Awj

[HrdChrgR]

dont mean to bug ya but i was reading the torbo f.a.q. and in the list of things you need was something called a "stand alone ECU" the name alone gives me thoughts i already know are too good to be true....

what is it?

programable?

preprogrammed for any particular car?

[jzz30]

stand alone ecu's are completely tuneable computers. they can hook up to most any kind of engine and depending on the ecu have a wide range of tunability as far as fuel maps go. tuning is done with a lap top computer. some stand alones are HKS F-con-V pro, APEXi power FC, Autronic(australian and also what we use at our shop), Motec... . but there are also plug and play ecu's that AEM offer which require absolutely no wiring of any kind, just take your stock ecu off and plug in the AEM. expect to pay about 2 grand for a good one (like Autronic) and even more for Motec. the japanese brands need certified dealers to install and tune so there might be limited shops that do those.

[HrdChrgR]

wow,....thats bad- .....does the chip that has to be programmed come with the software and/or connections for the laptop?

what do those usually run?

see im about to convert a 97 sc3 to TT- i'm doing the wrench turning and modifying at home, the only thing stoping me is the ECU programming thats got me scared crapless does the standalone come with a manual?

[jzz30]

you usually need a tuner to tune your ecu unless you have experience doing tuning. depending on the company the ecu does come with software and the laptop connections. i believe the japanese companies do not because you can only purchase those at an authorized dealer that installs and tunes in house but are on the cheaper side. you will just have to call up different shops and see what they do. price will range but dont be surprised with the price because some of the ecu's need to completely be wired up meaning the existing wires are cut and wired in to the new ecu. the ecu can run anywhere from $1200-5000 and install and tune will vary from shop to shop. maybe 20 hours work for install and another 10-20 hours for tune.