Megasquirt 5sfe Options

[Arsaces]

Hey guys, I have come across someone who is willing to part with a megasquirt for cheap. I just need to finish assembling it and make a harness for my car. My question is, how exactly does a standalone ECU like that do all the same things that a stock ECU does?

Do I need to pull the stock ECU's program off of it's ROM and load that into the standalone? My main concern is: will I be throwing engine codes all the time by replacing with a standalone? I know that putting a megasquirt on a 5s without going turbo might seem like a waste, but if I get it cheap enough I see no reason not to go for it. I also know that I will need a wideband, which I should be able to pick up for like 200ish.

Is anyone running a megasquirt on a 5s currently who has any advice to impart?

Also, yes I did use the search function, most of what I found was dealing with 3s motors. I will be updating this thread as I learn more about how this works so that others in the future can learn from it.

Thank you,
Nate

This post has been edited by Arsaces: Mar 7, 2012 - 1:00 PM

[Kwanza26]

Hey guys, I have come across someone who is willing to part with a megasquirt for cheap. I just need to finish assembling it and make a harness for my car. My question is, how exactly does a standalone ECU like that do all the same things that a stock ECU does?

Megasquirt is pretty bare bones all things considered when it comes to programmable ecu's. it doesn't ultimately do everything a stock ecu does, but it does allow for custom fuel maps and some fairly basic ignition mapping... but it takes a lot of work to set up mechanically (for the ignition) and to tune properly.

Do I need to pull the stock ECU's program off of it's ROM and load that into the standalone? My main concern is: will I be throwing engine codes all the time by replacing with a standalone? I know that putting a megasquirt on a 5s without going turbo might seem like a waste, but if I get it cheap enough I see no reason not to go for it. I also know that I will need a wideband, which I should be able to pick up for like 200ish.

No. There is not a way of pulling anything off the stock ecu, or rather no practical way. Yes you will be throwing engine codes... or you would be if there was a stock ecu to throw them... and yes it is pointless and a WHOLE LOT of unnecessary work. Essentially... you run the ecu and tweak the fuel maps until the engine runs good. You should do this on a dyno with proper monitoring to ensure correct fuel ratio mixtures and to maximize gains... but this is easier said then done. You could run one as a piggy back over the stock ecu... but there still are no ultimate benefits considering you're doing this on a stock engine.

Is anyone running a megasquirt on a 5s currently who has any advice to impart?

Not on a 5S... but on a Toyota... 4AG 20V. My advice... stay away... not worth it. The stock ecu with a piggyback is infinitely better for most applications 300+ hp.

Also, yes I did use the search function, most of what I found was dealing with 3s motors. I will be updating this thread as I learn more about how this works so that others in the future can learn from it.

Starting your modifications with a programmable ECU is not a smart idea. The ecu should come as your engine modifications exceed the capabilities of a stock ecu... because the ecu alone is going to make a minimal difference performance-wise.