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Best ECU setup?

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AEM looks good on paper and there are the local guys who enjoy the ease of use and interface. This unit does have some bugs to be worked out but the Eclipse and Supra model are solid from what I hear. Take a look at the features.

installs in Minutes
Plug & Play Technology - No Wiring Necessary
Uses all the Factory Sensors
Fuel Table Automapping
Base Maps Included
Programmable Traction Control
Onboard 512kb Datalogger
10 Cyl Sequential Fuel Injection
16 General Purpose Outputs
7 Definable Switch Inputs
Electronic Boost Control
Soft Cut Rev Limiters
2 Step Launch Control
Wet or Dry Nitrous Control
Definable Knock Control
Full Idle Control
4 EGT Inputs w/Fuel Control
16/32 Hybrid High-Speed Processor
 
best bang for the buck for a 2g... AEM or DSMLink...aem off the bat is about $1K. PLUS the cost for a laptop if you dont have one. DSMLink is about $100 - $500 for a 95 ECU from a junkyard or whereever. Since they are working on version 2 they are not accepting orders and the prices arent up on the site. i think the price for V1 was like $500 not including the laptop or palm device needed to tune it.

i would have to say DSMLink is better becuase i already have a palm pilot and wouldnt have to buy a laptop...its still vague to me which is a clear winner...any thoughts or comments?
 
aem is more on the 1g's. you have to buy a 2g knock sensor MAP sensor (well its recomended) and a ait sensor.

that adds a few hundred bucks alone.

i had an aem ems. talked to a few guys that had them on there daily drivers they said sometimes it would just shut down and have to be reprogrammed (and this was from more then just one person) so i sold it. and now i think i am going to get an SAFC2 and a VPC if i can find one.
 
Originally posted by jake98gst
best bang for the buck for a 2g... AEM or DSMLink...aem off the bat is about $1K. PLUS the cost for a laptop if you dont have one. DSMLink is about $100 - $500 for a 95 ECU from a junkyard or whereever. Since they are working on version 2 they are not accepting orders and the prices arent up on the site. i think the price for V1 was like $500 not including the laptop or palm device needed to tune it.

i would have to say DSMLink is better becuase i already have a palm pilot and wouldnt have to buy a laptop...its still vague to me which is a clear winner...any thoughts or comments?

DSMlink V1 was less tunable than the AEM unit. We will have to see what they have planned for V2.
 
DSMLink= 645$
95 EPROM ECU= 150-300$
Laptop= free-400$
Total= ~1200$

S-AFCII=300$
Pocketlogger=175$
GM 3.5in MAF=160$
MAF translator=200$
Intake pipe=105$
Total=~940$

For the money, you can get more w/ the S-AFCII setup and GM MAF conversion. Although you can have better tunability w/ a full standalone or a DSMlink type device, the S-AFCII is and GM MAF is capable of supporting the same HP and also has the support to back it up. With all the support and knowledge on the S-AFC, it is very easy to tune with it for good HP goals.
 
You better include a TMO chip to cover _some_ of the other things that the DSMLink can do.
I.E.
Stutterbox
Raised Rev-limit
NLTS
User select gauge
ect.

Rogue
 
Have you guys considered hacking the stock ECUs more?! I've just become a DSM owner in the last day, heh. Howveer in the Honda world we have almost totally reverse engineered the OBD0 and I Honda ECU's in the PGMFI projet (www.pgmfi.org). I know that technomotive has done this... but obviously are a for-profit business.

Stock ECU's are generally military grade electronics w/backup processors and all that jazz.

Not to mention doing all the cool things like launch, full thottle shifting etc etc that the EMS and many other standalones can do for near FREE is a whole lot more interesting to *ME* than just handing someone 1200+ dollars.

So anyway, if any of you are EE's or are handy with machine assembly language perhaps we too can own the Mitsu ECU's like the Honda's have been.
 
hehe gimpytalon...

