Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

These ecu's may or may not have been covered before, but I'm not sure how relevant it would be for my application. Anyway, here goes:

I have narrowed down my two preferred ECU choices to Autronic and MoTeC. I would like constructive advice on which one would be best suited to my GTR by those who actually have experience with them. I don't want this to be an ECU war thread so those who wish to do that, please leave it for the numerous other threads that cater for that.

My R32 GTR has the following mods:

- top mount twin HKS turbo kit

- forged internals

- head work, valves etc

- HKS 280° cams, adj. cam gears etc

- custom plenum, Q45 throttle body, 2 x 6 injectors

- twin Bosch pumps, lift pump, surge tank

- Blitz drag spec cooler

- 3" dumps-->4" Exhaust

- 6 speed dog box

It will be street registered but will be only used as a race/weekend car. It used to have AFM's and a PFC when it left Japan. I would like to replace it with either an Autronic or a MoTeC. What would you recommend and what particular version of that ECU?

Also, what recommendations for the igniton side of things?

EDIT: Oh, and it is for 1/4 mile racing :)

Charlie.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/57388-gtr-ecu-motec-or-autronic/
Share on other sites

  • Replies 40
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Lets start off by saying that I am not claiming that the Motec is better than the Autronic, it is just that we have used more Motec recently and so can relate our real world experiences.

We run staged injectors, the M600 can turn them on and off individually. So we can run 6 smaller injectors up to a predermined rpm/load point, then switch them off and run 6 larger injectors from then on. Or we can run 6 then switch in another 6, thus running 12 injectors for higher rpm. Each single injector can be individually tuned via a F&W lambda sensor in each of the primary exhaust pipes.

We run the Motec CDI firing Mercury outboard coils (they are designed to run with CDI). Each single coil can be individually tuned.

The M600 is plugged into a Motec Dash with full data logging using the standard Motec harness.

We run anti lag and launch control with multi stage rev limiting and shift light indication on the Motec Dash. All are independantly adjustable. There are over 50 sensors on the car, logging everything from drive train strain to shock absorber deflection to coolant pressure.

From memory the all up cost of the Motec ECU, CDI, coils, Dash, Software, wiring harness, sensors and installtion was a little over $20K. The cost of fabricating the mounting hardware for the dash and the sensors not included.

Hope that helps:cheers:

Thank you for the reply, SK. Excellent and informative as always. That sounds like a very comprehensive set up. However, I don't think that my budget will extend to 20K+, unfortunately.

Might have to consider a 'detuned' version of that set up. :)

Do you have any experience and thoughts on Autronic?

Charlie.

Thank you for the reply, SK. Excellent and informative as always. That sounds like a very comprehensive set up. However, I don't think that my budget will extend to 20K+, unfortunately.

Might have to consider a 'detuned' version of that set up. :D

Do you have any experience and thoughts on Autronic?

Charlie.

Hi Charlie, we ran Autronic ECU's in the BMW SuperTourers with the Pi System 4 dash and datalogger. They were great, never had a problem with the ECU. Also used them in the V8Supercars until Motec became the "Control ECU". Never had an Autronic on an RB engine, but I can't see any reason why they wouldn't work perfectly.

When the Aussie dollar dropped, the Pi Systems got sooooo expensive, we moved to Motec Dash and loggers as a result. So it seemed logical to use the Motec ECU's at the same time, wiring harness and software interfaces. I got used to the Motec data interpretation so we stuck with it. Even with the dollar a lot stronger lately, the Motec Dask/logger is still cheaper than the Pi equivalents. If not we would probably still be using the Autronic ECU's.

The Autronic A/R interpretor and Lambda sensor are relatively inexpensive and work very well with the Autronic self tune software. Set up the aim tables and drive it around and it tunes very well. Only takes a few minutes on the dyno to get it spot on.

You will probably find the Autronic ECU and CDI units to be a bit cheaper than the Motec equivalents, maybe finding a good Autronic tuner is slightly more difficult though.

:)

now not havin delt with much of this but

im pretty sure that

autronic was founded by the fella that founded motec as in designed the computer in the first place so arent they the same ??

just slightlly different

you are correct in saying that autronics designer used to be partner/designer of motec until they went their separate ways...

the two systems are very similar in performance and price, although autronic is slightly cheaper. If you were in melb i could give you the name of a brilliant tuner who has been with autronic since first operation, in fact he introduced autronic to europe and pro racing in aus.

I would lean towards autronic for a street set up as i think its slightly better in performance at a cheaper price, and that i know of a good tuner.

