420A MegaSquirt install on DD in New York

[dsmcrzy]

hey guys first of this isn't a how to or a I need help question. Mine is simply I live in New York State and I want to add a mega squirt into my 420a for tuning purposes. since I live in New York we have state inspections here once a year. I was wondering if anyone else (in new york or another state with inspections) has installed this on their 420a eclipse and still got the car to pass inspection.

I would like to run the MS as a stand alone engine management system. I'm just curious if anyone else has done this with any success.

thanks for any and all info!

 

[Locke]

MegaSquirt doesn't follow OBD protocols. This may be an automatic fail if your tester plugs in his reader and gets nothing.

 

[dsmcrzy]

That is what I figured that it wouldnt comply to any of that but could I run the MS then jus throw the stock ecu back in for inspection time and take the MS out? or would that be a pita to do and have it run right?

 

[glowryder]

it wouldnt be worth it.. you would need 2 sets of sensors, one for the stock ecu when time comes, the other for MS..plus keeping it able to do full stock ECU then switch to standalone, thats alot of work, and i doubt anyone has done that..

 

[dsmcrzy]

From what i have read the only 2 sensors that the MS can't use are the IAC and the coolant temp sensor. I still see how it would be alot of work though getting the motor so it will accept both. I just want some tuning options for when I turbo the car as well. would it still throw a CEL if it was run as a piggy back off the stock ecu?

I just dont understand how some people are using it on their daily drivers or even a weekend car thats street driven. I understand that some states dont have inspections but there can't be that many can there?

 

[VelocitàPaola]

plus keeping it able to do full stock ECU then switch to standalone, thats alot of work, and i doubt anyone has done that..

Quite a few people have done that; it's not as hard as you're making it seem. As long as both the stock PCM and MegaSquirt ECU aren't connected simultaneously, you can basically connect the wires from the MegaSquirt harness directly to the corresponding wires in the stock harness.

would it still throw a CEL if it was run as a piggy back off the stock ecu?

Yes.

 

[dsmcrzy]

Quite a few people have done that; it's not as hard as you're making it seem. As long as both the stock PCM and MegaSquirt ECU aren't connected simultaneously, you can basically connect the wires from the MegaSquirt harness directly to the corresponding wires in the stock harness.


Yes.

ok so then you would basically have 2 plugs one for the stock ECU and one for the MS. I get what your saying so if I just take my time and set it up that way come inspection time unplug the MS and plug in the stock ECU.

Does swapping these like this hurt them in anyway?

again thank you for all your help I really appriciate it!!

 

[VelocitàPaola]

ok so then you would basically have 2 plugs one for the stock ECU and one for the MS. I get what your saying so if I just take my time and set it up that way come inspection time unplug the MS and plug in the stock ECU.

Right.

Does swapping these like this hurt them in anyway?

Nope, just don't connect them both simultaneously.

 

[dsmcrzy]

AWSOME!!! thank you so much Paul!

I just have one more little question thats I think is a simple yes or no...

When you have a tuning device like an MS you dont have to run an FMU or SFMU when I go to turbo the car because I can tune the injectors correct? or is the FMU/SFMU still needed to raise the fuel pressure for the injectors?

and when I go turbo come inspection time I'll just run the engine with the waste gate open so I'm not making a lot of boost if any.

Again thank you so much I know these are simple questions but they are hard to search for answers .

 

[VelocitàPaola]

When you have a tuning device like an MS you dont have to run an FMU or SFMU when I go to turbo the car because I can tune the injectors correct? or is the FMU/SFMU still needed to raise the fuel pressure for the injectors?

Almost. You don't need something like an FMU/S-FMU with a large ratio, but you should use something like a 1:1 AFPR to balance the fuel pressure with the manifold pressure.

and when I go turbo come inspection time I'll just run the engine with the waste gate open so I'm not making a lot of boost if any.

That should work unless they do a visual inspection. Tread softly, though; I can't help you break any laws.

 

[david-b]

In IL, and most other states, if the car was 96 and older, if didn't have to get inspected. So my 95 got checked once (before law went in effect) and never got tested again. Was pretty sweet.

FMU/SFMU only needed for turbo. Stock FP is fine when N/T, since the pressure doesn't need to get raised.

As far as inspection, when mine got checked, they get the car up to ~54mph on a dyno. But they don't drive it like they stole it, which means it may not even build boost anyways. Could be different for you though.

 

[dsmcrzy]

well my machanic is a family friend so he just plugs into the obd2 port and just does that the only visual is head lights ect. And I hear ya no worries im still a ways off from this just trying to get all my research together. When I go to wire it I dont plan on having a mess of wires I want it to look nice and clean so you wouldnt beable to tell either way.

Thanks again for all the help Paul!

and I have never heard of New York State puttin cars on a dyno for inspection.