Getting 1 or the other done on my MY99 but what is best and what benefit does this one carry over the other and what power should i expect, standard uk turbo apart from panel filter and full decat..

Advice appreciated

many thanks

 

bttt

 

i asked this question a while back,and basicly it depends on what your mod are,and if you intend to stay at one level,or intend to carry on adding bits.... both will do the same thing,ie allow the modifications you have fitted to run at their best potential,but in differing ways,the ekutek is a reflash of your current ecu,and any changes needed req a complete new reflash to accomodate them.... the apexi can make changes little by little,so tweaks can be made easier,and poss at a lower cost than the ekutek system,i think there is a limit to how much power can be produced by the ekutek,but would need a mapper to post to tell you that..... im still not decided myself which way to go.....

 

The above pretty much sums the 2 up. It depends on your own requirements....

Both can be fit/map and forget. But the PFC (if used with the FC Commander) can be tweaked on the fly if need be.

I find my PFC has smoother off-boost 'closed-loop' control then the ECUTEK ECU. Probably something to do with the closed loop update rate being a little slower. But who cares if it's slower, as it stops the common surging at light throttle experienced on the OE ECU whether it be TEK'd or not.

I switched over to the Apexi as my 2-port solenoid was not very good at controlling boost at 1.3bar.
I got a £10 3-port, but it would of needed another £250 remap at a dealer, just top fit a £10 part.

The Apexi also leaves the door open for future mods, such as ported headers, TD05-18G (currently running with a VF28) and more.....

The only disadvantage of the Apexi IMHO is that it opens up further tuning possibilities (if you are able to map it yourself), that I had previously not really considered due to being tied in to using ECUTEK dealers.

 

Scott has summed up nicely, but missed another important disadvantage, that being that the Apexi PFC does not have Knock retard. So if you get detonation with the PFC, it will take NO action other than flash the CEL if setup to do so. Whereas the ecutek flashed oem ecu will be able to retard ignition upto 6 degrees or so, and have some degree of learning.

This is an important safety net. Obviously when mapped, both should be det free, but failing MAFs or bad fuel can cause det on an otherwise appropriate map, and not uncommonly. That is why I would recommend getting the FC commander with the PFC as you can then monitor for knock, in addition to other engine parameters, thereby giving you a useful heads-up to impending trouble.

Only other thing to say is that off-boost/part throttle low boost response is certainly crisper with the PFC, in part due to Scott's comment of slower feedback, but also as it will change to open loop control at any positive boost, rather than over 5psi below 3000rpm on the oem ecu. This may be configurable with a reflash though.

Cheers

Simon

 

Well pointed out with regard to Knock.
As I have the FC commander this 'lack of retard' feature is kinda insignificant, as I regularly check the knock peak readings. Especially after spirited driving.

As Si said though, something to bear in mind.

Although a badly mapped ECUTEK or bad batch of fuel can still cause det on an OE ECU, even with it's inbuilt det detection.

 

i think my selection problems have been solved thanks to simon and scott........ apexi it is then

 

One VERY important point the boys missed, specifically with regard to the original question.
The power FC can only set 1 boost setpoint for the full rpm and load range. To get the best performance from a 99UK on a TD04 this is not appropriate.
The Ecutek remap of the existing ECU will allow a profiled boost control with upper wastegate limits and boost targets set at different points throughout the rpm and load ranges. This ensures minimal charge overheating at higher rpm whilst maximising torque in the midrange.
The OE ECU only surges in cruise if the target AFR settings in the fuel map are wrong (they become wrong if you fit a fuel pump for instance) a bit fine tuning eliminates this.

Andy

 

bugger........

 

If however you are fitting a TD05 turbo for example, then a flat line boost profile is more appropriate.

Andy

 

The AFR settings must be wrong in Ae801, Ae802 and my TEK'd Ae802 (which has been TEk 2'd and 3'd) then. As all have surged on cruise, especially when the Lambda is cold. Using several different Lambda sesnors and stock fuel supplies.

The Apexi is very smooth when warm/hot and only very slightly surges when the Lambda is cold.

Good point about the boost though. Another £200 and an AVCR for best results from little turbo's

 

aha.... back on track then