ECMlink V3 or V3lite?

[DSM_munky_man]

Alright gentleman (and ladies?) of DSMtuners, I have been searching most this morning trying to find some answers but no luck. Here in the very near future I will be upgrading my fuel system with 750cc injectors, waldbro 255lph, and a AFPR and rewire, and I will be getting a ECMlink but not sure if I should do the full v3 or the v3 lite? Future mods will include (near future) FMIC, new intake tube, BOV, Exhaust man, Wastegate, 3" dp, o2 housing (if I decide to stay with MHI turbo), bigger turbo. After that stuff and the not so near future, cams, head work, stroker and gm blowthrough maf. I am pretty good with computers and figure out stuff so with a little help I can get the hang of the tuning process pretty easy, dabbled in a little stuff with my SD 460 in my bronco. Mostyl DD but will see track use atleast everyother weekend. Hopefully some roadcoarse, but for sure some drag use. I do have a laptop to use for the tuning as well. Please help me figure out what is best for me before i dump money into something that isnt best for my application.

 

[9!'clipseDOHC]

I would say get V3lite. If you ever change your mind or decide that you need the full version you can upgrade for the difference in the price. It's truly an amazing deal!

Pretty much the only thing the lite version doesn't have that you might want is the integrated GM MAF cable but you can still run a MAFT in addition to V3lite of upgrade to the full version when you are ready to run the GM MAF.

V3lite is next on my list and I can't wait to get it!

 

[TheMitsuGS-T]

^^ agreed no need to go all out quite yet and you can always upgrade whenever you want

 

[DSM_munky_man]

Alright, how easy is this to tune like in a drive way? Or is a trip to a dyno needed? Is a wideband needed? just trying to get what i need to spend together that way I can install and do everything at one time.

 

[BorinquenEclips]

I would just go ahead and get the full version all at once and not worry about it. Go to ECMlinks website and see the differences between the two. You won't need a MAF translator if you get the full version. Just go ahead and do it once, you won't regret it!

prodcompare [ECMTuning - wiki]

And yes get a wideband, those are helpful.

 

[9!'clipseDOHC]

Alright, how easy is this to tune like in a drive way? Or is a trip to a dyno needed? Is a wideband needed? just trying to get what i need to spend together that way I can install and do everything at one time.

I haven't used it yet but from everything that i have read it is very user friendly. I plan on learning how to do it and doing it all myself. I dyno is always nice but I don't think that it is required.

A wideband o2 is always recommended when messing with fuel tables. MAP has the AEM analog widebands for $159 shipped right now or you can usually get the digital AEM UEGO wideband for $199 shipped.

Hope this helps!

 

[DSM_munky_man]

Alright Thanks, does help and I am hoping to do most of everything at home myself too. Just still figuring what version to go with. Maybe I can pick up a wideband used for a good price. I will have money, but want to save anywhere possible too. Does this thing also do 0-60 times and 1/4 mile and stuff like that?

 

[9!'clipseDOHC]

Alright Thanks, does help and I am hoping to do most of everything at home myself too. Just still figuring what version to go with. Maybe I can pick up a wideband used for a good price. I will have money, but want to save anywhere possible too. Does this thing also do 0-60 times and 1/4 mile and stuff like that?

Just based on that sentence I'd think it would be an easy choice between the full and lite versions for now.

I'm not sure about 1/4 mile and 0-60 but it does have a horsepower calculator which is supposed to be pretty accurate.

 

[DSM_munky_man]

That was my origonal thought, but I want full control over everything, and i was looking at the comparison and I am not sure what it means for sure but only allows controll of something up to 8000 rpm and 23psi boost, does that mean you cant run more than that much boost? Or what?

 

[nocardick]

Yeah I would go with V3Lite also.I'm pretty much going to be running the same setup also,besides the gm maf integration,v3lite will be all that you need.

 

[dsmtalon2008]

Does v3lite have direct acess features that let you access the fuel/airflow "sliders" in a rpm vs load manner?

Thanks, Derrick

 

[9!'clipseDOHC]

That was my origonal thought, but I want full control over everything, and i was looking at the comparison and I am not sure what it means for sure but only allows controll of something up to 8000 rpm and 23psi boost, does that mean you cant run more than that much boost? Or what?

No. It means that you can't make additional changes over 8,000 rpms but the setting that you have at 8,000 prms will continue beyond that point. So if you are shifting at 8,500 rpms your fuel trims at 8,500 rpms will be the same as they were at 8,000 rpms.

Of course if you are shifting over 8,000 rpms, that would mean you have a built head with a set of large cams and some strong springs.

Hope this helps!

 

[DSM_munky_man]

Alright, maybe some more ppl c an chime in. I am hoping that this fits my needs. I want to be able to adjust fuel and stuff for different types of driving (I think that is possible?) And I was looking at the comparisons and on the full version I think you can set 2 or a few different tunes and have them controllable by a switch on a dash. That would be cool.

 

[BorinquenEclips]

Alright, maybe some more ppl c an chime in. I am hoping that this fits my needs. I want to be able to adjust fuel and stuff for different types of driving (I think that is possible?) And I was looking at the comparisons and on the full version I think you can set 2 or a few different tunes and have them controllable by a switch on a dash. That would be cool.

