Cret

What a fooking disaster!!

Have lined up a VOSchip for myself today but I've just a bit of an ECU armageddon situation for myself and I need options/suggestions.

Basically the car (89 RS Legacy) was running the 8 bit ecu from 89-90 model but I also have a U8 ecu from an early WRX (93-94 I think).
Tonight I removed the 8 bit with the plan of sticking the 16 bit WRX one in the car instead. Previously when I tried the wrx ecu the car ran really badly but I'd been told this would be ok now as the car now has the TD05 turbo the ecu is expecting.

When I opened the U8 wrx one up I found there is no socket for the VOS chip to plug into but a space on the board for it. So I thought I'd remove the socket from the old 8 bit ECU and install it in the 16 bit one ready for getting the chip.

Bad idea. Not only did I somehow manage to break the socket, meaning I now don't have one for the chip, but I also screwed the old ecu royally. Thanks to a load of knackered circuit tracks it no longer works.

So not having a choice I fitted the wrx one to the car and surprise surprise it still runs like **** even with the TD05 in (didn't really think it'd make any difference being honest). The car holds back like you would not believe, and even though it even reached 1 bar boost at one point it is really struggling to pull itself along.

Now I was under the impression that the wrx ecus were meant to be completely compatible with the exception of the intercooler pump but either this isn't true or this ecu is somehow a dog.

The long & short of it is what to do now?
Do I:
1) Try to get a chip socket somewhere (where?), wait for the voschip and hope that when I install it the car will run great?
2) Try to find another 16 bit or even 8 bit ecu to run - but preferably a 16 bit legacy one with a socket already installed, and where the hell from?!
3) Other, please specify!

There is the slight possibilty that I could get an aftermarket ECU at a real push, but as I understand it they have to be mapped properly to start with which means aside from the big outlay of buying one you also have to hand over loads of cash to get someone to map it. Is this right? I'm pretty savvy with computer stuff as I'm a programmer anyway but is tackling it yourself an impossible task?
If an aftermarket ECU is an option what are the cheaper options available and what are the pitfalls/problems with fitting them/compatibility etc?

I'd appreciate all suggestions here as I'm basically up **** creek at the moment as the car runs appallingly badly with this ECU so I really need to do something about this very quickly indeed.

If anyone has an ECU they can sell at a reasonable price, or knows where I can get a chip socket PLEASE let me know!

Thanks dudes.
Jim

Roojai

You can get chip sockets from rs components. very cheap, I have some spare but cannot post until wednesday 11th earliest. It is easy to fit a socket, but you definately need a solder sucker to open up the pin holes before attempting to solder the socket in place. Solder sucker also available from RS components I think.

You should email adrian vos vosadrian@yahoo.com.au, I am sure he can help.

The vos chip should provide approximately the right map for your TD05. Better to get a custom map here done by a mapper for your car, but getting a vos is not a bad second option.

I would have thought, if your WRX ecu is fully compatible, then your car would not have run 'really badly' on your old turbo (tdo4(?)). You would have had boosting problems (over or under) but the car should have driven alright. if it really ran that bad then perhaps there are compatiblity problems or it is a shagged ecu.

If in a major rush I would run the WRX ecu and drive slowly until the vos is installed and then see how that goes. if, whilst doing that you do have problems with the ecu then look around for another wrx ecu.

The aussies do loads with the legacy, and I definately remember them saying that they used WRX ecu's on legacy's. There are some good sites out there for them - adrian vos is a 'well known name' on them.

Cret

Cheers mate - I'm a regular on the RS liberty forums down under and point a lot of people there myself as well as my own forum www.uklegacy.com

Do you know what the actual code/spec/description of the sockets are for ordering as lots of these kind of things look pretty much the same but are quite different so I want to make sure I get the right ones. I might try maplin too, I always thought RS only sold wholesale but that's handy if not.

No idea why the U8 ecu runs badly. I'm sure they're meant to be compatible but it goes like a pregnant yak with that in. It's one I bought on here a while ago and I've a slight suspicion it might not be in such good shape...

A guy on my forum has kindly offered me a 16 bit legacy ecu anyway so I can get that and the car should run great then solder in a socket for when the chip comes.

Think that will be the best route.