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.

 

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!

 

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.

 

Thanks Ben,
That looks like what I have. (see pics)

 

So,
I suppose my next step is to get this thing tested. I still haven't plugged it into power. 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...