DSMlink vs AEM

[BoostNV]

Ok I need some opinions from the DSM gods on this site. I have a 97 GS-T Is it better to buy a 95 computer and then DSMlink or to just go with an AEM system? Please give me your opinions and reasons. Thanks

 

[herostar]

If you already have a laptop I'd suggest the dsmlink because it costs less, is really easy to use, and is proven to go 9's. Chances are you (and 99.9% of other people) will never need anything more.

 

[4g64GST]

dsmlink unless you are building a drag car.

aem costs more and is harder to tune meaning you have to pay a tuner
but you will probly have to pay a tuner with dsmlink so...

 

[nickrule99]

What turbo are you going to eventually run? If its the 20g in your mod list, you dont need something like dsmlink. You might be better off with a logger/dsmchip/safc instead.

Use the chip to get you in the ball park for your injectors, and the logger and safc to tune.
I was toying with the idea of getting DSMlink, but Im basicially convinced myself that I can do without.

But, since you asked, I personally would go with DSMlink, it seems easier to use and if you have a problem, theres more people on this board that use dsmlink over AEM.

 

[UVaJester]

I'd say to go with DSMLink over the AEM... I also thought about the logger/chip/SAFC method... When I added all that up, it was not too far off in price and I feel like DSMLink has a lot more potential and features than the SAFC combo...

but I do know there are a lot of people running the SAFC and it has proven to let you tune relatively well.. So, like everyone has said.. it depends on what your goals are for the car..

Jester

 

[David15151]

personally DSMlink .. you cant really beat it for the money. S-AFC II + logger + a chip would cost the same.. and not be as good

 

[nickrule99]

personally DSMlink .. you cant really beat it for the money. S-AFC II + logger + a chip would cost the same.. and not be as good

It would cost the same as DSMlink, but only if he already has a laptop and a 95 ecu. If he doesnt, it would be cheaper for the combo...

If hes just using it to tune for street use, my combo would be fine. The chip does a pretty damn good job of getting it in the ballpark, so depending how much of a perfectionist he is, he may not even want the safc, which would be used for fine tuning.

The chip would also include the stutter box, new redline... ect. It all depends what hes using it for, and what turbo/injectors he wants to run. Now if he wants anything larger than 770's, he should definately get dsmlink or aem ems. If not though, theres no real sense in spending more than he has to.

 

[David15151]

Yeah thats true I already started with a eprom and my wife wanted a laptop anyways...

always a good thing.. here hun i bought you a laptop.. yay!.. so, can i use it for a sec.. (runs to the car)

 

[IMMORTALSPYDER]

Yeah thats true I already started with a eprom and my wife wanted a laptop anyways...

always a good thing.. here hun i bought you a laptop.. yay!.. so, can i use it for a sec.. (runs to the car)

I bought a laptop for my wife also, I was thinking the same thing. But for the price of DSMLINK + Price of a 95 eprom froms a greedy person on trader, I'm gonna go with SAFC/Logger.

Don't waste your money on the AEM.

 

[Dallas J]

You dont need a laptop for DSMLink. You can use a $25 palm IIIe from ebay.

I say DSMLink. AEM is for the big guys who have access to dynos for lots of tuning to get it running right.

-Dallas J

 

[L2RTSiAWD]

Moved to tuning talk.

 

[silkcity100]

if anyone wants a 95 ecu make me an offer my aem is on the way going to sell by end of next week, [email protected]

 

[Hal]

The perfect example of why most people should avoid the AEM (or any other standalone): http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150357

Had this guy chose DSMLink, instead of spending time trying to get the car to run, he'd be out tuning and enjoying his ride.

Plug'n'play vs Plug'n'pray

Hal

 

[espinelli]

I have dsmlink and I think its great. Personally, I'm starting to lean towards EMS after I finish with my new setup. If your completely new to tuning I would stick with something a little less complicated than a EMS even if you have the money to drop on it. Otherwise, if you have a second car, money and lots of time go EMS otherwise stick with dsmlink or some of the other suggestions the guys in this thread made.

 

[gotswrv]

I love my DSMLink. Very, very easy to tune with. Tuning with the add on stuff generally only adds clutter to your interior as well as only allowing very limited "tuning" options and more compromise than actual tuning. Giving the ECU false info is not a good way to tune. And most of the time ends up costing more, along with creating drivability issues.
The guys on the dsmlink forums can sort out any problems you've got and now. Everyone over there is very helpful.
If your not going balls out and just want to run more boost and bigger injectors on a stock car, you'll most likely not need to do much but make a few logs. I ordered the DSMLINK for 680s, pugged it in and didn't have to touch a thing. But I did anyway

I had a laptop when I bought the DSMLink, but I found a Palm IIIc remanufactured on Amazon for $60 and have used it exclusevily since I've recieved it. I think there are a few items you can't see until logs are tranfered to the PC but nothing vital, things like HP estimates. I wouldn't even bother buying a laptop, get a Palm. Batteries last for days, easy to keep around, not a theft liability, real damn hard to break.

