Maps can sometimes be found on the http://www.msextra.com or http://www.msefi.com forums that are similar enough to be used as a base map for your vehicle but it’s generally not encouraged to just grab someone’s map and run with it, as there are a few things to consider first. You want to ensure their setup is as similar to yours as possible, including the engine, ignition system, MegaSquirt version and firmware version they’re running. If they were running a different MS version, or firmware version than you then you can still copy the information from their map manually, but don’t import it into your ECU as it’s very possible some of the data won’t import properly into a different firmware version. This could help you get started in the right direction towards building your map.
Another important question to consider, especially if the ECU setup you’re using required mods to control your vehicle’s ignition system, is are the mods you’re using identical to the mods used by the person that created the map? Are they using the same ignition components (ignitors, coils, etc)? If anything is different here their ignition settings could be different from what you need, and could damage your coil or ignitor. Things to watch out for are the SPARK OUTPUT setting (inverted or non) and the DWELL settings.
The most important thing to remember is that no matter how good so-and-so told you their map would work on your car, you are still ultimately responsible for making sure your ECU is properly setup for your car, and that your car is properly tuned. That means looking over the map’s settings BEFORE you start the car. Do the ignition settings look right and does the ignition table look logical? Is there 60 degrees of timing at WOT? If so, that’s probably not right…. When you start the car you should still treat it like you need to tune it yourself from scratch, however you hopefully have a good head start. Tune the idle first, then slow speed VE and ignition, cruise VE and ignition, and then work on up to higher loads and finally WOT VE and ignition. Spend some significant time on http://www.msextra.com/ Another great resource is Matt Cramer & Jerry Hoffmann’s Performance Fuel Injection Systems.
