Tuning Standard Ecu :)

[fEkuaR]

Hey Guys,

I have just bought a few things for my r33 and wanted to get it tuned to get the most out of the car. The car has a turbo back Trust Exhaust and apparently a hiflow turbo however i havnt physically checked.

I just bought a front mount intercooler, t piece boost controller, 500hp nismo fuel pump and adjustable fuel regulator. I have got the boost controller installed but not running higher boost as i dont want to risk detonation due to a old fuel pump so i thought id play it safe get a good pump and get it tuned with all the parts put in. Now i was hoping to get it tuned on around 10 - 12 psi and was hoping that i could achieve a tad over 200rwkw with this set up. Would this set up be capable of that sort of power and will this be possible by dyno tuning the standard ecu? or will i need to invest in a aftermarket ecu or power fc?

Regards,

Dan

[paulr33]

you will need a remap of stock ecu, safc piggyback or powerfc or another stand alone ecu. would recommend powerfc. with stock ecu and trying to avoid the excess airflow protection youll make about 170rwkw ish.

[fEkuaR]

Thankyou for your respone i will look into a powerfc or safc. I was hoping the standard ecu would be a little more tuneable then 170rwkw although im not suprised that its potential is limited. Will be nice to gain all that extra power with a good tune.

Regards,

Dan

[RB20DET_Silvia]

Infact the Standard ECU can be tuned extremely well minus a couple things like the knock sensor....etc.

Matty from The Pits on the Gold Coast says he can pretty much tune ur standard ECU to perform just as good a PWR FC.

I would still get a PWR FC but in ur case i would get a pre-tuned ECU....i would leave a PWR FC for when u get bigger mods like injectors bigger turbo etc.

- Luke

[The Mafia]

i would leave a PWR FC for when u get bigger mods like injectors bigger turbo etc.

- Luke

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd get it straight away, because in my car, the powerfc's default maps and 12psi gives 160rwkw.

If you get something else now, then a powerfc later, then you are wasting money...

[RB20DET_Silvia]

Well mate....it depends when ur going to get big mods....if ur not going to get them for ages why get one, when u could spend that 1 grand plus on mods to ur engine.

12psi and 160kw with PWR FC aint nothing much to make me wanna get one.....My mate who went to the bits got a BLITZ pre-set ECU dropped it in got it dynoed had an instant 50HP at the rear wheels then he just got the timming re-done so it could up the boost safely.

I would rathers spent money on a huge ass radiator or performance parts and get PWR FC later when it will show a real performance upgrade.

- Luke

[R33fourdoor]

Hi Dan,

I presume you are running an RB25DET not a RB20DET like Luke. If that's the case, I agree with Jono.

The ECU on the RB20 is tuneable but the ECU on the RB25 is different. The EEPROM used on the RB25 is a "write once" chip unlike what Luke is familiar with. Firstly, you need to have the existing chip removed and in it's place you will ned to install a socket so the chip can be removed without soldering. Them you need to buy a blank EEPROM to suit and get this burnt to your new state of tune. But every time you change the state of tune, you will need to buy a new chip and have it re-burnt as they cannot be re-used. There have been other discussions relating to this that you may want to search out if you're not certain.

This is why the PowerFC makes much more sense on an RB25DET than modifying the existing CPU. Once you have payed for your CPU modifications and your first tune, you could have probably bought a PowerFC.

Besides, the people in Australia that "really, truly" know what they're doing with the factory chips are few and far between. I'm not suggesting that Luke's mate is no good, he's probably very knowledgable and one of that rare rare breed, but it takes more than some Software and an EEPROM burner to make a powerful and safe state of tune.

I would place far more trust in the abilities of the tuners specialising in the PowerFC as there is a much greater pool of knowledge to draw from and the results gained are proven and repeatable.

Don't put your hard earnt money at risk. Stick with the safe bet (PowerFC) and at least you will be able to draw out the best possible performance from your rig with a margin of safety in reserve.

Also, make sure that you have a close look through the forums here and only support the tuners that are repeatedly providing excellent results to our forum members.

I also agree that buying the right thing "once" is much better and more economical in the long run than just buying what you can afford at the time. This said by someone who's thrown good money after bad in the past and you can benefit from my misfortune and that of many others on this site.

