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- - Buying Used MS3 (https://www.miataturbo.net/megasquirt-18/buying-used-ms3-63599/)

I'm going to check out a MS3 /MS3x today.
It's 'used', but was never installed.

http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/m...led-p-435.html
That's the link he bought from - it was assembled by DIY Autotune.

I'm sure signs of installation would be visible (scratches, twisted/ crimped harness) - but I want to make sure I'm getting what I'm paying for.

Is there something I can look for to prove this is operational, or do I need to take the sellers word? I do not have a Stim.

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vortexblue (Post 836496)

Is there something I can look for to prove this is operational, or do I need to take the sellers word? I do not have a Stim.

Well, if you have access to a female DB-37 connector, you could apply 12 volts to it on pins 28 (+) and 1 (-) of the lower connector. This will power it up sufficiently that you can connect a laptop to it and validate that the CPU is alive via TunerStudio.

Beyond that, buying used ECUs can be a bit of a crap-shoot. I'd at least open the case and look around inside. Since this is an 3.57 / MS3X-based unit, there should be no jumper wire and no hand-soldering of any kind.

You can also learn a lot about a circuit board with your nose. When a component (such as a semiconductor or a capacitor) explodes, it leaves behind an odor which tends to linger for quite a long time. A "normal" MS should have no perceptible odor at all. One which has had a component explode and be replaced, even weeks or months in the past, will likely give off a faint burned smell.

it's got this harness with it:
http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/1...eady-p-43.html
So I should be able to get some power to it.

I do know the smell you're talking about - good suggestion.

I'm going to download Tunerstudio right now to get familiar.

Thanks. Props!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Perez (Post 836507)

Since this is an 3.57 / MS3X-based unit, there should be no jumper wire and no hand-soldering of any kind.

The SMD boards are mostly robot assembled, but all of the through hole parts (such as the TO parts on the heatsink) are hand soldered in-house, here in Suwanee, GA. The stepper jumper wires should also be in place (4 wires) as well as the jumper from JS9 to S12C (which provides +12V to the stepper chip). If the ECU has no non-standard mods, there will also be a jumper from JS10 to the center pin of Q16. Q16 won't be populated though.

So,
I suppose my next step is to get this thing tested. I still haven't plugged it into power. :noob: Does anyone want to sell/ rent a Jim stim? If not, I may just go for the install and see what happens. I still have some $$ to spend.

Speaking of this, what's the best route here for installation? All new MS wiring or DIY BOB? I'm a noob to the MS3 (I built a MS1 years ago, worked fine on the stim, but sold the project before wiring it) - but I promise, I've been reading all I can on the subject!

To be honest, I like the idea of the 'Been-there-done-that' knowledge base of the DIY PNP, but most of the threads I read say this ecu will be the way to go.

The car is a 90 1.6L non-turbo. I do have a 94' 1.8L non-turbo that would like to find it's way into the bay. I also have the whole harness for that car - maybe some of the harness will be handy (injector harness?)

you bastard.... lol....i emailed that guy too off craigslist in new jersey? i was gonna send my buddy over he was like a half hour away. you got that for a steal man good job....

Yep, that's where I got it.

I wasn't really in the market for a megasquirt yet, but a good deal forced the issue...