ok well i know the aem just came out for the evo .. that is wut bmtranny around here uses to tune most of their cars with and they have great experience with it .. i just called boost solutions and spoke to a guy who said the autronic one is better cuz you can tune more and tune easier .. also has a built in boost controller and is plug and play as well ... about 2 more then the aem .. just wondering what people are using .. these would be the 2 i would consider .. thanks

 

#1 Motec, then haltec, autronic
my cusin has autronic and he's happy with it

 

#1 is motec ?

 

yes number 1 is motec but not for everyone. it is ver expensive and not as user friendly as the autronic or aem. you can also had the TEC3 to your list Maki as it is a very good stand alone. also don't forget that an ECU is only as good as the guy who tunes it. if your tuner likes to use the AEM than go for that one. after all, he is the one that is going to work on it.

 

yeah the place by me uses aem .. so i guess that is what ill have to use ..

 

All systems are good forget Motec its overkill and a ton of money. I would stick with Autronics or AEM the key is finding a local tuner that really knows how the heck to install and tune and offer support because you will need it with a stand alone in the beginning. Think of it this way you are switching from MAF to MAP and reprograming the entire car from scratch idle, AC, etc... be prepared for some hours of tuning and $$$$ the benefit is a custom tune that will model the cars performance to what you want. The down side is the tune will be as good as the tuner so look for the best pay the money and do it right or dont do it stick with reflashes or piggybacks.

 

What features do motec's, haltechs and autotronics have that the ems(with amazing tech support, intense tuner use and ease of use) do not?

 

here is a question .. im not sure if i wanna go standalone or not .. i know people who have hit 350 whp with just tuning with a super afc .. with just intake full exhaust .. dp .. hks 272 cams .. im just wondering if it would be possible to go to 400whp without running a standalone .. just a boost controller and a super afc ?

 

its possible look at Al and proven suposedly 600hp with emanage

 

You most definitely can make 350HP at the wheels without a Stand Alone Engine Management System. The Advantage is that not only do you tune A/F with the Standalone but you can fine tune other aspects as well. I have seen EVO's make 400+ at the wheels without a Stand Alone System.

 

I just feel the need to point out that a Standalone does not have OBD-II, Since some states use the OBDII Diag connector as part of an inspection, it could lead to some headaches if your converting to a standalone and making enough modifications that you cannot switch back to a stock ECU for inspections.

Many do not take that into account... Aside from that, most standalones are overkill, but they do work better when their configured correctly. Once base configs for the different standalones become available for our car, the tuning time will be reduced since things like A/C Control, fuel pump stepup, Coil control, boost control will make tuning the car easier since you will now only need to address making it run well, not just getting it to run.

 

Just wait a bit Buschur is working on AEM, Alamo Autosports is working on Autronics and AEM ask for Bryce, and Works is working on just flashing to the point of Turbo, cams and WI. Now is a good time to wait till the end of the first quarter next year and check the options.

 

well if say im running a super afc 2 or wutever .. if they plug into the ob2 port .. will it still read even if the computer isnt controlling the af ?? or would i have to take the afc 2 out and put the cat back in obviously ?

 

Well, the CAT probably needs to be there because of a visual inspection, it also reduces emissions so its hard to fool the sniffer without it. The S-AFC is only a device that manipulates the readings on the stock ECU, so you don't need to remove it for OBD-II to work. Any modifications that cause the CEL light to come on, will need to have the ECU reset, and possibly the modification temporarily disabled so it doesn't trigger it during the inspection. PM Me if you need more info, this is offtopic, just a thing I wanted to point out to people considering a standalone.

 

Guys, Guys before you go out and spend major $$ on standalone...you have to ask yourself some serious and honest, straight -up questions.

1) Are you tuning the car yourself or having a shop do it?
If it's a shop don't go out buy a standalone that they are not too familiar with or worse, they have never used.
2) How far are you really planning to take this engine? EBC, piping, cat-back ? Doesn't warrant a standalone.
3) How long do you plan to go the MAF route of tuning? Believe it or not some standalone are made for MAF intensive tuning while oothers are better at MAP. Found out which is best for your taste and experience and your shops.