Greetings,

I'm going to be needing a programmable ECU in the semi-near future, and I've been watching the new AEM. For a unit that has so much potential, it sure doesn't seem to be generating much interest here. Why is that? Is everyone sitting back to let someone else go first?

My current choices are the AEM, or the PFC w/Datalogit. The AEM seems more capable, though it doesn't have much for base maps now. The PFC seems like the "old technology" choice, but it's hard to argue with something that works, and has such a loyal following.

The safest choice for a noob tuner like me, is clearly the PFC w/datalogit, but I just can't help but think the AEM has a chance to be a superior product. What do you guys really think, is the AEM worth waiting for (base maps I mean), or should I just play it safe, and go for the tried and true PFC?

Thanks for your comments,
Rusty

 

One well known tuner, that I know says that its a very powerfull unit. The downside is that there's a ton of different maps to deal with. He says that he has 10hrs of dyno time on a Supra with the aem unit, and its still not finished. Could you imagine paying someone $100+ and hr, for 10+hrs, and still not have your car tuned right? Anouther shop said that they thought it would just become a "race only" unit, and to stick with the p-fc. So I decided that I'd go with the p-fc. So far, I'm very happy with it. Later, CJ

 

Thanks for the comments CJ. This is exactly the type of feedback I'm looking for.

Cheers,
Rusty

 

The first comment was from Ralph at Excessive, and the second was from...can't remeber his name, but works at Rx-7.com. It was'nt Ari...but O-well. Later, CJ

 

my friend also has one on his supra, he dynoed it for 6 hours one day and his car isn't done yet either. He also had lots of "street" tuning that he did himself before going to a shop.

i went with the PFC just cuz it's proven, and i can get advice from a lot more people if i run into problems.

 

Thanks for the comments. I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that getting an AEM would be a mistake for me. Now if I had lots of experience, a dyno, and unlimited time, that would be different. Trying to do hours worth of tuning on the street would likely land me in jail

Thanks,

 

This is all interesting. It took me 5 pulls to get over 500hp to the wheels with my AEM, and ALL of the Supra guys I have talked to have said their perspective cars were done in a matter of an hour or two. Sounds to me like someone wasn't doing their homework before getting a guys car on the dyno. I would be pretty pissed of a tuner charged me for his education. If the 10 hour supra guys tuner had any clue about the system, he would have realized he only had to adjust the fuel and timing maps, and maybe... maybe tweak the idle control a bit since Stepper motors are a bit more tempermental than pulse width motors like in the 7.

 

I knew there had to be another side to this, but I've already chickened out and ordered a PFC with Datalogit. It just seems the safer bet for me at the moment.

Thanks again for all the comments.

 

Its fairly new. Once it gets some foundation laid you'll hear more about it.

 

Give Ralph at excessive a call. And there are many on this forum who know what kinda supra ralph himself has, along with what kinda 3rd gen he runs around in. Its obvious you don't know Ralph. CJ

 

My impression is that they would have sold more to the FD community if they had met their original shipping dates. They had to lose more than a few people to competing products because of the delay.

Given the relatively small FD market, I would expect it to take some time for the base of experienced users to grow.

 

AEM kept changing around the release date for the FD guys - this gets anyone pretty frustrated.



-Ted

 

5 pulls to 500HP on a brndnew ECU is not hard when you set WOT.
The hard part is tuning for driving conditions, part mid and full throttle.
I use an eddycurrent dyno not and excelerometer like the dynojet, and
to fill in all the cells you must use a variable load. (note: most dynojets
do have not an eddycurrent option)

Ralph

 

To me, that is the easy part, at least with the AEM software. Simply do your lightest load up through the rpm range, and calculate between light load and you full throttle cal. Since V.E. only changes with rpm, not pressure, this is ALWAYS linear. I had the light load stuff done in about 10 minute of driving with a buddy in the drivers seat, and I didn't even use the automapping feature, which would be even easier.

 

Im gonna buy an AEM and a friend of mine already has one and we are from sweden where there are about 25-30 FD's total(a guess, could be less).