California Tuners & DSMLink Pro's & Con's

[Strm Trpr]

What's up fella's?
I have a question about DSMLink and using it on OBDII cars here in California.
Are there any issues with emissions testing that you all know of, or is it all good.
I found a great deal on a 95 Eprom ECU.
I know I don't need DSMLink now, but I really want to learn how to tune before I do power upgrades.

I've been looking at ECU+, and it seems really good, just not as good as DSMLink....
Thanks in advance guys power!

 

[spyderturbo007]

You can read about that here:

http://www.dsmlink.com/faq.html#obdii

Cheers!

 

[Strm Trpr]

Thanks man, I tried searching our forums, but I didn't find what I was looking for.
I'll give that link a shot.

**Edit, I've read that link already, I still need to hear from Tuners in California.**

 

[arash15]

Thanks man, I tried searching our forums, but I didn't find what I was looking for.
I'll give that link a shot.

**Edit, I've read that link already, I still need to hear from Tuners in California.**

i'd also like to get feedback on tuners in Cali. since we all love to tune our cars on piss gas.

 

[Thomas91169]

Pros -

-Best thing since sliced bread
-wont show up on a obdII port test
-gets rid of the crap safcII thatll alert a smog place to possible fuel mods
-you can run huge injectors(like 1600cc) like they were stockers
-you can tune more precisely if you have other mods(stoker, cams)
-whole buncha other shit
-laptop is only needed to make adjustments, contrary to popular belief, the laptop does not need to stay in the car and hooked up at all times.

Cons

-initial investment cost, dsmlink+socketed eprom ecu+laptop if not already acquired= ~1200


ill put it to you this way. i always thought the safc/logger combo was great for beginners, as i thought dsmlink was more advanced. ITS NOT. its super easy to use, and everything is at your fingertips, no going from a logger in one hand to putting shit into the safc with another while pulled over on the side of the road.

and when you look at the equation of a safc/logger versus dsmlink setup, it makes dsmlink look cheap.

for 250 for a safcII, and 50 for a palm pilot(m505) and pocketlogger software/cable(130), thats 430 bucks, and you can basically just log rpm, timing and o2 volts, and you can only adjust the fuel curve and only by lying to the ecu.

for 565(dsmlink v2 for 2nd gen, i forget the 1g pricing), and 200 for a socketed ecu, if you already have a laptop(which most do or most can find cheapies, since if youre just going to use it for teh link, it doesnt have to be the best, it just has to basically work), thats around 800 to get full logging capabilities. i mean you can log shit you never even knew existed. especially when you add on a 3bar Map Sensor and Wideband o2 to the logging equation, making tuning a sinch. then on top of that, having the ability to not only change the fuel, by inputting the injector compensation and dead time for a general fuel setting, and then above that having 500rpm fuel sliders for finer adjustment, but add to that timing control, airflow control, VE control, the ability to turn on both fans(great for those running fmic's in summer), Studderbox control(helps us fwders also), Nitrous/H2o/Alchy/Meth injection control.

after you take into account all that dsmlink is capable of doing, it really becomes worth it. even if you dont have a big use for it yet, at least getting it in the car and getting use to the interface will help you better in the long run than the everyday safc/logger combo.

 

[Strm Trpr]

Excellent post man, that's a lot of great information.
So, even with a 95 Eprom ECU the smog man can't even tell, hmmm....
Anyone else want to share their experiences using DSMLink here in California?

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

sup man.. i have dsmlink.. and a bunch of mods.. look at my profile.. t3/t4 50trim, denso 660s, 3" turboback, fmic, etc etc.. i passed smog.. legally.. no under the table stuff.. not once.. but twice.. the first time was with a big16g everything else the same except safc and stock injectors..

anyways.. as stated above.. dsmlink actually made learning to tune easier.. because of the great built in data logger.. and better values to read/adjust.. basically allt hat snaz stated above..

yes the smog station cannot see or know anything that you have dsmlink installed.. however that is until they plug in their obdii test device in the port.. i read somewhere in the dsmlink manual it will not work so the smog station will say your obdii port readiness will fail.. but check this out.. for some reason.. (3 times already) they never tested my obdii port.. im thinking because my car is a 95? 3 different smog stations.. so i dont know how it can be a fluke.. anyways.. there is instructions on how to have the port be obdii ready again.. or was it just by removing the eeprom and putting in the stock one.. either way its an easy fix..

you shouldnt really have to worry about it.. dsmlink is great.. start worrying about smog once you starting putting in cams and all that other stuff

 

[FORMONTOYA]

i read somewhere in the dsmlink manual it will not work so the smog station will say your obdii port readiness will fail

The way it fail the readyness is if you log or tune and then go straight to the station without turning the car off. It happens because the port is in "DSMLink" mode, all you have to do is turn the car off for 5-10 seconds and the port will revert back to "OBD2" mode.


Jim

 

[Strm Trpr]

So basically, there's no way for an inspection station to know you're running DSMLink.

Is there any information that a smog station would need from my stock 97' ECU vs. the Socketed 95' EEPROM ECU?

I mean, are VIN's stored in the ECU?

I guess there wouldn't be VIN's stored in an ECU, ### if there were, how could vendors sell refurbished ECU's with incorrect VIN's stored.

I suppose I answered my own question....

 

[Strm Trpr]

So basically, there's no way for an inspection station to know you're running DSMLink.

Is there any information that a smog station would need from my stock 97' ECU vs. the Socketed 95' EEPROM ECU?

I mean, are VIN's stored in the ECU?

I guess there wouldn't be VIN's stored in an ECU, because if there were, how could vendors sell refurbished ECU's with incorrect VIN's stored.

I suppose I answered my own question....

 

[FORMONTOYA]

So basically, there's no way for an inspection station to know you're running DSMLink.

Is there any information that a smog station would need from my stock 97' ECU vs. the Socketed 95' EEPROM ECU?

I mean, are VIN's stored in the ECU?

I guess there wouldn't be VIN's stored in an ECU, because if there were, how could vendors sell refurbished ECU's with incorrect VIN's stored.

I suppose I answered my own question....

Yes you did. As long as you turn the car off for 5-10 seconds after you arrive at the station, you WILL NOT have any problems. As a matter of fact, part of the DSMLink setup fixes OBD2 bugs that were inherint (sp?) to the 95. Plus it is easier to get the sensor readyness monitors to read complete compared to the stock 98 ECU that was in my car, it is just not as picky about Mitsubishis' weird ass drive cycles as the stock ECU.


Jim

 

[Strm Trpr]

Great, then I think I might have to start getting all of the components.
I already have a laptop, I found a smoking deal on a 95' ECU, now I guess all I have to do is get ahold of DSMLink and buy what I need.
Thank you for all of your great info...

 

[Omega]

For those that don't know, you can use your palm with DSMLink too

 

[daren_p]

Now up here in Ontario Canada, they only do a sniffer test & don't plug the car in to test the obdII so this feature doesn't do anything for us but for you, there is a feature in dsmlink to tell you if you will pass the obdII test (checks the cat, O2 sensor etc. & tells you if they pass).