Aftermarket 420a ECU

[420a16g]

1. Can anyone offer me an alternative to the Howell AF/X Ecu? I would like to have something that does similiar functions as the AF/X like higher rev limit, no governer, etc... I ordered one from Howell but its been like 4 months and still havent recieved it yet and they keep giving me the run-around. Any advice or alternatives would be appreciated.

2. also, would I even need something like the AF/X if im using the programmable MSD DIS II?

3. Why wont the mopar performance ECU work on the Eclipse? They look the same and they are both for the 420a, so will it work or is it a program thing?

thanks guys/gals.

 

[Blitzeclips]

1. Can anyone offer me an alternative to the Howell AF/X Ecu? I would like to have something that does similiar functions as the AF/X like higher rev limit, no governer, etc... I ordered one from Howell but its been like 4 months and still havent recieved it yet and they keep giving me the run-around. Any advice or alternatives would be appreciated.

2. also, would I even need something like the AF/X if im using the programmable MSD DIS II?

3. Why wont the mopar performance ECU work on the Eclipse? They look the same and they are both for the 420a, so will it work or is it a program thing?

thanks guys/gals.

None. Other then the Howell, there are none. Call up Howell and ask for Gary. He'll be more helpful then the other reps. Because he's the owner of the company. Everytime I call I talk to Gary so he knows what's going on with everything. Then again, my order was just a tad bit over the price of an ECU...

No. You cannot use any ECU. Just because they look the same doesn't meen they'll work the same.

The howell AF/X ECU is your only choice. Sorry bud.

 

[Locke]

I dont see why you'd need an aftermarket ecu to run and MSD box.

And you do have a couple other choices. AEM ECU's are nice, but expensive. eManage piggybacks are cheaper, but I understand they are difficult to work with. And theres the cheapest option, the MSnS.

MSnS is an extremely affordable system. Not for the novice or light of heart, though. AEM is plug and play. MSnS requires hacking up your harness and plenty of down time while programming and tuning it. Be sure to rack up the hours in research and study before deciding to go this route.

 

[VelocitàPaola]

AEM is plug and play.

In addition to the AEM EMS, there's also HalTech, but neither are plug-and-play. Both do not come with any support for the 420A DSM, so you're on your own there... no directions, no tech support, not even a solid base of others who have adapted EMS/HalTech to their cars.

You'd have to have an extensive knowledge of either system to get it to work on our cars. Plus, the timing set up will be an absolute pain since we have such an irregular tooth pattern on our cranks. From what I've heard, you'd have to set up a trigger wheel on an indexed UDP for the crank position sensor, and somehow modify the cam position sensor too.

For me, the choice between MSnS and EMS/HalTech is clear. Why spend three times as much money for something that comes with absolutely no support, when you could spend $300-$400 for something that comes with no "official support," but rather, a wealth of online information? MSnS has been thoroughly explored by many of the 420A DSM gurus, and the amount of support you can find in the form of online forums is astonishing.

In any case, AF/X is the only direct-replacement, plug-and-play solution that's currently available. Each of the other systems require a solid understanding of their underlying properties before even beginning the installation.


About that Mopar Performance ECU... it was designed for the Neon, which flows in the complete opposite direction of our engine. There's your first problem. The ECU will be expecting signals from sensors that are outputting something very different than the Neon's sensors. Perhaps sensor data from the crank position sensor and other bottom end sensors are compatible, but I can guarantee that the top end sensors from our car will not interface with the Mopar Performance ECU correctly.

Beyond that, the pin orientation on the connectors is different. This is a minor problem if you have the patience and know-how to cut and splice every wire on your wire harness to a new location, but it still would have been something to be considered if this would have otherwise worked.

 

[Locke]

Again I am corrected, although here i meant to say it plugs right in. No wire hacking required. My apologies.

 

[VelocitàPaola]

Actually, hacking is required with all of the above. AEM only makes a plug-and-play EMS for the 4G63.

 

[420a16g]

None. Other then the Howell, there are none. Call up Howell and ask for Gary. He'll be more helpful then the other reps. Because he's the owner of the company. Everytime I call I talk to Gary so he knows what's going on with everything. Then again, my order was just a tad bit over the price of an ECU...

No. You cannot use any ECU. Just because they look the same doesn't meen they'll work the same.

The howell AF/X ECU is your only choice. Sorry bud.

last time i called i spoke to Gary because i was tired of talking to the reps. He wasnt much help either, except he did let me know where my fuel pump was. But when asked about the computers he just said they were low on cores and didnt know when it would be done and wouldnt give me a number to call about it. so whatever

 

[420a16g]

well i finally got my stuff today, and it only took 4 months....

 

[dr1665]

well i finally got my stuff today, and it only took 4 months....

Enjoy that ECU. If you've got cams, upgraded valve train and some port work, you're in for some fun top end!

 

[cs82685]

well i finally got my stuff today, and it only took 4 months....

that's about standard time for them from what I've heard. Enjoy your parts