Engine Management Options (NOT COBB!!)

Hi Guy/Gals. I am in need of options for my customers that have the COBB Access Port. As most of you are aware COBB decided unilaterally to basically tell us tuners on how to do our jobs. Forcing us to follow the EPA regulations for "Emissions compliance". Most of my customers cars are dedicated track cars that aren't road legal as it is. I also live in a state that doesn't have emission regulations anyways. So, I have reached out to EcuTEK, HP-Tuners, and SCT. But SCT is doing the same as COBB and EcuTEK charges obscene amounts for their tuning suites. As far as HP-Tuners, well the cost of coins is kind of annoying. Any help with alternative platforms would be greatly appreciated. I tune a wide assortment of vehicles however the platforms I need help with are basically all of the supported manufacturers COBB supports.

Side note I have a very nicely built 08 WRX STi in my workshop that is in need of a comprehensive standalone option. I am kind of stuck on what to offer the customer. I have been thinking of the following platforms for it. ECU Masters EMU Black, FuelTech FT450, AEM Infinity 506, or if I can find on for a good price a link g4+ plug and play unit. I'd like to hear your guys/gals thoughts on what you would run and why. Thanks again everyone!! Also Andre any help from you on this would be appreciated :D and if you're going to be in Indianapolis any time soon, drinks on me ;)

Hey Matthew!

I feel your pain, being in Canada we don't have regular emission compliance (only when we transfer a vehicle from a province to another), but we fall under the USDM market for cars.

With the COBB situation, we went back to using ECUFlash for street cars (if it's supported), and if it's a dedicated race car, we are using the Link ECUs (G4+, G4x). You could use ECUMaster Black too, but make sure to read the manual if you want the intake AVCS to work, as you need to use the VSS input to connect one of the cam position sensor IIRC. And you won't be able to use the exhaust AVCS. For HPTuners, I haven't thought about it, they seems to have some patch for extended datastream and speed density on some models. I might use some of my credit to try if it works.

"You could use ECUMaster Black too, but make sure to read the manual if you want the intake AVCS to work, as you need to use the VSS input to connect one of the cam position sensor IIRC." - Do you know where you read this? I was looking to try one of these out on a V8 with single AVCS.

Hey Marek,

It is well buried in the help file of the ECUMaster Black software... you need to click on the "?" icon in the secondary trigger parameter window, and then you click on "supported secondary trigger". Here's a printscreen of what it said in the window.

Going back to the topic, be careful if you're gonna invest in ECUTEK, there are rumors that they are gonna follow what COBB did as they are own by the same company (Auto Meter).

Note for your consideration of the Link ecu, the G4+ doesnt have the CAN stream for the Gen3 cars. G4X does. And we have only tested on the cars with a Denso ECU, I believe many of the USDM cars used a Hitatchi ECU, I know the pinout is completely different but not sure about the CAN.

Im working on building my own ECU but its stil on the drawing board.

My advice. GET A HALLTECH. Get the right stuff from the start. My 91 GTO blew its ecu back in 2019 it has been hell ever since and if i just got the halltech i wouldnt have 90% of the issues i have now. They should have plug and play units or at least a plug and play harness. Their support actually gets back to you if you have an issue. With these mental import taxes we pay where i live getting the good stuff for me isnt an option so i usually have to build my onw things or fix the the thing that broke in the first place.

As for support for your client it depends what car they have. JDM Euro Import exotic etc etc. Also with HP tuners having a 62% price increase on their MPVI2+ i dont feel its worth it anymore

Halltech or AEM. I wont reccomend anything else.

Yea, I agree with you guys. Most of my customers are just basically street cars not looking to make the jump to standalone especially with certain cars like the GTR or 2016 and newer cars being very CAN heavy and not many standalones support oem CAN communications. I feel like COBB should've left emissions control up to the discretion of the pro tuner. and locked it for the end user who gets to software through their training. I live in a state that doesn't have emission regulations and it's annoying to have to bend to the EPA who is already over reaching their greedy hands into motorsports.

I am considering the likes of EcuTek and HP-Tuners. However, I am concerned with their high entry fees. (EcuTek software over $1200USD) (HP-Tuners "Coins" exceeding $400USD per car) I am having a hard time offering a tuning option for my customers. I have freeware software options like ECUflash, RomRaider, and ECMtuning. However, they have somewhat limited abilities to add extra features. Anybody else have any suggestions that would work?