I have yet to find anyone thrilled with there AEM... I do know several people who have tried it. Two of which own a dyno shop. None recommend it for anything less than a drag car. They've all said that it is too hard to get drivability right.
If you know of a local shop who can get the AEM system to work right and you don't mind paying them to, it might be much more feasible to you than me or others. Add the tuning into the price though...

Bottom line is all on you. How fast are you really gonna go. An be honest with yourself. Looking for solid 13s, get some lie boxes. Want to be mid 10s, DSMlink. Thinking you might make 9's, time to look into a stand alone. (I know people have gone faster and slower with all the above listed)

For me, I wanted to maybe see high 11s, but most af all, I wanted it all to be right. Better than stock drivability was at the top of my list. DSMLink was the only option.

Good luck,
Sam

 

[swordfish]

I make over 530whp on a hacked 2G MAS and DSMLink. If you arent making this much power there is no reason to get rid of the 2G MAS and there is no reason for a standalone.

On the opposite side of the coin, we just made 639whp with an AEM on our T66 car but it is less of a street car.

jeff

 

[Mirage2LTurbo]

Just because you made 533whp on a DSMLink/MAF setup, doesn't mean you couldn't make 600whp with a standalone/speed density setup.

 

[swordfish]

In my case it wouldnt have mattered if I was running an M48Pro . There is only so much boost I can make with the internal gate then it just begins to open. Plus my DSMlink was about $700 total and took me about 120 seconds to have it fully dialed in. The AEM thats on the red car was right at $1600 with sensors and all and thats without a wideband. Then there was the $300 for dyno time to get it dialed in perfect. But when its perfect . . . it rocks. Not many DSM's out there make the power we do on the red car and drive it everyday. Especially without nitrous.

The AEM is just too much for 90% of the people out there. Most cars that I have encountered with the AEM run like ass simply because the owners dont have the time nor inclination to tune them perfectly or pay someone to do it. I say if he has the money and brain power to do it properly then YES its the way to go, but if he isnt going to put in a 100% effort to get it right then he is just going to spend 6 months dicking around with it and then sell it because he's frustrated. I cant even count on my fingers and toes the number of guys I personally know that have bought and sold the AEM because they're just plain lazy.

jeff

 

[Mirage2LTurbo]

I agree with you, the average user that won't even tune his own SAFC definitly doesn't need a standalone to toy with. For the price of dyno time to tune your car, you can buy an AEM wideband.. it isn't the best, but for the sub-$500 market, it runs with the best of them.

I'm running Autronic, with the wideband, making a map from scratch, it took a few hours on the street logging and then using the mixture table to correct the A/F (Autronic feature). We had it completly tuned to 15lbs, 9000rpm in 3-4 hours including off boost/daily driving stuff.

We bought 2 hours on the dyno for the <28lbs stuff just to avoid 140mph pulls on the highway

 

[Hal]

Just because you made 533whp on a DSMLink/MAF setup, doesn't mean you couldn't make 600whp with a standalone/speed density setup.

... and it doesn't mean you could either.

They is a point of diminishing returns for a street or street/track car.

Bottom line, for *most* people, a true stand alone is both a waste of time and money.

If people want to use the E/T as a rule of thumb, you don't need a stand alone to run into the 9's... so why bother with the hassle unless you're already into the 10's?

Hal

 

[L2RTSiAWD]

Deleted some posts.

Let's keep this thread on topic.

 

[Quasimondo]

For most applications, an AEM system is overkill, especially in light of an application like DSMLink that provides much of the functionality of the AEM system, but less of the complications associated with getting the AEM up and running. The AEM is the greatest thing around---in the hands of capable people. This is where DSMLink is the strognest. It doesn't require you to be a tuning guru in order to get the most out of it. I think it's reasonably safe to say that if you already know how to tune using an AFC or other piggyback ecu, you'll have no problem working dsmlink, versus having to start from scratch with the fuel and ignition maps with AEM because what they send with the computer will barely get your car running, which is another good thing about dsmlink. If you screw the settinggs up, you can just zero everything out, returning the ecu to stock settings and start fresh. If you mess up with AEM, unless you know what is going on, you won't know where to begin.

With that said, the AEM is a good system. The owner of the shop I take my car to went from running 12.3 @ 108 to 11.9 @ 114 in his Evo just from switching to the AEM and lots of tuning time. He'll swear by the AEM system, but knowing the difficulties of tuning and getting it to run right not just at WOT but for cruising as well he won't recommend it to just anybody. DSMLink on the other hand, just represents less of a headache, and with the ease of a piggyback system, and the flexibility of a standalone, it represents the best of both worlds when it comes to tuning a daily driver.