As I said in my other thread my car has a Mines ecu (www.mines-wave.com) and Im only running it on optimax at the moment. People are telling me to replace it. Francly I dont want to as I like it!!!

If I get the octane up to 100 RON with octane boost should I have any problems?

Any other views welcome!!
I just carnt see the logic in removing £1000 worth of ecu to put another ecu in

 

A lot of people do replace the JECS unit with effectively a 'less featured' one, but with good results...
Simply upping the octane would probably not do the job. If the map was set up for a specific inlet, exhaust, etc. replaing any of these throws the map off to some extent - very likely for it to be running lean. Metering from the MAF minimises the problem, but in no way eliminates it.
Upping the octane should reduce det, but cannot sort out lean running.

 

If you want to upgrade your car further "correctly" (no offence to Andy F or Mr Wild) you will have to reprogram the ECU for the mods you have. If you cannot get your ECU reprogrammed it will hold you back going further as the map will be inappropriate for further changes unless the map was planned for them.

 

John will the Mines ecu not be good enough then? Will it not remap?
Have you seen it on the web address I gave www.mines-wave.com
The only mods Ive changed since getting the car from Japan is the twin dump decat downpipe and the induction filter. I could put the original airbox back on that had a Mines panel filter in. Then the only thing changed would be as Ive said the downpipe.

The sounds of replacing the ECU is doing my head in as I know its a fortune for an ECU.

 

It very likely would if you have software and a connector to connect to it, can get mapping software and someone to take on the work for you. Never heard of many mapping Mines in the UK. Where did you get the ECU and is it custom mapped to your car?

 

John.... i don't think MR Wild would be offended by your comment...... his new Link ECU should be mapped very shortly .

Tony.

 

Sorry for taking so long to reply
The ECU was on the car when it came over from Japan. If you can get someone to remap it for me and its safe (eg it wont nack the ECU) then I would be very interested in that. How much would it cost!!
Many thanks Ronnie

 

Cont'
Its not remapped for the mods ive done, But I assume that its remapped for the car as it came in it from Japan and I havent just simply added it since i recieved it.
Regards Ronnie

 

Ronnie,

Having a ecu which isnt mapped for the mods you have done will hold your power back surely, If you have a programmable ecu you would be able to re-map to a far greater advantage than the current setup you already have imo.

Personally i'd sell/ditch the Mines if you cannot find someone to re-map it, as it could have been setup for your car when say it was standard or something - now you've got a different induction, exhaust etc the map wont be as useful and possibly could lead to bigger problems (Det) etc, How do you know if your car is not running too lean or too rich on the current map? - At the end of the day if it came with the car it wont have cost you an extra £1000.

There are far better options available, ie Link, Gems, Motec etc.

 

Very true,
But I will have to spent that to replace it, and the lass will have harsh words to say about that
No way off monitoring fuel etc as I have no meters yet
Its my first impreza and I think its probably running rich as I only get about 60 miles to a Tenner (about 13 litres). Sounds like I get a bit of turbo chatter. Dont know if thats normal.

Heres a few pics of when I bought it for you to have a laugh

 

Ronnie,

60 miles to 13l? - hmm seems ok to me, I get about 200 miles from a full 60l tank of optimax on my STI-V!

Chatter is fine too, wouldnt worry about that m8

 

ok Cheers mate,
So whats my next step, where do I go/what do I do?

 

Personally i'd try and find someone, John Banks or David Wallis etc to see if they can look at the current map you have got - if they can do it that is....If it is remappable then i'd defo get a remap to suit your mods, if not then well its your call, but i'd change the Ecu for something which can be remappable.

 

so im stuck with this for now:


I will send John an e-mail and ask his advise, Many thanks
Ronnie

 

I though I'd posted last night, but it's not here

Anyway ran the Mines site through Bablefish and despite the literal translation it looks like you've got their VX chip which from what I can gather is rather like a Superchip...ie an expensive boost clamp!

I think that Mines fit a daughter board to the stock Subaru ECU and adjust the boost parameters...I guess they also tweek the fueling and ignition a bit as well. But it does rather look like a PPP in terms of the same on every car, preset and not adjustable...I say 'looks like' because without someone who can understand Japanese to hand the literal translation is a bit vague

 

Go visit www.scoobyECU.co.uk for starters. They map Standard ECUs for the older cars.
Get them to have a look at your ECU. If they scratch their heads then rather than spend a fortune on a Link or a GEMs, just pick up a second hand UK Scooby ECU get them to chip it for your car.

