Any ecu will make the same power with the same settings

The issue on ecus is

1 - Consistancy

2 - Resolution

3 - Repeatability

4 - Interphase

The AEM has always had certain bugs and irritations that begin to creep up when you have a car that revs very fast - e.g. a race car with lots of power

While the AEM interphase is one of the easiest to maipulate and set up and makes for fast tuning, the box itself seems to suffer from minor bugs and clitches on certain applications. This I attribute to the fact that most AEM boxes are so called "plug and play" units and there is an attachemnt to the main motherboartd which is licensed by GEMS which drives the application specific functions.

Other ecus designed for strict motorsports applications are universal and require wiring but perhaps suffer less of the compatability glicthes when properly wired and configured.

Al

 

One interesting ecu of note is the Hydra plug and play for the evo. I have been enjoying great success with this unit and I am particularly pleased with the stock like starting - turn the key and it starts. No multi revolution like the aem. The "feel" is excelent also, it acts much more like a stock ecu. They have new firm ware that supports a on board 4 bar map sensor - launch cotrol and flat foot shift, boost comp, auto tune, etc etc and the resolution is roughly double that of the aem. So far I am very impresed.

It should be noted that I also use the Hydra on my STI and have also been happy with the new firm ware and all the features it has brought to the Hydra on my Subaru.

 

You are correct about OBDII which should be a huge consideration for anyone who lives in an emmissions checking location. The HKS works in tandem with the stock ecu so OBD II is retained.

Other stand alone ecus are not OBD II compatable.

Many of my stand alone customers return for reflashes when its time to pass emissions.

Al

 

Indy, I know what you mean! I remember running around in the Comp. pits w/what looked like a Safeway sales receipt streaming behind me. Racepak used to be the one in drag racing, I just hope that MSD doesn't screw it up......

Good luck w/your new electronics.

Paul Langlie

 

Motec is perhaps the most flexible period, true world class motorsports ecu. Has telemetry, geared towards pro applications. It is cost prohibitive and there are alot of features it has that you cannot find anywhere else. Question becomes do you need it.

HKS FCON V PRO would be my 1st choice for this particular application, and that is what I use currently in the shop evo8. It does what it's supposed to do very well. I am in love with the interface and it is easy for me to tune having done a bunch of them. It also is plug and play, as a ton of inputs/outputs, and has the best ability to have a car run like factory even with an inexperienced tuner. The way the interface is setup it makes a tuner look way better than he really is :-)
No extended crank, immobilizer still works etc. Con on the HKS, only HKS Pro Dealers can tune them so no good for the DIY guy.

Haltech my second choice behind the HKS, as I have used and wired many of them.
I had the e6k, E11v1 and E11v2, and helped Haltech develop v1.31 SW to support use of 5 br map and nitrous which was an issue when I was using it back in 2004, very capable unit. The electronics are rock solid and you dont have to worry about any sort of glitches, very easy tuning interface and great resolution.

The AEM is a popular unit also, and people will tell you all types of nonsense about who goes 6 sec with it, but the bottom line is the quality control sucks and there are a few issues that start to arise once you start using it in the higher HP apps on evos, the people who have experienced this know exactly what I am talking about and it can get expensive. Resolution sucks 22 x 17 I rather 32 x 32 like HKS. But still a very popular unit and we do alot of them.

Autronic, very good, seems solid, very good PNP board that goes inside stock ecu case for group N use like the Motec.

All the ecus have advantages and disadvanteges, always go with the one your tuner is most comfortable with.

Merelli and Bosch are good also but I have never done one of those.

Sean

.

 

I'm an amateur but have found the Autronic style of using VE in the fuel table is nice. It seems to be very good at predicting fueling once you dial in a couple cells. Also the target A/F table is useful. Do most other ECU's have this? Not a big deal I guess.

How important / effective is knock control on these various ECU's? Autronic has none. How about Haltech?

 

Ok and now this may be way off topic but, I've heard AEM guys say "boost comp" before and other people. What is it? I assume "boost compensation"?

If so, what does it mean? I mean I keep asking myself, what do you use to compensate for boost? And I'm like, well duh.. retard, lower lambda, etc but this is accomplished via 3d fuel or ignition map, so what is "boost comp"?

 

So Sean what's your take on Hydra? I've heard of it, but not much more.

 

Plangie, You had me rolling with the "Safeway sales receipt streaming behind me" , I got mine from Ray Alley at Bernstein's shop in Orange when they first came out. State of the art at the time, now all of that and more fits in the dash .

 

I have to say that i am very font of the HKS unit and the capabilities of the unit are enormous.... As mentioned before the main disadvantage is that only the HKS authorized dealer has access so for any reason that the customer leaves the dealer's shop he is screwed since there aren't that many around...

Haltech is my second favorite i guess as far as capabilities is concerned. How comfortable are you with this unit? Of course i anxiously wait the results of AWD Motorsports and their feedback and even better a review of the unit, hardware used (i have seen Haltech offers everything, from wideband sensors to map sensors, IATs etc etc...)

Motec indeed unless you have a full blown race/rally car the unit is way to advanced even for a very powerful street car...

Al, thank you also for your feedback....

 

Sean,

How does the HKS compare price wise to the AEM and other units? What do you think of the Power FC?

Is the issue with the AEM due to the limited number of teeth on the crank/cam triggers of the stock sensors?

 

Its a shame that HKS has not done more to spread and expand the network of authorized dealers. They, HKS, make a great product. For myself the inability to be able to personally access and adjust the unit is a deal breaker.

 

The Power FC is a very good unt also, some of the disadvantages were a small map sensor which Buschur Racing solved and it can now work with 5 bar map sesnor and the lack of knock control. David Buschur reported that the Power FC worked very well.

Al

 

HKS units on th evo 1-8 are $2500 installed and tuned here, the evo 9 is $2600 installed and tuned, on one fuel, compares very well to anything else.

Power Fc is nice but it takes a long time for me to tune it with the hand controller, I do not have the laptop SW for it. The HKS is more capable in terms of inputs/outputs for extra fuel pumps, nitrous control, staged injection etc. We also have the option to use the 5 bar map sensor with the evos as the HKS super wide range one only goes to around 47psi(thanks KC).

 

Seems to be a good unit have done a few, but not very very experienced with it as of recently.

I tend to use the units that I am familiar with.

Sean