Alright planning to get an MS-II for Xmas from DIYautotune. I do have some questions though. This is the one im looking at http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/m...44e71079dc487b

With the ms-II do I lose my warning sensors like the low coolant and low oil buzzers and lights?

Lastly, I can't afford a wideband yet. So would it be ok to do mild tuning with a narrowband or should I just stick with a base map that I can find.

Thanks... This will be my first venture into engine management

 

Oh yea any other suggestions. As long as I have the fuel and ignition tuning available I am good... Im trying to budget under 500 and since the ms is already 430 the harness will be 65 and thats already $495. Is there any other setup that would be more desirable for someone who is just starting out?

 

No, you will not lose your coolant buzzer.

Tuning on a narrow band is NOT ADVISABLE. If your car is N/A, then you may have some limited success, but if you are boosted you will wind up with a blown motor.

Rat

 

All of the warning lights and buzzers will be fine, they are run through the CPU, not the ECU (which is what you're replacing).

As for a cheaper alternative, look at either the DIY MS2 or MS1 unassembled kits if you arent afraid of a little soldering. The unassembled MS1/V3 kit is about $200, with another $20 or so for components for the 2nd VR sensor (which you'll need either way), a DB-9 cable to connect to your computer, and the $65 megastim card to test it during assembly and for troubleshooting. You can always go back later and get just the MS2 daughterboard and install that in place of the MS1 chip with a few small modifications.

As for tuning, it seems like you have an NA, so probably the best way would be to try to find a tune from a similar engine to yours, and then verify/tweak it based on your narrowband 02 sensor, since each engine (especially after 20+ years of operation) will run a little different. Another route is the Innovate Motorsports wideband 02 cable (LC-1), which will run you about $200 and is pretty good. They have great customer service too.. the original one i had became entangled in the driveshaft with rather bad results for the LC-1, and they just replaced it outright.

Have fun with it, these *can* be a lot of fun to do.

EDIT: Yea, tuning with a narrowband is far from ideal, but on an NA you can get at least a workable tune, especially when working from someone else's .msq file

 

yea im a bit afraid of soldering X_X... I've never done a solder job yet. I do want to learn though, but I think I'll get a preassembled one first. My mission is more to learn the basics of engine management.

Alright so for either ms I would need the VR sensor (may I ask what the VR stands for)? I did not find a MS1 with spark on DIY site so thats the reason I was going with the msII.

And yes my car is an 86' n/a, So looks like I'm sticking with a narrowband at least for a few months . Thanks for all the input really appreciate it. looking foward to having fun

 

well, in either case you'd be looking at MS1 or MS2 extra (MSnS-E), which uses all of the normal megasquirt hardware, but is a different set of software. Check out www.msextra.com/manuals for the info on the MS1-based extra code. Theres a lot of it, but it will make stuff a LOT more clear as you progress. It covers all of the sensor information, including stuff on the Variable Reluctance sensors (the sensors for eccentric shaft angle)