can't say enough of the AWESOME service Hartline has provided on this. Great company to work with and Cal is such a down to earth nice guy.

I'll report back after working with Cal on the tune while the car is running.
 
Awesome setup and it was a breeze to install. The only thing I would change is that you can make life easier and just run a signal wire to the green center wire for the map going into the Casper box. If for some reason you aren't getting the ecu to turn on, but can wiggle the stock harness ecu connectors and make it work, it may be a missed solder inside the Casper unit. It was missed on wire A6 for me, but was an easy fix and now runs flawlessly.
 

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I have a few questions about the map sensor and where did you go thru on the fire wall?

Can I tap into green wire from fast map and run it to green wire on alky kit harness?
 
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Can you post picks of where you mounted the FAST? Mine will be here tomorrow and just trying to decide a good place for everything.
 
Package arrived from a Hartline in great shape with everything safely packaged and wrapped inside. Just now finished installing the Sportsman, did not take long at long and was really simple. I choose to unpin the O2 sensor plug so I could route the wires thru the firewall so that took a bit longer. Still, very easy.

Installing the software on the laptop was a breeze too. A USB flash drive was sent along that contained all the needed programs and drivers and walked you thru installing on the computer. Software seems easy to navigate and is very user friendly.

With everything hooked up and installed, time to start the car. Car started right up after a few cranks which is great concerning the car hasn't been started in about a month and a half. Cal's initial start up tune did the trick and it didn't even stall once.

I talked to Cal a couple times before starting it up as is recommended in the install instructions. I got a late start tonight and ran out of time tonight to have Cal help walk me thru the tuning tables and put some Hartline tweaks into it. That parts my fault too, Cal would have walked me thru it tonight but it got late and I pushed it to tomorrow.

I will not speak badly about the Turbo Tweak SD setup, chip and software I had prior to the Sportsman. Eric really knows his stuff! Any fault of the SD is with me. Personally I found it the software intimidating and confusing. My stupid laptop even struggled with the powerlogger software. The Sportsman software seems more traditional and more of what I'm used to, more Windows based and to me, more friendly.

Tomorrow night Cal will walk me thru tuning with the car running and laptop hooked up. Does this guy ever sleep?

I can't say enough of the AWESOME service Hartline has provided on this. Great company to work with and Cal is such a down to earth nice guy.

I'll report back after working with Cal on the tune while the car is running.

Which hole did you thread the wires through?


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Fits pretty good in the glove box where th manual goes not sure if that's where I'm going to mount it tho. Got the other issues figured out but need a class on taking these pins out....
 
I have a few questions about the map sensor and where did you go thru on the fire wall?

Can I tap into green wire from fast map and run it to green wire on alky kit harness?

Yes, you can just take your alky signal wire (green wire) that's running to your alky kit and attach it to the center green wire on the MAP sensor plug hanging off the adaptor harness. You need to solder and heat shrink this and make sure it's a great connection. All your computer's fueling is done through this wire!
 
Can you post picks of where you mounted the FAST? Mine will be here tomorrow and just trying to decide a good place for everything.

The kit is designed to mount the adaptor box where the stock computer was and run the harness to the Sportsman out the top, behind the glove box (just release the little clip on the upper left of the glove box door, and it will open farther). The Sportsman computer will fit in a cavity to the left of the glove box.
It doesn't have to be installed this way. I know some have mounted it to the back of their AC delete plate (if equipped). Others have set them inside the glove box, etc...
 
Which hole did you thread the wires through?


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IMO: This is the hardest part of the install.
The best way, which is not the easiest, is to run them through the grommet behind the factory ecm location. This is where the antenna lead goes through. This will get you into the front door jamb. You will then need to take a coat hanger through the inner fender (behind the factory MAP sensor) and attach the lead in the door jamb and pull it through. This requires depinning the WBO2 harness. Like I said, not the easiest, but probably the best.
If you have an AC delete plate, just drill a hole, use a grommet, and run it through that.
 
I'll tell you how I ran mine. Cal hit the nail on the head as I have AC delete plate that drilled a hole thru and added a grommet on it. So my install is not the typical car with AC. I have a custom mount on the back of the AC delete plate where I installed it at.
I'm running E85 living here in Corn Country (Iowa) so you Alky guys will have to get Cal's input on that stuff.
Depinning it was a PIA for sure. The main clip holding it in place is on the outside side, away from the center of the plug. A really small flat blade screw driver can reach in there and depress the pin. Once you have that side depressed you still need to go do the other side, keeping a little pressure on the wire pulling the wire outward. Go to another wire if you are stuck on one.

I cannot be more grateful for the time Cal spends supporting this product. I'd read other guys talk about his personal attention and customer support and now I see what they were talking about. I'm illiterate when it comes to some things and Cal has been super patient with me and makes sure I'm comprehending each step before moving on.
 
Guys are PMing me asking questions on the install since I've done it now. I'd say go ahead and post up questions on here as the whole community will benefit.
I'd also say if you are wondering about something just know that a lot of others are wondering the same thing.
The Sportsman box itself fits great on the back side of the glove box. Just make sure it's mounted low enough to still get the door open and can drop down.
For those that don't want to screw into the back side of the plastic box it'd be easy to fabricate a mount that hooks over the top of the inner glovebox and gives you something to mount it to.
I can fab something up and make them like all my other brackets if there is enough interest.
 
Guys are PMing me asking questions on the install since I've done it now. I'd say go ahead and post up questions on here as the whole community will benefit.
I'd also say if you are wondering about something just know that a lot of others are wondering the same thing.
The Sportsman box itself fits great on the back side of the glove box. Just make sure it's mounted low enough to still get the door open and can drop down.
For those that don't want to screw into the back side of the plastic box it'd be easy to fabricate a mount that hooks over the top of the inner glovebox and gives you something to mount it to.
I can fab something up and make them like all my other brackets if there is enough interest.

I was thinking Velcro?


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I was thinking Velcro?


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Oh I've got this! Couldn't sleep but a little bit so ended up in garage fabricating. Just want to make sure of 1 thing.
Can someone with an AC box and venting tell me if you have room for the XFI box on the back of the plastic glovebox door?
 
Oh I've got this! Couldn't sleep but a little bit so ended up in garage fabricating. Just want to make sure of 1 thing.
Can someone with an AC box and venting tell me if you have room for the XFI box on the back of the plastic glovebox door?

I'm interested. Thanks.


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This is what I have so far on a mounting bracket. Still waiting on clearance question to duct work on back side if anyone can check.
 

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Another short cut you can take if you want to log fuel pressure. Tee into wire 28 going to the fast sportsman box for the signal or you can run the signal under the hood to the egr gray signal wire and it will lead into the sportsman pin 28 to show fuel pressure. Once you are reading fuel pressure, measure where actual fuel pressure is on a mechanical gauge, vac on and off, hook up the sensor and then go to view-config-fps and you will be able to drag the line up or down to get the reading to match actual fuel pressure. "Calibrating fps offset" is another word for it. I also went in, as Cal recommended, with a timing light and verified actual timing. Lock the timing at 25*, get a timing light and rev up to where the line is steady at 25*. If it's locked at 25* and reads +\- anything the reference angle will need to be adjusted to match.
 
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Great post!

ALWAYS VERIFY YOUR IGNITION TIMING!

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Verifying timing is part if any aftermarket ecm install. After you get it running check car for leaks etc then verify timing. Dont skip this step

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