Actualy i have considered researching a 2g/nt chip (notice chrysler version.) so far havent found anny :( (anny help plz)

Wished they made Dsm link for our crapy 420a ecu :cry: (i emailed asking about if they ever planned to make one...not gona hapen)

So far though for NA conversions to turbo (unless you are a 1gnt who can use a 95 ecu from junkyard and add the awesome dsmlink) i feel the gredy emanage gives best bang for the buck

Then again im a 420a person so my opinion dosent count :thumb: :dsm:
 
Originally posted by Rogue_Ant
You better include a TMO chip to cover _some_ of the other things that the DSMLink can do.
I.E.
Stutterbox
Raised Rev-limit
NLTS
User select gauge
ect.

Rogue

you suggest this in addition to what groomz said about the gmmaf + safc?

how much and where can i get a tmo chip? website?

Also, i hear the safcII has a knock sensor but doesn't work on 4g63's? is this true? any other possible downsides to GMMAF + SAFC2 + TMO chip???

Thanks,
Jake
 
Originally posted by ninjanick
For those that are using the VPC/GCCorAFC combo, are you using the stock timing maps? If not, what are you using to adjust timing?

VPC/GCC, non-stock ECU, but still running stock timing maps. Letting the ECU handle the timing the way it always has!
I've seen the AEM in use before and it's really cool. Does seem to have some occasional "odd things" though. Such as a little hiccup about once every 15 minutes at steady speeds. Other than that, it's awesome!
 
Can the AEM convert you to MAP (Speed Density) from Mass air flow metering? ... easily ?
 
Originally posted by jake98gst


Also, i hear the safcII has a knock sensor but doesn't work on 4g63's? is this true? any other possible downsides to GMMAF + SAFC2 + TMO chip???

Thanks,
Jake

Other downsides?
Besides that the GMMAF + SAFC2 + +logger+ TMO chip will cost the same or more, and still result in you not being able to log the data from the ECU fast, or see the amount of knock retard, or allow you to adjust your launch limiter, rev limiter settings to whatever you want. Or the fact that the SAFC2 is STILL a piggyback that adjusts airflow, so if you want more timing, it screws with your fuel settings, and vice versa, while the DSMLink makes the adjustments seperate and easy. Other than that, no other downsides.

Brad
 
i guess costs are a little abstract on these things. his price says 160 for a 3.5" GMMAF. i got my 3" one for $30. logger: i got mine used with cable and palm pilot for $150. on the other side. you can find used 95 eprom ecu's for well under $200. also, you dont need to buy a laptop anymore as there is DSMlink software available for the palm pilot for free off the dsmlink yahoo group. but if you want to tune brand new stuff with a brand new laptop. then the prices go up.

also, where can one get a tmo chip, how much, and what does it do?
 
Pricing will definitely vary based on how good of a deal you get. But you will probably wind up spending in the same ballpark for DSMLink, or the piggyback setup. And you get a LOT more tunability for the price.

http://www.tmo.com/ describes the TMO chip. The company is basically defunct now, the owner flaked out. BUT, you can get copies of the TMO chip for pretty cheap to free, depending on who you know. You still need a EPROM ECU, just like you would need for DSMLink. I got rid of my TMO chip + AFC + OBD2 logger when I got DSMLink, and I think it was one of the best things I did for my car.

Brad
 
if my goals are a low 13 sec high 12 sec 98 GST (a/t) will the safc with GMMAF suffice? im not looking to run 10s and this car is my only one.

DSMLink seems to be the invincible alternative...i dont know a damn thing about VPC or how it works...but how bout DSMLink vs. VPC/SAFC/(etc.)?

