AEM or Haltech or ProEfi

[TwinT66]

Looking for some opinions on what is a good standalone for a 1G racecar.I have done the search but some info is a couple of years old and newer update have been put foward by the ECU manufactures.
Tony

 

[bryanwheat]

What do you consider a race car? Ecmlink and the stock ecu will go a LONG way.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Link will be enough for any set up, dd, track, whatever with room to grow, over the years link upgrades things that really allow us to tune our own cars, for a cheap price if you ask me.

 

[Seamus]

I have a lot of experience with haltech systems up to the e6x.(e6s, e6k,e6x) I love them and the software is so easy, especially the e6s and e6k with DOS based software. I've also used microtech Lt8, electromotive, and wolf v.3. Different systems have different features that are cool. I like the built in coils on electromotive. I like the built in MAP sensors on wolf and micro. One real world concern with standalones that you never hear on "tuner" forums is ignition interference. If sheilding doesn't work, this is almost impossible to fix. The haltech e6k is famous for having one of the most rock solid ignition setups there is and no interference troubles. If you absolutely must go standalone, I recomend finding a used e6k setup because you can get them fairly cheap, its easy to use, and as dependable as standalones can be. Also, it is probably the cheapest system you can find that will run a 4cyl in sequential. The best driving cars I've have ever had were on haltech e6k. I've had cars with staged injeciton systems with tiny primaries and HUGE secondaries that drove better at all loads than any factory car I've ever been in.

But here is the real best advice for a standalone- if you knew what you were doing with one and what it entails, you would already have a favorite system. If you don't then you need to go with whatever system your local shops install, tune, and support.

 

[gabytech]

Haltech all the way... Their ECUs got so many features a loy of stand alone or piggy system dont have. My favorite the gear based boost controller, which is a must at the track if you want decent 60feet and 1/8mile times, which is the most important time at the track if you want low 1/4mile time. I have used AEM, Electromotive, and Haltech. By far the best in my opinion is Haltech. But that also depends on the tuner of your area and his knowledge. Some tuners are more experts with a certain ECU brand than other. Dont try to tune it yourself, unless you got real experience programming ECUs. Pay an expert tuner to program it, is worth the extra tunning dyno session...

 

[black_gst]

i love DSMlink but Haltech is the shit if you can afford it

 

[Seamus]

you can get older haltechs that IMO are better than the newer stuff for a lot cheaper than link, thats including buying all new sensors. All the newer systems can run on all types of sensors, I like running the GM sensors. I don't understand the plug and play craze. Why would oyu want to run your 20+ year old harness and ### sensors when you can spend a day creating your own simple harness that will be reliable, use good cheap sensors, and you are 100% form memory know where every single wire is, terminates etc. To me that is the #1 benefit of a standalone over link. Link has enough features and power but you're still gonna spend time regularly chasing down problems with old, crappy, crusty, 10,0000x heat cycled wiring.

 

[turboglenn]

you can get older haltechs that IMO are better than the newer stuff for a lot cheaper than link, thats including buying all new sensors. All the newer systems can run on all types of sensors, I like running the GM sensors. I don't understand the plug and play craze. Why would oyu want to run your 20+ year old harness and ### sensors when you can spend a day creating your own simple harness that will be reliable, use good cheap sensors, and you are 100% form memory know where every single wire is, terminates etc. To me that is the #1 benefit of a standalone over link. Link has enough features and power but you're still gonna spend time regularly chasing down problems with old, crappy, crusty, 10,0000x heat cycled wiring.

I agre with both your posts, I have been running haltech since my car was only 24k miles old. I actually still have the fist E6k that was on my car and running an e6x now.

I would not go proefi unless you want to pay for every littlechange made to the car as it reuires a dealer with a "box" to do a lot of the programming and is meant to really lock the end user out and put money in the dealers pocket through this (how do i know? I know the guy who built/pioneered the system, which is the same guy who sold AEM the eurpean GEMS system on which they built the first set of "AEM EMS's")

Either way I would stay away from ProEFi and possibly AEM (i think AEM's are a PITA) i like microtech, DSMlink, Link EMS (stand alone that's NOT DSMlink) autronic and motec units, they are all standard top of the line ECU's IMO (oh and i love haltech's but i'm probably biased from years of use, experience and sales of the units)

I also agree with the comment about old heat cycled wiring, don't get a plug-n-tug ECU, you'll chase old shorts and breaks for years to come, when you wire in a fresh ECU not only are you suire you have the gauge and health in your wires that's needed for reliable use but you also gain the knowledge of where everything is run, how it functions and wherre to look should you have an issue arrise.. Anytime there's an issue with my engine running i simply plug in a laptop and look. i check off in this order... RPM(signal of cam and crank to run), ECT, IAT, MAP signal, and projected outputs and the ECU's ability to follow the engines running state.. it's all on one screen and through that one glance i know exactly what to change IF it's an electrical issue, OR i know that the electronics are fine and to search elsewhere for my problem.

