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Engine Management systems for Classic Subaru Imprezas

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Got to get it off my chest: ESL ECUs aren’t “piggybacks”, they convert the OEM ECU into a standalone :)

August 18, 2015 By Andy Stevens

Hope this doesn’t come across as a rant, but it’s one of my pet hates and another term I keep seeing widely misused.

A piggyback ECU is so called as it is spiced into the loom between the sensors and OEM ECU and modifies signals to trick the ECU into behaving differently.

piggyback

For example, in order to adjust the mixture, it will alter the MAF voltage signal to fool the ECU into delivering a different amount of fuel.

One of the problems with this approach is that the closed loop fuel system will see that the mixture has changed and will attempt to trim back to where it was.

The same trick can be applied to the boost control, but again, the feedback loop will fight it, leading to a very confusing picture.

In short, it’s best not to try and fool the ECU as there are all sorts of potential side effects and the level of tuning you can achieve is very limited.

The ESL ECU converts the ECU with the biggest design and test budget (the OEM one) and removes the MY89-98 biggest disadvantage, that it is not mappable. As we have to add hardware we can go one step further than reflash style software and make the ECU genuinely live mappable, engine running, per parameter, with no chance of “bricking” the ECU, i.e. a full standalone with genuine OEM drive quality.

 

Filed Under: Blog

FMIC vs TMIC

August 14, 2015 By Andy Stevens

This is another debate I hear online all the time, with a huge amount of misinformation being broadcast.

I have no axe to grind either way as I don’t sell intercoolers, but I thought I’d add some proper numbers to the debate.
It seemed obvious to me that moving a heat exchanger away from under a hot bonnet to the cold front of a car is going to increase intercooler efficiency and decrease charge temperatures, so lets see some logs and do some calcs.

1. Do FMICs cause extra lag?

No, at least not enough to notice, and it can be mapped out.

The runs on the FMIC of the ESL car (not reversed) are about 2m either side of the cooler.
The hardpipes are 2.5in diameter (6.35cm), so CSA is pi*r^2 = 0.0032m^2
Total volume of hardpipe is length*CSA=0.013m^3

If we look at the spool up condition, I’m going to say 4000rpm, 1 bar, 100% VE, a 2 litre engine is going to shift around 0.133m^3/s (IRO 280CFM in old money). Which is 0.066m^3 when compressed in the pipework.

Lets say that the TMIC has a zero length pipe run for simplicity. That means the extra time getting the air through the added FMIC pipework volume is 0.2 seconds.

0.2 seconds will be completely lost in the noise of the turbo dynamics, and furthermore can be mapped out on ESL.

I’ve assumed the same volume for both ICs, but the point is, if you take the same IC and put it on the front, then it will be more efficient with virtually no additional lag.

2. Do FMICs reduce charge temps over a TMIC?

Yes.

Here is a graph of my 550bhp demo car on a hyperflow fmic. Most FMICs will give similar results, as they are simple air to air heat exchangers at the end of the day.

log1

As you can see, charge temps decrease (bottom trace) with increasing vehicle speed (sawtooth on the engine speed going through the gears), as you would expect due to the extra cooling of the intercooler being mounted at the front.

Here is a graph of a car running a high quality TMIC:

ChargetempSpeed1

The logs resolution is pretty poor compared to ESL logger, but the important thing to observe is that charge temps (blue) increase with vehicle speed (green), the complete opposite of the FMIC.

Taken from a debate on scoobynet I had sometime ago:

http://www.scoobynet.com/954531-bhp-difference-tmic-and-fmic-4.html

3. “I don’t need a FMIC until 400 bhp”.

Untrue. You will feel the benefit of a FMIC at any power level. As a rule of thumb, an ebay intercooler will liberate about 10% more power than the early slanted turbo TMIC, so on a healthy early classic with a TD05-16g with the usual decat, induction, fuel pump and 440s will see something like 320bhp on a FMIC and 290bhp on a TMIC.

4. So how do I map lag out?

Easily, with a mappable ECU. Here’s how with ESL:

Stock STi2 WG duty map:
6kwgduty

As you can see, there is room for spool improvement in the full throttle line up to the spool point.

 

 

 

 

 

If we modify the WG duty map like this:
6kwg100

We have diverted all signal away from the wastegate up to the spool point. As long as there is no surge or overshoot (which can also be addressed in turbo dynamics), this will give best possible spool, and may mean that even with the fitment of a FMIC, it may be possible to beat the response of the original TMIC, i.e. have your cake and eat it.

 

 

 

5. So what are the disadvantages of a FMIC?

Buying and fitting it, which involves cutting the front bumper.

Filed Under: Blog

ESL vs Apexi PFC

August 14, 2015 By Andy Stevens

I come across this comparison quite alot. To me, it seems like an absolute no-brainer, bu there seems to be alot of misinformation out there. Here are some facts to combat that:

From Nengun; PFC £685. AVCR to control boost £367.
ESL £295.
What you DON’T get for spending an extra £757:
Closed Loop Knock Control.
Twin Maps (full, not offsets).
Switchable MAFless load with AIT compensations.
OEM idle cruise and hot/cold starting compensations.
Diagnostic function.
Up to date Windows software
Comprehensive online documentation.
On 97/8 ESL: AntiLag, Launch Control, Flat Shift and Traction Control for £100 extra.
Furthermore:
ESL Cable Dongle and software: £95.
Datalogit cable and software £186.

In Summary
The Apexi has 1 fuel map, 1 ignition map, has to retain the MAF and is much more expensive than ESL.
ESL is cheaper and has 3d boost control, full twin maps in which every parameter is duplicated, knock control, MAFless, diagnostics, closed loop fuel and idle and factory compensations.

