How to Adjust a Power Commander
by Matt Gerrard
DynoJet's Power Commander has been a popular tool for backyard mechanics who want to fine-tune their engine's fuel injection settings, particularly for track applications. The device connects to a motorcycle's wiring harness and allows the user to load in preset mappings for fuel injection and ignition settings. Installing a Power Commander involves connecting the device directly to your bike's Electronic Control Module -- a job best left to a qualified mechanic if you're not familiar with engine electronics. Once connected, however, the Power Commander is a simlpe device to operate, allowing for hassle-free tuning of your machine.
Step 1
Hold down all three buttons on the face of the Power Commander unit and turn on the bike's ignition. Release all the buttons once the engine is idling normally. The Power Commander manual recommends waiting approximately 20 seconds before making any adjustments.
Step 2
Note the position of the indicator light on the "Fuel Richness Gauge." The three buttons along the bottom of the Power Commander represent the "High," "Mid" and "Low" areas of your engine's rpm range. As you press each button, the Fuel Richness Gauge will display a quantity for each of the three areas.
Step 3
Tap the button once to increase the richness of the fuel mixture, noting the increasing level on the Fuel Richness Gauge. Increasing the richness will increase acceleration and throttle response, but may also increase wear on the engine. Hold each button down to decrease the fuel richness where necessary.
Step 4
Think about how your engine reacts at different speeds. If your bike accelerates sluggishly from a standing start but you encounter an unmanageable burst of speed at around 50 miles per hour, increase the "Low" meter and decrease the "Mid." This should redistribute the power more evenly across the engine's range.
Step 5
Allow the bike to idle for another 15 to 20 seconds after completing your adjustments. This will cause the Power Commander to save any changes you have made.
References
Tips
- Versions of the Power Commander available in 2010 allow you to create and edit your own carburetor mappings using a desktop or laptop computer and a USB connection.
Warnings
- If you have had DynoJet or other professional team tailor a mapping just for you, the best thing you can do is leave it alone. These pros use deeply researched and tested parameters, and straying outside of those could be dangerous, for you and your bike.
Writer Bio
Matt Gerrard began writing in 2002, initially contributing articles about college student culture to "The Gateway" magazine, many of which were republished on the now-defunct Plinth blog. Since then, Gerrard has worked as a technician for musicians, educators, chemists and engineers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in music technology from DeMontfort University.
