engine management

[Eric]

i'm confusing myself!

i've been researching engine management systems lately just to see what i'd need. if i buy that audi engine i'm currently looking into, i'd need to get an ecu too. even if i get an engine with the stock ecu, i'd still need something able to manage boost later on in the future. currently, i'm comparing vems and megasquirt, and i'm overwhelmed! i mean, which really is easier to work with? which has better sources of information behind it? bottom line, which is cheaper?

vems has pretty straightforward guides for setup, but god is it expensive. megasquirt's cheapness comes with the fact that i'd have to solder the board together (the assembled ones are pretty comparable to vems in price).

is there some other product i'm missing? i must be nuts even to be considering this stuff now.

 

[Ron Earp]

Megasquirt.

After dealing with the TR8 and the Haltech ECU, problems, and non-existant tech support in the US I learned a bit about Megasquirt. What I learned was that while it might not be the fanciest one out there it can do the job. The user support forums are fantastic and there is probably someone within 10 miles of you that can help you. To top it off, there probably isn't a popular engine that hasn't been megasquirted.

I think you'd be ahead of the game with an assembled/tested Megasquirt.

 

[Jack Houpe]

I like electromotive, been using it for 15 years, it on my LP400s, 208 twin turbo Ferrari, R5 turbo2 and the GT40, its costly but it all in one package, fuel, ignition, and has general purpose outputs to control boost, fans, or anything else that you need. It is also can be closed loop so if you want the computer to monitor the engine and adjust on the fly it will.

 

[Eric]

exactly how expensive is the electromotive ecu?


i'm starting to lean towards megasquirt for the price, and i know a few saab people who use it. they should be able to help with setting up for distributor ignition (considering the audi abh has two distributors) and boost control. i'll read up some more.

 

[Jack Houpe]

Eric its pretty costly (electromotive), Megasquirt is much less in cost but if you start adding on all the extras the price increases a lot. I have not bought a new unit in quite some time but I think the new Tec3R unit is about $2400 USD. But its does everything.

 

[Eric]

i'm beginning to notice the little bits and components megasquirt requires. it looks like i'd either have to do some soldering (oh yippie) or get a daughtercard in order to have knock sensing and boost control, which, as far as i can tell, vems has onboard. i don't even know how megasquirt can drive the dual distributor setup on the abh engine (dual coil, i'm assuming, but have no idea). the good thing is i'm only researching right now.

 

[glen]

don't overlook emerald. they have the best customer support i've experienced in a long time, if you can make a loom, it's the way to go!!

 

[Eddie]

Eric,
Have a look at..motorgeek.com..view topic..Audi v8 to Lotus Esprit..the guy Hilly used the origonal Audi ECU & modified it to suit..he will build an ECU for anyone doing this conversion..I have Megasquirt 2 with MS Extra code it will do knock sencing & anything else you want.
Cheers Eddie.

 

[Eric]

hehe i have hilly's thread with the esprit bookmarked. that's where i originally discovered the vems ecu. the nice thing is they now have one with a motronic connector designed to work with the audi harness based off of (i'm guessing) hilly's adapter. the only problem is it's obscenely expensive.



i was looking around on ebay last night and found a super cheap megasquirt unit that needs some diagnosis done for output problems. i'll keep an eye on the auction, but it's currently cheap enough to be worth the potential problems it has.

i honestly still have no idea exactly what i'll do. anyone got access to literature regarding the audi v8 engines? knowing a lot more about the stock wiring and ecu may help.

 

[BruceA]

I'll put a punt in for New Zealand. Have a look at at this site
Link Engine Management Systems - plug-in & wire-in aftermarket ECU's

This is a NZ made system - they have been doing ECU's for years and many people have had great results. And the exchange rate would look even better.

 

[Jack Houpe]

Wow Bruce, that is great looking package, I like the built in MAP sensor and the analog inputs. This broadens the spectrum of control. The big question is how much is it in USD? I clicked the order button and it just asks for email address and phone number without any prices. Has all the features of electromotive plus you can use a USB plug to program it, electromotive still uses the obsolete 9 pin com port.

 

[Tim Kay]

I've been thoroughly satisfied with 'AEM' management system. I had issues at first I thought were due to the ecu but turned out to be throttle body related. I knew next to nothing about electronic mapping and adjusting the system but the ease of the program and fairly user friendly 'help' program has taught me a lot, oh and someone who did this stuff for a living set it up initially :lipsrsealed:

Curious why no one here has mentioned MoTec....ease of use?, cost? what is it?

 

[Ron Earp]

Curious why no one here has mentioned MoTec....ease of use?, cost? what is it?

I'd reckon cost, bang for the buck, oh, and cost.

MS has lots a of features, including everything I've seen cited here, and uses cheap GM sensors to get the job done (or it can learn your existing sensors). Nothing's hidden, nothing has to be activated as with Motec, and with the open source community anything is possible.

 

[Ivan]

there is always megasquirt (self assembly engine management)

http://www.302w.com/Windsor_MegaSquirt_Introduction.aspx (dont know how goos this is/isnt yet)

 

[Eric]

i have been looking at it. still need to see a successful use of it with an audi v8 (though i think i understand how the abz coils would operate). it'd require me brushing up on my soldering skills.:book:

 

[BruceA]

The big question is how much is it in USD? I clicked the order button and it just asks for email address and phone number without any prices. Has all the features of electromotive plus you can use a USB plug to program it, electromotive still uses the obsolete 9 pin com port.

Jack - I just had a look on our NZ version of Ebay, called TradeMe, and resellers/distributors of the product are offering the product at around $1850 NZD which equates to somewhere around $1000USD. I know you can buy direct from the manufacturer but dont know why they dont have a pricing guide on their website.
Yes, it sure does look like a good machine, what with data logging available now and all those input/outputs ......