ECU question

[m1tch]

Hi all,

I will be looking to get an AEM EMS-4 at some point in the future, I believe that this should plug directly into the stock loom as its a standalone and simply configures the pin outs internally? Anyway, my question is, I currently have the stock 1zz which I might look to turbo, will still look to get a 2zz engine at some point as well. Is there anywhere I can get a basemap for both engines? When I had an E-Manage ultimate I simply selected the engine and sensors and the settings where there, although saying that the E-manage is a piggyback rather than standalone.

Don't really want a PFC due to the limitations on some of the tuning aspects so want to go with the AEM standalone instead - are base maps available online? I don't want to get to the point of purchasing the ECU with a 1zz basemap and then find when I upgrade its going to cost me £££s to get another basemap to get to a tuners.

[Essex2Visuvesi]

You'll need an adaptor harness for the AEM and as far I could find when I was researching aftermarket ECUs there are very few AEM base maps for our cars.  Also I could not find many people who have one fitted in order to get any information.
I went with the Apexi as it does what I need and there are lots of people with these fitted so base maps are easier to come by.  When paired to either the FC HAKO or Datalogit it can do pretty much anything the AEM can do

Where abouts were you finding limitations?

[m1tch]

Hmmm might go with the PFC then, seems to be supported more, it would seem that the AEM EM4 has a lot of very advanced mapping that can be done but it would seem that the PFC is more widely used as its simpler to setup and get sorted.

[Essex2Visuvesi]

If you run the PC softare FC Edit or Co-Pilot there's not much it cant do and with a wideband sensor connected you can also do auto tuning though co-pilot

[m1tch]

If you run the PC softare FC Edit or Co-Pilot there's not much it cant do and with a wideband sensor connected you can also do auto tuning though co-pilot

Perfect, will aim to get a PFC then, auto tuning would also be helpful to help adjust the map, still deciding if I'm going 2zz or not, if not will be going turbo 1zz.

[silversprint]

The PFC has no knock control. This could mean life or death for your engine, specially for a very fragile 2zz engine with a turbo. I have the PFC and had to add a J&S safegaurd at an additional cost for knock control. I wish I had the choice of the AEM EMs4 to start with.  The EMS4 is a much more capable unit with internal datalogging and knock control.

You can order an EMS4 with plug and play harness and base map from monkeywrenchracing.com.

Autotuning with copilot only works if you know what your are doing. It's not as easy as it sound. I spend hours with copilot. In the end I just took it to a pro tuner to clean it up.

[m1tch]

The PFC has no knock control. This could mean life or death for your engine, specially for a very fragile 2zz engine with a turbo. I have the PFC and had to add a J&S safegaurd at an additional cost for knock control. I wish I had the choice of the AEM EMs4 to start with.  The EMS4 is a much more capable unit with internal datalogging and knock control.

You can order an EMS4 with plug and play harness and base map from monkeywrenchracing.com.

Autotuning with copilot only works if you know what your are doing. It's not as easy as it sound. I spend hours with copilot. In the end I just took it to a pro tuner to clean it up.

Thanks for the advice, I guess the AEM is still on the table, won't need to upgrade the ECU for a while, I saw that monkeywrenchracing had a plug and play kit for both with a basemap for the AEM.

[MilesH]

AEM all day long in my opinion. I hated that the power FC had no knock sensor and I also struggled with tuners who knew it well.

[m1tch]

I am glad I am doing this research this far out - will compare the 2 ECUs, I guess it would be easier to get a basemap for the PFC but then again MWR says that the AEM will also come with a basemap for whatever engine, it would seem that the PFC is more user friendly in terms of tuning whereas the AEM is more powerful, advanced and more flexible - coupled with the knock control. The fact that the AEM has knock control might be the winner here as I will probably be looking at going turbo 1zz.

Will have a think about it, won't be for a while though - might be something else out on the market when I do get around to getting a ECU!

[shnazzle]

Are you mapping it yourself? If not, knock control may not be entirely necessary as the mapper should map using det cans and pull back a bit to allow for environmental/fuel differences.

If this is a diy effort, why not just stick to something simple at first like the emanage ultimate. It's not as good, but it's a hell of a lot easier to set up and map yourself with all the safeties in place.

[m1tch]

Are you mapping it yourself? If not, knock control may not be entirely necessary as the mapper should map using det cans and pull back a bit to allow for environmental/fuel differences.

If this is a diy effort, why not just stick to something simple at first like the emanage ultimate. It's not as good, but it's a hell of a lot easier to set up and map yourself with all the safeties in place.

Hmm will see, ideally it would be good to have both options to get it mapped by a tuner to get a safe basemap but then allow me to tweak the mapping if I changed injectors or added meth injection without needing to go back to a tuner.