Still seems like a no-brainer to me!
HTH, Andy.

Filed Under: Blog

Video Blog: A brief history of ESL variants.

July 16, 2015 By Andy Stevens

Filed Under: Blog

We have a new video channel. First video: Software walkthrough.

July 14, 2015 By Andy Stevens

 

Filed Under: Blog

Three awesome Kenyan Legacy Wagons in competition, all powered by ESL

October 30, 2014 By Andy Stevens

A big shout out to my friends Chris, Michael and Arty for this picture of a recent Kenyan road race.1383742_10203568948196758_5538545229714641037_n

Filed Under: Blog

Japanese Performance Project WRX, powered by ESL

October 30, 2014 By Andy Stevens

This is one of my favourite cars. Readers of JP will no doubt already be familiar with it and it is often displayed at shows around the country. Owned by JP art guru Joel, this car has been lightened to 1100kg and with a mild and reliable 320bhp tune, this car still gives 911 turbo performance.

I’m going to let pictures do the talking:

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10705299_10152243613537261_536272129_n

 

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Filed Under: Blog

NZ V4 Impreza Sti tuned via ESL 227 kw/424 Nm torque at the wheels

October 28, 2014 By Andy Stevens

Our NZ distributor Riajin Performance writes:

A great day today mapping with Clint with and Brock and his superb V4 Sti Type R using the ESL modification to the OEM ECU. Twin fuel, ignition and boost maps were tuned onto the car in addition to running MAFless (speed density) and blistering launch control and anti-lag triggered by a dash switch.

Mods were VF30, FMIC, parallel fuels rails, 680 cc injectors, fuel pump, FPR, Heat range 7  plugs, decat exhaust, factory boost solenoid, ESL ECU and Raijin Performance custom remap.

 

20141027_120932 20141027_135813

3rd run 2

Filed Under: Blog

Dans V2 WRX Widearch 390WHP in Macau.

June 6, 2014 By Andy Stevens

DSC02968 DSC02987 DSC02990
In 2011 I took owner ship of a standard semi abused V2 WRX. Obsessed with not having anything original, The project began with a E-mail to Andy at ESL to enquire if Self tuning was possible. A ESL Daughter board and a Wideband sensor was ordered. Through countless solutions and help from ESL the tuning began.  With a stock 16G turbo and 460cc injectors it was a fun car. After trying a day tuning with higher boost I managed to blow 3rd gear on the weak early TY752 Gear box.
A slightly stronger later model box was fitted and tuning carried on, This time with a 20G turbo 750cc injectors.
A forged engine was built for the next stage, STI V4 heads and a better fuel system. Suspension was also upgraded to BC coil overs. Tuning was continuously ongoing with trying to fine tune everything I could. (Many more emails and ideas from ESL).
While the engine was roughly where i wanted it the car was looking a little worse for wear. A wide body kit some bigger wheels and a fresh coat of paint changed its look for the better.
Tuning is still continuos with the addition of water methanol injection, ESL has been doing a great job of tuning all the variables that have been thrown at it.
Currently with a ESL Log in Virtual Dyno the car is making 390whp at 1.6 Bar.
Engine Bock:
Mahle powerpak forged pistons 92.5mm
Eagle H beam rods
ARP head studs
ACL race bearings
Semi closed deck block
12mm STI oil pump
Multi-layer steal head gasket
RCM cambelt and tensioners.
STI V4 Heads high flow + big cams
STI V8 ignition coils
Engine Anceillaries
ESL ECU Mafless
Front mounted intercooler

Kamak TD05-20G STS billet turbo

Walbaro fuel pump
750cc injectors
Aeromotive reg
High flow Fuel rails
Braided stainless Fuel hose
ESL ECU Mafless
1.8 bar map sensor
Greedy RZ blow off valve
3″ turbo back exhaust
Tomei expreme exhaust headers
BC BR coil over suspension
KN air filter
Oil Cooler- thermostatic
Alloy Racing radiator
Water methanol injection 240cc
Drive Train
ACT stage 4 race clutch
STI V5  TY754 gear box and diff
XXR17x9 Wheels
Wide Body Kit
Innovate LM2 Wide band
Phormula KS4 knock detector

Filed Under: Blog

22B Mapped by Chip-Racing of Switzerland

May 1, 2014 By Andy Stevens

Stock Subaru Impreza GT / 22B ECU

There is this wide spread myth, that Subaru manufactured form 1992-1998 can’t be reflashed.This myth, like many others, is not true. OK, honestly, it isn’t easy but it can be done with the ESL Daughterboard!

Chip-Racing Subaru Impreza GT Tuning: ESL Daughterboard

With the help of the daughterboard we’re able to program every single Subaru Impreza ever made. The daughterboard needs to be soldered into the OEM ECU, this isn’t that easy and cant’ be done with shaky hands!

Soldering the ESL Board

Soldering done, ready for the daughterboard

Once the sockets are soldered in, the daughterboard can just be plugged in!

ESL Daughterboard installed

After the installation is complete we can simply program the ECU via ISO or OBD.

Chip-Racing Subaru Impreza GT 1992-1998 tuning

The Subaru Impreza 22B which we had here a few days ago was done by the daughterboard as well. Only modification to the hardware is a aftermarket backbox, boost is set at 1.3bar peak and 1bar hold.

Chip-Racing Subaru Tuning: Impreza 22B

 

Subaru Impreza 22B Tuning with Chip-Racing Daughterboard

 

Filed Under: Blog

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