Problem solved, and all for under £500.

If you are planning to go mad and tune the car beyond belief then you may as well by a link or Gems now, cos you will only need one later...but it sounds like you have "bird induced horsepower limits ()" so you would do better to get a standard (cheap) ECU and get it mapped to your taste...and continue your secret tuning habits.

 

Very interesting!!
So Im scre*ed, I want to really just add a few things to my system eg, eventually a FMIC and possibly 550cc injectors etc etc, but I wont be going that mad
Everything seems ok, I thrash it quite often and havent had a prob yet!! pushing 1.2bar and if I shove my foot hard down in 4th/5th hitting the limiter just under 1.4bar
and I have never heard any knock or bad sounds!!
I can see what everyone is saying about knock etc but surely the map will be programmed for fuel etc and it can only be dangerous if the amount of fuel been drawn is greater than that of the settings of the map. Same for boost etc. There must be alittle play +or- the settings.

How much are links and other good modifyable ECU's
Regards Ronnie

 

Ronnie,
If you want to go down the "FMIC and bigger injectors route" you will need a mapable ECU.

Have a look at: http://www.brdevelopments.com/

I would be carful adding mods to the car if the Mines ECU is a mapable one it won't adjust to fueling/airflow like the std one does.
It will have been mapped for 100RON fuel which has a greater resistance to det than UK fuel!
You won't necessarily hear det!!!!!!!

I'm no expert but I would get it checked on a rolling road and invest in a Lambda and Knock Link.

You need to find a Mines dealer in the UK (If there is one!!) to find out more.

 

Cheers,
Write then. For my next question
Does anyone know a Mines dealer in the UK??????????

Also if I have to sell my ECU whats it worth???

 

Ronnie, I think I may have answered your question above

 

Cheers Tim
I got in touch with a guy from a link and he has told me my ecu will be OK. He said that top secret and Mines both agree that the fuel used in Japan is 98-99 Ron like out optimax. But if im not satisfied I can knock back the timing 2 degrees. However he has not had any probs.

So I think that has answered my prob, Many thanks to all who have helpped
Regards Ronnie

 

Sorry been locked in the garage tinkering...little confues about your last post Ronnie, as far aas I was aware fairly normal unleaded in Japan is 100 ron...so you need Optimax AND octane Booster to be running with something approaching that!

The 'ok' starement seems a little bit vague! Can you adjust the fueling, ignition and boost paramaters on the Mines then? If you can great, if you can't I think you will in the end have to change ECU's if you plan to change turbos, intercoolers, injectors etc to compensate! A set programme ecu (even if it has some learning capability) is going to struggle to cope with any dramatic changes

 

The guy I spoke to about the fuel was called shin Inoue from prospec motosport, they are the official importers of Mines products to the western world. He said there fuel in Japan was 98-99 octane. He is also the agent for Top secret. He said the ecu can be retarded for initial ignition timing by 2 degrees if needed!! Dont know much else, still waiting for a reply to an e-mail I sent with more questions!!
Quote " The Japanese fuel is usually not 100 RON,
and it is recognized as 98 to 99 RON by
our business partners such as Mine's and
Top Secret".

 

Ronnie,

I and some of the other ScoobyECU guys can very quickly & cheaply reprogram or replace your Mines ECU - a full customised MAP definitely for under £100.

Email me as per profile if interested or for further info, alternatively see http://shop.scoobynet.co.uk/Product.asp?ProductID=499.

Chris

 

Oops...doubted than man I sent you to

 

Just had a thought, there is a guy who may know a bit about Mines kit, I think his name is Shin...he runs a company in North London that specialises in Skylines etc...Blowdog knows him, and introduced me to him a while back. He had an R34 with a whole load of Mines bit's fitted...

Contact him through his company here: http://www.prospec-ms.co.uk/

Incidentally Shin is Japanese, so he should be able to tell you what the site really says!

[Edited by Tim W - 1/3/2003 12:04:15 AM]