A good simple stand alone can go a long ways in owning a fast car, both in tuning and in simplifying the hell out of things.. if i had to troubleshoot the same issues on say DSMlink (which i think it awesome still) i would be having headaches chasing through the stock OBD-II system and it's crunchy old wires to find the issues i've had over the years (which have been very few but still not things that would have easily come up chaisng through s stock harness/ECU)

Not to mention going with a "standard" stand alone put syou in the ability to run sensors that are not only cheap to buy but easily found almost anywhere in the USA and in the samllest back country parts stores.. For my ECT, IAT, i can run about any sensor from the mid 80's erra up through the mid 90's from a standard GM car (i found that 1989 s10 v6 sensors are the cheapest versions being only 14 bucks each) then for MAP sensors it's roughly the same, i can get three ar sensors just buying for a buick GN or pontiac turbo trans am from 87. or order them online and get up to 5 bar or just get them cheaper still.

Coils become a "pick your poinson" option along with the tuype of ignitor you use to set them off, the best part of a "true stand alone" (not reffering to anything that can plug-n-play) is that you can setup everything to suit YOUR tase, YOUR build and your needs.. I canr un GSXR coils, stock coils or whatever i want with simple keystrokes..this is a lot of why i kept my old ECU after having the new one put in so i could send the other one off for repair (the comms chip went bad that connects the laptop to the ECU, car still ran great) but the thing was i knew for anything i built in the future i wanted this same flexibility and option of parts interchange. Althoughi doubt i'll ever use it i know it's there and is a solid backup with a company behind it that will repair it for probably as long as i'm playing withcars in my life (haltech) but i'll probably just end up selling it at this point

Anyway, weigh your options carefully, dont' fall into fancy advertising and cool screen shots as they are the most mis-leading and often the selling point of some one's worst headache. I can't tell you how meany people i've seen buy an ECU because the software looked really cool and flashy with nice windows based screens, then they get it, can't program it, the things use scales that aren't equal to anythinginreal life asie from computer code (like 0-255 for load instead of vacum and boost, and then like 0-255 for injector pulse when those nubers mean nothing when it comes to what a real puslewidth is in microseconds) and no one needs to have timing that tunes in the tenth of a degree, it's all just flash to sell you something you probably won't need or know how to use, or yet find some one to help you learn it which is what you relaly should do if youre serious about your tuning. Yes i'm biased about my ECU choices, but for damn good reason, I wanted something i could not only learn myself 14 years ago, but somethign that in todays world i can teach my customersand friends how to use and tune so that i'm not the only person they can call in the entire state when they have issues in the middle of the night or at the track and want to figure things out.. don't get me wrong i'm all about support and helping out the people i do this type of work for, but i'd rather teach some one how to spot an unplugged sensor or dead sensor instead of forcing them to call, tow the car in or whatever to cost them money just so i can feel like a hero on whatever system they've chosen. Not to mention that certain systems won't even let the end user in as mentioned before.. choose wisely!

EDIT: just one example of a "LOVE/HATE"feeling i have with a certain ECU.. the accessport for EVO and WRX.. you can access a HUGE number of maps in the ECU (there's 60 pages to give brief descriptions of each one, and doesn't even cover the basics of any one map) well you only use about 9 of them total to get a great tune.. the rest are just confusion to the end user... But i think the system is great, just not soemthing i'd turn a new guy loose on and say have fun! I could teach some one a complete haltech setup before i could even myself understand all those maps..there's just no need for them unless you're a factory engineed calibrating MAF's on an entire fleet of vehicles, but that confusion does send customers back to the guy who isntalled the unit when they need help.. hope you see where i'm going with the "more flash/options = more money you eventually spend" when the simple systems have gone jsut as fast and faster at any track than the unti with the most advertising and flashiest screens

 

[Seamus]

I still have my e6k too. I've had people offer me nice cars for it when there are none around for sale any where. I never part out race cars I sell them whole. hell my dirty,sweaty suit and helmet can go with em if they want em , but the e6k ALWAYS comes out. BTW I love using t2 leading coils. They are VERY VERY powerful, have the ignitor on them, and can run 800+hp applications straight from the junkyard to the car with no boxes or other bullshit.

 

[kidtsi]

Pro EFI. why? saves your engine on a cathastrofic malfunction of software. Guess what shep running? want a clue? iys not link neither Aem even thouh they sponsor him. Hope i dont get kill for saying this.

 

[kidtsi]

Im selling my v3 becuase im getting the pro efi, well is worth for me because im going for 8s and i would like to.save my 6k plus cost of internal a little longer of any failure, i would hate a aem ems injector driver fail on my and destroy my engin

 

[95eclipser]

Pro EFI. why? saves your engine on a cathastrofic malfunction of software. Guess what shep running? want a clue? iys not link neither Aem even thouh they sponsor him. Hope i dont get kill for saying this.