The full version can do a lot more than V3lite but of course if money is tight V3lite is still a very good tuning device to have. I personally would just get the full version. Just think about it you can have a tune do drive around on the street using 93 octane and controlling each individual injector (even big ones) to have a near factory idle and yet keep very high gas mileage. THEN with the neat little switch you installed on the dash you can switch to your track monster settings with E85, control each injector, and advance the shit out of timing, all preset tunes that are set-up to activate at the switch of a button. No MAF-T required, AND you can control boost down to the gear and RPM!! It just sounds so exciting that It would be killing me to not have those functions

 

[DSM_munky_man]

Ya, I do like the sounds of that. How many tunes can you run? and I am not sure if E85 is available here? and can there be a more aggressive tune on just pump gas to make more power? Do you know how to tune and mess with this pretty good? Cause I can get basics but once you talk about controlling the injectors and stuff individually that gets a lil more complicated, and why would you want them all working differently? Wouldnt you wanted everything the same?

 

[donniekak]

They sell e85 at 91st and olive. Get a walbro 255, 1000cc injectors, and a tuning solution. Learning to tune on e85 will keep you from destroying your engine. Learning to tune on 91 octane ends with cracked ringlands, and blown headgaskets a good amount of the time.

 

[DSM_munky_man]

I see, that isnt too far from me. Is E85 mixable with regular gasoline?and 1000cc's are expensive, I was looking into 750cc's.

 

[GsxEcutioner]

I just upgraded from lite to full, also buying the boost control solenoid ao i can control boost from my laptop. And have dual maps for different fuel.
-shane

 

[DSM_munky_man]

Hmmm, Interesting. Still undecided good thing it is still a week or two till I get my money, that way I have time to keep deciding. I want to run different tunes, and E85 seems the way to go, but is it easily tunable in the driveway? Or is it a dyno kind of thing? And is it mixable with regular? Or am I going to have to drain my reg gas and put in E85? And what is the min. injector size for E85

 

[dsmtalon2008]

I see, that isnt too far from me. Is E85 mixable with regular gasoline?and 1000cc's are expensive, I was looking into 750cc's.

Ever head the saying "You can only pick 2, choose wisely : Cheap / Fast / Reliable"?

 

[unisonicz]

I would go with the v3 full and the SD route. You would be saving money over the GM MAF. If you went with the v3Lite+GM MAF+ 750cc it would cost you just about the same if not less going v3 full+SD+1000cc imo.

Just did the math...

v3full+SD+1000cc = Aprox $910

v3lite+SD+1000cc = Aprox $785

v3lite+GM Maf w/Translator+750cc = Aprox $994 ($1119 w/v3full)

v3full+GM Maf w/cable+ 750cc = Aprox $994

Granted that is just a quick look at prices...could save some more if you shopped around a bit. Someone correct me if I am wrong please. Thanks.

 

[DSM_munky_man]

What is needed for SD? Cause I am just planning on keeping factory MAF for now. And probably just go ahead and do the 1000cc's keep factory MAF and run E85 for track, premium for street? And might as well go all and get full v3 that way I can figure out if I want to do SD or gm MAF later down the road, that way I don't need the translator. And is SD ok for DD duty? I mean It is how my Bronco is ran, but everyone converts to MAF.

 

[BorinquenEclips]

Ok first off depending on your power goals you need to run a somewhat large injector if your going to run E85, 750's most likely wont cut it.

No you cannot run a more agressive tune on 93pump then you can on E85. People have ran over 20 psi with 18-20* of timing and have literaly no knock! Try that with 93pump and you'll be paying for a rebuild. People have gained 90whp just by switching to E85, turning up the boost and cranking up the timing until knock finally shows up. Its just over-all easier to build power with.

"Adjust the deadtime of each injector individually. Makes for smoother idle and better fuel control at cruise with large injectors." That was copied and pasted right of the comparisons page off the link I posted. So basically you can get the idle you want. You could buy those 1000cc injectors and with Link you could idle as if you never bought them or close to it. Which by the way I would just buy 1050cc injectors since most 1000cc injectors act more like a 950cc injector. But you do need that bigger injector if you plan on doing E85, and if you never do, V3 will take care of those big injectors for you.

Im not sure about mixing 93 with E85, or if you have to drain one to get the other so looks like you and me both should search for that.

As far as what SD is and what is required:
sdsetup [ECMTuning - wiki]

 

[Dert]

I have v3 lite and live it, yes it pretty much is " driveway tuning" aside from gettin cruise logs and WOT pulls, def worth $$ to get, v3 full has a few mire options like mafclamp wich pretty much makes it so you dont outflow your stock maf, but for the most part full version is for dedicated racers, lite is perfect for average joes and weekend warriors

 

[Jiggalude]

I've got V3 lite, and it seems pretty easy to do and gives you an insane amount of control over the car tuning wise. I however already had a MAF T when I bought the car so I just went with the Lite. There are so many options with the Lite version that you'll be occupied and happy for a while. And then you can always upgrade especially if you're going to eventually go SD.