Haltech Platinum Interceptor User Manual

Interceptor Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................................................3

What is an interceptor?....................................................................................................................3

Why does the factory ECU need to be retuned?............................................................................4

How does the Haltech Interceptor Work?......................................................................................5

Fuel Control.................................................................................................................................5

Ignition Control...........................................................................................................................5

Fitting and Tuning a Haltech Interceptor.....................................................................................7

Fitting a Haltech Interceptor...........................................................................................................7

Tuning a Haltech Interceptor..........................................................................................................8

Basic Fuel Tuning .......................................................................................................................8

Closed Loop Mode......................................................................................................................8

Basic Ignition Tuning..................................................................................................................9

Knock Control.............................................................................................................................9

Diagnostic Scan Tools.................................................................................................................9

Haltech Interceptor Software........................................................................................................11

Installation......................................................................................................................................11

Starting the Software and going online........................................................................................13

Saving and Loading files...............................................................................................................15

Tuning and Navigating through the Front end............................................................................16

Wiring Diagram...............................................................................................................................17

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Interceptor Manual

Introduction

What is an interceptor?

Haltech has been in the aftermarket ECU business for over a decade offering fully
programmable replacement ECUs that completely replace an engine’s factory ECU or
carburettor system. Haltech’s ECUs are high quality programmable ECUs that can be setup to
run any engine at optimal tune. For many years, this has been the preferred method of achieving
consistent accurate tuning in a modified engine. In recent times however, modern car
manufacturers have been consolidating the many electronic boxes that were previously
independent systems into a single electronic box, or at least a much reduced number of
electronic boxes that have much higher control complexity. Not only have engine electronics
increased in complexity, but the modern ECU also controls much more than just the engine,
with control now extending to automatic transmission control, instrumentation control and much
more. Although Haltech has added many advanced control features to satisfy increased
requirements, it is impossible for Haltech to keep up with the many new features being added to
the vast models of vehicles being released each year.

Haltech continues to support these vehicles by recommending the install of full replacement
ECUs in a piggyback arrangement. This is achieved by leaving the stock ECU in place to
control all functions that are not related to engine performance, and using the Haltech to control
features that affect engine performance. This approach is very effective, and allows a high
degree of engine control to tune the engine for optimal performance. In many cases however,
the Haltech ECU is running the engine exactly the same as the still present factory ECU except
at large throttle openings. Haltech tuners must still tune the difficult areas of light load, idle and
cold start that the original ECU did so well.

Haltech recognized a need to add a product to a car that retains the factory ECU for everything
it does so well, but adds the ability to tune the factory ECU in areas where performance gains
may be made. The Haltech Interceptor is Haltech’s response to this need.

The Haltech Interceptor is an electronic box that is designed to read and/or intercept factory
ECU signals in order to control the factory ECU to deliver desired tuning settings. The
interceptor is fully programmable, so it can be used to adjust only the engine load/rpm areas
where the factory ECU is less than optimal in its tune. This then leaves the factory ECU to
continue to control the areas of the map that it does so well like cold start, idle etc.

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Interceptor Manual

Why does the factory ECU need to be retuned?

All factory ECUs control the amount of fuel injected into an engine, as well as the ignition
timing of the engine. In addition, many factory ECUs also control features like turbo boost
pressure, variable cam timing, and many other modern engine features that affect engine
performance. Car manufacturers do not set out to deliberately detune the engine, but there are
often many requirements aside from engine performance that the tuner of the factory ECU must
meet. Most of these requirements are to the detriment of engine performance:

• Emissions targets.

• Durability under worst-case conditions (high ambient temps with poor car maintenance).

• Minimization of warranty claims.

• Need to provide lower engine performance in lower priced models.

Even if the factory ECU does tune the engine optimally for performance, it is unlikely that the
standard factory ECU will run the engine optimally if the engine receives performance
modifications.

Haltech recognizes that many performance car enthusiasts prefer to gain increased engine
performance rather than retain worst-case safety tunes. Other enthusiasts prefer to take this
further to perform mechanical engine modifications aimed at increasing engine performance and
then require the ECU to be tuned to optimize the modifications.

