Hey guys, im relatively new to world of EVO engine tuning, but i just wanted to ask a few quick questions about the AEM engine management system..

1.) Is it practical to upgrade to this system if you want to focus on building a high performance DAILY DRIVEN evo 8? From the research ive done sofar, it seems reliable and realistic to produce somewhere in the ballpark of 360-400whp on 93oct pump gas with a peak of 20-21psi through basic/semi-complex mods such as full 3" exhaust, intake, intercooler/piping, cams, cam gears, fuel rail/pump and a very fine tuned EMS to ensure that the engine is not running too lean or rich.

2.) Would you guys recommend this system compared to an APEX'I super AFC II? I assume that this system is much more stealth and can be hidden underneath the drivers seat, right?

3.) Can you run an open atmosphere blow-off valve such as a turbo xs or greddy type-s without triggering codes or running into stall/reliability issues as you would with the stock ecu/MAF?

4.) With this type of mod setup under the stock 16G, and the addition of some reliability mods such as a power enterprises timing belt, oil catch can, silicone radiator hoses, high performance radiator and a MBC.. do you guys forsee reliability issues with the EVO?

Thanks for the patience guys, i promise i will continue to do as much research as possible to educate myself in EVO tuning procedures.

 

The ems is a great addition and tuned right is very reliable. It replaces your factory ecu so no one would know if it is there or not. It is great on a bone stock evo as well, AEM made over 60 hrspwr with one. It can control boost with it as well so you would not need a MBC.

 

If you have emissions testing in your area where they plug into the diagnostic port you would need to swap in the stock ECU for your emissions testing.....other than that it is almost impossible for someone to know you have it.

You can run as a speed density setup with the EMS thus allowing you to run with your BOV dumped to atmosphere.

Keith

 

1. Very pratical. It gives the enduser complete control over every parameter in the drive cycle. Our tuning thus far has yielded better than stock driveability with the AEM. The knock retard function is also very engaging similair to the stock setup. If you incorporate the O2 WB then you will have an even greater measure of safety to look foward to.
The mods you mention may seem basic but have a great impact on performance and driveability. YOU NEED to have control over your stokc igntion mapping that the AEM gives you. I completely recommend the EMS for your upgrades.

2. Replaces the stock ecu so it like it always looks stock. The AFC is good for minor mods in my opinion for a relatively small turbo like you may have stock. After heavy mods the fuel and ignition curves will not be ideal without further enhancement via standalone.

3. Yes . Even with the MAF still in the loop. Your decelleration maps will help with the correction needed to over come the stalling issues associated with Open BOV's

4. It is a very refined vehicle. I am more amazed with it every day. The more i drive other cars the more i love this one

 

The AEM is a very good system!! I have installed them in many cars. The newer ones are much smoother than the olders ones and would be a great system to have w/ a lot of potential. You are not shooting for any numbers that are unreasonable. I would not count out systems like the Unichip or the EXEDE system because they are based off the stock maps. Most tuners can tune these systems to and well above the horsepower level you want to acheive. Using the stock maps help w/ better start up and smoother accel. and deccel maps while taking less time to tune thefore costing less money. Also you would not have to worry about taking your computer in and out for emissions testing!

 

1: every car we have put the ems on has been a daily driver. most customers only need more tuning when they upgrade parts. once we tune it its done untill you want more.

2: the safc or any other piggy back cant compare to the capibilities of the ems.

3: yes you can. if for some odd reason you want to keep the stock MAFS in there it can be tuned to run fine with a open bov. However, we recomend going to a speed density system when using the ems. it makes things so much easier and its good for anywhere from 15-50hp depending on your mods. the mafs is a huge restriction in the intake. if you convert to speed density there is no issue at all running open bov.

4: when tuned properly the ems will not effect the reliability of the evo

 

Whether has the AEM autotune like autrinic?

 

Yes, with a wideband O2 sensor attached the EMS has a very good automapping feature to build a fuel map automatically based on your target Air Fuel Ratio.

Generally automapping is best used only initially until you can see the fuel curve starting to develop, then you just fill in the rest manually.

A good idea if you are interested in the EMS is to download the software and play with it a little bit. The software is freely downloadable from:

http://forum.aempower.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=4385

As with anything that offers complete freedom, there is a large learning curve if you are trying to install the EMS and tune it all yourself in a complete vacuum without EMS experienced people to help you.

If you take it to a skilled EMS tuner they can do it for you in a matter of hours and then it is much simpler to only modify the basemap yourself from there.

In my opinion, for the EVO world at the moment, there is really nothing that provides adequate engine management that is also tunable. The reflash options are great, but aren't user tunable, and all of the piggybacks suck for obvious reasons, and there is no DSMLINK option for EVOs. So the AEM EMS is the best choice if you really need a flexible tuning method.

Clearly if you only have an air filter and exhaust system, the EMS isn't the next upgrade, but if you anticipate going further, the EMS is really great for the price.

Consider the EMS has an exceptional datalogger, something that is critical for tuning/troubleshooting. The EMS can support a whole bunch of sensor inputs and run warning lights based on the sensor inputs to potentially replace a ton of gauges. The EMS completely eliminates the MAF for better spool, better overall airflow, can vent the BOV if you're into that kinda thing without any problems. Best part is you don't even have to do any wiring, just unplug the stock ECU, put in the EMS and you're on your way. Would potentially allow you to swap back to stock easily.

The EMS has awesome support at the EMS Forums, better than any product I've seen, car or otherwise.

EMS - US EVO 8 Forum

The downsides:

-No way in hell it will be smog legal with the EMS installed due to not supporting the OBDII check codes required by several states, assuming you leave the EMS installed when you take it in

-More complicated than an AFC

-You can make your car really fast and start breaking things like trannies

-Your friends will no longer want to ride in your car as they are scared for their lives

-Your girlfriend will leave you after you mutter things like "volumetric efficiency curve" and "throttle angle compensation map" in your sleep 4 nights in a row


Just my .02, well it was long so maybe .03 cents...

 

That was 2 questions?

 

Thanks for your informative addition to the post.