DSMChips Stage III Review (It rocks!!!)

[brads]

Originally posted by Groomz
I don't have much tuning experience first hand, so I plan to go the more travel S-AFC route until I get some real tuning experience, then someday I'll either get an AEM EMS or the DSMlink.

Lack of tuning experience is not a good reason to not get dsmlink. The fact that you don't have to worry about your fuel and timing adjustments being tied together like they are on an AFC make tuning with DSMLink much simpler. When you adjust the fuel sliders, you are adjusting at WOT only, letting the closed loop behave like normal, as it should. With an AFC, when you start playing with the settings, you have to worry about whether its happening in closed loop or not, and how this is going to affect your fuel trims. And you can see much more of what the ECU is doing with DSMLink than you can with a regular logger.

It's much easier to install, and the cost of DSMLink vs dsmchips+SAFC+logger is relatively close, especially if you add in that you would need an AFPR, or 1G CAS, or ITC, or something along those lines to try to adjust your timing seperately from your fuel with the AFC piggyback route. Both dsmlink, and the other route with a logger will require an eprom ECU and either a laptop or a Palm, so those costs are a wash.

If I was on a tight budget, knew I would not be upgrading my fuel injectors ever again, and didn't really care about trying to get the most performance out of my other mods, the dsmchips would be the way I would go. Or if I had a 1G, I would get a dsmchips chip, because its a good product. But trying to compare it+a piggyback to dsmlink just isn't a decent comparison. DSMLink is far superior in every respect.

Brad

 

[djpast]

Originally posted by BoostinAWD
Mine wont work

All I get is a bunch of clicking from my relays and the car won't start.
I had a friend do it, he has all the desoldering stuffs etc. I was pretty uneasy when he started spraying clearcoat remover on it. Maybe he didn't get it soldered properly

I'm pissed.

1 of 2 things.


1. soldering job is bad (less likely)
2. you installed the chip backwards and now its fried (just trust me on how i know this)

 

[Shane818]

I have been looking into these Stage chips for the e-prom. The 8k redline does that really help us? Now the shift no lift what does that mean exactly. is it like powershifting? Someone explain that to me.

 

[Groomz]

Originally posted by Shane818
I have been looking into these Stage chips for the e-prom. The 8k redline does that really help us? Now the shift no lift what does that mean exactly. is it like powershifting? Someone explain that to me.

The 8000rpm redline would be better for those of us on cams and a bigger turbo capable of making power that high. T25 and 14b guys no need to apply.

The no-lift to shift feature works when you press in the clutch. Then the ignition drops cylinders to bring the rev's down while maintaining boost. This way you stay on the gas and the RPMs drop to very close where the shift is going to put them at. Powershifting is different in that the rev's continue to climb even when the clutch is depressed, and this adds undue stress on the drivetrain and clutch while not making the car any faster. Powershifting is for those guys who like to buy tranny and clutch parts. Lets leave that to the Honda crowd.

The launch RPM works the same way but only when the vehicle is at rest. It drops random cylinders to keep the rev's in place, and also builds boost.

 

[PaulPDX]

Would be really cool if the ECU blips the throttle when the clutch is depressed... but then I suppose that can only be done if the throttle is drive by wire.

 

[miragetbo1997cc]

To show how versatile this chip is.I have a 89 Mirage Eprom ecu and I installed this chip with 8500redline,2Gmas, 660cc,'91+ maps.Zeroed out the afc and no problems.FINE FINE tuning is barely needed..The B16G will pull after 7K with 272's retarded a couple degrees each.

 

[ITSME4G63]

Originally posted by vassil
Hi Guys,

I thought I'd share my experience with the DSMChips.com Stage III eprom chip. I just installed it tonight and all I have to say about it is that it is impressive. The car runs smooth, and everything works like a dream. The chip I ordered has the following specs:

8500 Redline, 950 Idle, 2G MAS compensation, Denso 660 compensation, no fuel-cut, shift-no-lift, 5000RPMs launch,
blah-blah-blah.

I set my AFCII settings at 0 across the board and went for a drive,
everything ran amazinigly smooth as compared to my 1G MAS and
the MAFT translator I tried earlier. The only thing I had to do is lean out the idle about 7% or so. At WOT the timing advance is great ... simply put this is one of the best mod that ever went in my car. Also I had Jeff convert the stock boost gauge into a knock gauge and it DOES work!

Here is the list of mods (I know I need a bigger turbo)

Ross 8.5:1 pistons
Eagle Rods
ARP Main & Head Studs
Mitsu MLS Headgasket
Ported & Polished Head
1mm SS oversize valves
Crower springs & Ti Retainers
HKS 264/272s (Findaza Camgears)
Supra Pump, Denso 660s, Stevetek Lines, Aeromotive A1000
Setrab 19 row oil cooler with -10AN lines
Fluidyne Radiator & 12" SPAL Fan
2.5 UCIP
2G MAF
ACT 2600/Findaza Flywheel
Ported EVO III Manifold
Stock 14B/Stock O2 housing
3" Thermal Exhaust
SAFC-II
Suspension, Buschings, brakes, gauges, etc.etc.etc.