The Haltech interceptor is designed to offer the cheapest and most effective way of achieving
retuning of the factory ECU to meet the requirements of the modern performance car enthusiast.

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Interceptor Manual

How does the Haltech Interceptor Work?

All factory ECUs will have a sensor used to calculate engine load, and a sensor used to track
engine position.

The engine load sensor (in order of highest to lowest preference) is usually an airflow meter
(AFM), a manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor, or a throttle position sensor (TPS). Some
engines may have all of these sensors, but the lower preference sensors are used for diagnostics
or transient fuel calculations, and have no effect on the calculated engine load. These sensors
usually output 0 – 5V analogue voltage or a frequency voltage signal that the factory ECU uses
to calculate engine load. This engine load is then used to calculate how much fuel to inject into
the engine.

Fuel Control

When installing the Haltech Interceptor, the signal wire from the engine load sensor to the ECU
is cut and rew ired so that the sensor signal output goes into the Haltech Interceptor. The Haltech
Interceptor then produces a new signal that is connected to the ECU input for the sensor. The
interceptor can now make changes to the load signal of the engine so that the factory ECU
thinks that the engine load is different to what it actually is.

The factory ECU has tables inside its memory that are used to calculate the required injection
time to achieve the desired fuel mixture at various engine load and RPM sites. By altering the
engine load signal, the interceptor can alter the position in the tables that the factory ECU is
using to calculate the injection time. Generally it is possible to enrich the fuel mixtures by
increasing the engine load signal, and to lean the fuel mixtures by reducing the engine load
signal.

Inside the Haltech Interceptor is a memory that retains its data even when the interceptor is
turned off. Within this memory is a table of percentages that are mapped against engine RPM
and engine load. The interceptor calculates the engine RPM and load, and then extrapolates a
percentage out of the table that it can apply to the input load signal to produce an output signal
altered by this percentage. The tuner of the Haltech Interceptor can tune the percentage tables to
output an altered signal that results in the factory ECU thinking the engine load is different to
the actual engine load and changing its injection time to achieve the desire fuel mixture ratio
across various engine load and RPM.

Ignition Control

The engine position sensor is usually a Hall effect or Reluctor type sensor that is fitted to detect
teeth, slots, or magnets on the crankshaft or camshaft of the engine. The factory ECU uses the
signal produced by this sensor to calculate engine speed and position, and using this
information, it can generate pulses that result in a spark at the desired ignition advance angle.

When installing the Haltech Interceptor, the signal wire from the engine position sensor to the
ECU is cut and rewired so that the sensor signal output goes into the Haltech Interceptor. The
Haltech Interceptor than produces a new signal that is connected to the ECU input for the
sensor. The Haltech Interceptor can then alter the phasing of this signal to advance or delay the
signal on its output relative to the true engine position. The result of this is that the factory ECU
thinks the engine is in a slightly altered position to the actual position, and therefore it will
produce its ignition spark advance output at a similarly altered position.

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Interceptor Manual

The Haltech Interceptor contains another table that works in a similar fashion to the table used
for altering the engine load sensor described above. The tuner edits this table to provide ignition
corrections over various engine load and RPM sites. The interceptor alters the engine position
signal by the amount it extrapolates from the table. In this way the tuner can optimally tune the
engine to the desired ignition timing.

By intercepting the engine load and position sensors, the Haltech Interceptor can accurately
control the factory ECU to deliver the optimal ignition time and fuel mixtures for all engine load
and RPM conditions.

In addition to fuel and ignition tuning, there may be other engine signals that can be used to alter
engine performance. The Haltech Interceptor has been designed to allow the control of many
engine components for optimal performance such as turbo boost pressure and variable cam
timing. Additionally, the Haltech Interceptor can be used to override factory protection features
like speed limiters and boost limiters.

The Haltech Interceptor is designed to work in perfect unison with the complex factory ECUs
on modern cars. It works as a package to provide control of all performance parameters, as well
as defeat unwanted protection features of the factory ECU.

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