Thanks, Jake
 
I've posted on a few other threads here comparing DSMLink to (insert piggyback here). With any piggyback, you have to add the cost of a logger, and you still don't see the ECU data in a timely fashion, and you can only guess about knock from looking at timing , etc. If you like beating your toes with a hammer, I'd suggest getting an OBD2 logger, and trying to tune some other piggyback. If you don't enjoy self inflicted pain, I'd suggest DSMLink. I found trying to tune with OBD2 loggers very unpleasant, and it is much harder to get a good idea of what is going on in the ECU, and trying to tune using the airflow signal becomes a balancing act of trying to find a compromise between the right fuel tuning, and the right timing tuning, whereas DSMLink is much simpler to tune and you dont have to compromise between fuel and timing, you can adjust them both to where they need to be.

VPC relies on knowing your engines volumetric efficiency, and with that and the intake pressure and temp, it computes an airflow signal, which you can then fine tune with either the knobs on the VPC, or the SAFC. Its a crude device, and suffers the exact same problem of interlocked timing and fuel as all the other piggybacks. Unless you add an ITC to try to dial your timing in seperately, or use an emanage or something similar, you just get the timing you get. I'd get an emanage before I went the AFC route, but the emanage is more $$, once you add in the harnesses to control the coils and injectors seperately, and its much more complicated to tune than DSMLink, since any time you adjust the airflow signal to lean out the injectors, then you have to compensate for the resulting timing change by tweaking the timing map, etc.

One more advantage of DSMLink over all of these: no wiring to do. Most of these others require a lot of harness hacking. DSMLink plugs right in, the only wiring to do is if you want to add a few extra features, and its much more minimal than these other options.

Brad

Originally posted by jake98gst
if my goals are a low 13 sec high 12 sec 98 GST (a/t) will the safc with GMMAF suffice? im not looking to run 10s and this car is my only one.

DSMLink seems to be the invincible alternative...i dont know a damn thing about VPC or how it works...but how bout DSMLink vs. VPC/SAFC/(etc.)?

Thanks, Jake
 
Very true. I failed to mention my goals w/ the mods I listed. I plan to be in the 12s w/ my setup and it allows my to buy it in steps instead of saving up for something more expensive. Reading everyones replies though I think that if you had the money and wanted complete control, DSMLink is the final word. Its all about the $$$ :)
 
Does anyone know if DSMLINK ever came out with a version for the 1g?According to the faqs section on their site, they were in the process of making a 1g version, but it also looks like they haven't updated their site for quite some time. If anyone knows anything, it would be greatly appreciated.

I wonder if the guys who run Dsmlink and Taboo are related??? j/k guys, i know you are really busy and some tings just have to get put off til later


1g version faq
 
There are a few 1G's out there with DSMLink in them, but they are "experimental" and put together by guys that really know WTF they are doing.

I doubt there will ever be a 'commercial' version of DSMlink for a 1g, but who knows. I think Tom and Dave are busy enough just supporting the current version....
 
Where should I look for a 95 EPROM ECU?
I'm going with DSMlink.
 
i am using a s-afc with a 2g mass. i have had really good luck power wise, but have had a few issues. i think it is in the tuning, but not sure. it is spuddery when i am not on of off the gas, and it dies(or almost dies) if i don't let the gas off easy sometimes. like i said i think its in the tuning, but i never had these problems with a hacked 1g mass. like i said though tons of power!
 
Last weekend I went 12.8@107 on 110 octane simply but incrementally leaning out the injectors and adding timing via DSMLink. I upped the boost to 22-20 psi and got the AFR to an estimated 12.2:1 and had no knock whatsoever.

The fact that you can datalog and make adjustments through the same interface is worth the cost alone. I personally wouldn't want to use an AFC device to simulate what DSMLink can do directly, then have to use a pocketlogger (which doesn't even show knock, probably the most important thing to watch for) or some other logger.

ANother cool trick is the CEL flashes anytime the ECU retards more than 5 degrees of timing due to knock. So even without the laptop/palm hooked up you can see when the engine is knocking badly, and let of the gas :)
 
as far as the best, i think were settled on dsmlink as the best.

as far as used parts: carpart.com
 
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