MS Installs, pictures.... post them up
 

Did a brief search and didn't see a thread like this (forgive me if im just being an idiot)

Ill be ordering a Reverant eMs2 in acouple months and have been thinking about how I want to mount it. Ideas include

In the glove box
Behind the glove box
Removing the stock airbag and putting it behind the airbag cover
Mounted near the stock ecu location

would like to see what others have done before I make a choice

put it behind your seat where your stock ecu used to be

I'm pretty happy with my location. MS3/MS3x mounted in front of the shifter. I used a piece of ABS plastic as the block off plate. Used to have a thin piece of aluminum sheet, but I prefer the plastic. You can barely see it in this pic, but you get the idea. Makes it super convenient for plugging in and having access to the SD card slot.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1355582124

I really want to put my Engine Control Unit in the engine bay with the thing it's controlling. Routing wires 3x as long as they need to be through holes and under carpets seems stupid.

Not sure if serious

or just sarcasm

You can fit an MS under the dash where the stock ECU is on an NB.

Totally serious.

Let us know how that turns out for you.

Ok ok ok ok, put it behind the driver's seat instead. you'll just need to route the stock wires behind the passenger seat over the center console and voila! installed!

Will do. The only problems are heat and water. The MS's (with the exception of the MS3pro) are probably not up to it, but it's not really a difficult engineering problem. Imagine separate connectors for everything. Wiring would be dreamy... and reliable! Kick that disgusting tape-covered factory harness right to the curb.

Don't know why so many people think it's a foolish idea.

Cause it is

Because the harness is already there and putting a box in the engine compartment that isn't sealed well to the outside environment is yet another layer of dumb.

Where are the 1.6 folks mounting their DIYPNPs anyway? Mine is just sitting in the passenger footwell still.. just jiggling around. I don't want to drill into the floor.

Thats how mines installed

Here is mine. 1990 NA
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1355613440

Both of which are major problems. What is your solution to keeping heat and water from being problems?

Maybe I wasn't clear (as usual.) I wrote " want to put my ECU in the engine bay..." but what I was thinking was more like "I want an ECU that I can put in the engine bay..." Designing such a magical device would not be difficult. You start with components that can withsatnd the heat then put them in an enclosure that is suitably watertight.

I should take a photo of my DIYPNP installation, but there's not much to see. It's behind the seat, right where the factory one was, fastened to the bulkhead with sheetmetal screws.

that's what the ms3-pro is made for. order one when they come out

Just because you may find an ECU that has a waterproof housing and connector, it doesn't mean that the electronics inside it will appreciate the engine bay heat.

All the wires are already leading to the inside the cab which makes the ecu already plug and play in a good location... unless you plan to extend or slash and cut all the wires you're being a very big idiot.

That aside if you actually do plan on slashing and cutting all the wires so you can have the ecu in the engine bay.. you're being even a bigger idiot.

I had mine in the glovebox for a while before moving it back behind the seats. Glovebox is an easy spot to put it, other than it being the first place thieves look if they break in.

Or he just doesn't use the stock harness and builds his own harness. It's not rocket science.

I'm not interested in pnp. Now go back and rethink all of your conclusions.

edit: Realise that getting away from cutting and slashing and splicing a stinky-ass factory harness is a big part of what makes an in-bay ECU seem like a good idea.

Thought about it, still stupid to put a sensitive equipment in the engine bay.

I've got mine mounted where the A/C controls were. Let's you access the SD card and plugs, as well as letting you see the LED's so you can use them as indicators. I'll snag a pic when I swing by the shop tomorrow.

No idea if you can do this on factory harness. I've rewired the whole car.

Stock ECU DIYPNP

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1355779633

I'd like to see more/better pics of both of these installs. Is it still possible to fit a 1 DIN stereo, HVAC controls and a MS2/MS3 in there?

On my soon to be installed ms3x, I'm going to stuff it where the passenger airbag used to be.

Or attempt to.

We'll see

Isnt your ecu on the driver side kick board?

yup

Yeah, totally forgot to snap a pic... I'll try to grab one tomorrow.

I could see you fitting it in the extra 1 DIN slot left from having a 1 DIN radio. Mount it in the bottom half and have the mounting flange hang below the opening.

MS3-Pro is rated -22°F to 176°F, limited by the internal back up battery. The other components are rated -40°F to 185°. Engine bay bay mounting is permissible so long as it is not exposed to direct heat from exhaust components.

Or you could water cool it like BMW likes to do. Because we all know how much sense it makes to water cool the ECU rather than relocate it to a better spot. Those Germans sure do have everything figure out.

What BMW uses a watercooled ECU? I've heard of air cooled ECUs in their newer stuff (because people complain about how loud the fan is).

2013 BMW M5 - Instrumented Test - Page 4

Second to last paragraph

Lol @ reference to $100k 2013 vehicle.

Watercooled ECUs installed near the catalytic convertor ???? holy stupid. Ill never own a German car

Brilliant engineers can be a good thing, but without someone to look at the big picture you get water-cooled ECUs installed next to exhaust components.

It's (probably) a great feat of engineering that would have saved a lot of time and money just by putting it somewhere else.

Gotta love Germans who'd rather mount heat-sensitive on top of cat converters and water cool them, rather than move them to somewhere, I don't know...inside the car?

You also need to realize that no one who posts on line normally has any fucking clue what most of the connectors for all the sensors and bits under the hood actually are. Or if they do they're holding on to that tidbit. I'm coming up with a partial list, but I only have the need to find 6 or so connectors and I've only figured out a few so far. Look in the general section for the thread on it, it would be great to figure out what the connectors are even if there is no source to buy them new, because we could at least figure out a source for pins to re-pin them to avoid any of those nasty wire splices.

As a BMW owner, I have to say that BMW's engineers are not the sort to let reason get in the way of logic.

Dont worry, well put in a clutch delay valve to make sure you cant shift a bmw well.

Hyundai does the same thing....


Don't ask me how I know. I was a misguided youth once...

2 3 pages, 3 pictures... this thread does not deliver. F- :rofl:

I can fix that!

The car isn't finished but you get the idea. It is just mounted to a piece of angle that is attached to the dashbar support. Like I said before I have no idea if this can be done on OEM harness. I have rewired the whole car, which is evident by the fuse box on the tranny tunnel. Yes, I like switches... lol

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1356049629

Attachment 239760

Here's a better picture. This is with the factory harness. It was pretty easy to make it work since Rev's PNP harness he made for the MS3/MS3x had some extra length (giggity). I also wired all of the free hanging wires from his harness for things like the WB02 and seq. fuel and spark inputs to a Deutsch connector so the whole thing can be easily removed. The button to the left is to start and stop data logging to the SD card.

Hope that helps. I remember a thread where people were posting up info about SD card slot extenders and USB extender cables. I had originally planned to go that route with something under the passenger side dash, but this just made the most sense for my application.

Nice! I really need to find a source for black ABS. I have like 6 projects where it could be useful.

Well damn, that's frickin' cool. Is the push button part of the default functionality of the MS3/MS3x? That sounds REALLY convenient.

Or better yet, just go dumpster diving at your local plastics shop and get all you want for free. That's what I did when I wanted to fab up a custom gauge panel and found some nice 1/4" black plastic to use.

Ray