Aftermarket ECUs: What are people using?

[ENGINR]

Seeing how the car is becoming more and more track/club based, I'm considering heading down the aftermarket ECU path. I am considering a few options (only considering at this stage, I need to recoup some $$$).

What are people using and how do they find the unit? Roughly what sort of costs am I looking at for a unit + patch harness (I don't want to cut/splice looms).

I was looking to flash an E6-7 ECU but have figured I might as well upgrade to something fully programmable, but retain things like knock control and a reasonable cold start. Haltec has been floating around in my mind, Autronic is another. I can't afford Motec. What about Microtec?

Just looking for feedback from those who have/are using aftermarket ECUs.

 

[BMGTZ]

I have thought about the link ecu. plug and play for early evo/gsr i think

 

[EVOCPE]

I so far have seen Microtech and Haltech in person..

The Microtech is a bit of a dog to start and run, but its a decent ECU

But i would most rather a new Haltech 1000... have heard nothing but good stuff about the E8 and E11, so im takin a wide guess and say the new ones are even better.... plus they are only like 1500 with patch loom and base map, and apparently easy to tune

 

[3zercrowd]

I run an Adaptronic e420c.

Their new e1280 super Ecu should be out soon.
last time I heard pricing was supposed to be in the $2000 range

 

[EVOCPE]

How do you find the Adaptronic?? and tuning wise??

I was lookin at 1 a few months ago, i got a mate who can get them for cheap... only problem is they dont make a plug n play loom for the EVO

Love the Vidigauge option

 

[lozza]

I run an old Haltech E6K - very easy to use/set-up. My only gripe is that it's difficult to set-up a smooth idle with larger injectors. (when inj. pulse width goes below 1msec). Not sure about other brands.

My advice would be get a system with enough outputs to run each. inj in sequential mode plus additional features such as boost solenoid, ext. fan, ISC. etc (Say 6-8) Otherwise, you'll have to set-up inj. in batch mode and you waste fuel.

The best thing to do is drive a car with a system already installed. Manufacturers spend 100's of hours tuning factory ECU's so they idle well and on/off throttle transients are controlled. Once a tune is done for WOT you need to spend alot of time street tuning at part throttle to lean it out for economy but not too much that it jumps around.

Really depends on if you are installing or someone else.

 

[EVO-00X]

The Haltech E8's and upwards are leaps and bounds above Lorry's old E6K above so please dont let Lorries comments deter you (his E6K is a simple ECU which was sold early 2000's and much has progressed since then). The Haltech E8 with a GSR or EVO I-III patch loom is a bargain!

Its a great ECU and can do many many things that you probably wouldnt even think it can! Read up the specs of it.

Its something the average Joe can setup at home first then drive to the tuners for a tune!

To set it up you simply unplug the factory ECU, plug the patch loom to the 3 yellow OEM ECU plugs and the other side of the patch loom into the Haltech ECU.

You throw away the stock AFM, Affix a 3 bar Map sensor in your engine bay (above the level of the intake manifold) and run its 3 wires through the firewall to a cream triangle plug on the Haltech patch loom. Map sensor done!

Then tap a thread in your intake pipe before your thottle body and screw in a Commodore air temp sensor. Run the 2 wires from the air temp sensor through the firewall and into the cream triangle plug on the haltech patch loom. Air temp sensor now fitted!

(A pic of the cream triangle plug on the Haltech patch loom is attached below. This is where you run wires from your newly installed Map Sensor and Air intake Temp sensor to before you can get up and running)

Load up the base map in the laptop and the car is ready to start driving!

My Haltech is controlling a Haltech idle speed control motor and housing too (replaced the stock throttle body for a billet item which did away with the stock ISC). The Haltech unit is easy to wire up and they even give you simple PDF instructions on how to wire it in on a Mitsu! My car, as you know, can sit there for weeks without starting and when I turn the key it starts first go every go. The idle control is great! At startup it keeps idle around 1200-1250rpm (gotta love 280 cams) and in about 30 seconds or so the idle slowly begins to drop away as the engine warms up. It controls cold start excellent! Better than any other aftermarket ECU I have seen on other cars.

The other thing I did was piss off the factory coil packs and ignitor and use LS1 (Haltech) individual coils with built in ignitors. Again, the Haltech E8 easily can control individual coils per cylinder.

There is so much a Haltech E8 can do that other ECU's in its class can only dream of doing. The best thing too is that you can go to any tuner and they would easily be able to navigate Haltech's easy to understand software.

There is also a Haltech forum, run by Haltech which has many global members in it and has Haltech's own tech guys on it daily to assist people.

Haltech also offer in-house 2-day courses (about $200 I think) for people who want to learn about how the ECU works and teach you hands on how to set them up, get engines running, and tune them too.

