SpAm@FC

iTrader: (4)

Hi guys...

For the beginning i don't want to go fully standalone (have a haltech P2000 laying around, but don't want to deal with sequential actuation) and keep me sequential twins working...

What's now the best/cheapest way to drive an fd3s with the comon boltons? (full exhaust without cat, vmount, intakes, pump, injectors (if needed), 100octane fuel available) I'm thinking about getting a powerFC for the time i can't afford a full EFR build, but maybe a chipped ecu will just do the job?

The P2000+dashunit will jump in the car anyways, but only for monitoring purposes (so I don't have to buy gauges)

I have a MINES ecu flying around, but i don't really what this thing is mapped for...

any help would be nice!

Thanks in advance
Patrick

limepro

iTrader: (2)

I have the Pettit unlimited and love it, huge difference from stock. I got it because I have complete exhaust w/o cat and intake and was worried about boost spikes. I am sure I will eventually go to the PFC, but not for awhile, I am enjoying it the way it is now.

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

Chipped ECU will work great for most any bolt-on you want to do with the twins. The only drawback is you still have many of the faults of the stock ECU - the 3000 RPM hesitation, running rough if you remove the airpump, etc.

But, it's an inexpensive and safe route to go.

You can always get a chipped ECU to start with then get a PowerFC down the road.

Dael

adam c

iTrader: (2)

I had an M2 stage 3 chipped ECU for about seven years. It worked very nicely, but ran a little rich at high rpm. I guess thats better than running lean . Its now on a shelf in the garage. Make me a decent offer, and its yours.

Rxmfn7

iTrader: (4)

Just to chime in as well, when I first bought my FD I went with a Pettit unlimited ECU. Was running a full 3" exhaust with a highflow cat, M2 airbox, and upgraded FMIC. At 12-13psi the car ran great, and trapped ~114mph.

RotoryDreamer

IMO if yor gona spend money might as well spend enuff that you won't be replacing the part down the road. Spend a few hundred on a chip and have to replace it with a stand alone down the road. I'd much rather just spend the money on the stand alone and never have to worry about it again but that's just me.

phrost

iTrader: (14)

my power fc ran my stock seq. twin turbos with exhaust and intake bolt on's just fine... dunno anything about chipped or stock ecu's tho, my car came with the power fc when i bought it in 2003

SpAm@FC

iTrader: (4)

Hi guys,

thanks for your input.

Can anyone verify that a M2 Stage3 ECU will fit into my 1992 J-spec RHD FD3S?
Maybe someone can give a hint what's the usual price for a used M2 stage3 ECU is nowadays?
Is it safe to run the m2stage3 ECU with european gas? I'm using 100octane ROZ fuel, thats compareable to 88octane MOZ fuel.

Thanks in advance
Patrick

limepro

iTrader: (2)

M2 and pettit ecu are pretty much the same, don't know if they will work in RHD but they go for around $250 at least the pettit does not sure the M2.

yourmom23

iTrader: (4)

If you dont have an air pump i would not buy a chipped ecu cuz it will idle like crap and drive you crazy.

ttmott

iTrader: (1)

I also have a M2 Stage 3 on the shelf but don't think it or the Pettit will be compatable with a non-EGR engine which I believe your's is.....
BTW "92 JSpec FD3S"??? I thought 93 was the first....

yourmom23

iTrader: (4)

It does work i have a jdm engine and it has no egr. Your check engine light will just stay on.

SpAm@FC

iTrader: (4)

@yourmom

I'm currently driving without the airpump, it's not that bad... the car will be mainly used for track days/spirited street driving (don't want to take the "touge"- word, but we've the alps, so there is alot of space for having alot of fun )

@ttmot

Thanks for the input, that's exactly what I've wanted to hear!
I think it will be possible to use some type of resistor for fooling the ECU that there is an EGR attached and to not get a CEL...

Yes, it's a 1992 J-spec... the first FD's were produced in 10/1991, mine is a 1992 R2

@Topic

are there difference in the ECU-pinout between JDM and USDM engines except the EGR? If not, I don't see why it would not work

Natey

iTrader: (19)

I think you mean R1.
I also had a Pettit Unlimited ECU on my car for a few years. The car ran fine (rich, and fine) with DP, intake, exhaust, hi-flow cat, and Pettit turbos. The car seriously came alive when I installed the Power FC, though.
Yes a chipped ECU like the M2, Pettit, RE-A, etc. will work, but spend a lil extra for the PFC and even with the base map from the factory, your FD will run so much more smoothly, get better mileage, and not clog up your cat from running too richly.
I cant believe I waited for 5 years before buying a PFC.

