I have been looking around at post about the mega squirt setup, and checking out the setup on there web site. I was wondering how it compares to the FAST or BigStuff. I was also wondering what someone would have in a mega squirt set up once all components were bought?

 

Wrong forum cheif.

 

Between $550 and $750 for a distributorless setup depending on where you sourced the hardware
issuez

 

I got $400 in my Megasquirt right now (used all the stock sensors with different resistors) on my 88 GT. I wish I would've known/sprung the extra $150 for the EECIV adaptor board from MegaScott so I wouldn't have to cut up my wiring harness, but hindsight is 20/20.

The assembly of the Megasquirt was fun and not too complicated. The installation, although it was easy, was a little more gut wrenching just because I was cutting up the wiring harness (see sentence above about the $150). Then came setting up the Megatune and actually tuning the car. This has been the biggest hurdle for me thus far. Megasquirt can do LOTS of things to your car, buuuuuuutttttttt you have to figure them out and tell Megasquirt what to do. If you're not up to snuff about how all those things work and what they are supposed to do you may find yourself in the garage many nights reeking of gasoline. Don't get too excited about all the stories of how people fired their car up on the first time and where driving around cause that may not happen for you. Yes you can get someone to help you get the car running right, but that isn't always possible plus kind've negates the whole DIY theme of Megasquirt. There are lots of helpful people on the forums that can walk you through many situations, but you still need to understand what is going on. I've gotten lots of help from Jerry at DIY Autotune, but there was still a lot I had to figure out on my own.

Now I've never ran any other type of stand alone engine management system so I don't know how they operate, but I have seen them for sale in Summit and they come with a BASE tune to at least get you running. From there if you can figure out the system you can tune it yourself, or head to a dyno and have someone else tune it. But then again in the end you end up paying a good amount for those systems.

All told in the end I'm glad I purchased my Megasquirt as I am more of a DIY kind've person and I'm also cost conscious of what I purchase (i.e. cheap). At least now I know what I'm getting/got myself into with the Megasquirt, and will in the future do it again, but I will have a better understanding of how it all works.

If there's one thing that I should say in all my rambling that hopefully will stick is do your RESEARCH and decide whats best for you.

 

Thanks for spending the time to type that all out. i was thinking of going with a mega squirt some day.

 

Like comparing a commodore from the 80's to a pentium 3. bs3 all the way not just for the system itself but the great technical support from John, Sparky, and Don B.

 

So the MS is a Commodore, huh? That just shows that you have NO clue wtf you are talking about.

Let's get into a resolution and processing power debate between the two and see how it turns out.... You won't be so happy with your overpriced purchase.

The MS is a do-it-yourself project with the emphasis on "do-it-yourself". If you aren't willing to spend the time to learn the inner workings of EFI, then it's simply not for you and something like a FAST or BS3 is better from the standpoint that it is more "plug-and-play" than a MS.

 

MS has great support too. You don't need to get in contact with one guy. There is forums with tons of people who know this thing in and out.

It has gone threw a upgrades, so if have a old one, or basing a opinion on what you saw when it first came out, time to check out the new stuff.

 

Not to bash Megasquirt but it does not compare to a FAST or Big Stuff 3 and yes I do install all three systems. For someone who is on a budget and isn't afraid of the programming, little quirks and wants to learn the inner workings of a ECU the Megasquirt is a good system but as for a finished ready to bolt on and run system Megasquirt isn't that.

 

Thanks for all the replys.
Other then the plug and play issue, does one offer more then the other?
ie. Two step, Shift light, launch retards, slew rate, time/rpm switches, or things of that nature.

 

They all have most of the same features, Megasquirt is ever evolving so if it doesn't have something you want just wait a few days and it might. I have found that most of the stuff is still really in test mode. We are trying right now to get a 60-2 ignition wheel to work with it.

One of the complaints I have with the Megasquirt is the board ECU plug, I know this is supposed to be a budget thing but the quality of the connection from the harness to the ECU plug is far from the quality from the other higher ECU vendors. This will eventually lead to problems.

Other than the plug and play it has most if not all the same features. Be aware though something you could have running quickly with another system may or may not be true with the Megasquirt. We have been fighting this 60-2 wheel for a couple of weeks, everything else checks out but the ECU is not reading the wheel voltage correctly.

 

Are you talking about a crank trigger when you say 60-2 wheel? I understand the megasquirt is a learning curve, I just want to be sure once I get it figured out, that it will be able to do what is needed. Does it come with somthing that explaines the workings of the unit, or do I have to depend on people to get my info from?

 

Megasquirt Main Page
Megasquirt Forums
Megasquirt MSnS-Extra Main Site

 

Yes a 60-2 is a common crank trigger for BMW and some of the newer domestic stuff. Megasquirt does not come with instructions like some of the other systems do, it really is billed as a do it yourself unit. The only instructions are what you read on the forums.

 

Ummm... The instructions are one the net... First Link I listed... MegaManual... The support is on the Forums...

oh btw... the db37 connector shouldn't be a problem for a long time if the MS is mounted in the passenger compartment... and if it does fail after 10 years... desolder and install another one... but if your really worried about it... don't install it and bring the wires out of the box to a 22pin weatherpack bulkhead connector...

 

How about a bad assembly from a well known company that builds Megasquirt ECUs. Most people would have had a really hard time finding this problem. It took an oscilloscope, several VR sensors, some shielded wire and finally checking every circuit on the board to find this problem. The pots were reversed and a couple of other wrong circuits. That isn't something you would normally find in an ECU that you buy from Big Stuff 3 or Fast. After having to re-build their box it works fine. It isn't worth my time to build them for customers if I can buy one done. As far as the connector we build wiring harnesses for several other ECUs BigStuff, Fast and Accel, adaptor harnesses for over 30 cars. I'm sorry but the db37 connector is much lesser quality than what everyone else uses. If you bring the wires out of the box without a connector on the board then you end up with a poor connection at the circuit board.
Plain and simple it isn't the quality of stuff that you can buy from most professional ECU companies but then on the other hand it isn't supposed to be.

 

I agree with you about the connector.

On that note, have you seen the new Microsquirt?

http://www.microsquirt.info/

 

Megasquirt doesn't support Sequential fuel injection, does it???

 

Not currently, but it's in development. It will require a seperate piece of hardware called a "Router Board" to handle the sequencing as well as some means of cylinder identification.

IMHO, for your run-of-the-mill turbo street car, sequential offers little to no power increase. The increased complexity (hardware) makes it more complicated than it's worth. In fact, the Router Board has taken somewhat of backseat to other developments, though it is still being worked, from what I understand.

 

Sorry about the late post...but where can I find this "adaptor?" THinking of ordering the MSII from DIY and using factory stuff...