Well, there you go, ive completed the AEM training seminar, and i must say, the AEM is such a robust and completely loaded system with all the corrections, options, setup features that you could ever want from an EMS. Its definately a wonderful product. It does so much its ridiculous. It was a fun 2 days, and we basically covered the whole software and most of its features, and some hardware features as well. Also, this weekend i completed the EFI101 class too and i would recomend the basic module to anyone with an EMS system installed in their car so they can be more aware of the capabilities and become better familiar with the tuning process.

Anyway, i will now be able to hopefully work more closely with it and am in the process of becoming an AEM dealer as well. I will no more next week, and will be offering them soon too.

PS. The AEM can work on the FC. It just requires a little software and wiring tweaking.

Later,

 

Sweet, congrats

 

I am REALLY glad to see more AEM supporters. The AEM EMS is very nice system. I have used a lot of the standalones, and I tune them daily: AEM, Haltech, Autronic, Microtech, PowerFC, Wolf 3D, Hondata, Motec.
AEM and Motec are the best IMO.

So what did they teach you at the EFI class? How to push the timing to and past MBT point?

 

 

MBT?

The class is centered around the use, navegation and features of the software and what the AEM is capable of. Mitch is a pretty cool guy and the AEM does A LOT! its almost scary. Im hopping to move a few AEMs so i can get some more hands on experience.

They also ask you a few questions on general automotive/EFI tuning knowleadge to make sure if and when you ask to have official tuner/dealer status.

 

Claudio!

You were in my EFI101 class in Redmond @ Dyno Authority. Good to hear from you.

I was wondering how the classes compared to each other and if AEM covered using mass aiflow tuning, which is something that EFI 101 didn't cover.

Are you planning on taking EFIU's Advanced class?

I'm also looking into the Innovate Motorsports seminar.

Thanks for the info!

Edit* i think he's referring to MBT as Minimum Best Torque.

EFI101 teaches you to tune ignition timing to minimum best torque. Are you trying to tune ignition split, or go past MBT for turbo spooling?

 

No, they do not talk about MAF tuning. AEM is centered around the map sensor setup, like most other standalones. Also, we prefer to do our tables in boost comp mode

 

Does the AEM EMS have the ability to tune TPS vs RPM instead of MAP vs RPM. I have curious since I have tuned in both styles and have never tuned with AEM. I would like to learn more about this product for the FD.

 

Actually the AEM class didnt dwell into any specific load sensor, they just told us how to set each one up and the use of the software and all its options. The test mule car was a mitsubishi eclipse from early 90's and that was karman vortex, they just talk about "load sensor".

Dougiepants,

The AEM has a nifty little feature where you can simulate the load caracteristics of the map/maf sensor through the TPS input and make a sort of blend out of it. Pretty cool.

As a matter of fact i am thinking about taking the advanced class, i actually have a job offer in the US to work a performance shop so good things are coming in 2006. I will anounce it when i have more info on this later.

 

this is interesting. Seems they are going after Electromotive. I had the Tec3 on my old Civic. I would be interested to see what this EMS has to offer

 

Trust me, the AEM EMS has A TON! of features, the idle control parameters alone would take up a day of teaching/getting familiar with them. Its so loaded that you can actually configure independantly each individual output to do what ever you like, and its got a ton of them, 10 fuel channels, 5 ignition channels, and what ever you dont use you can set up for something else. You can even tell it to activate something when what ever parameter is met, that is how versatile it is, just to name a thing or two.

 

Agreed! a ton of features, nearly as good as motec, but with 50 times easier software and a third of the price, i dont understand why more people are using this EMS.

I also use many different brands of EMS primarily PFC, Autronic, AEM, GEMS. And the AEM is by far the best. Although for pure 'plug and play' for mild tuning, the PFC does come out on top...just

I'll be firing my rex up on the AEM in a few weeks (still looking for a secondary fuel rail for the 1600's!) so looking forward to having a play!

 

Well, the main reason for it not being as popular as it should is due in a very small part so some reliability issues that pop up here and there on a few systems. I was just down in Chile for an installation/tuning trip and i had brought 1 AEM among 5 other Haltechs, and the AEM gave me problems, it had to be sent up to California for repairs, and i wasnt able to tune it properly due to time limitations, i still have it with me, trying to find a car for it, so i can send it back down to Chile for the owner.

