Standalone ECU - Where in the timeline does it come

[Sharpie]

It's been a few years since I have seen this one discussed so, thought I'd see what current thinking is on this marmite question:

 

AFAIK the old school of thinking (of some people) was to have a standalone ECU fitted once you get to BPU, before you make any internal changes (cams etc..) so you got the most out of any further mods you applied and setting you up for the future.

 

1, Does anyone still subscribe to this thinking ?

2, Do people still think the cost is prohibitive (all the extra visits to the mappers)

3, Cost v VFM - Open question and dependent on your opinion

4, Some people have extra down time during a single upgrade to have one fitted or a few weeks/months later, post single install, so the car is off the road for longer.

5, Can standalone ECU's manage to keep the car running 'like stock' (ish) on the twins OK during the transistion period to a single ? (Could be months or upto 1 yr)

 

I know there is the cost element but, I kind of like the idea that the ECU is in and working 100% before I start on a single - breaking up the down time. This means once the single is installed, and the ECU re-mapped, you can use it as you wish rather than running low boost for X time.

[Sharpie]

#4 is not a question really - I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I like to add one thing at a time and make sure it's working OK then move onto the next item.

 

Add lots of things and have faults....where do you start

[Tricky-Ricky]

My way of thinking is that you can add a piggyback or stand alone as soon as you think its necessary to change fueling, bigger injectors ect, due to fitting bigger turbos or upping boost, PFC for instance is not that expensive, but remapping can become so, as it needs to be done at every major change,

i personally don't have to much problem as i am capable of mapping my own, i'm sure there are others here who have the equipment and are also able to do this?

[Lucifer]

It's a difficult question - and a good one.

 

I know on my first Supra - oooh 8 years ago now, I opted for a fuel controller got to 400 bhp and wished I had gone ECU.

 

I would reccomend and ECU for the following.

 

1. Reliability and longlevity

2. Controllability, like you say, when you want it.

3. High power application in excess of 400 bhp.

 

Stand alone has as many up and it does downs as do Piggy backs.

 

Im doing the e-Manage ulimate packages by the dozen at the moment, so I guess your on teh right track. - my 2c

 

PS just to pick up on stock twins. My aem was mapped perfectly for this by my tuner, took him a while but it was even better than the stock map with a boost controller, very progressive and predictable.

[Guest Terry S]

Pete the real question is what you require from the car mate.

 

I can honestly say my car is the only Supra with a standalone in that I have tried, that drives as well as the stock car. I am sure that will upset a few people, but there you go. Now I am not saying it cant be done, just that there is a lot of mapping time to get there. I am sure there are others, and I look forward to the opportunity of trying them.

 

What you have always had in the past with Stand alones is flexibility. That is still true, but to a lesser extent now as the emanage ultimate features lots of the plus points previously associated with stand alones. Getting those features to work is a different mater, but I believe Ian C is a long way there, things like raising the rev limit etc.

 

A good stand alone will be future proof. This can not be said for piggybacks as they generally will only cope with a "certain" size of injector. For most people that certain size is ample.

 

So we are back to the original question, what do you want from the car longterm mate.

[Chris Wilson]

To be cost effective you need to decide on the end spec and go there straight away, with the ecu only needing mapping the once, UNLESS you can map it yourself (99.9% of owners can't, even if they think they can, it's a very acquired art, I won't map my own engines if they are particularly valuable, or turbo'd, it isn't cost effective for me to *iss about when a true expert can do it better, more safely, and faster. I also think any high power turbo engine MUST be mapped on an engine dyno, and then drivability and cold start issues addressed on a decent bolt on the hubs rolling road, or in real time, on the road particularly for acceleration enrichment. Most people will jib at the cost, and understandably, but mapping a 700 BHP engine on the road is, in my opinion, a total joke and none starter.

[JohnA]

...AFAIK the old school of thinking (of some people) was to have a standalone ECU fitted once you get to BPU...

I would say the contrary is true ---> best is to stick to the stock ECU until you have made such changes to the volumetric efficiency that it is outside its design parameters and cannot adjust properly any more.

 

What is typically seen as 'BPU' is well within those limits, even for JSpecs

 

From what little I've seen the stock ECU is very quick respond to detonation and has maps that are pretty extensible either way. I would be in no rush to ditch it, certainly while the stock twins are on board.

[Ian C]

I also think any high power turbo engine MUST be mapped on an engine dyno, and then drivability and cold start issues addressed on a decent bolt on the hubs rolling road, or in real time, on the road particularly for acceleration enrichment. Most people will jib at the cost, and understandably, but mapping a 700 BHP engine on the road is, in my opinion, a total joke and none starter.

 

I'd agree with a blank ECU but with a piggy back you've got the stock map doing all the fiddly bits and if you work your way carefully up the boost levels it can be done The bonus being if you've gone for larger injectors it's only ever going to err on overfuelling when the duty cycle goes up for acceleration pump or cold start so no sudden and expensive death. But I know we'll never see this the same way, this year I promise I'll visit in the summer and let you have a go in my car

 

-Ian

[Sharpie]

Thanks for all the input

 

I guess I have to make my mind up really

[Chris Wilson]

Thanks for all the input

 

I guess I have to make my mind up really

 

No, just do as you're told