So I am finally putting my evo ix back together and have come to the point where I really need to start thinking about ECU options. My builder is comfortable with tuning with any standalone but does not want to tune with the stock ECU. He had his own personal reasons that I didn't delve into too deeply. All other tuners in my area only work with Stand alone's such as Haltec or AEM for sponsorship reasons ( at least this is what I inferred).

I have had my ECU tuned by English in the past and have even done some email tuning with them. I like the idea of being able to learn my own car and how it is tuned but also being able to talk to local tuners if needed.

I am hoping someone has some experience with wiring in a MS3 Pro. I have tried looking up any information I can but there seems to be a lack in experience with it which makes it very enticing but also could be a sign. I haven't much good or bad for the specific application just people expressing their own opinion on what they prefer to use.

If I am to go with another stand alone I would probably prefer the Haltec over AEM due to local car guys experiences with both.

Hopefully someone here can shed some light on the topic.

Thank you!!

 

Stock ECU is best and it's the only one where the knock control works properly.

 

OEM ECU unless race car. Keep it simple. ECUFlash does more than any of us will ever need.

 

It all depends on what your goals for the car will be. Stock ECU is fine for most people, especially for strictly street cars, but once you start playing with standalones you start to realize its limitations such as the lack of custom maps, failsafes, datalogging, individual cylinder tuning, etc. A lot of these features you don't necessarily need for a street car but are nice to have.

I've dealt with MS3 but on a turbo E30 BMW and I'll be honest it is a great ECU for its price point. I'm hesitant to call it a step above the stock ECU only because its fuel and ignition maps are not as big as Tephra V7 but other than that it has great datalogging features and live tuning.

I've also used Haltech Platinum Pro on my Evo and so far this is my favorite ECU. It does everything the MS3 can do but much better. Its user interface makes it really nice and easy to access all the features. I also really like its live tuning feature where changes happen at the touch of a keystroke. I sold my Haltech because I want to dive into either Haltech Elite or Motec M1 series.

A lot of people here have great success with AEM Infinity. It looks like a solid ECU and I wouldn't mind trying it out for a while.

In general it would be good to go with what your tuner is comfortable working with. Our local tuners here are not familiar/comfortable with the stock ECU which is why they usually push people into getting standalones. If you want to learn how to use your stock ECU there is a tutorial written by Merlin floating around here and even youtube vids which will help you navigate the stock ECU. There is a little bit of a learning curve but it's not rocket science.

 

alot of great information guys, really helpful. but how do these standalones work with obd and emissions testing with dmv and state regulations for evap and what not?

 

They don't. In most states a stand alone is for off highway use only.

 

Stock ecu for a few mods and haltec for race car