Unseen24-7

I have a 6 port turbo that is currently running off an afc neo with 550's and stock timing. I would like to go full standalone eventually and I'm trying to decide which way to go.

I'm currently leaning towards Haltech but im not sure which version. I've looked at the e6x and the e8 and they both seem to do what I need but the e6x is cheaper. Can someone point out the major differences betweeen the 2, or which one would be better suited to run a 6 port turbo.

Thanks

TitaniumTT

I wouldn't run a haltech on a rotary. To high of a chance of ignition problems. A few degrees miss in ignition is the differance between a great running engine and a few new paperweights/doorstops.

Personally, I run a Motec. I would suggest you stick between a Motec and a PFC. Interesting reading found here
http://forum.teamfc3s.org/showthread.php?t=63274

If you're not going to be doing the tuning yourself, than buy whatever your "tuner" suggests you buy.

Unseen24-7

First off its an s4 so the PowerFC is out right off the bat. Bummer.

Secondly...I thought Haltech was great, there seem to be a lot of guys here running them, presumably with no/few problems.

Though now that you mention it, there is a guy here in Winnipeg with a 20B FD and I believe he was running a Haltech (or some other ECU from down under), and he blew his motor due to a fault in the ECU and he had to send it back to aus to get warrenty...at least thats the story I heard.

Thirdly, I'm surprised that you wouldn't recommend Microtech either (this was my second choice).

I should mention that i won't be pushing tons of power (yet), probly in the ballpark of 220 +/-.

I would also like something plug-and-play (if possible), if i can avoid rewiring my entire engine bay that would be great but if not, well thats just how it goes. Which is why the e8 sounded very appealing as Mazdatrix sells a harness adapter for the e8 so you can just plug it into your stock harness and resuse all your stock sensors etc.

JustJeff

iTrader: (13)

Keeping an eye on this thread, as I've got a TII swapped into my vert, after Xmas I need to start thinking about engine management, educating myself is the first step...

Thanks for the good read TT

Unseen, I picked up a really good book on engine management that I started reading. I think it was from Motorbook Workshop and titled Engine Management Systems. I got it from Barnes & Nobles and have seen it at Borders also. If you go to either store's automotive section you should find many different titles from the same publisher. Unfortunately I promptly lost the book after buying it. If no one gets it for me for Xmas I'll be buying another copy.

Unseen24-7

"How to tune and modify Engine Management Systems"?
I've had that book for about a year now, haven't quite finished it yet though, im not a real avid reader. I bought mine at Chapters.

TitaniumTT

There are adapter harnesses out there that allow you to use a PFC in an FC. Check out Banzi racing. PFC was my first choice for a few reasons but in the end it just didn't have the capabilities that I wanted.

You don't need to be pushing a ton of power to pop a motor. I was having a convesation with my EMS guru who is both a Motec and a Haltech dealer. A few points of concern.

1) He has never had a problem with ignition pickup on a Haltech. However, he also builds harnesses for a living. Check out my thread in the Motec section for a metric shitton of pics. I would consider that to be more than slightly better than most of the harnesses built by people who install ECU's themselves.

2) He suggested to me that the ECU is nothing more than a box that does what we tell it to do. Meaning that the person tuning the motor has more control than the box. A few exceptions - the "faulty" ignition pickups which no one can say with certianty whether it's the ECU, the software, or the wiring. My guess is that it's a combination of a bunch of cripe. So, DL both softwares and start horsing around, stay with which ever you're most comfortable with. Frankly, the Motec Version 3 software is just absolutely ridiculous. I spent a good 2 hours, today, on the phone with an incredibly knowledgeable and helpful person going through the software and setting stuff up. It's lightyears ahead of the Haltech stuff that I saw a while ago.

3) He popped a 13B with a distributor at cranking speeds because the ignition was advanced ever so slightly too much. Again, you don't need to be a WOT moving enough air/fuel for 500RWHP to pop a rotary. They are great when run withen thier limits but once you go outside of them is where you run into problems.

4) Regarding Microtech. I called them directly when I was looking as was completely turned off by them right off the bat. Regardless if thier product could do what I wanted, I wasn't going to buy it. A very good friend of mine had a Microtech on his S5 turbo swapped car that he could never even get to start. Regardless of all the help from the forum and Microtech themselves, it never ran. He went out and bought an Rtek, pluged it in the thing fired right the hell off. When discussing Microtech with my guru, he laughed and said something along the lines of, "well, I guess you could fill it with concrete and use it as a doorstop. That's about the only thing I would do with a Microtech. I also wasn't impressed with Haltechs servce or support either, especially their NA operations a few years ago. I had a few specific questions that they couldn't answer and it took an $85 phone call to downunder to talk to their head design guy only to figure out that it wouldn't work anyway. Motec's service is second to none. I can't say enough good things about that company and it's employees. If you're looking for a true standalone, look into the Motec M2R. It's older and specific to the rotary so it is slightly limited, but the company alone is fantastic. Personally I'm running an M820. The M2R is on par price wise with the higher end Haltechs.

But, if you're looking for a true plug and play, you're really limited to the Rtek