The self-learn function is great at helping to get the car going and will keep a safe tune-up in the ECU, but it won’t be the most powerful tune-up. For those who want to take more control of their engine’s tune, you can download the Sniper software from Holley to make very precise adjustments to every parameter.
“The software allows for real-time tuning changes using the USB dongle. The learn table populates and can be transferred to the fuel map with a click of a button, which changes the fuel VE Table. Smoothing can be done to smooth out VE tables and Spark Tables with a click of a button in the software. There are 3D color graphs that allow you to see a visual of the fuel VE table and spark table, so a user can easily see peaks and valleys that can cause drivability issues. Even the startup and temperature enrichment tables are completely programmable,” Matthew explains.
The Sniper software is actually fairly easy to use and understand. There are plenty of tutorials available online to help you make changes to the tuneup if you want.
When the data-logging function is activated it records directly to the SD card in the Sniper’s handheld touch screen. The data logging feature is filled with options that are very useful to any racer who wants to monitor the health of their engine while trying to maximize performance.
“Included in the data-logging feature is a live orange dot in the Sniper EFI tables. This allows a user to see exactly where in a table the engine is at and identifies the place to change if the user desires. There’s also an overlay feature that shows the whole area of the tables that the data-log is displaying where the engine spends time,” Matthew says.
The data-logging software is easy to use and lets you look at many different items to see how your engine is doing after a run.
Each time you activate the data-log, the file is saved to an SD card inside the touchscreen. The files can be opened in the Sniper software and provide a treasure trove of information that you can use to tune your engine. When the logging is activated it collects data on RPM, fuel flow, target AFR, actual AFR, ignition timing, and other items. All of these can be laid out on the graph and examined in several different ways based on what you’re trying to learn from the previous pass.
Going into more detail, Mathew explains some of the other functions the data log offers.
“The data log records parameters like RPM, TPS, AFR, Target AFR, Coolant temp, manifold air temp, and MAP, just to name a few. Any ground inputs are included, along with nitrous and boost control parameters in power-adder applications. The data log compare feature allows you to view two data logs at the same time, compare an earlier run to the latest run, or help determine why a car may have picked up or slowed down based on the RPM trace, or TPS.”
As you can see, the Sniper EFI Stealth 4500 is a great way to swap your carbureted induction system over to an EFI system. It makes the entire swap process easy, with straightforward wiring and only requires you to upgrade the fuel system on your car to handle EFI. The Sniper EFI Stealth 4500 also provides users with plenty of tuning and monitoring options to make their EFI experience more enjoyable.
In the second part of this series, we’ll take a look at what kind of ignition is required to run the Sniper system and then we’ll put it all to the test at the track.