And not to mention that the AEM is NOT for the novice tuner, you do need professional training to be able to know the system inside and out, with a Haltech for example, you can literally read the manual ask a few questions and you might be able to get the car started and tuned half decent, not the case with the AEM.

And still the Haltech is still the best bang for the buck when it comes to EMS.

 

Hello friend...

I myself took both of Ben's classes and will be taking the certification test this week. I highly recomend the learning experience to anyone.

Great choice
Chris Macellaro

 

'Boost compensation.'

I have not tried boostcomp with a staged injection setup as of yet. It works pretty good in a normal single stage injection. It cuts tuning into a 3rd of the time especialy if you're using a load dyno the only way to get a proper tune in my opinion.!
The main draw back to the AEM ecu would be the inj. drivers but they have solved that problem with the external driver box.

 

The last boost comp I did was a Civic, SOHC D16 engine. It took me about 10 minutes to nail boost comp the fuel map for a a flat 11.2 line. The throttle injection correction was setup in a matter of 5 seconds. Then the timing map took about 30 minutes ( road race car, we had to make sure it is extremely safe)
That was all done on a dynojet.
Then we went on the highway to make sure the cruise was fine. In boost comp mode, the car was cruising in 4th and 5th gear at -2psi or 0psi at 15.5 - 16 afr. We did a couple of full runs, and the datalogs are perfect 11.2 afr, consistently, no matter what the air temp ( air temp table set ). So the car was done in 2 hours. Including the time we spend in traffic, getting drinks etc.
On the Hondata, the car made 208whp at 10psi. On the AEM, it did 245 at 10psi, and 298 at 15psi.
The customer called me later that day to tell me the car was unbelieveable. And he had not tried the 15psi yet:-)

 

Sweet.!

Yeh it's too easy that way. Taking the fun out of it. I was doing a Supra a couple of days ago and fellow tuner friend of mines was setting next to me while I was messing with the Boost comp map and when I was done the car was about 95% done and he said to me that was cheating.

Imagine if the old Hondata setup had boost comp. Cut chip burning time for sure

I'm going to try the boost comp on a Haltech now.
It's a little different but I'll see how it works. It's based off Tps for vacum and Map for boost. It was done mainly for large cam, individual TB setups like the RB-26 skyline.

 

Wao, to quote Cris "sweet!" it looks like you guys are having more fun than me with the AEM. Man, i need to get into the AEMs more so i can too work their majic.

 

Dude, AEM is the best, along with Motec!
I have tuned 100s of them, and no issues with the boxes, except one ( brand new Supra board was burned, of course we got a new box in 2-3 days for free next day shipping). Every other problem has been coming from teh car - wrx with low impediance injector burned the AEM, Eclipse owner installed the O2 and burned AEM, Supra CAS wire coming loose in factory harness so the car would die, evo had a broken cam sensor, so ran on stock ecu, but not on aem, etc etc...
The only ecu I have not played with is the HKS Vpro:-)

 

AEM has closed the gap of not needing a high end ecu. You can't beat the price for what you get. Now some of the higher end ecu's have taken it further with more advanced features like Can/Bus and fly-by-wire etc. but give AEM a chance and they will catch up. It's also a very new ecu and still in it's infant stage in terms of getting everything perfect but that's mainly due to the approach that AEM took which was to base all the ecu's on plug & play. That takes a lot of devolopment and time to get it right. It's also an on going test and experiment to keep up with new releases. They are certainly the leader with PnP ECU's and all the other manufacturers are jumping in on the band wagon.
The advanced level the ecu is at though do require some type of training to make use of all it's features. For example I've always complained to myself about the lack of resolution in the main fuel map especialy when using large injectors and trying to acheieved a perfect or near perfect a/f at idle but that was all changed when I discoverd 'MicroSec/bit' in the options menu! Every AEM ecu tuner will know what I'm speaking about.
I also wished they should include the peak and hold drivers in every box as standard. I hope the AEM gods are watching.
Give them time and they will be no 1 in every department ECU wise.
I just need to try one on a RX-7 application.