The company has been around a long time and has a long history of success with its ECU's in the industry. Their after sales support is excellent! Their dedication to ECU development now and in the future is probably one of the best (no fly-by night company around for a couple of years then pisses off), they are very people/industry oriented and welcome selected tuners to come in and use their own in-house AWD dyno and the Haltech support guys are only a holler away if you need them, and best of all its an affordable and very capable aftermarket ECU with plenty of add-ons if you need it. Haltech ticks so many boxes in my books - support an Aussie company as they say! lol

 

[GSRWRC]

Using an Autronic SMC on the 'Rage, after like you - ditching the Evo VII ECU idea in favour of something easier to use.

Will be using another one for the stroker build, if not - an EMS.

 

[FRANK-E]

iv got a microtech in for both of my gsr's i think theres nothing wrong with the computer ezy to tune and everyone knows how to tune them.alot of it comes down to the tuner.the only reason id go a haltech is its plug and play


i know amate of mine selling his microtech of his vr4 if ur interested

 

[DOUGMO]

Using an Autronic SMC on the 'Rage, after like you - ditching the Evo VII ECU idea in favour of something easier to use.

Will be using another one for the stroker build, if not - an EMS.

smc plug in here too (out of an evo4 with a few pin changes)

 

[CLuTZ]

what about the new Vipec V44? Its distributed by Ray Hall- former Autronic guru. I heard its as good as Motec and Autronic, but heaps cheaper. They do patch looms too....

http://www.vi-pec.com/page_files/V44.html

I'm using an Autronic SM2 ECU with my setup though....

 

[runuts]

I gave the choice to my tuner, and surprisingly he preferred the powerfc d-jetro.

 

[Missile]

+1 on the haltech.

You can pick up an absolute bargain with the older style ecu (clearance type sales) as haltech have moved to the new 1000 ecu. The E8 & E11v2 have excellent tuning capabilities.

 

[peasoup]

I have a Vipec plugin going in at the moment, will let you guys know how it turns out. I can say even on the base map the cold start was perfect.

 

[lozza]

The Haltech E8's and upwards are leaps and bounds above Lorry's old E6K above so please dont let Lorries comments deter you (his E6K is a simple ECU which was sold early 2000's and much has progressed since then). The Haltech E8 with a GSR or EVO I-III patch loom is a bargain!

Hey, didn't intend on deterring anyone from Haltech! Would definitely get one again.

Nothing wrong with older style - they still have 90% of the functionality of newer types (even mine) so pick up a bargain. Definitely second the E8.

Just for the record - the E6K is MAP sensor based, came with loom for easy install. Has 16 rpm load points (each 500rpm), can run sequential injection, has perfect cold start ISC, thermofan control, w/g boost control solenoid option, air temp/press. compensation. Have they changed that much apart from slightly higher processing speeds and fancier graphics/useability? I might be wrong.

Agree the aftersales customer service at Haltech is second to none. Go Haltech!

cheers

 

[brisvr4]

For the Evo 1-3 Dsmlink has just about finished a package.
It uses the stock ecu with a plug in module that takes the place of the chip.
From the one that I have in my car it retains all of the stock functions but allows full access to the load maps and timing etc in the ecu to make it into a virtual standalone.
Best of all it still retains Knock sensor capabilities!

 

[bazeng]

Autronic SM4 on the VR4
Motec M4 on the AMG

The SM4 kills the M4 but that was expected. Not saying the M4 is bad, but is limited in outputs / inputs (4 outputs only, if running sequential ign, you lose 3, if running waste spark you still have 3).

The SM4 has about 8outputs and 8inputs (analogue, high speed, switch types).

If I had the M800 / M400 thats a different story.

I had a wolf3d V4 previously. Out of the bunch, SM4 kills all.

I've played with microtech's / flashing etc, they will do the job but are limited.

If you plan to track alot, you'd want to have the flexibility to make changes on the fly and have alot of control of what your computer is doing. You won't get that with flashing as it is time consuming and can sometimes be unreliable (you may not make it out on the track in time if you make a change a setting).

Also, with the M4, I didn't even have a base map. I started from scratch and set the injectors based on impedence and also CAS by trigger type etc and it fired up COLD and held idle perfectly.

Wolf on the other hand was a bit harder to setup for idle etc. V500 on the other hand is meant to be very good and can control a bunch of things.

My advice, spend the money, don't go cheap otherwise you will regret it in the future. Don't just buy a microtech because it will do the job over say a haltech. Also a workshop will always recommend their product so don't always go by what they say. But at the same time, you sorta do want something the tuner is familiar with.

Let us know how you go!

 

[GSRSOL]

+ 1 for the SM4 ...

 

[brisvr4]

As far as flashing time goes on the Ecmlink V3 it is a very fast procedure.
Plug in the laptop, changes settings and download to the ecu.
Takes about 10 seconds to download into the ecu
It is amazing what it is capable of for those on a budget.
After all not everyone has the money to spend on a full stand alone setup.
Full speed density setup will be out for it soon too!

 

[shadow]

Running the microtech here aswell. No problems, cold starts fine.