Hydra to MS3 Basic
 

I wasn't sure which sub to drop this in so please feel free to move it where it belongs.

As the title states I'm thinking of making the switch in the near future. I will more than likely be purchasing from Trackspeed which I know they provide a base tune. But what if my car is modified? Is this a scenario where I would give them a list of everything I have done and take it from there hoping for the best...maybe provide them with a current map of my Hydra...

I'm not a tuner so I'm just not sure how simple a swap it would be and wanted to get a feel from you guys since I'm sure many of you have tinkered with different ECUs.

Reason for the swap is just because I hear a lot of good things on the MS3 and the ease of use. Also the community is much larger so a lot of knowledge out there.

Thanks in advance!

The base map is to get the engine started. It will have to be tuned. The map will be catered to a certain Miata (ie: NB1, NB2, etc), so that the inputs and outputs that the base map uses are the same as what the car is wired for. It will not be catered to your specific engine/turbo/injectors/coils/etc, you or a professional will need to take care of that. There are remote tuners who can operate off of the information you provide them and your datalogs, if that's easier than finding a tuner in your area.

Thanks for the info. That's kinda what I figured it would be like just wasnt sure. So my best bet would be to find a tuner with MS3 knowledge and give them a complete rundown of the car then let them work their magic..

What is the purpose of this rather expensive switch?

if hydra is running ok, leave it be...

Well, I would be selling the Hydra before making the move. Really just because I hear a lot of good things about the MS3 and there are more tuners available that are familiar with that platform...at least in my area. The Hydra is currently running good with my setup but my setup will continue to progress. So I'll need help with tuning as I go along

@Ken Hill has helped a lot of people with Hydra, I understand. See this thread

Hydra, for turn key setups you don't want to touch or think about is better, in my mind, than any MS I've tuned. This is mainly because I work with Kris at KO Racing, who knows a thing or two about Hydras.

However I understand the desire to switch, and be able to make changes to your tune as you make changes to your setup.

That being said, you're not technically buying the MS3 basic from TSE, you're buying it from Dimitri at MSLabs. I really hope I'm not stepping on Andrew's toes, but if you'd like a more catered base map, you might try buying directly from MSLabs, although delivery/communication/timelyness is going to be better from TSE from personal experience. AFAIK, when you buy from TSE it's a generic base map, although mapped with boosted cells. Last time I ordered from MSLabs, he asked me about my injector size, engine size, etc.

Yes, I've worked with Ken Hill in the past and he's great. However, I read that thread where he is now taking an indefinite break so that's a bit of a bummer.

Exactly! The Hydra works great as a "set it and forget it" ECU. You get your FM2 installed and tuned by someone with Hydra experience and you're good to go. But for someone like myself who likes to roll up their sleeves and dig in it's a bit of a learning curve compared to what I've seen with the MS3. I still plan to do things like Flex Fuel, head work, etc which would all require re-tuning to get the most out of it.

Thank you Curly for the info. I was wondering myself how they're able to just give you a base map without at least knowing things like injector size...glad to hear they do ask! For now I'll be holding off on the swap until I learn a little bit more about the MS3 or find a local tuner. Thank you all for your input.

Don't expect to get much (if you can sell it) for the Hydra.