Regardless of which system you choose, make sure you get a bloody good tuner!

i agree with clint

no point running somethin no one can tune, or else we would all run hks fcon v pro computers :P

find urself an excellent tuner and go with what they use

its amazing what some ppl can do with very little

Only reason I'd choose Motec over Autronic for this application would be the CAS interface. Motec have the software programmed to make it a mouse click choice when setting it all up. Autronic (to the best of my knowledge) do not have the Nissan 360 degree optical sensor programmed in and hence rely on hardware changes (trigger disk changed in CAS) to get it to work.

As for functionality and ease of tuning, Autronic IMHO is as good or better then Motec in all aspects ie. Closed/open loop tables, outputs. Plus the SM2 with a good after market CDI is a fair bit cheaper then your equivalent Motec install as Sydneykid pointed out.

All the autronics i have seen fitted to skylines over here(includingmy own) in WA have all been removed due to on going problems and lack of support from the autronics distributors, i would recommend the motec have never heard a bad word about it yet.

Also as the others have said find a tuner that you like and trust and use what they recommend.

What problems are you talking about? Could you be a bit more specific? Do "they" all suffer from the same issues? Is it hardware, installation or tuning related? Who do you rely on for support - I know Ray Hall can be a crusty bastige but there are other sources of aftermarket support on the Autronic...

All the autronics i have seen fitted to skylines over here(includingmy own) in WA have all been removed due to on going problems and lack of support from the autronics distributors, i would recommend the motec have never heard a bad word about it yet.

Also as the others have said find a tuner that you like and trust and use what they recommend.

What did you replace your Autronic ECU with? What ongoing problems did you have?

I have been recommended good tuners for both ecu's, so that isn't a problem at this stage.

Well i was runing an old autronic smc for years and it was fine.

The trigger disks in the CAS do need to be replaced and none of my ignition system is standard anymore but it ran excellent. (008 bosch modules & twin spark coils)

Now with the support & documentation it’s far and wide but it is there.

Also something i prefer over the motec is you dont have to pay for every little option you get on the ecu. If the ecu can do it you can enable it yourself and that is bliss for people like me that want to play around with it. Not that you really should unless you know what your doing but datalogging etc is nice.

The systems work fine if they are set up correctly but with an inexperienced installer/tuner could end in problems easily.

So if you never want to know its there or tune it yourself then go for something else but if you want all the nice little bells and whistles to play with then I would go for a sm2.

I would also like to hear more about these problems.

John

All the autronics i have seen fitted to skylines over here(includingmy own) in WA have all been removed due to on going problems and lack of support from the autronics distributors, i would recommend the motec have never heard a bad word about it yet.

Also as the others have said find a tuner that you like and trust and use what they recommend.

i would like to know what are these problems too...

and by the way any of these units up for sale?:rant:

All the autronics i have seen fitted to skylines over here(includingmy own) in WA have all been removed due to on going problems and lack of support from the autronics distributors, i would recommend the motec have never heard a bad word about it yet.

Also as the others have said find a tuner that you like and trust and use what they recommend.

Danny , Danny , Danny...

Lets not go there hey:)

Not all the units have been removed and agreed that if you are chasing over 450rwhp then the optional CDI is a good thing. Don't forget Dougs Targa GTR runs perfect with 1 bar boost and 420rwhp.

As has been stated on numerous ocassions on other threads, Leewahs GTR seems to run fine with the Autronic and CDI and certainly puts down the numbers.

As has also been alluded to in this thread, setup and install by an experienced person has a lot to do with it:)

Cheers

Ken

hey guys

i got a autronics smc running my rb26 engine which is absolutely faultless and runs and starts perfect every single time, even 6 months after not runnin the engine after 1 crank it starts and idles like a kitten :rant:

i reccomend the autronics and i think u need to find a good tuner also which is the main factor in making it run correctly like a stock ecu controlled car :rant:

mine is tuned by GTRKen's business partner lumpy campbell and he does an awesome job of tuning and so far i have 350rwhp on 17psi (basic mods) and it still drives like a stock vehicle.

