Herblenny

iTrader: (13)

Hi,

I have a question about this piggy back unit..

I was wondering what are some Positive and negative things about this unit vs. Power PC...

I see that Most have Power FC vs. This PFS unit called Purple box or PMS..

Please give me some input as why you hate this unit.. Or why you like this unit.

I have seen many purple boxes on sale.. Here on the forum, ebay, partstrader.com.

thank you for your time!

Johnny

I have used both ! like them both..

Datalogging...advantage was EFI box...now it equal with the up and coming Datalogit for the PFC

Drivablity.. advantage PFC.. I always had the dreaded 3k hes...no matter what I did..grounding straps, etc etc.. The PFC solved that and it much smoother at all rpms

Knowledge : advantage EFI...They are alot...alot more people that have a deep knowledge about the purple box... The PFC is still "new" and without the special tuning software..we are really limited at what we can access in the box.

Boost Control : advantage EFI box...both unit are not great at control boost, but atleast you have a 3-way boost switch with the EFI...with the PFC you have to have the commander and go to a couple menus to switch the boost. Rumor has it the same datalogit people are working on a switch.

Ease of use : I call even...The PFC is tougher to change cells because they are so many of them...but I like the fact that the commander can give you so much user info about vitals of the car..I also like the fact that is replaces the ECU...I dont need more stuff cluttering the cockpit


The EFI box is a good ECU..especially now since it can be had for $400 bucks or so.. I sold mine over a year ago for that amount. I have very happy with my PFC now and my datalogit is on order.

Wade

iTrader: (1)

I pretty much agree with Johnny. I will add a few things.

The EFI PMS:

Because the PMS uses the stock ECU, if you have problems with the stock ECU the PMS can't fix them. For example, if you have the 3k hesitation or some other drivability problem, the PMS isn't going to help. On the other hand, if your car runs fine with the stock ECU and you want the ability to datalog and fine tune, the PMS will work for you.

The ability to have 3 programs and boost settings that can be changed while driving by flipping a switch is a nice feature.

If you will be running 400+ rwhp in the near future, you will have difficulty doing it with the PMS because of it's lack of larger injector support. There are ways to use larger injectors with the PMS, but it isn't nearly as easy as with the Power FC. Along the same lines, there is no way to use a 3 bar map sensor with the PMS.

The PMS has some Windows software that I think is fantastic. I use it all the time. The Datalogit Power FC guys are making this less of a PMS-only advantage though with the software they are making available for the Power FC.

There are some cars that apparently have some sort of incompatibility with the PMS and they either won't rev up past a certain RPM, or they exhibit fuel cut when boosting.

The creator of the PMS lives here in the US and is easy to get ahold of. He can answer questions about the unit and make repairs if necessary. I think the support for the Power FC is practically non-existent.


The Apex Power FC:

Because it is a standalone, any problems you have with your stock ECU will be long gone.

Entering data into the cells seems tedious to me.

The Power FC has easy support for larger injectors. Also I think it is relatively easy to use a different MAP sensor, though I haven't personally tried it.

Although it looks cool, the little line graphs on the Commander display seem useless to me. Again, the Datalogit guys are selling software now that might make the Power FC much nicer in the datalogging department.

The Power FC loses the stock knock sensor control and has no knock features.

There are bugs with some Power FC units and air conditioning control on some cars.

Wade

Herblenny

iTrader: (13)

Thankyou Guys,

I greatly appreciate your input on these!!
I actually purchased a used unit and now I'm debating on installing it or not.
I'm not looking to go pass 350HPs.. As of now, I am in progress of doing following..

I have on order or have, ATR down, PFS intake, Apexi Dual N1 cat back, Koyo Radiator, Aluminum AST, ATR mid.. but not going to use at this point.. And looking for SMIC PFS intercooler.

So, Do you think I will get reliable performance thru this PMS?? Or should I just go programmed ECU with these mods thru Pettit or M2??

I am afraid at this point about blowing my engine or other harmful things..

Once again, Any input would be appreciated!

the_saint

I am running a purple computer with no problems.

Still have the 3k hesistation but much less since grounding the engine.


Car runs very smooth and strong. No numbers but there is going to be a dyno in the city this spring. Will report back with numbers later.


the_saint