Although they have a killer product. I have had a first hand experience with there pro48, and Proefi's support and customer services. Is not on the same level as their product.

Had to send a harness back once to have them redo a couple pin outs there messed up. Got the harness back and still have to swap a couple pins later on that were in the wrong places.

I like there product, but also being in the automotive sales industris I feel support is a big thing.

Had a similar issue with haltech. But their new unit for the s2k has been killer tho.

 

[Seamus]

Although they have a killer product. I have had a first hand experience with there pro48, and Proefi's support and customer services. Is not on the same level as their product.

Had to send a harness back once to have them redo a couple pin outs there messed up. Got the harness back and still have to swap a couple pins later on that were in the wrong places.

I like there product, but also being in the automotive sales industris I feel support is a big thing.

Had a similar issue with haltech. But their new unit for the s2k has been killer tho.

Haltech customer support was AWESOME when they had a Haltech USA. Not that there is anyhting wrong wih the support from australia, but having to send/receive special parts to/from australia is more of a pain if you need quick turnaround. They used to do sick group buys back in the day. And it was before all this plug and play crap, so it was easy to get a lot of guys in from all different boards. I haven't had to deal with haltech in like 5 years, maybe their is a haltech usa or a servicing, master distributor again here.

 

[turboglenn]

Pro EFI. why? saves your engine on a cathastrofic malfunction of software. Guess what shep running? want a clue? iys not link neither Aem even thouh they sponsor him. Hope i dont get kill for saying this.

because it wasinstalled and tuned for free...when he had the systemthat is now AEM's ECU he put one on rau's car, sheps car and many others..what better way to promote

Im selling my v3 becuase im getting the pro efi, well is worth for me because im going for 8s and i would like to.save my 6k plus cost of internal a little longer of any failure, i would hate a aem ems injector driver fail on my and destroy my engin

Hey,if you don'tlike being able to have full control of your ECU without either going to the dealer or becoming one and getting the speciual "black box" then all the more power to ya..I knwo the guy who "invented" the proEFI and he is very smart but the whole poinmt of his systems is "to put money back into the shops hands by taking power away from the consumer to make major changes" that i'll put on my dying grandmothers lifecause i know it's a fact, iwas almost best friends with his brother and on good termswioth him (Jason Siebles) for a long time, they were from here in omaha and had a shop called ASP, which is now sublime motorsports.

dowhat ya want but i'd take any other system over that just because your hands are tied as to what you cando... it's not like described on the e6k above where you can take it with you and set it up on anything (well youcan but you have to pay the dealer to do it for you...think i'mlyeing, jsut call and ask how you configure it on your new car at home by yourself )

Haltech customer support was AWESOME when they had a Haltech USA. Not that there is anyhting wrong wih the support from australia, but having to send/receive special parts to/from australia is more of a pain if you need quick turnaround. They used to do sick group buys back in the day. And it was before all this plug and play crap, so it was easy to get a lot of guys in from all different boards. I haven't had to deal with haltech in like 5 years, maybe their is a haltech usa or a servicing, master distributor again here.

OH,htere' is a hatelch USA now and it's no longer alamomotorsports who continuously droppedthe ball on many customers. Ialso serve as customersupport but not on repairs, aminl;y tuning,wiring,setup for different triggers, ignitorsand so on..I have books on books of PDF"son setting up about anything you want on a haltech unit as well as troubleshooting experience and training that goes backover 14 years now..anyone with a haltech needing helpifyou can't catch haltech USA hit me up,it's part of my responsibility as a dealer nomatter where you bought your unit

 

[kidtsi]

i have experience with it, dont worry about me i was just giving my opinion to the Op. I ain't that typical cheap dsmer so the product is on top of my list, but of course Dsmlink is legit for most or haltech if you wanna tune by cylinder.
oh and about shep not running Pro efi check again... is one of his dirty little secrets. lets just not discuss it here, if you say he is not its alright, lets keep it in topic.
for the record i love link, haltech, pro efi, it was just my opinion and personal experience.

 

[kidtsi]

repost...

 

[TwinT66]

I sent ProEfi a email about the concern of the black box for tuning it.Was told there is no black box dealer only.The ecu is programable with the laptop.There is no dealer only.This is more than likely the ecu I am goin to run.
Between the closed loop and the traction control I beleive it`s a winner.

Tony

 

[bling5tatus]

^^Kinda funny that this is how the thread ended. I own a ProEFI 128 and there is absolutely nothing locked down on this ECU. It is better than many of the other "pay to unlock software features" ecu brands like to get you with..... and is one of the main reasons I chose to use ProEFI.

I'm not sure what was going on in the early days that made people say what they did here, but I have experienced 0 of what was being talked about in this thread with my ecu. I will say it is not an ECU for a beginner and if you only know how to tune dsmlink I would probably just stick with dsmlink because you're going to be very confused with all the "industry standard" terms that everyone else uses in their tuning software.