The NA tuning won't really give much in terms of gains, its more towards the forced induction route where I would need to keep on top of the fueling etc.

[shnazzle]

There's some good base maps lying around for turbo on EMU. Leethesparky the running his high boost turbo on the EMU.
Just sayin.. Haha

You're right that standalone is better and you'd definitely need someone to tune it for you. If that's the goal then AEM might be better for you. Unless you have some extra knick control alongside the PFC

[m1tch]

There's some good base maps lying around for turbo on EMU. Leethesparky the running his high boost turbo on the EMU.
Just sayin.. Haha

You're right that standalone is better and you'd definitely need someone to tune it for you. If that's the goal then AEM might be better for you. Unless you have some extra knick control alongside the PFC

Will keep researching, have used the E-manage before, although there were limitations to the injector size it could accept - didn't like the 1680cc injectors so had to run with a setting for 850cc injectors and double the fueling etc.

Tempted with the AEM but I guess there are many turbo 1zz and 2zz cars out there using the PFC.

[shnazzle]

1680cc?!?!?!
Sweet jebus what kind of system are you trying to run???

[m1tch]

1680cc?!?!?!
Sweet jebus what kind of system are you trying to run???

It was on my RX7, the 1680 injectors were in the standard secondary rail, basically as stock the 13B FC3S has:

2 x 550cc in the primary rail (1 per rotor)
2 x 550cc in the secondary rail (1 per rotor)

At mid RPM the secondaries come in so most of the time you are running on the stock 550cc injectors, uprated the secondary rail to run 1680s, also had a manifold with an additional 4 x 550cc injectors making an 85% duty cycle injection flow of around 5 and a half litres a minute. Running the stock 550cc injectors mean you don't lose any drivability around town as it behaves as stock, only goes mental when you need the fuel. Unfortunatly sold the bridge ported race engine to a mate before fitting it, so never knew what power it would have made - was going to be running a TA45 turbo and an ORC 709 twin plate clutch to hold the power - probably would have run mid to high 600s I recon, its only a 1.3 litre after all.

[mikek]

I'm in conversation with motorsport electronics about a plug and play ecu for 2zz and 1zz engines. ME221. look them up on facebook or there own website and send them a message. The more interest we show the more likely we are to get a full standalone with maps for less than £700. They are also uk based and have a lifetime guarantee.

[1979scotte]

Link monsoon would get my money.
PFC does a job but is passed it I would go emange ultimate if money was an issue.

ECU master are worth a try too.

[m1tch]

Link monsoon would get my money.
PFC does a job but is passed it I would go emange ultimate if money was an issue.

ECU master are worth a try too.

Will check them out as well, I have heard good thinks about the Link ECUs, I also notice that there is an MR2 specific plug in ECU they make as well.

[mikek]

Link monsoon would get my money.
PFC does a job but is passed it I would go emange ultimate if money was an issue.

ECU master are worth a try too.

Will check them out as well, I have heard good thinks about the Link ECUs, I also notice that there is an MR2 specific plug in ECU they make as well.

Pretty sure that the plug in is not for our cars. It's for the mk2

[1979scotte]

There are no plug in ECU for the 1zz except the PFC.
Remember that if you buy a link you need to spend 200 odd quid for a loom.
Sometimes you need loom A and loom B

[Essex2Visuvesi]

There are several p&p harnesses available for the emanage blue and ultimate. Boomslang sell one as well as a chap on eBay  who makes them to order. Not cheap tho
MWR do one for the AEM I believe

[m1tch]

I am thinking of going standalone, I have a Dastek unichip arriving soon which is already premapped by Dastek for the stock 1ZZ in NA form, it should release some more power from the stock engine without spending much at the moment - a stopgap ECU upgrade.

MWR does plug and play setups for both PFC and AEM (eg the ECU and loom), tempted by the AEM as its got better resolution whereas the PFC is getting on a bit now - I think Apexi has discontinued a few of them already. The E-manage blue is a bit too basic but ok for NA tuning, I would only go with the Ultimate again if I wanted to go with a piggyback.

[m1tch]

Minor bump to this thread as I am still looking into options, currently have the PFC at home (but not plugged into the car), looking at other options for the standalone. I am now looking at either the Link G4+ Storm or the AEM EMS4, does anyone have experience of either? I am leaning towards the Link G4+ Storm (rather than the Monsoon) as it has knock control and seems to be better regarded than the AEM unit (for aftersales support and software etc).

[shnazzle]

Only person I know runs Link is Dick Sloan and his car has been running solid as a rock for years on a Gt28 turbo

[ChrisGB]

I run a link on the 2GR. It's a pretty flexible and widely supported bit of kit.