Need a new ECU - what are my options?

[SINISTR]

hey all,

my setup:
1984 CRX
D16A3
HKS Supercharger
...

and no ECU that works

the crx is currently running on a CA Accord 2L ECU. its running rich but runs.
Original ECU which came with the Supercharger PR5 + chip is busted.

I'll either need another PR5 ECU which i can use as host for the chip OR go piggyback or standalone.

What would you guys recommend?

I can go to electronic ignition on my OBD0 system but don't want to go to OBD1 as its too much of an exercise.

I have a Greddy Emanage at home with a harness which i could use - or not...
Someone suggested a South Australian Standalone ECU called DICKTATOR... which does everything and is reasonably priced.

Can anyone give me any ideas?

[Demon]

grab a link or hondata man

[d16a7]

Originally Posted by Demon

grab a link or hondata man

neither of those are widely supported in the land of the kangaroos i believe.. could be wrong though...

what does everyone else seem to run over there...

id be tempted to find someone who can check over the ecu and the chip eh.. as that would be best suited to run the car...

tuning would be VERY expensive to start off with no map and build an entire map and timing table from nothing.. (thats if you go with an aftermarket item)

[DeltaSlaya]

+1 for Hondata, just need a compatible ECU.

Hope to go Hondata too when I can afford to build my car.

EDIT: Or just ask a tuner in your area what they recommend.

[nemesisteg]

bro the key with ecu is locked into who you use as your tuner, for example if say soichi from st-hitec in auckland was to be your tuner you would buy a power fc, nzefi down south you would probably buy a link ecu, speedfactor in tga you would buy hondata, they probably all can tune other ecu's but tuners more often than not are vastly more experienced with certain engine managent systems, choose a tuner and ask him the question of ECU, thats whos answer is the only one you should be listening too. btw i know your overseas i was just using kiwi tuners as an example

[SINISTR]

Link isn't used here in OZ,
Hondata is used more in eastern states not in Perth, in Perth a Hondata tuner recently opened shop after about 3yrs of negotiations and many ppl here have given up - plus as a 'minus' he's way out of the city... so travel time is not good either also Hondata doesn't really support anything pre OBD1 so i'd have to get a Stage2 from the US and thats a pain as well

The Dicktator ECU can come with a base map for a D16A - so i'd be ok in terms of starting etc...

What about emanage? does it really loose memory? maybe its just something tuners don't do that they are supposed to?

[BB4lude]

microtechs damn good and well suported in aussie . id use the emanage tho cause youve got it wasnt pommys h22a supercharged civic running emanage? if you can get that chip into another ecu id do that tho far cheaper im guessing

[Pandaemonaeon]

I have heard mention of the emanage losing it's tune also. I'm currently an emanage ultimate, but it is only running the base ECU map with adjustments for injectors and AFM in place. I guess I'll find out once the new turbo goes on

[SINISTR]

Will microtech run on OBD0?

[nemesisteg]

microtech have issues with honda ignition system tho, on low sort of boost generated by the HKS supercharger tho im sure stock ignition would work

[SINISTR]

Originally Posted by Pandaemonaeon

I have heard mention of the emanage losing it's tune also. I'm currently an emanage ultimate, but it is only running the base ECU map with adjustments for injectors and AFM in place. I guess I'll find out once the new turbo goes on

if it looses memory it would happen within few days of its initial tune. I've heard same thing happen on a VAFC...? perhaps its something the tuner isn't doing correctly to save on the ECU...

Microtech is supported but will it run on an OBD0 and will i get it cheap...?

[SINISTR]

Originally Posted by nemesisteg

microtech have issues with honda ignition system tho, on low sort of boost generated by the HKS supercharger tho im sure stock ignition would work

we had an issue on my gfs EG with B18C... mircrotech wouldn't let it idle well and the tuner couldn't fix it... something about slow idle valve wasn't supported in the ECU...

[nemesisteg]

that just sounds like amatuer tuning to me bro lol

[BB4lude]

yea sounds like shit tuning microtech does have an ignition problem but mine runs fine to 12psi but need to switch to wasted spark to go higher on 13 it fails high in the revs

[Coupe-R]

IF you tune was really good on the PR5 ECU I suggest getting another PR5 ECU or similar to a PR5 and put the chip into that.

no cost involved there except for the cost of another ECU. No tuning needed then.