Originally I was maxing the poor 450s before 5000rpms and I could not
do anything to fix the problem and I used to get a ton of knock. I was
a little worried to try the 660cc injectors with the 14B @ 15lbs, but
I was reall amazed at how well it works.

I would strongly recomment Jeff Oberholtzer chips to all the 1G owners.
The coolest mod ever. If anyone wants to see datalogs of the car I would be more than happy to upload them.

--Vassil

wow dude that great, your setup is like the exact same thing that im going to get setup on my car, the ross pistons and eagle rods combo and a huge ass oil cooler, all a big plus

 

[Groomz]

Originally posted by brads
DSMLink is far superior in every respect.

Brad

Very true. I am still not 100% sure what I want.

 

[me612]

does anyone know if in addition to all this stuff it does, can it cancel out my check engine light which is on because I did the TSS emission removal?

 

[miragetbo1997cc]

Originally posted by me612
does anyone know if in addition to all this stuff it does, can it cancel out my check engine light which is on because I did the TSS emission removal?

Mine now comes on as a 7K shift light.

 

[vassil]

ITSME4G63

If you have not gotten your setup yet. Give the boys over at Engintecs.com a call. They are local to you and they are the ones that built my motor. Their price is right and the craftsmanship is excellent.

Also if you get that chip you will not be disappointed. It rules and Jeff is one of the greatest guys to deal with.

 

[ITSME4G63]

Originally posted by vassil
ITSME4G63

If you have not gotten your setup yet. Give the boys over at Engintecs.com a call. They are local to you and they are the ones that built my motor. Their price is right and the craftsmanship is excellent.

Also if you get that chip you will not be disappointed. It rules and Jeff is one of the greatest guys to deal with.

Thanks, but I'm gon get my engine rebuild by a former AMS employee.

 

[Empyrials]

dude how the hell did he convert the stock boost guage to knock??????? i want to do that!

 

[ITSME4G63]

Originally posted by Empyrials
dude how the hell did he convert the stock boost guage to knock??????? i want to do that!

www.dsmchips.com look under stage 3, it shows what you want ur boost gage turned into.

 

[Clipse]

Does anyone know if the idle feature will override a bad ISC?

 

[Remy]

Originally posted by Clipse
Does anyone know if the idle feature will override a bad ISC?

I need to know this as well.

 

[Violater101]

Sounds like a nice product

 

[96boosted]

I have a 96 AWD with the OBD II ECU, if I get a 95 ECU with the chip, would my diagnostic port still work? I would probably have to get a different logger if it doesn't? What about smog? Would the smog station be able to use my diagnostic port to do the testing? I guess all of these questions are related to the diagnostic port being functional or not after the ECU swap. One last one, Anything I need to change to the car if I swap the ECU to a 95?

-96boosted

 

[Groomz]

Originally posted by Clipse
Does anyone know if the idle feature will override a bad ISC?

A software change doesn't fix a hardware problem. You will still need to replace the bad part.

 

[HokieDSM]

I've been looking at these chips - they seem to do a good job, and bring some of the nice DSMlink features to those of us with a 1G - but without Hal's patience

Does the chip have any of the abilities that DSMLink has to control the knock sensor? I ask only because this ability would seem to be a great potential cure for phantom knock.

 

[Coldandafraid]

Originally posted by 96boosted
I have a 96 AWD with the OBD II ECU, if I get a 95 ECU with the chip, would my diagnostic port still work? I would probably have to get a different logger if it doesn't? What about smog? Would the smog station be able to use my diagnostic port to do the testing? I guess all of these questions are related to the diagnostic port being functional or not after the ECU swap. One last one, Anything I need to change to the car if I swap the ECU to a 95?

-96boosted

My 95 talon is OBDII... I dont see why your port would stop working.

 

[MattnGsx]

Does anyone use a DSMChip w/ a Maft translator?

-Matt

 

[Syndicate13]

Does anyone use a DSMChip w/ a Maft translator?

-Matt

Yes, my friend George does and he hasn't had any negative effects of running it that way. His timing finally went back down to usable pump gas levels however. I am also running a DSMchip with no AFC or fuel tuning, the car runs great, even better that I first thought. I had to remove it to change my injectors and wait for some new ones to come in (was borrowing a friend's set and mine hadn't come in yet) and go back to stock and the car felt so much slower, I almost couldn't stand to drive it. I was so thankful when that package came in.

 

[BigBADGSX]

ive done alot of reading on this mod and it seems pretty damn cool....

Everyone is throwing in questions and what not so i think im gonna throw one in too....Is it possible for them to setup their chips for us 2g guys with a 6bolt swap that have/had troubles with Random missfire? Im guessing its possible but the demand might not be high enough for him to spend time working on it

 

[kpt4321]

Does the chip have any of the abilities that DSMLink has to control the knock sensor? I ask only because this ability would seem to be a great potential cure for phantom knock.

Not that I know of.

I came up with a solution to that, and I notified Jeff about it. However, I do not know if he's offering it.

http://users.wpi.edu/~ktarry/dsmtech/phantomknock.html