Keep asking questions and ONLY spend your hard earnt money on products that give "proven" results (cheap or otherwise).

Happy New Year to you and good luck with your decision.

Cheers,

Mike

[fEkuaR]

Thanks for your input guys, Mike i'll take your advise and look into a aftermarket ecu or powerfc it does seem like the better option in the long run considering the information you have provided in regards to my ecu against a rb20 ecu. Do you no of anyone that can supply powerfc units for a good price?

Regards,

Dan

[666DAN]

If you're looking at any sort of tuning with the factory ROM all I can say is Matty Spy or Sam (Dr Drift)

[Cubes]

To remap a std ecu that has never been mapped before its always a little more pricey as they have to remove the ecu, open it up and do a little soldering.

I was quoted $800 for the initial tune then $500 there after for following tunes.

I then considered the PFC as I picked mine up for $1100 inc. postage inc. the hand controller. The initial WOT tune cost me $100 as the base map light/moderate load ran fine.

I am soon to hit the dyno again due to a slightly larger turbo and injectors then no doubt mid way through the year when an even larger turbo is bolted on.

Why waste money on a remap when you know you will be requiring the pfc in the long run. The PFC and its knock display is well worth the extra $$ when a stock engine with the stock turbo is tuned to its limit. I've had one batch of Mobil fuel that made it ping, the dash light flashed I jumped off it straight away. With the stock ecu you don't have this protection, especially at high rpm as the ecu ignores the knock sensors over ~4000-4500rpm.

If its an auto its a completely different kettle of fish.

Edited January 2, 2006 by Cubes

[R33fourdoor]

Keep an eye on the PowerFC "Group Buys" as there have been some excellent deals in recent times.

Let us know what state your in and then maybe some of the members local to you could make some recommendations that could help regarding tuning etc......

Cheers

[fEkuaR]

I went and had a look at some aftermarket ecu's this afternoon and my eyes fell on a Greddy Emanage with Plug And Play harness for an r33 for $799 that seems a very reasonable price considering its capabilities have any of you heard any thing good or bad about these engine management systems?

Regards,

Dan

[RB20DET_Silvia]

Never knew that about the rb25 chips....i would gets a pre-set or PWR FC depending on ur limit.

If u were to buy the greddy emange i would not bother and save a couple extra bucks and get a PWR FC for sure...if ur gonna pay those sorta bucks buy the best first time.

- Luke

[R31Nismoid]

I would still get a PWR FC but in ur case i would get a pre-tuned ECU....i would leave a PWR FC for when u get bigger mods like injectors bigger turbo etc.

how is a pre-tuned ECU going to be anything the standard of a properly tuned one?

Its in no-way possible. Every car is different, something off a supermarket shelf isnt going to be the same level or get the best result.

PFC is far better supported, easier and cheaper than anything else

[Cubes]

Emanage if you run an auto.

If your making some decent scary hairy arsed power the auto will be a full manual so I would even then still drop a pfc in it.

[fEkuaR]

So the emanage system is by far inferior to that power fc rival? Or the emanage just isnt as widely supported by tuners thus making the powerfc a cheaper option?

[N I B]

Emanage is not a PFC rival,its only a piggyback.

[AzzurrA]

i'll let you all know how tuning a standard R32 GTS-t ECU goes in a few weeks...

The mods to my car (R32 GTS-t) are (or will be)

Bosch 044 Fuel Pump

SARD FPR

3" Turbo Back Exhaust

Pod Filter

RB25 Turbo

R34 GTT Intercooler

TurboTech Boost Controller

I'll be getting Sam (DrDrift) to tune it when he comes up to Brisbane towards the end of January...

I was told the price will be ~$300 for the chip/tune and then whatever the dyno time comes to...

Apparently how he does it is he has a tune done up to suit these parameters fairly closely beforehand, and then tweaks it to suit the individual car on the dyno.... He said usually about an Hour on the dyno... so it seems like a fairly cheep option...

[fEkuaR]

My car is a mspec 5spd manual heres a piccie

[Cubes]

EDIT: Ignore me..

Edited January 2, 2006 by Cubes