If you want to convert to electronic igniton OBD0
buy a PR3 or PW0 ECU (these are obd0 vtec ecu's)
and use the programme called "BRE" to chip and tune the ECU.

its vtec but you can just disable vtec, also this programme has boost code added to support turbo etc.

you will need a datalogger and a chip emulator and wideband 02 setup to tune this software correctly on the street. Or find someone in auz who chips and tunes and tell them about "BRE" found on the pgmfi.org forums

[Coupe-R]

P.S runs vacume advance correct?
So what happens to your ignition control when on boost????

you have boost retard features? I know city turbo's were vacume advance and mechanical retard.


therefore you would be WAY better going with a OBD0 ECU i think and it should make more power, but that would involve cost.

as i said if it was perfect before and went well just find a replacement ECU for your HKS chip

[SINISTR]

In reality i've never had the car run properly on the PR5 ECU - because of code 13 and it would not let me rev past 3000rpm. On the CA Accord 2L ecu it does rev past 3000rpm and goes nice and hard but it runs rich on idle and i don't know what happens when it hits boost - could go lean... not sure.

I set my timing 6 degrees earlier so its now at about 10 degrees not the stock 16 degs. So that should be ok. Ignition timing works when on boost too - we revved it and it moves fine (timing light).

on the Chipped ECU it idles spot on drive to 3000rpm nice too but don't know what happens after. And im willing to go for another PR5 ecu to swap the chip before i try anything else. maybe even then try the emanage and worst case scenario try a new standalone ECU.

In reality im only running 7psi - ppl run that on stock ecus with piggybacks at best and there are no issues.. but i don't want to spend a fortune trying things out...

[Coupe-R]

i don't know what happens when it hits boost - could go lean... not sure.

hehe could go lean eh

depends what injectors you are running (what is factory size and what are you running now)

retarding 6 degrees on dizzy will take 6 degrees out everywhere which would have worked ok,

basically if you want to keep the car and motor how it is, convert to OBD0 ECU and tune with BRE.
you would get at a guess 20+ HP EASILY depending on how far out it was before you could even get 40+HP or more.

I can't imagine the stock accord ECU would have been running that motor very well at all, especially with bigger injectors, smaller motor, and a turbo to boot!!

lucky your motor is still alive
check compression and then if its still good look into a OBD0 Setup which has electronic ignition control.
then you will have proper control over fuel and ignition timing on and off boost

Do some research of what is involed in converting the car to electronic ignition and a OBD0 ECU.
once you have done that, find who has a chip emaultor and datalogger for a honda ecu.

These can also be purchased from moates.net.
auzzies are right into chipping and tuning espeically with nissans and chip emulators are popular over there.

[Bananaman]

Originally Posted by Coupe-R

hehe could go lean eh

depends what injectors you are running (what is factory size and what are you running now)

retarding 6 degrees on dizzy will take 6 degrees out everywhere which would have worked ok,

basically if you want to keep the car and motor how it is, convert to OBD0 ECU and tune with BRE.
you would get at a guess 20+ HP EASILY depending on how far out it was before you could even get 40+HP or more.

I can't imagine the stock accord ECU would have been running that motor very well at all, especially with bigger injectors, smaller motor, and a turbo to boot!!

lucky your motor is still alive
check compression and then if its still good look into a OBD0 Setup which has electronic ignition control.
then you will have proper control over fuel and ignition timing on and off boost

Do some research of what is involed in converting the car to electronic ignition and a OBD0 ECU.
once you have done that, find who has a chip emaultor and datalogger for a honda ecu.

These can also be purchased from moates.net.
auzzies are right into chipping and tuning espeically with nissans and chip emulators are popular over there.

It's super charged dude

[SINISTR]

im also running stock everything - injectors, fuel pump etc... all stock... just 7psi boost off a HKS Supercharger.

But true... chipping is popular but not for Hondas... unless its Hondata in the east and unfortunatelly not the west

[Genkei]

run a EMS Stinger . . . . is cheap over there and worth the money, also made in auzzie too

lots of function aswell . . . .

[Coupe-R]

But true... chipping is popular but not for Hondas

doesn't matter chipping uses the same principles. Just different software, much of the good software out there is free.

Or just go standalone ECU if you can't be assed sussing out chipping.