"Other" ECU's
 

There doesn't seem to be a place for this, so I'm curious who's running what. Maybe even what you think of it.

I've got a link piggyback, and while it technically does it's job, it's nowhere near reactive or even repeatable enough - and I never know which computer to go after when something's wrong. Also I found myself in a buttload of lean when I was over 9,000 feet a while ago, knocking and everything - it needed a lot of on-the-road adjustments.

Does the Megasquirt do effective knock sensing? Has anyone run the AEM? I'm very seriously looking at the Hydra, only not liking the lack of customizability nor the price...

I'm running an Adaptronic ECU (http://www.adaptronic.com.au) and it's pretty damn powerful!
Nice to get rid of the AFM and run 530cc injectors at half the price of a Link!

I'm with the AEM EMS and I enjoy it. It has a built in barometric sensor and a trim for it, but I don't know how well it's set from AEM as I've always been with 2000 feet of sea level.

Mk2 Link 1.6 with FM software

yes ms does knock logging and retard

Hey, I'm gonna be nosey and ask how much? (not that I can afford it)
I didn't see any prices on the website, and their forum is smaller than this one :eek:

Never mind.. found it...

Pricing
Adaptronic can not control the retail price of its products. This would be price fixing, which is illegal under Australian law. However, the following are recommended retail prices (including GST) of Adaptronic products:

Adaptronic 420 ECU (does not include loom) - A$990 inc GST

0.5m loom (for splicing into existing wiring) - A$66.00

2m loom (for running cabling to engine) - A$99.00

PC interrogation software - free download

Adaptronic firmware upgrades - free download

Firmware upgrading software - free download

Installer documentation - free download

Tim, how would you rate the AEM as far as installation difficulty? Was it trully plug n play with the miata's harness and sensors? Not having a patch harness is very attractive. What about general "friendliness" and intuitiveness of the software? Looking to go standalone (first time ever), and like the price point vs functionality of the AEM... but also have been considering the Hydra because of its support (but having a hard time justifying the $2k expense and hate its stupid wb sensor)

Ahh boy ok. I did not have much difficulty installing the AEM. I had the Link ECU before hand and had to move some of the wires in the harness, but that's not difficult. Therefore on my car I never tried it with the supplied maps. However I did try it on my roommates '94 and with the aem map it did start up and drive away, albiet very rich of course.

The aem software is alright. Light years ahead of the Link stuff. There's a lot of stuff in there to get you into major trouble, and not everthing is explained throughly. The manual is over 200 pages though and helps a lot. Also the built-in help functions are pretty good I hear, but that function doesnt' work on my P2 thinkpad with the currently installed aempro version (not the most up to date).

But the featuers are awesome. I spent tonight going thru and thinking of 2 maybe 3 different ways I can run water injection via this standalone. Again, the manual doesn't explain a few user defined options (user definite PW Output/user#1...period hi and period M anyone?) so I dunno about this yet but it looks promising. I could also maybe do it via one of the Variable valve timing PW outputs...anyways my brain's fried.

I believe the only factory sensor i'm using is the water temperature sensor and cam angle sensor. I did have a few funny issues with ignition stumbles that AEM couldn't/wouldn't help out with, but they went away when I tried 1.8 coils.

It was much easier to get the 1.8 to idle than the 1.6, I think that was just me though.

Anti lag is fun (3 different ways you can do it). Go BIG turbo and make stupid boost at idle. Shoot flames if you wanna :bigtu:

I never tried the automapping but others have great results. I do not use closed loop O2 feedback because I'm dumb but again it does work well from what I hear.

Thanks Tim.

I hear great things about the unit, but since it's my first standalone, I think I may need some hand holding that I can't get with the AEM.

They say getting idle right is harder than getting anything else tuned. So you ran 1.8 ignition on the 1.6?

Yes. Just to see if it would cure my ignition stumble I temp. rigged the 1.8 coil on my pass. fender. I took the wires out of the ignitor terminal and the terminal on the 1.8 coils and connected the correct wires together and electrical taped the entire thing together. I dumpster dove and found some long sparkplug wires that woudl reach. I drove around like that for a few months until I had time to actually install the 1.8 engine.

FYI, ALS can't build boost at idle. If you can only make 10psi at 3500 now, then ALS can maybe make that much at 3000. BUT as soon as you get back on the power it will immediately drop right back to the normal max psi for that RPM.

I've been using it on my rallycross car (DSM) for a year now.

True, but it can make boost in neutral, i.e. staging for a drag race, or ready to start your autocross run, etc.

I have mine set for 8psi at 4200rpm. I can make a lot more at earlier rpms but I find it easiest to launch at that rpm for me.

Why dont i ever hear anything about the XEDE system that BEGi offers? is it no good or what?

http://www.bellengineering.net/Pages/products_Xede.html

I think it's too new and they don't have a lot of people with them yet (at least folks that post on here and m.net).

$1400 for a piggyback....:bowrofl:

granted, it IS expensive, but from the sounds of it the damn thing tunes itself....theres gotta be a market out there that's willing to pay that for the ease of install....not that i would pay that for a piggyback, just curious as to why noone ever even mentions it..

they just now got it out for the 1.6 used to only be the 1.8

I've seen second hand ones for an Evo in the $300-400 range.Paying that much for a miata version would be tough a sell.

Shiv thinks $highly$ of his work.

Frank

The Xede is pretty decent, but I would rather have a Haltech or TEC-III. I run a TEC-IIIR.

Mark