Under construction - not yet accurate...

Engine Management


Before you go any further please read the notes

ECU Price Benefit Drawback Notes
 
Stock
Inside
Outside
£0
  • Already installed
  • Reliable
  • No expense
  • Only programmed with fuel/ignition maps up to a certain level.  ~17psi
  • Need an aftermarket ECU to safely get the most from the engine
  • Ok providing you don't go mad i.e. beyond ~17psi on the stock turbo
  • With the stock setup gains of up to 50hp can be had by replacing the stock ECU
Superchips Website ?
  • More power - increased fuel cut level
  • A tuner won't be necessary, you'll be able to do it yourself
  • A supplier will be easy to find
  • Only removes the fuel cut
  • Does not provide fuel or ignition maps
  • Doesn't seem to do a great deal at all, apart from drain the money from your pocket...
  • There's not a lot of point having this if it only removes the fuel cut point! That's what an FCD is for...
  • I would never fit one of these
  • ECU add on
MoTeC M4 Picture £1000+
  • Does everything and a bit more
  • Can store at least 2 fuel/ignition maps, but additional Maps need to be changed via a laptop
  • The "daddy" of all ECUs that does it all very well
  • Can control other things as well e.g. WI and just about everything else!
  • Have options to replace engine loom, buy loom adaptor (~£150)or get the MoTeC fitted inside your existing ECU case
  • Expensive to buy
  • Complete replacement ECU
  • Lots of money, time and effort needed to make this work properly
  • Expensive
Dastek Unichip
Website
Brochure & Pics
Supplier & tuner
£650. Includes fitting, dyno and mapping
  • Cheap-ish
  • Seems to be a few tuners that can set this unit up and are familiar with it and a GT4 - bonus! e.g. Owen's and Noble's
  • Controls both fuel and ignition timings
  • Can control other things as well e.g. WI, fuel cut, extra injectors
  • Retains the knock sensor
  • Can switch between 2 separate  maps. Handy for high/higher boost settings!
  • Limited amount of adjustment on both the ignition and timing, therefore if you fitted larger injectors the Dastek may not have enough adjustment to compensate for them..
  • ECU add on
  • A tried and tested route by other GT4 owners. Fairly cheap and easy to do
GReddy emange Website
Picture
?
  • Controls both fuel and ignition timings if the add on ignition harness is purchased
  • I don't like the adjustments that are made via pots, I would much rather digital altering, digital altering doesn't change or get knocked or suffer from temperature variations
  • ECU add on
  • Probably wouldn't fit this
Autronic SMC
Website
Picture
Supplier
£1295 with all required sensors and Autotune option

~£350 fitting ~£350 to map
  • Can go for the Autotune option, negating the need for a dyno on fuel adjustments - save £ and will probably get a "better" map
  • Controls both fuel and ignition timings
  • Can control other things as well e.g. WI, fuel cut, extra injectors
  • On a same level as the MoTeC
  • Supplied with a base map
  • Need to buy additional sensors (all in the £1295 cost)
  • May need to modify existing sensors in order to get the car to run
  • Complete replacement ECU
  • ish, need to source the right sensors and parts, but sure that Autronic would help
  • Maybe if it was a little cheaper
Haltech E6K Website
Picture
~£810 delivered
from Aus depending upon what "extras" are ordered
  • Controls both fuel and ignition timings
  • Kit includes ECU, loom, 3 bar MAP sensor, boost solenoid, 4 wire lambda sensor, all other sensors and a base map  for the 165/185
  • 6 additional outputs to drive "other" bits and pieces e.g. WI, fuel cut, extra injectors. Number of outputs depends upon ECU configuration
  • Noble Motorsport have some experience with this ECU
  • Haltech have their own forum/website
  • Reputation / reliability / compatibility worries - these are gradually fading away (IMHO)
  • The response time for the UK dealer is abysmal...3 months and given up. Update - there are now 3 UK dealerships
  • This has now been superseded by the E6X ECU
  • Complete replacement ECU
  • On the plus side there is a Haltech help forum!
  • I think was used on the fastest 1/4 mile GT4...
Apexi Power FC
Website
Picture
Supplier
£750
  • Pre loaded maps
  • Idle and start up maps already configured
  • Knock level warning level
  • Injector max duty cycle warning level
  • Unable to conduct "live" tuning, although limited functionality can be had by using the hand controller
  • Complete replacement ECU
Apexi S-AFC Website
Picture
Supplier
£390
  • Controls fuelling
  • No ignition timing control
  • ECU add on
  • Bit of a problem as need ignition and fuelling mapped, this only does the fuelling
DTA fast Website
Picture
£630 minimum. Depending upon tuner may need to buy interface cables etc etc
  • Controls both fuel and ignition timings
  • UK based tuner
  • Apparently the software is one of the best available and easy to use from within Windows
  • This has been fitted to a UK 205, results unknown
  • Don't know how well this ECU will interface with the existing sensors. May need to do some serious fiddling and sensor buying...
  • Some more technical questions were unable to be answered
  • Requires 36 tooth crank wheel for timing pick up
  • Complete replacement ECU
  • A problem this one - I don't know and the supplier doesn't know if it will interface correctly with the 165 sensors etc. Tuning maybe a problem. Does any tuner have the interface equip, leads, software knowledge to set this thing up? Probably not. Too many unknowns. Worried about the amount of sensors that probably won't work, will need replacing and "sorry we don't know, you're on your own Jack" type stuff...
 

My choice...

The Haltech.

Why?

So far the questions I have asked from an Australian Haltech supplier have been very well and very swiftly answered. IMHO these guys know their stuff! Even down to thread sizes...impressive. You can contact the very knowledgeable Jeremy here


Notes

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