AMC computerized engine control


The Computerized Engine Control or Computerized Emission Control system is an engine management system designed and used by American Motors Corporation and Jeep on 4- and 6-cylinder engines of its own manufacture from 1980 to 1990.
Starting with the 1986 model year, the AMC straight-4 engines used a throttle body injection or single-point, fuel injection system with a new fully computerized engine control. In addition to cycling the fuel injector, the engine control computer also determined the ignition timing, idle speed, exhaust gas recirculation, etc.

Operation

CEC was unique in that almost all of its sensors and actuators were digital; instead of the usual analog throttle position, coolant temperature, intake temperature and manifold pressure sensors, it used a set of fixed pressure- and temperature-controlled switches to control fuel mixture and ignition timing. The only analog sensor in the system was the oxygen sensor. In other respects, it was a typical "feedback" carburetor system of the early-1980s, using a stepper motor to control fuel mixture and a two-stage "Sole-Vac" to control idle speed. The CEC also controlled ignition timing using information from the fuel-control section and an engine knock sensor on the intake manifold.
The CEC module itself was manufactured for AMC by Ford Motor Company, and worked with a Duraspark ignition system. Although built by Ford, the CEC module is not related to the Ford EEC systems internally.
Starting with the 1983 model year, the I6 engine featured the MCU-Super D electronics and a "pulse-air" injection system for emissions control, as well as an increased compression ratio, from 8.6:1 to 9.2:1.

Maintenance

The system uses a maze of emissions vacuum hoses. Because of the many vacuum-driven components and electrical connections in the system, CEC-equipped engines have developed a reputation of being hard to tune. American Motors issued a Technical Service Bulletin to diagnose low or inconsistent engine idle speeds on 1980 through 1988 AMC Eagle automobile.
The 49-state model of the CEC has no on-board diagnostic system, making it difficult to monitor the computer's operation without a breakout box, and the Carter BBD carburetor on most CEC-equipped models has problems with its idle circuit clogging, causing a rough idle and stalling. In places where emissions testing is not required, a popular modification is to bypass the computer and disable the BBD's Idle Servo, or replace the BBD with a manually tuned carburetor. Several vendors offer retrofit kits that replace the CEC and the carburetor with fuel injection.