go hyperdrive for anyone in WA :headbang:

p.s. ive had no experience with motec to comment on that

cheers

Brad

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • Fark what are the changes of that snapping like that, clean. Nek minnit, custom radiator goes in, with built in oil cooler like those discontinued PWR ones from yesterdeacades ago
    • I thought I'd do a write up on an auto transmission fluid change for a the nissan 7 speed Automatic. At some stage the genius engineers decided that the fluid in the trans was "for the life of the transmission", (which seems kind of self supporting to me) and removed the dip stick and fill tube (funnily enough there is still a casting for it). Anyway, for this job you do need 2 specialist tools in addition to regular hand tools, jack and good chassis stands. You need a way to pump fluid up to the transmission; I got one of these but there are plenty of other options: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/364584087070 Don't trust the generic listing though, it does not come with the required adapter for the Nissan 7 Speed. You need one of these, can't do the job without it: https://navarapart.com.au/product/genuine-nissan-patrol-y62-d23-np300-navara-re7-dipstick-fill-connector1 You need a heap of compatible transmission oil. Could be Nissan, could be anything else rated for Nissan Matic S. You need at least 10 litres, I had 15 to give it a better flush... Also, you need some biiig oil catch trays, at least one of these, or bigger if possible (volume was fine, size was very marginal): https://autobarn.com.au/ab/Autobarn-Category/Tools-%26-Garage/Specialty-Tools/Oil-Service/Garage-Tough-Oil-Drain-Pan-Black-16L---GT1068/p/TO03191 Finally, a measuring jug is very useful if your pump does not have volumes marked on it, I got a 6l one: https://www.repco.com.au/oils-fluids/fluid-accessories/measuring-jugs/penrite-measuring-jug-6l-pmj006/p/A5322648 Oh, and gloves.....this stuff is horrible (not as bad as diff oil, but getting there) ....First, jack up your car.....
    • So I mentioned the apprentice, @LachyK helped take the bonnet off. We just undid the nuts on the hinges and unclipped the gas struts, then pulled the bonnet back a little as the front was catching on the front bar.  I had a good look at everything today and have removed the rams, repaired/reset the hinges and bolted it back together like it never happened. I'll do a separate write up on the repair, and I also removed the poppers from the Fuga today too to save grief down the road.....as said above it is at least $5k to repair retail. I'm also happier about my ability to prepare a race car, and less happy about Nis-nault's engineering (I can hear @GTSBoy sAfrican Americaning) because the top hose of the radiator didn't slip off.......it snapped clean off. By practice I put the hose clamp hard up against the flare on a neck to make it least likely to ever move (thanks @Neil!). I guess that puts a little more pressure on the end of the pipe as it is further away from the rad, but still, that is pretty shit. I've put it back on for now as there was a fair bit of neck still there, but obviously there is no lip on the neck any more so I don't think I'll track it again until I have a new rad. Speaking of which....more research required. It looks like Koyo makes a standard size radiator in ally which I'll grab in the meantime, but I really want something thicker so might have to go custom in the medium term (ouch) Coolant still needs a refill and I have the pressure tester on it over night, but other than a wash down of the engine bay it seems alright. And @MBS206 noted something noisy on the front of the engine and I think I agree....time for a new accessory belt and tensioners I think.
    • our good friends at nismo make a diff for it, I have one (and a spare housing to put the centre in) on the way. https://www.nismo.co.jp/products/web_catalogue/lsd/mechanical_lsd_v37.html AMS also make a helical one, but I prefer mechanical for track use in 2wd (I do run a quaife in the front, but not rear of the R32)
    • What are we supposed to be seeing in the photo of the steering angle sensor? The outer housing doesn't turn, right? All the action is on the inside. The real test here is whether or not your car has had the steering put back together by a butcher. When the steering is centred (and we're not caring about the wheel too much here, we're talking about the front wheels, parallel, facing front) then you should have an absolutely even number of turns from centre to left lock and centre to right lock. If there is any difference at all then perhaps the thing has been put back together wrongly, either the steering wheel put on one spline (or more!) off, and the alignment bodged to straighteb the wheel, or the opposite where something silly was done underneath and the wheel put back on crooked to compensate. Nut there isn't actually much evidence that you have such a problem anyway. It is something you can easily measure and test for to find out though. My money is still on the HICAS CU not driving the PS solenoid with the proper PWM signal required to lighten the load at lower speed. If it were me, I would be putting either a multimeter or oscilloscope onto the solenoid terminals and taking it for a drive, looking for the voltage to change. The PWM signal is 0v, 12V, 0V, 12v with ...obviously...modulated pulse width. You should see that as an average voltage somewhere between 0V and 12V, and it should vary with speed. An handheld oscilloscope would be the better tool for this, because they are definitely good enough but there's no telling if any cheap shit multimeter that people have lying around are good enough. You can also directly interfere with the solenoid. If you wire up a little voltage divider with variable resistor on it, and hook the PS solenoid direct to 12V through that, you can manually adjust the voltage to the solenoid and you should be able to make it go ligheter and heavier. If you cannot, then the problem is either the solenoid itself dead, or your description of the steering being "tight" (which I have just been assuming you mean "heavy") could be that you have a mechanical problem in the steering and there is heaps of resistance to movement.
×
×
  • Create New...