SpAm@FC

iTrader: (4)

of course i've meant R1, sorry for the misstypo

I have a Haltech P2000+dashunit in the car, but now only for monitoring purposes...
The idea is to run a chipped ECU now to get the baby rolling as fast as possible and then build a P&P harness for the P2000 while remaining the full function of the sequential twins! (Banzai Harness, Sensors, Solenoids, Relais, Plugs, Pins etc. already ordered and on their way)
Therefore i want to have a cheap chipped ecu for troubleshooting and as a backup system!
Also i want to have the ECU for smog-testing!

So there are several reasons (for me) to invest the 200-300$ into a chipped ecu... this doesn't really hurt compared to the price of my haltech-pakage

ttmott

iTrader: (1)

If I remember correctly the Jspec engines did not have EGR, Split Air or AWS; these are all US emissions stuff. For EGR there is a switch (on Calif. cars only) and solenoid; Split Air and AWS are solenoids.

I don't think any one of these will set a limp home mode or change the fuel / spark maps if malfunction is indicated. Need someone else to weigh in and validate this however.

The ECU pinouts are:
3J - EGR switch
4F - split air bypass solenoid
4O - EGR solenoid
4P - AWS solenoid

arghx

iTrader: (3)

The OP has presented good reasons to have access to a stock/chipped ECU. I think he should pick one up.

If you can find an Knightsports ECU I bet that would work without having to deal with the fault code. You might be able to wire in resistors or cross a few wires to make it go away. Using a Banzai Racing patch/extension harness will give that flexibility because you won't have to go cutting up OEM wires.

Also, for the PS2000 you will have to figure out how you want to implement the sequential twins. I can help you out with that. It sounds like you want a plug-and-play solution for that so you would need a lot of outputs. You will need 5 outputs just for the sequential solenoids and boost control system. Then you have the fan output and A/C at a minimum.

Speed of light

iTrader: (8)

I Agree with the foregoing. Additionally, resistors in place of the removed solenoids will, in fact, prevent error codes; 1k, 1/2w resistors will work nicely. I have done this.

An alternative to a chipped ECU would be the PMS purple box, which would work for your app and give you some tuning latitude. And they can be found for dirt cheap.

James Paventi

iTrader: (34)

So I had the "Purple Box" on my last FD.

It's great from the standpoint that it only modifies what the factory ECU does. That is, you'll have the factory ECU's map to start with. Think of it as a halfway point between the factory ECU and a standalone ECU.

I really regretted going with this ECU though. The factory ECU problems that have already been mentioned will remain. Also, it never seemed to learn my boost correctly.

I'm not quite through the list of standard maintenance items on my new FD. Once I am though I, will be headed straight for a PFC. Compared to when I had my first FD there is a wealth of information on these units.

SpAm@FC

iTrader: (4)

@ttmott

Thanks for the information!

@arghx

Thank you for your offer, i will deinitly keep that in mind!
That's exactly the reason why I've bought the banzai harness.
I've already read about the sequential twins+standalone in the standalone-section and found some good wiring-diagrams with activation points. I've also made some drawings/concepts myself and I'm looking forward to achieve a full plug&play harness for the P2000.

I want to stay away from japanese chipped ECU's because of the fact that they are running a very aggresive timing for our european gasoline! A M2stage3 or PFS chip would be the beest I think.

I'm just woried that there are any diferences between the wiring harness itself so that a USDM ecu will not work in a JDM car (not talking about the missing emission stuff, I don't really give a sh*t about a CEL )

@SpeedofLight and James Paventi

Thanks for your input. I definitly want to have a pure chipped ecu and no piggyback solutions! reasons for this -> one item less to troubleshoot if something isn't working as expected

arghx

iTrader: (3)

I'm not so sure about that. You said you are running 100 RON? That's better than we get here in the US. Most of our best pump gas is 98RON equivalent (93 AKI fuel). Does any country in the world have widely available pump gas better than 100 RON?

This is a bit of hearsay, but I recall hwnd, one of our moderators here, saying that he looked at the timing maps inside the chipped ECU's and most of them are exactly the same. He has disassembled the ECU and peaked inside the maps. I do not recall the exact thread he was saying this, but you can PM him. What he was trying to say is that these "chipped ECU" pretty much just copied each other.

neit_jnf

iTrader: (17)

when I ran the M2 ECU with M2 Large IC, downpipe and catback (retaining the stock cat and seq turbos) and a boost controller at 13psi I dynoed 315whp 246wtq on a Dynapack.

Car ran great, idled smoothly and ran 12.8 @ 110 at the 1320.

Only issue is that it had the 3000 rpm hesitation.